DRIPPING BIRDS: HERE COME THE HUMMINGBIRDS!
With spring arriving, so, too, are the hummingbirds. Our resident hummingbird expert, Howard Williams, sent along a few tips and thoughts for welcoming our tiny feathered friends.
Black-chinned hummingbirds begin arriving in our area during the first two weeks in March. Males arrive first (setting up territories) and females follow soon after with nest building on their minds. Last year, Howard made a small tube out of hardware cloth and attached it under an eave of his house. He stuffed it with raw cotton batting (and eventually dog and cat fur) and hummingbirds found it and began pulling fibers out to line their nests with it. Not surprisingly, Howard reports, it's really interesting to watch. (See photo, left). Other birds, including the Black-Crested Titmouse and Carolina Wren, gather the nesting material as well. Howard warns that absorbent cotton such as cotton balls and drier lint should not be set out for birds because the fibers absorb water which is potentially deadly for nestlings after it rains. Raw cotton batting, on the other hand, still has the natural waxy coating on the fibers which acts as a natural water repellent (it actually feels slick). Pet fur is also great to set out but should be gathered before the animal is bathed or treated with any flea or tick repellent. Unwashed pet fur has natural oils that act as a water repellent. It's a great way to recycle all that accumulated pet fur after brushing. Also, be sure you use 100% raw cotton batting along with pet fur, not a blend of cotton and polyester.
And the final result for your nesting assistance and the little bird's hard work? Well, you may never actually see it because the hummingbirds take great pains to camouflage their nests. In 17 years of observing hummingbirds, Howard has found only one nest on his own (near downtown Dripping) and he has shared the photo of that nest with us, left. The crafty little birds use spider web strands to attach pieces of lichen to the sides of the nest, which is about the size of a golf ball and meticulously built to look like a knot on the branch, making these little homes very hard to find.
Posted by DSBabble.com at Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:54 PM 
Categories: dripping birds
Tags: hummingbirds dripping springs texas hummingbird nests
Categories: dripping birds
Tags: hummingbirds dripping springs texas hummingbird nests
Fascinating! Thank you! My husband loves our hummingbirds and I will have to share this with him.
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well i am absolutely satisfied with the post..the humming birds are really awesome...
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