Aryana Hummingbird, Laguna Niguel, California cam thread has been updated with a series of new nest videosBegining today:Aryana Hummingbird Lays Her First Egg of the 2024 Nesting Season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drCM_AlbdUgJan 12, 2024 #Explore #NeverStopLearning #MoreToExplore
Aryana is an Allen's Hummingbird who lives year-'round in the coastal area of Laguna Niguel, California. She built this nest in a Gartenmeister Fuchsia.
WATCH THIS: After sitting low in the nest for several minutes (only some of which you see here), Aryana lifts herself onto the uppermost edge of the interior nest wall. She stabilizes herself by gripping the nest fluff with her tiny talons. When she starts "laboring," her back end is elevated. She flares, lifts, and wiggles her tail quite a bit while she's pushing it out, and then appears to "collapse" into the nest bowl when she's finished.
She spins the egg with her feet and beak. This helps keeps the egg membranes from sticking to the shell.
Even though Aryana stays on the nest for a while, she is not yet incubating this egg. It is not at risk, temperature wise, as the regional weather is a balmy 60-some degrees Fahrenheit and she covers it with her "brood patch" while she sits on her nest.
Aryana will likely lay her second of two eggs within the next couple of days, and will then begin the incubation process. By delaying incubation, both chicks will hatch very close together, develop at the same rate, and fledge within a similar timeframe.