As artist Chloe Barcelou settled in for another day of work at her New England studio, she was amazed to discover she wasn’t alone.
She turned to see a small green hummingbird, the size of her hand, which looked distressed.
Barcelou says: “I guess he came to ask me for help.” It took off and landed near me.
Hummingbirds were frequently seen soaring in the neighborhood gardens, but Barcelou had never seen one up close. She was stunned by her beauty. But why was this little one alone? And so close to a person? Barcelou immediately understood that he must be in need.
When I saw him for the first time in our class, I was surprised, but I was also a little afraid for him, because I immediately understood that he was stuck, says- she.
In a corner of my mind, I was also thrilled to have such a close experience with a hummingbird. He looked like a little fairy!
Barcelou and his partner quickly prepared a mixture of sugar and water and, using a spoon, offered some to the bird.
The hummingbird drank with joy. After about two minutes, her eyes started to open. Barcelou could see the energy returning to his body.
The bird finally took flight after drinking all it needed. Barcelou was happy to see her little companion back where he was supposed to be – in the sky.
The bird seemed to thank Barcelou for helping him the day before, as he hovered blissfully around his house the next day.
As it appeared to be the same bird carrying a message, Ms Barcelou said: “It’s just my personal intuition.” “It seemed normal to me that he responded with a thank you,” the author said.
