'Tis the season for hummingbird nests

A female Allen's hummingbird sits on a nest.

I witnessed a male Allen's hummingbird performing its swooping, pendulum courtship display yesterday in Mission Viejo. 

It may seem like the wrong time of year, but hummingbirds have begun nesting in Southern California, where the their nesting season runs from late October through early June.

Female hummingbirds build the nest, sit on the eggs and care for the chicks without assistance from the male. And this hard-working mother 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.  The eggs hatch within 16-18 days.  The babies fledge approximately 21-28 days from the date of hatching.

Have you seen a nest this season?

Happy Birding!
J.J.