Last month, Reddit user GinnySleazy was elated to find a hummingbird perched atop a small string light on her patio. She assumed the bird was just stopping by for a quick visit, until she noticed a small, hollow object attached to the light.
The hummingbird became a permanent fixture on GinnySleazy’s patio, often resting in the same spot above the string light. A couple of weeks later, while the hummingbird was out searching for food, GinnySleazy carefully peaked above the string light and discovered the real reason behind the bird’s unusually long visit.
“A hummingbird built a nest on my patio lights and laid two tiny eggs!” GinnySleazy wrote on Reddit.
GinnySleazy was thrilled to know that the hummingbird felt safe enough to raise her babies on the patio. But she worried about the tiny family whenever seasonal winds would whip the string lights — and their nest — around.
“The nest has survived some pretty bad winds the last couple [of] weeks, but I’ll be a nervous auntie about it when the babies hatch!” GinnySleazy wrote in a comment.
Thankfully, hummingbird nests are deceivingly durable and sticky, thanks to a special material used at the end of its construction: spider silk.
“The silk, which holds the nest together and anchors it to a foundation, is inserted into nooks and crevices to ensure attachment,” American Bird Conservancy (ABC Birds) wrote on their website.
Unsplash/Maria Fernanda Gonzalez
While finding a nest atop a thin string light may seem odd, hummingbirds are known for raising their babies in unlikely places.
“[H]ummingbirds tend to ‘set up shop’ on thinner branches roughly one foot from tree trunks, often at a fork,” ABC Birds wrote. “[They] sometimes even [nest] on wires, plant hangers, and other human-made items.”
Sure enough, the hummingbird’s nest on GinnySleazy’s patio survived the toughest weather conditions. Then, one day, she saw two tiny heads poke out from above the nest.
“Update on the hummingbird nest: I’m a grandma!” GinnySleazy wrote on Reddit.
Reddit/GinnySleazy
Over the next few weeks, GinnySleazy watched the hummingbird care for her rapidly growing babies. Before she knew it, the two little hummingbirds were snug in their nest, ready to spread their wings for more space.
“My hummingbird babies are about to outgrow the nest!” GinnySleazy wrote in a Reddit update.
It’s been a month since their arrival, and the hummingbird babies are almost ready to fly the nest and begin their own adventures. GinnySleazy will be sad to see them go, but in the meantime, she’ll continue looking out for them every step of the way.
“I will protect them with my life,” GinnySleazy wrote.
