Kathryn Young
Los Angeles, CA, United States
This mother began building her nest in January 2014 on a bamboo branch outside my bedroom window. I watched her raise her first clutch of two followed immediately by a second clutch of one. LA hummingbirds are very fond of the vibrant purple trumpet-shaped flowers on the vines covering the metal fence perimeter, which made it at attractive, yet protected, location for a nest.
This cannot be a Rufous Hummingbird, they breed in the Pacific Northwest and are not found in Southern California in summer. This would be an Allen’s Hummingbird, which are known breeders throughout coastal Southern California and are expanding their breeding range into inland areas.
Good catch, Charity. We’ve corrected the identification. Thanks for your help!