We can learn spiritual truths from the smallest of creatures. Here’s what I learned from hummingbird nesting materials.
I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.
Psalm 119:32 NLT

Have You Ever Looked at Hummingbird Nesting Material?
I almost didn’t see the nest. Perched in the fork of two branches smaller than my pinkie, the nest seemed impossibly small. I held my phone overhead and snapped a few photos of the inside of the nest, hoping to see eggs.
Sure enough, two jelly-bean-sized eggs lay in the deep cup. I quickly stepped away, not wanting to prevent the mama hummingbird from sitting on her eggs.
Hummingbird nesting materials might surprise you. The tiny birds gather moss, thistledown, lichen, grass, and spider web silk to construct their tiny nurseries.
Some species of hummingbirds build directly on top of a branch, others choose a fork. Hummingbird nesting materials differ by species and location, but they share one common trait: spider web silk.
The female hummingbird winds the spider web silk around the walls of her nest, creating a structure that can expand. Why? Because of their small size (the smallest hummingbird measures a mere two inches long), hummingbirds must make the most of their body heat to properly incubate their eggs.
After the eggs hatch, the chicks progress from naked to ready to fly in just over two weeks. Hummingbirds use spider silk use for nesting materials because it allows the nest to rapidly expand to hold the growing babies.
Spider Web Silk in Our Lives
As baby Christians, our knowledge of God expands rapidly. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (all we must do is ask) expands our understanding of spiritual truths.
Sometimes, I act like a cliff swallow instead of a hummingbird. I build a rigid house of mud around myself—content with what I already know about scripture and the nature of God. Instead, I need to build like a hummingbird, choosing nesting materials that can withstand high winds and pressures from within (and without).
May we always pursue God’s commands, constantly seeking to expand our knowledge and understanding of his word.

What a great lesson from the hummingbird! I especially enjoy watching the hummingbirds that visit our feeders in summer, but only a couple of times have we actually seen their nests. The swallows, on the other hand . . . LOL
Kym recently posted…Empty Nesting
We have plenty of barn swallows around here, too!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…SCH 085 Seven Signs You Need to See a Therapist
How interesting, Anita! I didn’t know this fact about hummingbird nests, “They share one common trait: spider web silk.”
Lisa Blair recently posted…How to Actually Delight in the Lord
I was so excited to go to one of my favorite birding spots in AZ and have a friend point out an Anna’s hummingbird nest on the exact day this post came out! February is pretty early for nesting, but my friend (a naturalist) thinks she gets started early because she doesn’t migrate. I even saw her apply some spider silk!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…What Can be Worth More than a Little Sparrow?
So glad that our understanding can continue to expand as we grow! Thankful for the Spirit’s presence. Great post, Anita.
Lisa notes recently posted…That’s Interesting. Tell Me More. {Mantra 4} —Grace & Truth Linkup
Thank you, Lisa!
Anita Ojeda recently posted…The Valuable Lesson I Learned about Calm from an Imperturbable Fox
Hummingbirds are so beautiful!
Indeed, they are!
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