MAY 2021 - AudioFile
In a wonder-filled voice, nature writer Sy Montgomery (THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS) recounts the time she assisted with the rehabilitation of two orphaned hummingbird chicks. Originally published as a chapter in Montgomery’s 2010 book BIRDOLOGY and with a new introduction here, this brief audio is a hummingbird-sized meditation on the beauty, fragility, and resilience of these charismatic birds. As the babies are carefully fed (every 20 minutes!), cleaned, and readied for release, Montgomery’s warm and intimate delivery makes listeners care about each development and setback. And her descriptions of these tiny marvels will almost certainly inspire you to step outside and observe the natural world with a new appreciation. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Montgomery's bright, richly illustrated chronicle stirs renewed appreciation for human empathy, skill, and wonder and a miraculous winged species.” —Booklist
"An eloquent primer on hummingbirds in myth and natural science, and the history of people learning about birds...[an] engaging work of popular science." —Library Journal
“A hummingbird book that’s like them—zippy and fun...[It] will warm your heart while making you into an armchair ornithologist. ” –Associated Press
"This slim book, centered on two abandoned hummingbirds who are nurtured back to health, is ideal for garden reading." —Washington Post, "Feel-good books to brighten your summer"
MAY 2021 - AudioFile
In a wonder-filled voice, nature writer Sy Montgomery (THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS) recounts the time she assisted with the rehabilitation of two orphaned hummingbird chicks. Originally published as a chapter in Montgomery’s 2010 book BIRDOLOGY and with a new introduction here, this brief audio is a hummingbird-sized meditation on the beauty, fragility, and resilience of these charismatic birds. As the babies are carefully fed (every 20 minutes!), cleaned, and readied for release, Montgomery’s warm and intimate delivery makes listeners care about each development and setback. And her descriptions of these tiny marvels will almost certainly inspire you to step outside and observe the natural world with a new appreciation. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-03-08
The author of The Soul of the Octopus returns with the story of the miraculous recovery of two abandoned baby hummingbirds.
When Brenda Sherburn, a volunteer hummingbird rehabilitator in California, received two orphaned birds, they were not much larger than bumblebees. Uncertain about how to proceed with their recovery, she contacted naturalist Montgomery to help. As the author explains, rehabilitating hummingbirds is difficult work. In addition to maintaining the temperature of their habitat and examining their bodies for injury and invasive insects, baby hummingbirds must be fed every 20 minutes using a tiny syringe. Furthermore, “because the food spoils easily, a fresh batch must be concocted several times a day.” The conditions under which the young are released into the wild are also fraught. Hummingbirds typically lay two eggs, which hatch two days apart. The timing difference can lead to a developmental lag in the youngest hatchling and offer additional challenges, which was the case in the recovery of this pair. With her characteristic compassion, Montgomery shows the patience and skill with which Sherburn nursed her charges back to health. She also discusses the extreme measures other rehabbers have taken to ensure the recovery of injured and orphaned hummingbirds. Montgomery packs a wealth of general information regarding hummingbirds into this slim volume, examining species differences, body mechanics, habitat range, food sources, migration patterns, and relevant mythology. As their attachment to the birds grew, Sherburn and Montgomery chose to break the unwritten rule of naming birds in the process of rehabilitation. Drawing on Aztec and Mayan mythology, they chose Maya and Zuni. Regarding the reason for writing this book, Montgomery explains that witnessing the recovery of these tiny creatures was a cherished gift. If humans, she notes, “could help transform these pathetically vulnerable infants to rulers of the sky, then perhaps our kind can heal our sweet, green, broken world.”
A small gem full of hope, determination, and wonder.
