Here on Salt Spring Island, we enjoy seeing our Anna's Hummingbirds who delight us year round. Earlier this spring, however, I noticed a female Rufous hummer coming to have a drink at our feeder just outside my office. So one afternoon, I decided to crouch down near our red-flowering currant shrub (a favourite of these hummers) to see if our visitor would make an appearance. To my surprise, I spotted her up in one of our tall maple trees with a tiny feather in her beak — perfect for lining a nest. So I decided to let her show me where she was taking that feather and she kindly led me to one of the most incredible sights I've ever witnessed right outside our front door — the tiniest, most intricate home for her two hatchlings, anchored to the limb of a tall fir tree with spider webs and perfectly camouflaged. I was entranced — and so grateful that this little Mama-to-be let me see her nest!
My photographer brother set up a viewing "tower" using our ladder so that we wouldn't disturb the new family while we took photos with our long lenses. We are now waiting for the little ones to grow and fledge and look forward to seeing the siblings around our feeders soon! This photo was taken in the early afternoon the day after my first sighting of the nest which is wisely situated right across from that flowering-red currant and the maple blossoms with their nourishing nectar.
[the_ad id="61677"]