Subject: Nisqually WR Hummingbird Nest
Date: May 8 22:00:01 1999
From: William Ward - wward at mail.cco.net


Hello, Tweets: Had occasion today to spend a good, long time observing
the two young Rufous Hummingbirds on their nest at the Nisqually
Wildlife Refuge. Last observed them on Wednesday May 5, 1999. At that
time they could both lie in the nest and their two bodies together
seemed to fill the top of the nest. On arriving at the NWR one of the
Volunteers told me the young were still in the nest. Today when I got to
the nest they were noticeably larger than on Wednesday and as they lay
in their nest a full upper-half of their bodies were visible. They would
jostle around -- fight over the back seat, so to speak -- and from time
to time definitely "overhang" the nest. They preened a good deal, and
frequently stretched their necks out to peck at the moss (or bugs in the
moss) over their heads.

Most interesting though was their "flying." No, they didn't fledge on
the spot. But several times each started a rapid wing-beat. The wings
blurred to the human vision, almost as much as when an adult hummer
flies, but not quite. I could definitely see the "blur." It seemed to
me one at least experienced "lift." But I doubted what I was seeing,
figuring I was "reading into" what I saw based on expectations. Then, in
rustling around on the slightly elastic nest, the larger of the two
suddenly was up on the edge of the nest and started to roll off! "Help!"
I cried out inside my head, he's a gonner! But at the instant he started
to fall off the edge of the nest his wings started beating furiously and
he didn't fall. He "landed" after but a second on the branch on which
the nest sits, with the lower part of his body still touching the nest
but his upper half distinctly lying on the branch and NOT the nest. He
lay there for a few minutes, and then started trying to work his way
back fully into the nest. Another few minutes and he was able to do so,
with more wing-beating that I'd swear provided lift and enabled the
manoever. In any event I had definitely observed the young bird use his
wings to avoid a nasty fall.

During the observation period the mother came several times and fed the
two young. The young of course stick their necks up and open their beaks
wide. The mother stretches, or stretches and arches, her neck distincly
in the feeding process. I had noticed this neck-extension on the part of
the mother before when she fed the young who were then smaller and
totally inside the nest.

If any of you knows about the late stages of hummer wing-use
development, or the fledging process generally, would certainly
appreciate the info. Even if to say that I couldn't have really seen the
little one save his fall. (I'm still distrustful of my own observation.)
Thanks in advance.

Good Birding!

Bill Ward
Lacey WA
wward at cco.net