The Tragedy of the Hummingbird

[Don B.]

In early May, a mother hummingbird established a nest in the cactus we have in our courtyard:



At this time (May 6), our temperatures were mild (low 80s) and life was good:



She would float in while we were out drinking coffee to add to the nest:



Soon, we figured out that she had laid eggs, about the size of jelly beans:



We excitedly looked forward to baby hummingbirds flitting about the courtyard.

Little did we know that hell was about to set upon the Phoenix metro area. Not only that, but she mistakenly situated her nest on the north side of the courtyard, where the merciless sun would soon start to beat down with unrelenting force.

Starting around May 11th, temperatures in the Phoenix area soared way above normal. By May 12, it was 106 degrees by mid-day (10 to 12 degrees above normal) and the poor mother hummingbird struggled to keep her eggs alive in the unrelenting heat by spreading out her body to shield them:



We debated trying to provide a shade structure for her, but we were afraid of either scaring her off or interfering with this natural process, harsh as it seemed. Soon, we left for cooler climes in Prescott.

The mother hummingbird's efforts were insufficient. By June 1, we were hitting 100 degrees or more just about everyday. On June 5, it hit 108 degrees and on June 14, we hit 110 degrees. When we returned in mid-June, the nest was abandoned and the eggs dead:



Mother nature can be harsh at times.

--don

[kevN_wk]

Awesome pics!

[CHapp]

That is a tragedy indeed, Don!

Thank you for the fine documentation, both visual and verbal.

There are hummingbirds in our garden too, but it's much leafier and shadier here, so I've never been able to figure out where their nests are.

[HomeInMyShoes]

That is sad. I've missed your photos around here Don. Thanks for sharing.

[KevinFromTexas]

^ Me too. Thanks. You always tell a story with your photos, both literally and visually.

That sucks. You'd think that she would have had the instinct not to build it there. I guess since the weather was unusually hot that it snuck up on her.

I saw a roadrunner the other day in Southwest Austin. I'm pretty sure that's the first one I've ever seen in Austin. I've seen them along the Texas coast and outside of Austin a few times, but never inside the city limits. That area is a bit rural. Still kind of funny to see one when you don't expect it.

[BTinSF]

I fight a constant battle with mourning doves down in Tucson. They nest all over my house, often in places it's impossible not to disturb them and I find smashed eggs a lot. I'd be happy to leave them alone if they would compromise--like not right over the front door. And if they would learn that my cat can't get them when they are in a tree 6 feet off the ground (she has never learned to climb trees)--I refuse to make her stay inside for as long as it takes for them to raise babies.

[BroncoCSU05]

speaking of animals who are not-so-smart, a duck laid her eggs in the pool area of an apartment complex here 2 blocks away from me.

now, as if that wasn't stupid enough, it's a complex of mostly 20 something year olds who throw a raging party at the pool 3 days out of the week. last i saw, there were 5 ducklings left of the original 10. 1 was in the pool filter.

it'd be a shame if animal control didn't move them by now.

[brickell]

well told story Don. A+