How to Find a Hummingbird Nest
I get asked a lot how I find hummingbird nests. The answer is kind of simple. It takes patience and you have to listen and watch closely. I was sitting on a high point in Hummingbird Hills today just listening for the different birds to find out where they were. I had already found another nest this morning when I was able to zero in on one who’s territory I had been watching. I figured the next time I thought I was close to a nest, I would try to capture on camera the process and sounds that tell me there is a nest nearby. It’s rare that I am able to do that, but today I felt lucky. Soon, I saw a hummingbird hunting for bugs a bit downhill from where I was sitting so I moved closer. The bird was going from shrub to shrub picking up bugs for food and then it would disappear and re-emerging a minute later wiping it’s beak on a branch. That’s a sure sign of feeding her young. They often wipe their beaks on branches after feeding. I kept moving closer to where I felt the bird was centered in the bush and pretty soon it turned it’s attention to me. That is where the video starts. http://youtu.be/nhEfT-d0FKw You can watch it and see what I saw. What is hard to see is the very last part of her flight because she moves so rapidly that the camera can’t really see where she is going. I could though, and soon I found her nest. Listen for the type of sounds she makes and watch her flight patterns. How do I find a hummingbird nest? I let the bird show me where it is.
