While waiting for Callie and John to arrive at Nira campground for our trip along Manzana creek, I was thrilled to be able to watch a hummingbird in the process of building a nest in the large sycamore tree under which I had parked my car. The nest was facing toward the Manzana trailhead (don’t know where north was). When the hummingbird was not there, I had extreme difficulty in locating the nest if I walked away and came back. The nest could appear like fluff or lichen caught on branches - it was extremely well camouflaged, even though it was at the edge of the tree in dead branches.

(Hummingbird Nest - Nira Campground, May 11, 2008)

The hummingbird would fly away to find the kind of material it needed. Some of this material apparently includes lichen, fluffy material from seeds from plants such as thistle, dandelions, asters, etc, and silky strands from spider webs. The fluffy material is for insulation against weather of all kinds and probably it can be stretched as the chicks grow. The two pictures below show both fluffy material and possibly spider web which I should imagine serves as binding of the nest material.

(Hummingbird Nest material - Nira Campground, May 11, 2008)

(Hummingbird Nest material - Nira Campground, May 11, 2008)

After placing the material in the nest, the hummingbird would bind or tap the material to firm up the nest - or thread the spider web around the nest?

(Hummingbird Nest construction - Nira Campground, May 11, 2008)

Then the hummingbird would either test it for size and strength or firm the material or both by sitting on the nest and moving around. I have not seen a bird sit on its tail before.

(Hummingbird Nest sizing/firming - Nira Campground, May 11, 2008)

Slideshow - After clicking on the link below, click on the “i” in the middle of the screen to see picture titles.

• Building a Hummingbird Nest, May 11, 2008

Links - A link about building a hummingbird nest and the materials they use.

• Build a Hummingbird Nest!