Wanna see how big those little hummingbird mites are now? Take a long at these photos. They are fluttering their wings, standing on the edge of the nest, sometimes with one foot on the branch to the right! When not practicing the-flying-to-come, they nit and pick at their plumage (sometimes their nest mates plumage). This may be more than just grooming. I suspect they are picking at (real) nest mites which are biting but now also supply a little additional protein. When mama hummingbird comes in to deliver dinner, she sometimes has to nudge their beaks to make them open up so she can deliver the take-out.
Notice the nearly adult plumage as well as the size of the babies. They'll be flying soon
Here is a brief Paul Adams video showing mama's arrival at the nest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eHiwBH6Euc&feature=youtu.be
Wow, can she fly!
Eric Salzman
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