Hatching Hummers

Ted & Sheila from Cold Lake, AB, live across the street from us here in Rancho Casa Blanca and have a gray metal arbor on their deck, which in and of itself is not very remarkable. However, almost 2 weeks ago we were visiting with Ted & Sheila when Helen noticed what appeared to be pieces of string and feathers in a corner near the top of the arbor. There are lots of humming birds here and it didn't take long to figure out this was indeed a humming bird nest. A few days after it was completed and with the aid of stepladder, we could see 2 eggs in the nest which the mother-to-be continues to "set" on. Sheila & Ted have hung a feeder nearby so she can make short, frequent visits for nourishment. During the day the feeder attracts lots of bees but they cohabit and co-feed without incident. The bees actually make room for her to feed! The mother-to-be also tolerates us and we are able to take pictures from time to time as long as we don't take too long. I took the following pics on a couple of occasions including today when I was able to place a Quarter on the frame beside the nest to give a comparison of the size of her nest and the eggs. It's a little out of focus, but I didn't want to take any longer to try for a better picture. Information gleaned from the internet says the incubation period for the eggs is usually 14 - 16 days and today Mom seemed more active spending time getting the house ready by adding bits and pieces of this and that. Maybe the babies will be hatching soon. We'll keep you posted.