Breaking News: Chelsie Has A New Nest
Remember the first episode of our
Hummingbird Story from back in February?
You can find it here:
https://convivio-online.net/our-baby-hummingbirds/
Gretta said then: “I bet this needs to become a story.“
Now, Mamma Chelsie as started her second family. Here is that story.
Click to download a PDF of this post: ConVivio_A_New_Nest_Apr_2021
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AND She Has Two New Babies: April 22, 2021
Our very own Mama Hummingbird — remember, we named her Chelsie back in February — now has set up a new nest in a rose tree in our back yard. Almost two months ago we watched, as did some of our neighbors, as she sat on her two eggs in our front yard until they hatched, fed them as they grew inside the nest (as reported on ConVivio), until they flew off to seek their fortune in the big, wide world, as all babies must eventually do. So, now, she has started a second family in our back yard.
Chelsie laid two eggs in this new nest and they have both
hatched during the third week in April, five days apart.
We watched their progress every day. Most often we saw
Chelsie dutifully sitting on top of the two eggs in the nest.
Occasionally, she briefly flitted off to other trees and
flowers in our yard or to the Zinfandel vines along our back
fence. Now that they have both hatched, Chelsie flutters off,
presumably to find food, and then returns to feed them and
sit on them as they start to grow.
Right now, the two little ones are barely visible in the nest
— one small bundle of fur and one larger bundle with a
visible beak. Both appear to be breathing, as the bundles of
fur slowly rise and fall.
In this photo, the two little bundles of fur are barely
visible above the rim of the nest, with one little beak
pointing to the right.
So, now, we have work to do. Last time, after
asking for suggestions, we named Chelsie’s babies
Sam and Diane. We are confident that Chelsie
approved of our choices.
Now, we have to go to work on this important task once again. As before, we asked for suggestions.
Here is a list of the 26 suggestions we received:
Abbott and Costello Harry and Meghan
Barbie and Ken John and Paul
Batman and Robin Ralph and Alice
Bert and Ernie Regis and Kathy Lee
Butch and Sundance Ross and Monica
Captain and Tennille Sasha and Malia
Cheech and Chong Sonny and Cher
Daniela and Greg Steph and Draymond
Donnie and Marie Steph and Klay
Edith & Archie Varenna and Paris
George and Ringo Venus and Serena
Gloria and Meathead Woody and Winnie
Hall and Oates Yosemite and Ahwahnee
So, we did the obvious thing — we had an election. The families of our four sons got to vote. They each could select a first, second, and third choice and the votes were weighted accordingly. That vote yielded five finalists:
Donnie and Marie
Barbie and Ken
Bert and Ernie
Steph and Klay
Varenna and Paris
So, we had a runoff. Each person got one vote; and …
–> –> OK, it has been decided. We have a winner!
And here on the 22nd day of April, 2021, face-to-face with what passes for excitement these days in the world of COVID, we have named the babies. Chelsie will be happy to know that her babies have names. She can now call them:
—–> Barbie and Ken <—–
I am sure she will be pleased.
Voters who had other preferences may be interested to know that there was a tie for second place between:
Donnie and Marie
And
Steph and Klay
So, various points of view were represented in the voting.
… but we won’t tell Chelsie about the other nominees …
Meanwhile
The two furry little bundles are scrunching snugly in the nest. Chelsie chose a very secure and protected location for this one, so we don’t get much of a clear view. We have seen what looks like a beak protruding off to one side when Chelsie has flitted away briefly to find food. Otherwise, she dutifully sits on the babies in the nest and waits for them to grow.
Naturally, we have some questions, as we had last time. Will the warmer nights of late April be better for these two children than the cold nights of February that Sam and Diane had to endure in Chelsie’s last nest? Will they fly from the nest or fall from it — remember, last time Diane fell from the nest before she could fly and we had to lift her back into the nest. Will the neighbor’s prowling outdoor cat cause them trouble? I observe that the location Chelsie chose for this nest seems to be better protected than the last one. Will they need some help from us or … maybe … what we’ve learned is that the responsibility belongs to them and not to us. They seem to know what they are doing.
We’ll be watching.
