Good afternoon dear Blogger friends. Ambrose was right; I have a great story of success to share.
On Monday morning before going off to the farm office across the lawn, I walked into my bedroom. On the floor was a baby sunbird. It was cowering in between Missy and Chappie who were watching it intently from each side.
I scooped it up and examined it closely. Although its heart was beating furiously, it seemed unharmed. I found a small cardboard box into which I put the bird on a wad of cotton wool and took it to work with me.
All morning I kept an eye on the little bird, once even dribbling a little water into its bill. These birds have the longest tongue and their young have tongues which resemble a thin, ultra thin nylon string. Earlier this year, I rescued a juvenile sunbird and its tongue had protruded all the time; that little mite died. This bird retracted its tongue after drinking so I was hopeful it would survive.
The problem was where to release it. In the garden around my office, Jock the neighbor's Labrador, would pounce on the bird should it topple from the branch I placed it on. Back home: ditto with three cats watching as well.
As I walked home with the box in my hand, I saw Derryn, my young neighbor on my right, watering the garden. I called her from the gate to see have a looksee at my bird. She oohed and aahed and when I told her Thandi and I would be going up to my accommodation to prep for the next guests, she offered to keep the bird at home.
When I returned that afternoon, Derryn met me at the gate again, saying the little bird was very perky. She suggested we wait until it was cooler and release it in the garden below their swimming pool. There is a nectar bird feeder at the fence and the sunbirds flit from my garden with it's plentiful Tecomaria blooms which the sunbirds love to the neighbor's garden to partake of the delicious sweet juice offered there!
At 4.30 I went across to Derryn's home where her parents Janine and Gavin were sitting on the patio next to the pool waiting to watch our rescue mission.
I took a photo of the little bird which lay prostrate in Derryn's hand.
