Ladybugs, Birds, and a Baby Hummingbird

I'm sorry that for the past couple of weeks I haven't posted much, but I've been extremely busy.  I'll probably be only to post on weekends until school ends.

I had thought that our ladybugs had gone, but just today I saw several around the yard.  I've also been seeing young ladybugs at their various stages.  I've mostly been seeing the larvae that look like little Gila monsters (as my dad says).  Below are three small pictures of different ladybugs at different stages.


 

The house finches don't seem to have their nests yet, because they're still traveling in flocks.  Below are two male house finches.  They are different colors because of some difference in diet.  House finches can be yellow as well.

House Finches

The hooded orioles have not started their nests yet either.  The males are still fighting with each other, and I haven't seen a pair yet.  Below is male hooded oriole in a tree.

Hooded Oriole

 

I believe that the bushtits are building a nest or already have one, because I've seen them in pairs or small groups.  A pair of bushtits often has a small group of helpers (usually males).  Bushtits build large, hanging nests that are well camouflaged in thick bushes or trees.  The breeding pair as well as all of the helpers sleep inside of it.  Bushtits don't  usually chase other birds away from their nests and other bushtit nests can be close by.  They are very tolerant, social birds.  Below is a male bushtit.

Bushtit

I found the mockingbirds' nest; it's in a bush right in the middle of my yard.  Everyone walks by that bush a lot, and I can actually see the nest inside, but it doesn't seem to bother the birds.  They still go in and out with nest supplies, as in the photo below.

Northern Mockingbird

Some hummingbirds have already made a nest, laid eggs, and raised at least one chick without me ever noticing, because I found a baby Anna's hummingbird in the bottlebrush tree.  It was very small, fluffy, and gray and had a small beak.  A parent came by to feed it.  It didn't seem to notice me, because as I watched, its little head started to nod, its eyes closed, and it slept for a few minutes.  Below is a photo of it when it was awake.

Anna's Hummingbird