Delicacy of Care

By Maryanna Gabriel

They uplift the spirit. The exquisite Annas Hummingbird does not migrate and are a joy to watch in the winter. Their whizzing forms hum and chirp amid flashes of iridescent tropical colour. I just watched a documentary about a man in Victoria who studies and films these hummers. He noticed a change in behaviour with one and went to investigate. At the foot of the tree, the size of a white navy bean, was a tiny broken egg.

He revealed it on his lens cap so tenderly it made me want to cry. In what is often a harsh world, this man was noticing a tiny mother's loss and the most delicate of tragedies. He said, some of the best kept secrets are in our own backyard.

 Such dear man.

There is good news. The other egg survived. He watched as she fed her chick every four minutes. Such caring. Should be world headlines. 

I must get to the feeders today with fresh nectar. Busy, busy.