Portland’s having a really hot week – it’s 106 degrees right now, and it might even get a bit higher. Mom and both the babies are staying very still, open-mouthed breathing. I’d do anything to get them some water, but it doesn’t seem very possible. I’ll have to trust that they’ll do as well as the last batch did in that terrible lashing storm.

for anyone keeping track, they are 17 and 16 days old, respectively. They will fledge around day 23

hot babies have to open mouth breath

7/22/09 - 9 days old - filling up the nest
One interesting thing I noticed – on Saturday the 18th, one of the babies from the last brood showed back up and spent the day in the courtyard. All day long I heard him hopefully begging from mom (each time she left the nest or returned he’d vocalize like he used to) It was a busy day in the store, so I couldn’t watch too much and so have no idea if at some point during the day she relented and fed him, but the few times I saw them near each other she wasn’t acknowledging him. She didn’t chase him off either though. Wonder if he’s finding the big world harder than he thought. Guess it’s always worth asking mom for a handout.
Check out this amazing link about how incredibly fast the male Anna’s Hummingbird’s dive is during his mating display:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/44531/title/Hummingbird_pulls_Top_Gun_stunts

Feeding 7/17/09

you can see their closed eyes and tiny yellow beak

feeding the always hungry babies

mom takes a rest

tiny eggshells
If you haven’t been following along, we’ve had an eventful spring filled with lovely hummingbird babies hatching right outside our door. This is the second nest this season that she’s had in our courtyard. How lucky we are! See older posts for the first nest photos.
Mon July 13th – 1st egg hatched
Tues July 14th – 2nd egg hatched – tiny eggshells discarded from the nest
Now that the last babies have officially flown the coop, she can dedicate herself to feeding these babies (incredible weight gain noticeable each day – they grow so very quickly!)

Wed July 15 - two babies at a hard angle to see


mom feeds baby#1

mom feeds baby#2
New Study backs up what many good trainers know already- blaming dominance for bad behavior in dogs is way off the mark, and can make matters far worse.
Check out this link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112711.htm