That's right, baby hummingbirds
April 16, 2012 11:54 AM Subscribe
An Anna's hummingbird on a tiny nest, smaller than an ivy leaf, with two hatchlings therein. Watch it live.
Bonus bit of trivia: Baby hummingbirds have short, stubby, yellow beaks. The babies can double in size each day. As they grow, and move closer to being able to feed on their own, their nectar-friendly beaks grow as well.
Bonus, bonus trivia.
Bonus bit of trivia: Baby hummingbirds have short, stubby, yellow beaks. The babies can double in size each day. As they grow, and move closer to being able to feed on their own, their nectar-friendly beaks grow as well.
Bonus, bonus trivia.
The babies can double in size each day.
Holy jeez.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:57 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Holy jeez.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:57 AM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
I love that they use spider webs to construct the nests. It allows for expansion. I saw one last summer plucking at a spider's web last Summer! Hummingbirds are such fierce sassy little things.
posted by annsunny at 12:06 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by annsunny at 12:06 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Note: This webcam is rigged to a leafblower that blows harder when the webcam detects additional viewers.
posted by Nomyte at 12:07 PM on April 16, 2012 [18 favorites]
posted by Nomyte at 12:07 PM on April 16, 2012 [18 favorites]
It's very windy, but Mama's holding on.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:15 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:15 PM on April 16, 2012
I am sad that my impatience/crappy attention span will prolly prevent me from seeing tiny birdies doing tiny birdy things.
otoh the decorah eagle cam has itty bitty fledges! eeeeeee!
posted by elizardbits at 12:20 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
otoh the decorah eagle cam has itty bitty fledges! eeeeeee!
posted by elizardbits at 12:20 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
This should definitely be tweeted. Definitely.
posted by DaddyNewt at 12:23 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by DaddyNewt at 12:23 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Don't introduce the eagle cam in the hummingbird cam thread. I don't want the hummingbird cam to get nommed.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:24 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by shakespeherian at 12:24 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
otoh the decorah eagle cam has itty bitty fledges! eeeeeee!
Decorah Eagle Cam.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:24 PM on April 16, 2012
Decorah Eagle Cam.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:24 PM on April 16, 2012
Awww, cute wee birdy! What a charmi-- GET OFF MY SCREEN IDIOTIC TALKING TOILET ADVERTISEMENT THAT I CAN'T SKIP FOR THIRTY-SEVEN FUCKING SECONDS
posted by JHarris at 12:25 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by JHarris at 12:25 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
Watching this, I immediately want to drive to Canada and erect a windscreen.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:25 PM on April 16, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:25 PM on April 16, 2012 [6 favorites]
They're mean-ass little shits. Territorial as all hell, will chase off their own kids from a feeder. Mean, mean. And they'll come and stare at you, like they're thinking of taking YOU out, too. I took the feeder down last year, and I don't plan to encourage anybody isn't big enough to eat a japanese beetle.
Cute vids and live cams are the way to go, you wanna see hummers, otherwise the little basterds'll break your heart.
posted by cookie-k at 12:26 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Cute vids and live cams are the way to go, you wanna see hummers, otherwise the little basterds'll break your heart.
posted by cookie-k at 12:26 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Elizardbits, the Penguin Cam may be a bit more active avian life for you.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:27 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:27 PM on April 16, 2012
The difference between the hummingbird cam and the eagle cam is hilarious.
Hummingbird: "OK, got a good thing going here. Gotta relax. Relax. Slow down. Whoa, wind! Wind! WIND! OK, relax. Slow. Slow. It's OK, it's OK."
Eagle: "WHAT'S THAT? SQUIRREL? ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME? HUH? STEP OFF, BITCH. I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. RUN HOME TO THE KEEBLER ELVES BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO NICE PAIR OF HAND MUFFS."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:29 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
Hummingbird: "OK, got a good thing going here. Gotta relax. Relax. Slow down. Whoa, wind! Wind! WIND! OK, relax. Slow. Slow. It's OK, it's OK."
Eagle: "WHAT'S THAT? SQUIRREL? ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME? HUH? STEP OFF, BITCH. I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. RUN HOME TO THE KEEBLER ELVES BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO NICE PAIR OF HAND MUFFS."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:29 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
Oh, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a walk-in hummingbird aviary! My favorite thing ever at a zoo!!!
It might be a nightmare for you, cookie-k.
posted by annsunny at 12:30 PM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
It might be a nightmare for you, cookie-k.
posted by annsunny at 12:30 PM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Penguin: "Herring? Herring? Better check with Dave. Dave? Herring? Herring, Dave? No. OK. Any herring? Anybody got a herring? Herring? Herring?"
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:32 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:32 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Oh man, it's sort of hard to watch them sway in the wind when she flies away. Also when she returns to stab food down their throats. Yikes. Don't puncture the baby!
posted by heyho at 12:33 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by heyho at 12:33 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh shit the decorah eagles AND the itty bitty fairy hummingbirds both are hunkering down in the intense winds. Sending protective thoughts!
posted by nickyskye at 12:34 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by nickyskye at 12:34 PM on April 16, 2012
OMG THEY ARE SO TINY. Like so ridiculously tiny that using allcaps to say they are so tiny seems really illogical but still SO TINY.
posted by elizardbits at 12:38 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 12:38 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
The babies are so still while mamma's away. They just look like little wads of lint!
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 12:46 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 12:46 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
SO TINY
posted by shakespeherian at 12:51 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 12:51 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
Like so ridiculously tiny that using allcaps to say they are so tiny seems really illogical but still SO TINY.
SOOOOOO TINY
posted by JHarris at 12:51 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
SOOOOOO TINY
posted by JHarris at 12:51 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
DAMMIT SHAKESPEHERIAN
posted by JHarris at 12:52 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by JHarris at 12:52 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Yeah, in this thread tiny writing is needed to talk about the tiny birds.
posted by nickyskye at 12:52 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by nickyskye at 12:52 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Metafilter: DAMMIT SHAKESPEHERIAN
posted by shakespeherian at 12:53 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 12:53 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
There's so much wind that I feel apprehensive when the mother is on the nest. I don't like to think about what would happen if a good gust blows up when she's away.
posted by JHarris at 12:59 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by JHarris at 12:59 PM on April 16, 2012
OMGThisIsEXACTLYWhatTheWebWasMadeForAndDon'tEvenTryToDenyIt!!!!!
(Bonus: I saw the worlds fastest moth today scoot about 40' today, while walking my dog. Took me a few seconds to register that it was a hummingbird.)
(Bonus bonus: at a 100yo's birthday party, a hummingbird flew in front of my face, hovered to check me out for two seconds, and flew off. I looked at my girlfriend, whose eyes confirmed that I wasn't going mad.)
posted by IAmBroom at 1:02 PM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
(Bonus: I saw the worlds fastest moth today scoot about 40' today, while walking my dog. Took me a few seconds to register that it was a hummingbird.)
(Bonus bonus: at a 100yo's birthday party, a hummingbird flew in front of my face, hovered to check me out for two seconds, and flew off. I looked at my girlfriend, whose eyes confirmed that I wasn't going mad.)
posted by IAmBroom at 1:02 PM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
Well, one of the baby eagles just answered the question as to why birds' nests aren't completely filled with poop.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:14 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:14 PM on April 16, 2012
Clicked watch...saw cute mamma hummingbird, then a big loud ad destroyed the peaceful image.
Fucking ads. boo.
posted by stormpooper at 1:17 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Fucking ads. boo.
posted by stormpooper at 1:17 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Well I'm not getting anything else done for the last 30 mins of work today.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:24 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:24 PM on April 16, 2012
How I know that the internet has ruined me: 10 seconds in, I tried to make the Wadsworth jump to get to the interesting part.
Hummingbirds are no longer fast-paced enough to occupy my attention.
posted by CaseyB at 1:25 PM on April 16, 2012 [6 favorites]
Hummingbirds are no longer fast-paced enough to occupy my attention.
posted by CaseyB at 1:25 PM on April 16, 2012 [6 favorites]
Ad blocker, surprisingly, blocks the big loud ad.
posted by mudpuppie at 1:28 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by mudpuppie at 1:28 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Ok, just saw a hummingbird mamma feeding its young, i'm turning it off, i'm done, too much, not ok....
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:29 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:29 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Hmm. This just says "bird Internet."
posted by wreckingball at 1:30 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by wreckingball at 1:30 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Wow. Baby hummingbirds are apparently the sword-swallowers of the animal kingdom!
posted by bstreep at 1:32 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by bstreep at 1:32 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
Now there's a leaf or something in front of the camera.
I guess hummingbirds need privacy sometimes too.
posted by aubilenon at 1:33 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
I guess hummingbirds need privacy sometimes too.
posted by aubilenon at 1:33 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yep, I thought the same thing and that's where I quit watching. Mamma isn't very gentle with her sword swallowing apprentices.... no wonder they're so mean and angry later in life....
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:33 PM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:33 PM on April 16, 2012 [2 favorites]
There have got to be at least two hummingbird nests in the backyards on our block, judging by the territorial behaviors of the males I've seen. I don't wear red t-shirts in the backyard anymore because hummingbirds come and hover and ask if I'm food.
For your other bird cam needs: San Jose (CA) peregrine cam, currently with sleeping fuzzy baby peregrines!
And San Francisco peregrines, current status: eating lunch.
posted by rtha at 1:40 PM on April 16, 2012
For your other bird cam needs: San Jose (CA) peregrine cam, currently with sleeping fuzzy baby peregrines!
And San Francisco peregrines, current status: eating lunch.
posted by rtha at 1:40 PM on April 16, 2012
I have a hummingbird feeder in front of the house, near the door. We like putting it there because it turns our house into THE DANGER ZONE. A male rufous will dive bomb and buzz us as we get our keys out to go inside. His feeder. HIS. You can imagine what happens when I go out to change it.
So grumpy, so tiny. I love them.
posted by Salmonberry at 1:44 PM on April 16, 2012 [7 favorites]
So grumpy, so tiny. I love them.
posted by Salmonberry at 1:44 PM on April 16, 2012 [7 favorites]
I think if that had been my bit of ivy I would have tried to figure out a way to shelter it. Most of the hummingbird nests I've seen have been in relatively sheltered or on relatively stable places- they used to build nests on the staked vines in the nursery I worked at, often on the flat top of the 1X1 stake.
I hope the little ones will be able to avoid falling out when they get larger. I'm sure birds generally know what they're doing re: nest building, but sometimes plants grow and vines fall down. From what I understand, hummingbirds need nest sites that stay below 96 degrees F and are out of the wind. :/
posted by oneirodynia at 1:48 PM on April 16, 2012
I hope the little ones will be able to avoid falling out when they get larger. I'm sure birds generally know what they're doing re: nest building, but sometimes plants grow and vines fall down. From what I understand, hummingbirds need nest sites that stay below 96 degrees F and are out of the wind. :/
posted by oneirodynia at 1:48 PM on April 16, 2012
... and now I wonder if this nest was exposed for the camera.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:49 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by oneirodynia at 1:49 PM on April 16, 2012
About the peregrines, I didn't know birds were able to sleep on their side. Man, I could use a nap too.
posted by Iosephus at 2:02 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by Iosephus at 2:02 PM on April 16, 2012
Awwww...
We have honeysuckles and a couple other similar flowers in our back yard. Hummers love it. We love hummers.
posted by mule98J at 2:05 PM on April 16, 2012
We have honeysuckles and a couple other similar flowers in our back yard. Hummers love it. We love hummers.
posted by mule98J at 2:05 PM on April 16, 2012
EEEEeeeeeee! I just saw three eagle fledglings and teeny tiny itty bitty baby hummingbirds (thanks for flying away, mama bird!)!!!!
My day is complete.
posted by cooker girl at 2:17 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
My day is complete.
posted by cooker girl at 2:17 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's disconcerting to watch an adult hummingbird feed the babies. It looks like some sort of sword-swallowing stunt!
posted by rtha at 2:28 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by rtha at 2:28 PM on April 16, 2012
Growing up is hard to do. Being a good parent is awesome, an art. This post is prompting contemplative thoughts about life.
My favorite rescued hummingbird vid. Hand feeding hummingbirds.
Spring 2012 Migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
posted by nickyskye at 2:41 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
My favorite rescued hummingbird vid. Hand feeding hummingbirds.
Spring 2012 Migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
posted by nickyskye at 2:41 PM on April 16, 2012 [1 favorite]
For those of you worried about the sword-swallowing technique, it's just the momma bird making sure the food goes into their gullet, not the windpipe.
posted by annsunny at 2:42 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by annsunny at 2:42 PM on April 16, 2012
I went to the site to watch and she flew away. So I left. I didn't mean to scare her.
posted by Splunge at 2:45 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 2:45 PM on April 16, 2012 [3 favorites]
I went to the site - saw the behbehs (tiny!) Saw them being fed (scary!) And am now watching mama sitting on the nest, bobbing up and down in the wind, thinking
M-------------------h----------e---b--------nes--------w---------------.
-a-----------------s--o--------v----u------------t------e---h----------s
---a----------I--------u------a------i-----------------m-----e---------l
-----y---e--------------l-----h-------l-----y--------o---------r-------e
-------b-----------------d-------------t--m-------s------------e-----
posted by louche mustachio at 3:41 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
M-------------------h----------e---b--------nes--------w---------------.
-a-----------------s--o--------v----u------------t------e---h----------s
---a----------I--------u------a------i-----------------m-----e---------l
-----y---e--------------l-----h-------l-----y--------o---------r-------e
-------b-----------------d-------------t--m-------s------------e-----
posted by louche mustachio at 3:41 PM on April 16, 2012 [4 favorites]
If nothing's happening live, here are few screenshots of the chicks alone in the nest, being fed, and with the mother sitting on the nest again.
posted by JiBB at 4:05 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by JiBB at 4:05 PM on April 16, 2012
Is this site Flash? Cuz I get nothing! :( <3 hummingbirds!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 5:33 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 5:33 PM on April 16, 2012
The little buggers haven't made their way back to our feeders yet. As someone who spent his first full summer watching them last year, I will never cease to be enraptured by them.
posted by holgate at 8:48 PM on April 16, 2012
posted by holgate at 8:48 PM on April 16, 2012
Thanks for the herons! I have lots of herons around here in Switzerland. To my surprise, I caught one on video, eating a rat or something about that size, in a pasture. I'm used to seeing them fishing in the rivers here.
posted by Goofyy at 8:44 AM on April 18, 2012
posted by Goofyy at 8:44 AM on April 18, 2012
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posted by mudpuppie at 11:54 AM on April 16, 2012