My partner is a rescuer/ carer with Wires specialising in small birds. A few months ago we spent 4 weeks hand raising a brown thornbill from a tiny fluff ball just a few days old

This is a huge hands on effort with feeding every 15-30 minutes. At 4 weeks it was ready for "slow release", flying well but still nervous and hanging close to us.

We were at our Capertee property, but were going to do the final release back in the Mountains that afternoon where it had come from. One last wing stretch before the trip back.

Bird is sitting in a bush about one foot from my head and about one foot from the back door. I'm reaching up to get it and.. Wham, Hobby dinner.

Ain't nature wonderful.

Have to rush, I've been left in charge of the 5 spotted pardalotes.

Help, I'm turning into Ramblin' John

Timothy Hyde
Blue Mountains / Capertee Valley