Hi all, It's been a LONG time since my last visit, but I updated my information a bit... This afternoon while working in the yard, I found this tiny, very tightly woven nest. Wondering if anybody can confirm for me if it's a hummingbird nest. We also have chipping sparrows that build about three feet off the ground in that same tree, so I wasn't exactly sure... Thanks in advance... Dave
Hi Dave, Looks too big to me for a hummingbirds nest. Here is a description of one from another site.
On average a hummingbird nest will only be 1 1/2 inches in diameter, about the size of a ping pong ball and will be cup shaped .
Another site describes them as half the size of a english walnut shell so they are tiny.
The Chipping Sparrow apparently makes a loose flimsy nest so it may not be theirs either.
Glad you brought this up Dave because it's a good time of year to give a friendly reminder to everyone that In the United States, it is unlawful to collect the nests of migratory birds.
I think HB nests are much smaller than that, like maybe 2". And usually have some lichens attached and a cottony like lining.They also aren't that shallow.
whoops. cross posted
This message was edited May 13, 2011 6:50 PM
"Glad you brought this up Dave because it's a good time of year to give a friendly reminder to everyone that In the United States, it is unlawful to collect the nests of migratory birds."
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Is a chipping sparrow, she has already built a new one EXACTLY like it...
By the way, I don't "collect" nests... If you haven't noticed, our country has had a storm or two in the past few weeks... This nest blew out of the tree, along with a robbins nest.
Bottom line, if you want to "remind" people, start your own thread on THAT SUBJECT instead of hijacking mine which was simply asking what sort of bird built it...
Sorry you took that the wrong way Dave. I was not accusing you at all.
By the way this is a open forum I can post in any thread I want to.
Shame you took it the wrong way, it was not directed at you whatsoever.
Chipping sparrow nest abandoned in Winslow, IN, after a severe storm several weeks ago. Female was more than a week into incubation and hasn't been seen since the storm.
Possibly the same storm that blew yours out of the tree?
We often overlook how natural disasters effect our wildlife; perhaps in ten folds compared to how it effects people. Tornados left a big ruin in our State last month. We were unaffected, but I just discovered a strip of hundred yards wide, and miles long of trees down but a few miles from where I live. In the woods destruction. There is no telling how much wildlife were distroyed then.
Kim, you are so right. They are the quietly forgotten.
Wild creatures evolved and for the most part thrive in harmony with the natural elements and that includes weather events. The things they can't cope with and cause precipitous declines in numbers are always almost the result of human intervention. Usually human development changing their environment faster than they can adapt. We can't control the weather, but we can all look at our own footprint on the environment and do what we can to keep our footprint as small as possible.
Some here might take a look at their habit of immediately claiming moral high ground and attempting chastise or educate the great unwashed mass. The collective wisdom of the masses is always greater than any individual.
I was issued a veiled threat of arrest the other day for photographing a mockingbird nest. For the record, I was working on conservation projects involving the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 25 years ago. I'm quite familiar with it. And the mockingbirds I was accused of harassing are sitting on my patio chairs, not ten feet from me right now. Give folks a break, Pelle. This isn't a group of children.
Red:
I think of this forum not just as a place where we show off our pictures, but also as a place where information is shared. The forum is not formally monitored, and Pelle is as close to being a moderator as we have. I know she devotes many, many hours to the forum and I understand she does it all as a volunteer. Anyone who thinks it is easy, should think again.
You are right, we are not children. But then, we do not all have the same amount of experience, either. I for one have learned a lot here. Much of it from Pelle.
While it is not my wish to further inflame this issue, I must at least say that I found your second and third paragraphs unnecessary and somewhat offensive and frankly, not very well thought out. Among the collective wisdom of the masses there may be many who are not aware. And we are not talking about the personal opinion of any individual. We are talking about a law!
I am posting this here rather than send you an D-mail so that those who read your words can know that I totally disagree with your second and third paragraphs.
I can only speak for myself....while I do respect Pelle acting as the moderator, sometimes it might be better if things were addressed privately thru dmail. I have been scolded a couple times on the forum and felt like a 5 year old. I just pretty much post my photos and don't voice an opinion any more. JMO
This message was edited May 31, 2011 7:00 PM
I very much appreciate Pelle's efforts here. Being a moderator is a thankless job. Been there, done that. I'm just the kind of guy that if you push me, I'm going to push back. I agree that we need to get back to discussing and enjoying birds. No hard feelings here, I am very plain spoken. What you see is what you get.
I found a beautiful, small, cup shaped nest like the one you were holding in your hand. It was on the ground beside an extremely large American Holly. I picked up my little treasure, and it has been on display for the past several years on a coffee table on a porch. It is small, tightly woven, about 2.5 inches in diameter. I would love to know the breed that built it.
