Hummingbird webcam

[PamNY]

The "fledge watch" officially begins today. The kids are preening like crazy. Getting ready for the big event, I suppose.

[bmccasland]

I haven't check in on the little buggers for a week, and MY! how they've grown! They're huge, if one considers a hummingbird huge.

[badger]

we (my co-worker and I) saw one of them buzzing his/her wings like crazy a couple of days ago.

After they fledge, do they come back to the nest, or is that it??

[PamNY]

Badger, I wondered that, too. Someone in the chat said the hummingbirds stay on a nearby branch and mom feeds them for a while.

They certainly do look ready to go! Right now they are speculating in chat that it's too late in the day for a fledge.

Everyone said the same thing about one of our hawks this spring, but he didn't listen and fledged right before sunset.

[tulip]

They are gone! I tuned in this morning and they were both there. I had to take a call and when I came back a few minutes later, there was only one. Oh!

And then someone came into my office and I had to talk with them for a few minutes. When I turned around, the nest was empty! I just missed both fledges.

I will take a look at the video later. I didn't expect this to be so emotional!

[badger]

yes, they fledged!! my friend forwarded me a link to a video of the fledging.

http://s4.zetaboards.com/Birds_of_a_...8411213/1/#new

scroll down to where you see the video embed. they only fledged minutes apart, and you can see when the first one goes, the second one is keenly watching where s/he went.

Apparently they've both been safely spotted in a nearby yucca tree.

the nest is empty, but a good empty not like the Hornby Island one

[PamNY]

Thanks for the video link, Badger! Amazing how easy it is to become attached to a baby bird.

[Norse]

Thanks for the link Badger. Cool. And yes, a much happier empty nest outcome than Hornby Island.