Hummingbird Pictures

Hummingbirds in Arizona and beyond

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Hummingbird Nest Pictures

This selection of hummingbird nest pictures show an Anna’s Hummingbird nest over time. The series begins after we discovered the nest and before the first set of chicks were visible.  The series ends with the empty nest after the second set of hummingbird babies fledged.

Click on (or touch) each small photo for a full size picture. Use your back button to return to this page.

Early nest photos

The first pictures show the hummingbird nest when it was new. You may notice that it is fairly round compared to the later photos. The nest is in very thin branches of a Texas Ebony tree, about 5 feet off the ground. It is well camouflaged with very small leaves from surrounding plants on its outer surface. It is hard to see in the dappled shade of the tree and plants near the house. The seed pods of the Texas Ebony scattered throughout the tree are about the size of the adult female and add to the overall camouflage of her chosen location.

Eggs in nest

The nest still has a cupped shape with the second set of eggs in it, as you can see in the photo with the reflection of the eggs. We did not attempt to get pictures of the chicks from above the nest.

Empty nest

The empty, used nest has small feathers left. You can see that the nest has been stretched out and flattened. There are no remnants of hummingbird egg shells. The black bits on the edge of the nest are the chicks’ droppings. There are no droppings on the inside though the outer edge is ringed with droppings.

Empty nest with ruler

The last photos in the “hummingbird nest pictures” series show the nest after the two sets of two hummingbird chicks have left and some weeks have passed. The ruler shows just how tiny it is: less than 2 inches across. The nest’s interior is even smaller, closer to 1.5 inches.

The nest is still there, slowly filling with leaves.

(Update March 2013. A female Anna’s has renovated the nest and is sitting on two eggs.)

Back to Nesting Hummingbirds or home page.

Funny Hummingbird does a taste test

 

Funny hummingbird does a taste test – which port is best on this newly placed hummingbird feeder?

Here is an amusing look at a young hummingbird’s behavior. It is hard to tell if this hummingbird is just testing each feeder hole to see if there is any difference from one to the next. Or is it nervous and trying to feed while still positioned for a quick exit? Or both?

The hummingbird looks like an immature Rufous Hummingbird. The Rufous Hummingbird migrates through eastern Arizona, including areas around Alpine. Mature Rufous Hummingbirds are aggressive in protecting territory, but there were no mature Rufous Hummingbirds observed on this morning at this newly set up feeder.

This video was recorded near Alpine, Arizona in late July 2012.

Broad-billed Hummingbird takes flight

Broad-billed Hummingbird launches into flight in this very brief close up video.

This male hummingbird shows his brilliant blue and green feathers and a bright red bill as he takes off from his perch in the brush of southern Arizona. This video was taken near Sierra Vista in southeastern Arizona in 2012.