Two Baby Hummers 



By MARGARET S. HITCHCOCK 



With photographs by the author 



IT was on the 13th of June, 1914, that I discovered it. Could it be, I won- 

 dered — so tiny a bit of something on the bough, fastened together with 

 cobwebs — could it be that a Hummingbird had condescended to build 

 her nest in our garden? I did not dare look longer then, for fear, if it was 

 really true, that I might disturb the wee, emotional thing. I watched and 

 waited ; yes, what joy ! When I saw her really busy, coming and going, so fast 

 that on the second day the nest was very nearly finished. On the 19th, I boldly 

 looked inside, and saw one egg, and on the 21st I saw two eggs, when she seemed 

 to be on the nest really sitting. Frequently she left to visit the honeysuckle 

 nearby, but returning in a moment or two. From the first she did not seem to 

 look upon me as an intruder. She was always near, however, generally watch- 

 ing from a favorite perch in an adjoining tree, but never making any protest, 

 and I have seen her many times drive Sparrows well out of the neighborhood 

 of her nest. So I photographed her, when she came three times and looked 

 sharply at the camera pointing at her, then rested on a twig just over the nest, 

 preening her feathers. After about three minutes she came with a dart, hovered 

 over the nest a second, eying me sharply, about four feet from her, and then 

 settled on her eggs as if she did not mind in the least, as long as I was still. 

 But, when I moved away, she flew off, only to return in an instant. 



She seemed to become more and more accustomed to my coming and going, 

 but she never stayed on the nest when I came very close. 



On the 4th of July, when I peeped in as usual, lo! I saw that one tiny 

 white egg had hatched, and, but for the pulsation, I would have said that the 

 tiny bunch, bare and almost black, and apparently headless, was not alive. 

 It was not until several days later that I saw the wee head and bill, which had 

 been tucked under. I supposed because, perhaps, of the weight of the long 

 bill; but no, nature does not provide the long bill until needed. The bill was 

 no longer in proportion, when first hatched, than other birds' bills. 



I suppose the first one was the brother, as he was so much larger than the 

 other; however, this was the only difference between them. On the morning 

 of the 5th the smaller one hatched. The egg-shells disappeared as if by magic. 

 I suppose the little mother carried them quite away. No father made his 

 appearance, not even visiting the honeysuckle nearby. I have not even seen 

 a male Ruby-throat this summer. 



On July 12 I took a picture, and again when the baby hummers were two 

 weeks old, but neither shows the little ones very distinctly; they nestle down 

 until only the bill and eyes are visible. On the 22nd, however, they held their 

 heads higher, and the picture shows two tiny heads. 



On the 23rd, I resolved, while there was no danger of their flying, to get a 



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