Thie White Cheeked Honeyeater was sending out distress signals yesterday, so much so that she attracted not only every person in my house, but my old ginger tabby cat, about half a dozen other pairs of birds and of course her own mate. The poor thing had lost a little chick that seemed to have fallen from its tree and broken itself beyond repair. This little bird was defending her chick in the bravest fashion, bluffing every every living thing within 5 metres (approx 5 yards, imperial) of her chick by dive bombing within a few inches of them and running across the ground while dragging her wing to lure the sun drenched soporific old cat away (her attempts didn't work on the cat. Neither did the cat seem aware of the dead chick). One of us lifted the dead baby bird from the lawn and placed it on a high bush within range of the mama bird so she could feel safer defending it from there until she realised it was all futile. I was touched by her tenacity. She stayed there most of the rest of the day. Today she came back again, but she wasn't so defensive.
She sure is a beautiful bird.
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