Despite a decade of homesteading and the cycles of life - I am always grieved by the survival of the fittest. It seems so cruel. Some more experienced bird watchers had warned me that it was highly likely that two of the three (possibly only one of the three) baby sunbirds would make it. I was skeptical. Ever hopeful. Then a couple days ago I noticed the little sunbird nest covered with nasty flies. They wanted to get in
On closer inspection I could not see anything unusual. After all the nest is way too high. But I could smell ..... death. Throughout the day I hovered. At the frequent feedings of the busy little sunbird parents I only saw two insistent beaks. Only two. They're getting bigger and more adventurous, leaning out of the nest. Their little tongues flicking in and out as if unaided. I couldn't mistake there being one less baby. I was upset.
Both Malachite Sunbird parents seemed unperturbed as they continued their inexhaustible care of their offspring. Even the Daddy Sunbird was getting less wary of me, sometimes finding a nearby perch to sit and observe me. Then flitting off again in search of bugs to feed his growing sunbird babies.
To prevent losing another of the babies I came up with what I thought was the perfect plan.
"No! Absolutely not!" exclaimed FarmerBuckaroo when I enthusiastically laid out my plan. I was quite taken aback. I had been sure he would be as quick to help me implement it. "We are not draping our bedroom linen between the cactus and our house to catch your little pets!" Despite my objections he simply answered "It is survival of the fittest!"
And so we leave those little Malachite Sunbirds to survive. Or not. They are very strong little creatures. With the amount of offerings their parents keep stuffing down their throats I'm surprised they haven't become the size of ostriches perched high up in the cactus! Now we watch and wait and hope .... for the first successful flight.
