Who's That Hummingbird in the Window?

Has it really been 9 months since my last posting? Oh my! I've been very neglectful in my self-imposed photography duties, but perhaps therein lies the problem. It shouldn't be a "duty," should it?

It's difficult to take the time for going out just to take photos, but sometimes opportunities present themselves without even having to leave the house. Such an opportunity came up a little over a week ago, when my son suddenly pointed to the backyard and remarked: "There is a hummingbird in a nest!" My husband and I looked out the window and tried to locate the tiny bird, without success.

© Anna Irwin

Sure enough, after some help, we spotted the new resident. It was easy to overlook the nest, as it was built in the ivy that hangs over the backdoor. Not a very good place for it, because we open the door frequently and the nest could be knocked down, or at the very least, the bird could be scared away.

It was not the first time a hummingbird family chose our backyard to settle down. Twice before we have found hummingbird nests in bushes and trees; some abandoned, some occupied—though they never stayed long enough to produce a family. Fortunately I was able to snap some shots without disturbing the peace.

© Anna Irwin

For the last 10 days we have been keeping an eye on the hummingbird. Occasionally she is gone, but she always comes back (we assume it's the mama-bird that occupies the nest). We haven't used the backdoor at all and we've been careful not to come to close to it either. It's a minor inconvenience for such an enjoyable experience. We hope to be able to see new life peeking over the edge of the nest soon!

-ai