Humming Birds...

[Tallen]

Hmmmm a hmmmm, mmmmm, a hmmmmm. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_8_101.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYYYUS)

My daughter Kelly emailed me this, I thought it was pretty interesting. Click on the NEXT PAGE button and notice the last picture.

THE BIRTH OF A HUMMINGBIRD

This is truly amazing. Be sure to click on NEXT PAGE at the bottom of
each page of pictures; there are 5 pages in all. A lady found a
hummingbird nest and got pictures all the way from the egg to leaving
the nest. It took 24 days from birth to flight. Because you'll probably
never in your lifetime see this again, enjoy; and please share.

http://community.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM





http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb098&pp=ZSYYYYYYYYUS (http://smiley.smileycentral.com/download/index.jhtml?partner=ZSzeb098_ZSYYYYYYYYUS&utm_id=7926)

[tking]

That is awesome! Wow...so tiny! Unfortunately the birds I was watching didn't make it. The momma must've gotten killed because the dad chirped and chirped for her one day, and the little nestling cried and cried for food, but she never did come back. Cardinals mate for life, so the only explanation I could think of was that one of the cats around here got her :-(.

[Tallen]

That is awesome! Wow...so tiny! Unfortunately the birds I was watching didn't make it. The momma must've gotten killed because the dad chirped and chirped for her one day, and the little nestling cried and cried for food, but she never did come back. Cardinals mate for life, so the only explanation I could think of was that one of the cats around here got her :-(.

House cats are the worst thing on birds in suburban areas. They have literally eliminated bird populations in some areas.

I put out a humming bird feeder this year, and we are just starting to notice them coming in. I am hoping we can encourage them to nest in our area, but the next door neighbor has a bunch of cats and she leaves them out all the time. She travels a lot, and when she is gone, sometimes for a week, she'll just leave them outside. I am thinking maybe a couple of them may be missing if they get in my garbage can again and make a mess like they did last night. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_30.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYYYUS)

[tking]

Yep, they are. Although these are pretty much wilder cats. We wanted to have a cat around here to keep the mice in check (they're bad because of the pasture behind us). We soon found out that we couldn't bring a kitten in. The wild ones here would kill it within a day. Took a couple of kittens to figure out what was going on with them. Ticks me off. Plus, they don't keep the mouse population down because they're too busy eating scraps and left out food at other houses, and of course, eating the birds. GRR.

[Tallen]

Yep, they are. Although these are pretty much wilder cats. We wanted to have a cat around here to keep the mice in check (they're bad because of the pasture behind us). We soon found out that we couldn't bring a kitten in. The wild ones here would kill it within a day. Took a couple of kittens to figure out what was going on with them. Ticks me off. Plus, they don't keep the mouse population down because they're too busy eating scraps and left out food at other houses, and of course, eating the birds. GRR.

Man!!! We can sure mess up the ecology. We're all the time introducing things into the invironment and give no thought about the over all ecological outcomes. Up here in Michigan, some one brought in some kind of bug and it's killing all the Elm Trees. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_5.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYYYUS)

Oh yeah, it's call the Elm Bark Beetle. An introduced species (why?) that kills one tree and then moves to the next one.






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[JBaker45]

Interesting how they are hatched with their eyes fully grown.

Sure gives you a feeling for how tiny their little heads must be that age.

[TigerBunny]

Humming birds are wonderful to watch. My Aunt and Uncle live up on the side of Mt. Rainier in the sticks. Regular visiters are moose, deer, smaller critters, and humming birds. They have a feeder just outside thier kitchen window. Those little guys are fiercely territorial and fearless. I have a few pics of them that I'll toss into my album when I get a chance.

[tking]

Speaking of hummingbirds...a friend of mine sent this in email. Be sure to scroll all the way through the page to see all the pictures.

FEEDING THE BIRDS (http://www.abigailsings.com/hummingbirds/)

[JBaker45]

Speaking of hummingbirds...a friend of mine sent this in email. Be sure to scroll all the way through the page to see all the pictures.

FEEDING THE BIRDS (http://www.abigailsings.com/hummingbirds/)
Their are cute.

And did you know, I read that the hummingbird is the only bird that can generate lift on both stokes of the wing due to their unique figure-eight flapping motion.

So they are very efficient flappers :smile:

[Tallen]

That's cool. They are like that at my mother's house. She has them pretty tame and they will land on you to wait their turn at the feeder.

BTW, my mother loves humming birds so much that she had one put on her head stone. So when she dies, "everyone will know how much they gave me entertainment and pleasure".

[TigerBunny]

I posted 4 pics in my album...next time I'm up there I'll try to get some closer shots...especially when the sun is out. Thier iridescent feathers are beautiful.

[Tallen]

Testing new LAD feature.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG59PaCiiDg

[tking]

Wow!! That is incredible. How cool to actually see all that take place. :-D

[Tallen]

Did the little window pop up and LAD darken in the background?

Trying out this new feature and wondered if it was ok with others. It is a lot easier to use.

[TigerBunny]

Did the little window pop up and LAD darken in the background?

Trying out this new feature and wondered if it was ok with others. It is a lot easier to use.

Yep to the popup and the darkening...nifty!

[Tallen]

Yep to the popup and the darkening...nifty!

If it gets in the way I'll take it out.

[JBaker45]

Humming birds are wonderful to watch. My Aunt and Uncle live up on the side of Mt. Rainier in the sticks. Regular visiters are moose, deer, smaller critters, and humming birds. They have a feeder just outside thier kitchen window. Those little guys are fiercely territorial and fearless. I have a few pics of them that I'll toss into my album when I get a chance.
Yeah.. I know what you mean about territorial.

There was this one little guy who completely commandeered the hummingbird feeder at my father's house last year. If another bird would come along he would fly way up above about two or three stories and then come diving straight down (beak first) at his unwitting competition.