I learned a lot about hummingbirds a couple years ago, when we had a nest in the yard that was very easy to look into. I was so excited to see the eggs and then see them hatch, and I was working 100% from home back then, so literally watched the mom come and go all day long from my desk. That’s why we noticed right away when the mom seemed to be gone way too long. We kept watching, and she just never came back.

I did some research and read that female hummingbirds are solo parents, and will never abandon a nest … unless, of course, they are injured or dead. We called a wildlife rescue hotline, where a volunteer coached us on how to remove the entire nest and keep it warm overnight. First thing in the morning I brought the babies to a wildlife rescue down the Peninsula. Unfortunately, they were just too young (just a few days old), and they did not survive.

So I was excited, but tried not to get too invested, when another hummingbird nest appeared in January. Soon, we had two little babies!

They are now in the “fuzzy” stage, mostly just waiting for mom to come by and feed them periodically (she no longer sits on the nest, but hangs out elsewhere in the tree). I can’t wait to see them grow up!