Sunday, April 25, 2021

HUMMINGBIRD DRAMA -- DANGEROUS LIVING

DANGEROUS LIVING

Remember those two cute little Allen's Hummingbirds in a nearby SoCal city I previously wrote about that hatched in a patio nest built on a string of Christmas tree lights?  During one of my occasional live streaming video visits I discovered their world has been more dangerous than I ever imagined as compared to those much larger Bald Eagles I've written about previously.

Here's a short video of Allen's Hummingbird from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles:

  

Streaming video site of the hummingbird nest I've been writing about here had dialogue reporting a Kestrel (member of the falcon family) had swooped in grabbing both hummingbird nestlings grown to fledgling size, almost ready to make their first flight -- expecting to fly independently, not to be carried up in the sky by a large raptor intent on a meal.   This predator Kestrel dropped one hummingbird nestling named Clover -- the other named Crimson likely did not survive.    

Here's a National Audubon Society Kestrel video.  I was surprised to learn they can hover in midair.

 

Alik of "Nature With Alik" who has been monitoring this nest was alerted to this kidnapping and luckily found one nestling, Clover, on the ground nearby.  He returned that nestling to the nest.   Reports were the nestling was traumatized, thought to be in shock for a time, apparently not visibly injured.  Fortunately, the mother, Emerald, eventually returned and Clover resumed feeding her one remaining nestling.  

A day later I visited again, coincidentally shortly before unexpectedly another hummingbird threateningly swooped in at Clover as I was watching.  Later, on the streaming video chat there was a report that the Kestrel had also returned and was observed to be spying from a distance on the nest containing Clover.  Also reported was an "aggressive female hummingbird ... with intent on harming Clover ... " had been harassing the nestling.  This led to the conclusion about Clover, "...this bird will not make it until tomorrow".

Alik is reported by Carole Turek at "Hummingbird Spot" to have been chasing away the aggressive female hummingbird and he reportedly planned to take Clover from her nest to the Ventura Hummingbird Rescue.  When ready to fledge Clover wold be released.

Unlike the Friends of Big Bear site of the Bald Eagles I wrote about here who simply observe whatever occurs naturally in nature without interference,  these Hummingbird folks apparently do involve themselves in some instances as with this nestling, thus altering nature.    Of course, the Eagles nest at the top of a tree in the mountains is hardly as easily accessible as that of this hummingbird's nest on a residential patio.  Also, I would think should two parental eagles decide they didn't want trespassers at their nest, given their size, dangerous-looking beak, the consequences for any visitor(s) could be more dangerous than the one tiny hummingbird mother might inflict who is the nestling's only caregiver, but I'm no bird expert.

I continued watching, expecting to see Clover removed from the nest, when suddenly the streaming video went black.  Soon, chat reported Clover had unexpectedly fledged when the effort was made to cover her with a small blanket in order to remove her from the nest.

Time passed, the video and chat remained inoperative with no report specifically describing what happened.  I was left to wonder then if the Kestrel had swooped down to capture Clover again as she fled ... and did she actually fly on what would have been her first flight, or did she fall out of the nest ... or did that other hummingbird attack her?  I visited a site where Carole reported Alik observed Clover had strongly flown to a tree and was thought to be safe where her mother, Emerald, could look after her.  

What an introduction to the world this newbie had!  Does give us thought to consider just how tough is our life?    

Hummingbird Spot (click on link), a web site sharing colorful photographs and videos started by Carole Turek, may be of special interest to hummingbird fans as her effort is to film all of the many varieties of these delicate-looking little birds all over the world, some quite unique in appearance beyond their flashy iridescent colors.  Of note, reportedly ......                                           

"Carole is photographing EVERY hummingbird species?!  180/363 are already done!"

(Permission I requested in the past to share a YouTube video of that local SoCal hummingbird nest here but never received a response.)

Emerald is reported to possibly be building another nest elsewhere in which to lay more eggs for a third successful clutch this season, but I don't know if a live cam will be streaming video of that new site, but I don't expect to follow it or others here.

16 comments:

  1. Nature is incredibly cruel and so often we can do nothing to help. Hope Clover is the exception. We have two nests of doves under our porch. Not sure what will survive if the hatchlings make it that far.

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    1. You have some interesting birds to watch — two nests!

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  2. I had no idea there were so many types of hummingbirds.

    Nature is sometimes cruel and sad to behold. It can be heartbreaking when we get invested in one of its storylines.

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    1. I was surprised another female hummingbird would attack a nestling from another clutch as happened here.

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  3. Yikes, poor Clover. And what is with that predatory female attacking? Cheesh. Sure hope Clover survived. It must be awful to be so tiny and vulnerable. I have more respect for my surviving hummers that visit each year. They are tough little rascles.

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    1. I don’t understand about that attacking female either. Did she want the nest, or what?

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  4. Wow! I was reading on pins and needles wondering if Clover had made it. I'm going to hope she did survive everything and is happily slurping up nectar somewhere.

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    1. I, too, choose to believe she continued to survive.

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  5. No hummingbirds here in the UK, and only a few kestrels. What happened to Clover is unfortunately another example of how cruel nature can be and how species attack each other on a regular basis.

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    1. “Attacking each other” seems to apply to human beings, too, as I think of the world history of wars.

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  6. The reality of nature and territory - ha! - like the endless wars of the US and others, why should the avian creatures be different? Harsh reality.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Yes, I suppose that must be true in all living creatures — including some mothers attacking another mother’s offspring.

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  7. I had once read that hummers nest in evergreen trees that house eagles because the eagles keep the smaller birds of prey away.

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    1. Hm-m-m, that’s interesting — wonder if that means the eagles can’t easily access their nest, or they don't want to bother with such little birds?

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  8. We have a hummingbird feeder outside of our kitchen window, and the hummingbirds that come around are extremely territorial and chase each other away. I can’t tell the difference between them, so I don’t know if it is always the same one doing the chasing, though that would be my assumption. One day I looked out and saw a dead hummingbird on the little perch. I don’t know what happened, but my guess is that it was murdered by another hummingbird. Crazy, huh? I mean, maybe it had a stroke or something, but they’re so violent. It was surprising to me that it was on the perch like that, not on the ground. Happily, that has only happened once.

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    1. Strange, the hummingbird dead on the perch. Can appreciate they might fight for food, but as you say, it’s probably a territorial issue I saw also with mockingbirds in my yard, though they’ve moved across the street to my neighbors who have fruit trees.

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