~ baby hummingbirds - day 17 ~

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Today is day 17 for these sweet baby ruby-throated hummingbirds!

For reference, here they are on day 3, just 2 weeks ago!  

Isn't it incredible?

Also it's amazing that in the span of a few days,

pin feathers have been transformed into 'real' body and flight feathers.

Check out that little wing poking up!

An interesting tidbit that I learned is that the babies are considered to be 'cold-blooded' (ectothermic)

until about 10-12 days old when the pin feathers burst open into true feathers.

Being ectothermic simply means that their internal temperature

is dependent upon the temperature of the surrounding environment,

an they are unable to maintain the proper body temperature.

During these first 2 weeks, the mother must keep them warm,

often by vibrating her body and wings,

in addition to the constant feeding of insects and nectar.

After they have these true feathers, they are 'warm-blooded' (endothermic)

and able to maintain their own body heat,

so the mother doesn't sit on the nest anymore.

In fact she only visits to give them food,

in order to avoid attracting predators.

These sweet little ones should be fledging in a few days!  

~carrie~

~ baby hummingbirds - day 10-16 ~

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Once again, a huge thank you to my dad, Richard T. Jones,

for taking - and allowing me to use - all the photographs in this post!  

Day 10

Day 11
My dad observed some strange whistling-whining noises from the babies.

He said it sounded like an old-school camera flash whine.

Day 12
I see the lower baby has an eye open!  

Day 13
Beaks are rapidly developing now.

Day 13

Day 14

Day 14

Day 14

Day 14

Looking smug.  

Day 15

Still pin feathers, but look at those eyelashes!

Day 15

Day 15

Day 15

Day 15

Day 15

Day 16

My dad says that the nest is amazing.

It is flexible and he says it flexes with their breathing,

appearing to inflate and deflate.

Day 16

Day 16

Day 16

Day 16

Day 16

Hummingbird twins....did you know that hummingbirds almost always lay two eggs?

Apparently it is the optimum number, one or three is very rare.

~ baby hummingbirds - day 4-9

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More baby hummingbirds!  

Here they are again, with a quarter for comparison, on Day 3.

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

Day 4

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

Day 6

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

Day 8

See that little beak poking up?

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

Day 8

Pin feathers are starting to emerge

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

Day 9

It's getting crowded in there!

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

On 9th day, there was a terrible storm at my parents' home.

My dad stood on the screen porch, watching the nest through binoculars.

The mother hummingbird swooped in, 

settled on the nest and fanned her wings out over her babies.

She sat there, protecting them, through the storm,

with her long, slender bill pointed straight to the sky.

Day 10

Look closely and you'll see these sweet twins with their beaks crossed.

Their pin feathers are starting to poke through on their heads now.

(photo courtesy of Richard T. Jones)

The growth rate of these tiniest of birds is astounding.

Their devoted mother sure is taking good care of them.  

My dad says that when he climbs the ladder to take the daily picture,

the babies don't move or make a single sound.

Tomorrow I'll finish posting the last of the pictures, 

and then from there I'll be caught up!

~carrie~