Saddened but not surprised is how I'd describe myself this morning after finding the Anna's hummingbird nest I'd been watching overrun by Argentine ants. I'd been hoping for the best and mentally preparing myself for the worst as is advisable when observing nature closely. She was still on her nest yesterday evening with no peeping coming from it. There was clearly a horror story unfolding near the house sometime between then and getting up to make coffee. They've been known to drive the parent off of the nest if they discover it in order to attack and feed on the baby birds. They also farm honeydew-producing sucking insects like scale, mealybugs and aphids that have decimated many of my established native plants. I'm hoping to save the rest by employing knowledgeable nurseryman Greg Rubin's approach to combating this invasive species; it's linked to in this informative blog post by the California Chaparral Institute. I also found this article from the University of California Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research helpful in gaining a better understanding what we're up against.
