Does anyone know any nesting material I can offer my hummingbirds? The adults come to my feeders routinely and I believe they nest on my property. I'd like to encourage this more.
Hummingbird nests
Some of the things hummers use to make their nests are lichen, spider webs and very soft fluff from plants.
They will supposedly take nesting fluff put out for them, but I guess it would depend on where it's placed. I put out nesting fluff for the birds and they go through it like crazy, but I've never noticed my hummers using it and unless I had it right by my window I doubt I'd be able to see them, anyway.
The first link gives ideas for different nesting material for lots of birds.
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/how-to-offer-bird-nesting-materials-in-your-garden/
This next one shows some really good pictures, but they're also selling nesting material and I don't know anything about them so I can't vouch for them personally.
http://www.birdwatching.com/birdfeeders/hummingbird_nesting.html
The next two links are from one of my favorite stores. We have a Farm & Fleet near us so we shop right at the store, but they also sell through their website. We buy most of our bird & critter food from them because their prices and quality are great.
I buy the bags shown in the second link (Heritage Farms), but I've never seen the one in the first link ( Pet Lodge) so it must be new. Now That I've seen it, though, I'm going to have to buy some as it looks more like cotton balls and might be softer.
http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/869804-pet-lodge-nesting-cotton.html
http://www.farmandfleet.com/s/?keyword=bird%20nes
Some people also just use cotton balls so you might consider trying it first before spending the money for something else.
Most important...DON'T use anything that's been treated with any additives and DON'T use dryer lint.
Hope this helps.
The only thing I have seen them gathering is spiderwebs, but about the same time they are nesting the cottonwood cotton is flying - I have wondered if they gather it on the wing. I am sure Black-chinned nest on or near my property but I have never found a nest.
Nests are so tiny- makes a thimble look large. I need to look in my pines and oaks and yaupons for my nests- they arent very high up usually.
Does anyone know if they reuse nests? We had a lot of trees die last winter and I am going to be removing them this fall. If I find a nest, I thought I might try relocating it.
I wouldn't bother to relocate, pollen.
First of all, hummingbird nests are very fragile and usually don't survive the winter. Besides, it's technically, illegal to handle a hummer nest. Occasionally they might reuse the nest or use some materials from it for another nest, but if it's moved they probably wouldn't find it, anyway.
As long as it's not nesting season I wouldn't worry about it.
I wouldn't be handling the nest per se, I would be saving an old nest in a dead tree from the chipper shredder. That is one reason why I waited for this fall to get rid of all the damaged trees from a year ago, I didn't want to do it during nesting season (or allergy season). If I even find one - I know they nest around here but I have never found a nest yet. My big peach tree - now deceased - was a possible location from several years ago.