Hummingbird babies 05-07-10

This nest is slightly smaller than a golf ball.

This picture was taken in the morning on May 25th. Hope (the first born and therefore the largest) is at the bottom of the nest with his/her beak pointed straight at you. Hoku is to your right with his/her beak pointed to the top right corner of the picture.

Here they are on May 26th - both beaks pointing to the top right with Hope in the front. You can see that they still have white coverings on their foreheads and wings - they will preen these off with their beaks and their toes.

Later on the 26th Hope is squashing Hoku into the nest to give him/her room to do wing exercises. Hoku is on the bottom 90% of the time - he/she was born 24 hours after Hope.

May 27th - As the babies grow the nest (made of bits of grass, leaves, moss, whatever) which is tied together with spider web silk expands to hold them. Hope is in the front pointing left and Hoku is in the back pointing right - perhaps they fit better this way!

They are in the same position, but Hope has really gotten on top and spread his/her wings so he/she can preen and exercise. Poor Hoku is buried.

Phoebe, the mother, has come to feed her kids and we are looking at the back of her head as she perches on the edge of the nest. You can just see Hoku's yellow bottom bill to the right of mamma's head. Hope has his/her beak wide open, begging for more.
http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam