Oh Where, Oh Where Did My Hummingbirds Go???

[rebbetzin]

Last night I noticed the momma hummingbird was not on her nest, and this am she was not on the nest. I got my kitchen step stool and took it out on the porch so I could get a good look inside the nest.... And there were no babies there.... Where did they go??

I saw her feeding them on Friday and Saturday.... And she was on and off the nest all day on Sunday.

I don't think they were able to fly away yet. There is no sign of "violence" to the nest. No baby bird parts or blood anywhere.

I was so looking forward to getting some baby hummer pictures as they became fledglings...

I am soooooooooooo disappointed!!!

 

[herbsherbsflowers]

I wonder if they were older than you think and they just flew. I can't imagine where they would have all just disappeared to. I guess something could have eaten them in one bite since they are so small but you would think that the nest would have been damaged. Sorry.

 

[Tutter]

Darn, that's a shame when you'd been watching their progress!

I hope they were just older than you thought, too, and flew away. If something had gotten to them, I'd expect to see their mom still there in the area.

 

[rebbetzin]

I wish, they had been old enough to fly!! They didn't even have any feathers, they just were getting a bit of fluff. No way they could have taken off on their own. They were only out of the eggs about seven days.

I contacted www.worldofhummingbirds.com they were very nice to quickly send condolences, since the babies were probably eaten by some other kind o bird!

Hummers do reuse their nests, so we may again get eggs, but... I am afraid the preditory birds may just be watching for that too!!

I wonder if there is a way to keep the other birds away? She still comes to the little feeder I put out for her.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Very sad if that is the case. I wonder if flash tape would repel the hummingbirds as well? Perhaps you could put some out after the start to lay their eggs.

I was really looking forward to your future posts too! I was always excited to see the latest updates for your hummingbirds!

That's a cool website too.

 

[Tutter]

I'd lost track of the dates, and didn't realize they were that young. (New goats arriving today, chicks on Monday; coops and pens under construction. My mind's been out to lunch this week!)

I'm so sorry, that's very sad. And, like Oakland, I was looking forward to the updates, too. I can only imagine how terrible it was to find them missing.

It wouldn't even have to have been a very large bird. Do you have crows, or jays? Owls are excellent at maneuvering without disturbing things. I just don't know how you'd keep a bird out of the nest, should she choose to re-use it. Everything I can think of might frighten her, as well, or make the nest uninviting to her.

Darn, that's too bad.

Thank you for the link.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm so sorry for the loss of those little hummingbirds.

My mom had a bush tit nest in her yard and it met a similar fate, except that the momma bird got taken as well.

Be glad you still have the mother around.

 

[rebbetzin]

Do you have crows, or jays? Owls are excellent at maneuvering without disturbing things.

We do have Grackles, I don't like them, they look evil to me. My neighbors have seen an owl in one of my pine trees in the back yard. They have a 2nd story bedroom, and at dusk would see the owl, I never saw it. But that was last year. They haven't seen it lately.

I love your "If life gives you manure, grow more plants." That is a great line!!

Well off to check who needs water today. I planted three mini roses in the garden and two Lemon Verbenas. My husband now likes to drink lemon verbena tea at night, and I only had one lemon verbena plant.

Thank you all for your kind responses. I know it is how things work according to the "law of the jungle"... but, at times, I find I am not in agreement with how things work in this realm!

 

[simple life]

I am so sorry, I know you must be disappointed.

 

[dipence71]

I am sooo sorry. I hang feeders and don't get many hummingbirds but my friend has them knocking on her window when the feeders get low.