To help stay in reasonble shape, Jane and I like to walk around Miramar Lake (www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/miramar.shtm).  Some years ago, quiet a few actually, when the City still had money (in the form of land developer donations to obtain favor from elected officials) the road around the lake was paved and extended over the dam to make a five-mile loop.  Jane and I try to walk this loop about three or four times a week.  A few days ago, while walking around the lake (actually one of the City's water supply reservoirs), Jane spotted a tiny hummingbird sitting on its nest.  How she was able to spot the little thing is a mystery to me.  It was well hidden among the leaves on a tree branch near the side of the road.  The nest was wedged between a couple of thin branches and only about two inches tall and in diameter.  The miniscule hummer was sitting "V" shaped on top of its nest with its tail skewed up in one direction and its face in the opposite, presummably incubating her eggs.

Well, this was a great find that I had to try to photograph.  I checked the incubation and fledging period for Anna's hummingbirds to get an overall idea for a plan of attack.  Although a hummer on a nest is a nice shot, I really wanted to try for some chicks in the image.  Anyway, I went back early the next morning with my telephonto lens.  There were already more people out on the loop road than I had expected that early in the moring but none stopped to see what I was up to.  I took some security shots just to make sure I had something and then started monitoring the nest every few days as I walked around the lake.  To the best of my recogning, I had about 10 days or so before there would be any sign of life.  But that was not to be.  We had a cold rainy weekend and after that the little bird had abandoned the nest.  Jane and I walked by the nest several days in a row to find the nest sans any sign of the adult hummer.

Finding the hummingbird nest was serendipity.  To find more dependable shooting I visited Santee Lakes (www.santeelakes.com).  Santee Lakes can be counted on for ring-necked and wood ducks.  Of course, you have fight off the ubiquitous mudhens.  This time of year the wood ducks are typically in a very amorous mood.  Mate selection is in full swing and couples are exploring nesting site.  As a public service project, boy scouts have placed a number of nest boxes amount the trees around the lakes.  As I was photographing, I found several wood duck couples romantically engaged in the sycamore trees.  So, my disappointment of missing hummingbird chicks was soothed by the colorful wood ducks and their amorous antics.

You can see more of these images in the Santee Lakes gallery on my web site.