Signs of spring in Comox Valley- Anna hummingbirds on a nest

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

On Sunday, April 3 we were walking on the Courtenay Riverway Trail near the 17 th street bridge when we saw a hummingbird land on a nest just 3-4 meters away almost at eye level. Since the leaves are not out now it was very easy to see and 2 hummingbirds were flitting on and off the nest. They seemed to be feeding their young since they would often point their long bills down into the nest but from our vantage point we couldn’t see any young. We actually saw several hummingbirds during our walk so there may well be other nests in the area.  The nest is camouflaged with lichen and looks to be very solid. The nest about 50 to 75 meters upstream from the 17 th street bridge. Bring your camera and don’t disturb the nest!