A Humming Bird?

A Nesting Bird

It happened again!. The second time around. It was a 'merbah' bird that I caught on camera on June 01, 2010 when it happened the first time ( here)

On June 24, 2011 ( just a year to the day ) I managed to scramble for my camera again in double quick time. My domestic helper alerted me to a new nest barely one metre away from the first one on the same tree. I just couldn't believe it.

The nest was hanging precariously at the end of a small twig. The nesting bird was still having the nest constructed, flying in every 2 minutes with some twigs or dried leaves in its beak. It would nip through an opening, the nest would then shake a little in the wind and then off it went again. The shaking of the nest I suppose, was the result of weaving works in the building process. To maintain stability it had ingeniously included a 'tail' attached to the nest below. From the distance I spied some old fishing line or badminton racket guts that made the tail possible. I just wonder how it managed to get such 'building materials' easily.





Image: 1 The nest almost ready



Image: 2 The nesting bird, wings flapping trying to zero in. This has the hallmark of a humming bird that stays in one spot in the air going from one flower to the other.



Image: 3 The nesting bird in the course of weaving and most probably improving the entrance to the nest.


I've been told a nesting bird would have its nest at places where it felt safe. I suppose this little tree at the corner of the house gave that feeling to the bird. Will I be 3rd time lucky, in 1 year's time? I just wonder!



Postcript: Any possiblity for someone in authority who can identify what type of bird this is. It was brown, almost black, from just below the neck upwards and bright yellow the rest of the body.

Thanks!