Monday, July 14, 2008

Hummingbird Babies

We left the door open to our shed/ garage while building the chicken coop and a momma hummingbird came in an built her nest. I don't see her very much but the eggs hatched and we've been watching as the babies get big enough to peer over the edge of the nest.

Yesterday morning, I heard a distinct baby bird distress sounds. I went to the garage and the hummers were crying. I got dressed, looked up baby hummingbirds on the Internet and read that they are silent unless starving. I did feed their open mouths some sugar water but also read that they couldn't subsist on that and called a bird rehabilitator.

I watched all day - and especially at night for mama bird but never saw her. While hanging out there, I also caught grasshoppers for the chickens - ohh they loved that.

The bird rehabilitator's opinion was that Mom was around and trying to get the babies to fly by feeding them less. I guess I'm too much of a mama to hear them cry for food.

We'll wait and see. I must admit they don't seems as desperately hungry, and I did give them another snack but they also don't look as if they have any intention of going anywhere. I've tried to get pictures but the flash keeps going off making a blurry white photo.

At the moment Ms Bunny is cruising around the computer hutch making a mess of things so I'd better pay attention to her.

6 comments:

Robj98168 said...

verde- then you can come up and take car of the swallows that have nested in my attic vents. *&^%$ Birds ain't gonna be living much longer If they dont shut up in the morning, which casuses the neighbor dog Rocky to stand there and bark. And Bark. And Bark.

Connie said...

Rob, you aren't a morning bird??? You have to go with the flow and get up and sing the sun up!

Peak Oil Hausfrau said...

Verde - caring for your own babies and the hummingbird babies? Are you worn out yet? BTW, I borrowed your oil price widget. Thanks for the idea :)

Robj98168 said...

Mornings? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Life cease to exist before 9am, except for thos *&^%%Birds and **&^^% Neighbors dog.

Lewru said...

We went to the trouble of "rescuing" a baby bunny and taking it 2 hours away to a wildlife preserve. They said it was full size and it's mother had left it to grow up on its own. We felt dumb.

But it was hard to turn a blind eye to a lonely baby rabbit as I'm sure it is to hungry hummingbirds! What a nice story!

Anonymous said...

aawww - tough love for the baby hummingbirds?! I'm such a push-over I'd be out there too!!