Hummingbirds

Some days you get lucky. Today was one of them.

Like the felines in the house, many of the garden visitors put on a show till the camera comes out. Then they’re off, lickety-split. Today I was able to snap some cuties.

First up, this dark brown squirrel. Most of our native squirrels are grey with a white belly. This little fellow is dark brown with an amber belly, pressed up against the fence. He’s been busy stashing peanuts in a corner behind a rock. They nab the peanuts from our neighbor’s yard, then head over our fence to either bury them or eat them.

A dark squirrel with amber belly hugs the fence

Stashing his peanuts behind the Daphne

Peanut Wasteland

A more typical gray squirrel passed through with a peanut in his mouth. Isn’t he adorable? He jumped into one of the planters when he saw me, then ran back to the lawn to squirrel away his peanut.

Grey Squirrel with Peanut
I wanna hold your hand!

We enjoy frequent visitors at our hummingbird feeders. Today I ‘searched’ the orange tree with my camera lens to see if I might spot a nest. In retrospect, given the number of squirrels and rats that visit each day, the tree is probably far to active for nesting. I followed the bird’s flight with my camera lens and captured a few shots of a hummingbird new to our area. I’ve never seen one like it. My research says there are a dozen hummingbird species in California, but none of them resemble this little one. Take a look at this species list and let me know what you think.

It’s been bitter cold for several days, down to freezing most nights. I’m keeping the feeders topped off, especially after learning that the non-migratory birds are nesting from now until May or June. I wonder where they go to stay warm?

I originally planned to hang bags of laundry lint for nesting material in the spring. Since learning that hummingbirds are nesting now through May, I plan to hang lint tomorrow.

In my fantasy world, I have an invisible cloak like Harry Potter. I would spy on all the wildlife up close without fear of detection. Would you like to join me?

Visiting our Yard Today

Phoebe is an Allen Hummingbird living in a rose-bush in Southern California. Through the magic of modern technology, you can watch Phoebe and her young on a live webcam, courtesy of Phoebe Allens WebCam. It is a sight to behold.

According to the site owner, Phoebe built several nests in their garden rose-bush over several years. Sometimes she spruces up a nest for reuse or she builds a new one. She’s been coming back to the same rose-bush since 2007! In addition to the live stream, they’ve kept a nest log, detailing the number of eggs laid, hatched and fledged.

Nature being what it is, not all of the eggs or fledglings survive. I would be an emotional wreck if I saw one of the crows swoop in while I was watching. That said, peering into a nest up close like that is incredible. Over 12 million visitors have come to the site. Once you take a look (day time hours, Pacific Standard Time) you’ll see why.

So far I’ve seen Phoebe feed her babies (twice). I’ve seen infant birds wiggling alone in the nest and I’ve seen mama fly in and out several times. I’ve already trained my ears to the sound of her wings, so I click over when I hear them.

Here are a few more details about Phoebe from the site:

Phoebe is a non-migratory Channel Islands Allen’s Hummingbird She builds her nests in a rose-bush, and the nest is about the size of a golf ball, with eggs being about the size of a tic-tac candy. The season for nesting is October through May/early June, and Phoebe will lay four to five clutches per season. Two eggs are laid per clutch, they hatch after 17 days, and the chicks typically fly three to four weeks later. Phoebe will sometimes build a new nest, but frequently repairs old nests.

Special thanks to Boomdeeada for sharing this site. I keep it open on my computer when I’m working at home and pop over whenever I can. If you take a peak, please let me know what you think. I’m in love. ♥