Some of you may remember my "Completely Heart Broken!!!!" post from last year

(http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hummingbird/msg0513350827248.html)

Regarding a little Hummers nest and egg (outside of my window) that were destroyed by a a falling avocado. Unfortunately she never came back last year to rebuild :O(, but I do have a new little story to tell!

At the beginning of this month I had been keeping an eye out for hummers hoping a female would come back to nest, or to feed off the feeders and plants, but I hadn't seen any! I was beginning to think they didn't like us anymore or my back yard anyway! Then finally around the 8th or 9th, I saw one nearby two days in a row. This one was probably a male. He had green tones on his chest. On the third day, I found a cotton ball on the ground with a little twig woven into it. I thought how odd, then it hit me, that it belonged to a bird, and more than likely to a hummer! So I looked up, and low and behold! I found the beginning of the nest!!! I ran and grabbed a high stool, some thread and a needle, and then I sewed the cotton ball next to the nest area, to fill in a gap between some leaves to provide more support for holding up the nest once it's built. I kept my eye out for the hummer there after, but no such luck, no sign of any hummer! I thought "oh great! I just blew it! Instead of helping, I scared the hummer away!" So I kept crossing my fingers and kept wishing the hummer would come back! 14 days passed and still no sign of a hummer. The previous year, when we first saw the little hummer building the nest, she took off for two weeks, then came back and continued building, laid the egg, and disaster struck, so I figured this hummer might do the same in taking off for two weeks. So the 14 days passed and nada! No sign of a hummer. I was about to give up hope! when on the 16th day, I walked outside and spotted a hummer with peachy tones on her chest just swoosh right past me, then swoosh back! She then sat on a branch on the lemon tree! I ran to get the camera, but when I came back she was gone! So the next day the same thing happened! When I walked outside she swooshed right by me 3 times, then she went to the lemon tree to sit. I watched her for a few seconds, then I went inside to watch her through the window to see what she would do, but she flew away. But when I came back outside, she had returned! She flew by me again, then she went to the avocado tree, Swooshed under it a few times, then she flew up and plopped her butt on her nest! YES!!! She came back!!! So this year, WE HAVE A HUMMER!!! I'm not sure if it's the same one from last year. I have to compare videos to see if there's any similarity between the two. She's definately not the same hummer that built a nest in our tree in 2005. Maybe it's one of the babies! Could be! We are SOOO THRILLED!!!!

The nest is about 8ft above ground. This time we had the avocado tree severely pruned, and left the lower growth with the hummer in mind so she could nest there. As far as we can see, the spot she picked is perfect! She's just outside our door. We walk under her constantly, but she doesn't seem to mind at all! We just have to be careful she doesn't relieve herself on us! lol! The babies are the ones we'll really have to watch out for! They spray it! lol!

I believe the nest is done, now I'm just hoping for her to leave the nest long enough so I can take a peek to see if she's laid any eggs! My next task is to build a "net" to place under the nest just in case a baby takes a fall. It happened in 2005. Luckly I had hung a towel underneath as a net and it worked!

Well, enough of my rambling! I just wanted to share the great news! I can't wait for what's to come! Hopefully it will all be good! And nothing will go wrong this time! I'll keep you guys posted!

Tania ~_~