Hummingbirds start nesting in winter

A female Allen's hummingbird nests in a rosebush.

 Despite the chilly night temperatures, our non-migratory Allen's hummingbirds have already started nesting.  The popular Pheobe Allen's webcam confirms that Phoebe, the star of the show, laid her first egg on Dec. 10.  (Phoebe is the nickname given to the bird that has been purportedly returning every year to nest in the rosebushes of an Irvine courtyard.)

Hummingbird nesting season runs October through early June in Southern California. A female hummer spends seven months of the year sitting on the nest and foraging for food. She builds the nest, sits on the eggs and cares for the chicks without assistance from the male.

A female hummingbird has four or five clutches a season. She typically lays two eggs per clutch, though not all eggs are viable and many chicks do not survive.

Watch for nests before trimming bushes and ficus trees.  And keep cats indoors.

Happy Birding!
J.J.