Unacceptable Rypstra
111 (3) (WS) Vulnerable
This is the 3rd hummingbird nest I found this spring at a local park.
The hummers had a lot of troubles this year. A photographer friend of mine who specializes in shooting them, noticed their numbers were down and there were quite a few who appeared sickly.
He is not the only person who noticed, however. Several people I talked to said they noticed they weren't as prolific this year.
I do know that the nests in this park are heavily preyed upon by several species, but perhaps the most devastating is the introduced Gray Squirrel. Two of the three nests I discovered never made it due to predation, including this well hidden and photogenic nest.
Personally, this is the second year I have found three or more nests, and it's the first time I've witnessed over 1/2 of them not making it to fledging.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
111 (3) (WS) Vulnerable
This is the 3rd hummingbird nest I found this spring at a local park.
The hummers had a lot of troubles this year. A photographer friend of mine who specializes in shooting them, noticed their numbers were down and there were quite a few who appeared sickly.
He is not the only person who noticed, however. Several people I talked to said they noticed they weren't as prolific this year.
I do know that the nests in this park are heavily preyed upon by several species, but perhaps the most devastating is the introduced Gray Squirrel. Two of the three nests I discovered never made it due to predation, including this well hidden and photogenic nest.
Personally, this is the second year I have found three or more nests, and it's the first time I've witnessed over 1/2 of them not making it to fledging.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.