30 May 2010
Last week I postponed the trimming of the carob tree because of a Hummingbird. The female Hummingbird (I’m not sure what species because all Hummingbird females look similar) built a walnut sized nest at the tip of a carob tree branch overhanging Killarney Avenue.
Then she abandoned the nest, or did she? I know hummingbirds have complex mating rituals where males high dive and stop creating a whistling sound in the tail feathers. The hummingbird nest is composed of spider webs and lined with feathers. I wonder if Anna’s Hummingbird has a symbiotic relationship with any spider species? The female Anna’s Hummingbird may be the realtor in the family. She finds the best territory near a food source and defends her nest and territory against all other females. She may choose her mate based on how fast he flies and how loud he whistles his tail feathers.
