Calliope Hummingbird on Nest

From Nesting to Hatchlings 

One summer day when I was hiking in the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area on Pine Creek Trail, I spotted a very small bird sitting on a nest in a willow tree by the stream.   I quietly set my camera on the tripod, focused in with the Nikon 80-200mm lens and realized that I was looking at a very small hummingbird.

On comparing my prints to the hummingbirds in my bird identification book, I discovered this was a Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in North America. The Calliope migrates from Mexico to breed and raise its young in mountainous areas where there are streams with wildflowers growing along the banks.

In a few days, I anxiously returned to find the Calliope patiently sitting on her tiny cup-shaped nest that was made from the buds of a creosote bush and bound together with spider webs.

Every few days I hiked back with my backpack of camera equipment across the hot desert and over the rocky path to check on the progress of my tiny friend.  At the end of the second week I was amazed to see two small pointed beaks sticking up from the nest.
 

Each time when I came to visit, I would sit on a near by rock, eat my lunch in the shade and keep a close watch through the lens to snap the shutter when there was any action.
 

Finally after many hikes and a lot of exercise, I found the nest empty.  I spent the rest of the day watching the hummingbirds flying around, sipping nectar from the Desert Paintbrush and Penstemon plants and I wondered which ones were the offspring from my Calliope.

A year to the exact date, I made the hike back to see if the Calliope had returned to her nest.  Hummingbirds are known to re-use the same nest.  I located the exact willow but to my disappointment, the small cup-shaped nest was no where to be found.  I spent the rest of that day looking in the branches by the stream and did not find any other nests.  While I was searching the area, I became flooded with emotions and felt an immense sense of gratitude that I was allowed to witness this rare and unique sage of nature.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

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