Some hummingbirds nest in winter

• Joe Dellwo of Irvine uses a web cam to capture Allen’s hummingbirds nesting in winter.

• Two baby hummingbirds a week old in Joe Dellwo’s backyard.

• Mother hummingbird keeps her chicks warm on a January day in Joe Dellwo’s backyard.

Winter seems like an unusual time for any bird to be nesting, but in Southern California, our non-migratory Allen’s hummingbirds get an early start.

Already this season, a hummingbird returned to nest in a rosebush in Irvine, laying two eggs in November. The little hen sat faithfully for 17 days until they hatched. Then she kept her chicks warm and fed even when a December cold snap threatened frost.

Joe and Erica Dellwo, who host the popular Webcam at phoebeallens.com, declared “fledge watch” on Dec. 31 as the two chicks practiced buzzing their tiny wings in preparation for flight. Then earlier this week, thousands of viewers watched as streaming live video captured the first flight of the two hummingbird chicks, nicknamed Bob and Rose.

“People are amazed that they nest this time of year,” Joe Dellwo said.

Nesting season runs October through early June. The female builds the nest, sits on the eggs and cares for the chicks without assistance from the male.

A female hummingbird has four or five clutches a season. She typically lays two eggs per clutch, though not all eggs are viable and many chicks do not survive.

“A female hummer spends seven months of the year sitting on the nest and foraging for food,” Dellwo said.

His Webcam has followed the activity in his courtyard nests since 2007 through four breeding seasons and captured more than 11 million views worldwide.

“The actual bird has changed from time to time,” Dellwo said. “Generally, the same bird returns throughout a season. But I don¹t want to have to worry about positive identification and prefer to call the occupant Phoebe and avoid the debate.” If you see a hummingbird nest in your yard it’s best to keep your distance.

Hummingbirds can be quite tolerant of humans unless you disturb the nest.

Keep cats and dogs indoors.

After the chicks fledge, the mother hummingbird will continue to feed her offspring for a week or two. Generally, they will stay close to the nest.

Don’t be too quick to rescue a young bird unless it’s clearly injured. Check the link on phoebeallens.com for more information on rescue. Also, see their web cam of the nest. If it is empty, try back in a week or so to see if new eggs have been laid.

If you are lucky enough to have hummingbirds nest in your yard, do not remove the nest when the birds are gone if you’d like them to return.

Female hummingbirds often repair and reuse old nests.

Always check for nests in bushes and trees, especially ficus, before trimming.

Attract hummingbirds to your yard by planting native flowering plants such as salvia, honeysuckle, verbena and bottlebrush. Keep your nectar feeders up year-round. Clean feeders and replace nectar weekly in winter. And avoid using pesticides in the garden; a hummingbird’s diet includes insects as well as nectar.

Contact the writer: Jennifer J. Meyer is a freelance writer from Mission Viejo. Write to her at [email protected] or visit her blog at jjthebackyardbirder.blogspot.com.