Hummingbird nesting season is in full swing right now, so if you are going to trim bushes or trees, please check for hummingbird nests.

I trimmed some terribly overgrown rose of Sharon bushes in my yard this past weekend, but first did a thorough inspection of the branches looking for hummingbird nests. Hummingbirds build their nests directly on top of branches in trees and bushes and they can be hard to spot if you are not looking carefully. Hummingbird nests measure a tiny two inches across and only about 1 inch deep! The nests are made from soft plant material that are held together and anchored to the branch with spider silk.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (those that we see here in the eastern half of the United States) have from one to two broods of one to three chicks each spring and summer. Mother hummingbirds incubate the eggs for about two weeks and the chicks fledge about three weeks later. Father hummingbirds take no part in raising young.

I didn’t find any nests when I searched my rose of Sharon bushes, but what a thrill it would have been if I did – imagine seeing baby hummingbirds in the nest!