I spend a lot of time improving the habitat on my 30-acre lake property. The goal is to provide nesting opportunities for as many bird species as possible. For example, I have put up a Great Horned Owl nesting platform and low and behold, I have had a pair of Great Horned Owls nesting on my nest platform twice in the past three years.
I have put up dozens of Bluebird nest boxes which not only attract Eastern Bluebirds but also House Wrens, Tree Swallows, and even a Great-crested Flycatcher. I leave dead trees standing so the woodpeckers can excavate a cavity to raise their young.
Over the years, I have planted many kinds of trees to provide nesting opportunities for a wide variety of bird species. So last month I was thrilled beyond belief when we spotted a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird and her tiny nest, on a limb of one of my crabapple trees. It was in a perfect location to allow me to set up and capture some images while studying her nesting behaviors.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only species of hummingbird that nests in the eastern half of the country. The male and female have separate territories. After mating, the female will claim a territory and begin constructing a nest. She uses soft plant materials such as cattail down from last year’s seed heads. She binds the soft plant material together using spider silk. This allows the nest to be flexible because when she constructs the nest it fits her body, a single adult size hummingbird. However, the female always lays two eggs, and the chicks will grow to full size before leaving the nest. This means the nest needs to expand to accommodate two adult size birds and the spider silk allows the nest to expand.
The nest was located about 12 feet above the ground. The best images and video are when the photographer is at eye-level so somehow I needed to get myself 12 feet in the air. Fortunately, I had purchased a couple sections of scaffolding and was ready for this moment. I use the scaffolding to make a platform to film my Great Horned Owl nest, so the scaffolding will work out for this nest.
I waited until the female was out feeding herself to set up the scaffolding. Two sections of scaffolding will get me 12 feet high on a stable flat wooden platform. Once it was set up, I covered it in a camouflage fabric and netting so I can come and go from this elevated blind without disturbing the nesting female. First, I captured images of the female incubating the eggs.
After 12 days the eggs hatched. The female would sit on the babies, keeping them warm, then go off to feed herself. She would fly back up to the nest and the two tiny babies would lift their heads and open their beaks, begging for food. The female inserts her beak deep into the babies open mouth and regurgitates the nectar and insect brew. She would go back and forth between the two babies until they were satisfied. Then she would sit on her babies to keep them warm. Meanwhile I am perched on top of a 12-foot-tall scaffolding swaying in the wind capturing images and video of these remarkable encounters.
The babies grew very quickly and soon their eyes where open and feathers started to appear on the tiny hummers. Mom would go off to eat insects and nectar and would only come to the nest about once per hour. This means that I would spend four to six hours a day perched 12 feet up in the air waiting for any opportunity to film the bird’s behaviors. During these half day sessions in the morning, she would visit the nest about four to six times. Each visit lasts less than one minute. If I missed the feeding or my camera couldn’t capture focus, I would have to wait another hour for my next opportunity.
This went on for almost two weeks until the chicks were fully grown. I had a chance to film the youngsters practicing flapping their wings at the edge of the nest. Then at just 18 or 19 days old the young took their first flight and left the nest. After leaving the nest they don’t return. Overall, it was an amazing experience and made me happy that I put in the effort to improve the natural habitat in my own yard. Until next time…
Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels the U.S. to study and capture images of wildlife. He can be followed at www.Instagram.com, www.Facebook.com and www.Twitter.com. He can be contacted via his web page at www.NatureSmart.com.
