Blue Jay predating hummingbird nest in Canon City

[SeEttaM .]

Yesterday as I walked on the Canon City Riverwalk I heard 2 hummingbirds, probably Black-chinned, making noises that sounded as though they were very upset.  I spotted them above a tree branch about 30 feet above the ground and they appeared to be upset with an immature Blue Jay that I observed on that branch.  It occurred to me that there was a hummingbird nest there that the omnivorous Blue Jay was predating.  After the jay finished and flew off, the hummers continued agitated both in movement and calls for another couple of minutes.  I walked around and was able to see that, indeed,at that the spot where the Blue Jay had been there was a hummingbird nest. Given the lateness of the summer, it would seem most likely that there had been one or more nestlings there.  Bummer.

SeEtta Moss

Canon City

http://BirdsAndNature.blogspot.com

[steven...@comcast.net]

Hi All,

It is a bummer when nature takes it's natural course.

Steve Larson

---

From: "SeEttaM ." <see...@gmail.com>
To: "COBirds" <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 12:46:51 AM
Subject: [cobirds] Blue Jay predating hummingbird nest in Canon City

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+u...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to cob...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAAUvckobVrkHhVBvhvHc35nrpZ75FQkaOahJ%2B_PumoCuk-7GnQ%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[SeEttaM .]

<<Hi All,

It is a bummer when nature takes it's natural course.

Steve Larson>>

I find it unfortunate that a member thought it necessary to impose his apparent critique of my statement that I found it a bummer that a young Blue Jay had just eaten likely nestling hummingbirds..  While some may not find it in any way upsetting to have watched while very young bird(s) still in the nest were eaten, I suspect that many on this listserv would have some similar reaction to it.  Maybe the  genetic coding that causes humans to be protective of the young might have been at work in my reaction--but for certain I learned as a young child to be protective of young, including young of other species, as part of  my upbringing in my family.  Added in was an empathetic response to such upset and helpless parent(s).  When nature takes it's course even humans who understand the natural phenomena may still find it disturbing.