Hummingbird builds nest on hook hanging in noisy Victoria welding shop
Over the decades, Dave Clarke has discovered the occasional unexpected creature at his engineering and welding company – like a rubber duck stuck on the front of a truck, or a plastic poop emoji with protruding peepers – but this was a first.
“It’s right in the middle of the shop,” Dave says, pointing to a chain hanging from the ceiling with a hook at the end.
“On the crane hook.”
Sometime during the night, a bird had started building a nest in the curve of the dangling hook.
“She must have woke up in the morning and gone, ‘Oh my God!'” Dave laughs. “‘What have I done?!’”
Trucks are rumbling. Metal is clanking. Sparks are flying. This is no nurturing nursery.
But the hummingbird was undeterred, and eventually manufactured a pair of products that left the shop’s human welders in awe.
“How the heck did a little bird lay that big of an egg?” Dave laughs. “A couple days later there was another one!”
Once the babies started hatching, thanks to their mother's unrivalled work ethic, they never stopped growing.
“Talk about perseverance,” Dave says as the hummingbird flys over to the nest, lands on the hook, and starts feeding.
“It’s huge.”
While the feathered family has earned the respect of Dave’s crew, his customers were another matter.
“They are just surly kinds of guys,” Dave says. “They look like they would chew nails and spit them out.”
But then Dave brings them around back to meet the birds, and their tough exteriors crumble.
“The compassionate side of them comes out!” Dave smiles.
Their hearts seemed to swell even bigger than the young birds that have almost outgrown their nest.
“Now, they’re to the point where they’re getting ready to fly,” Dave says, as one of the birds stretches its torso out of the nest and flaps its wings furiously.
And when the inevitable happens, the previously unthinkable will occur, Dave will decommission the crane hook
“The hook will come off the chain and be displayed here forever,” Dave smiles.
Unlike the rubber duck and plastic emoji, the empty nest will be a reminder of the full hearts these little birds engineered.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Terrifying': Manitoba resident speaks on wildfire and evacuation
As a pair of wildfires burn near Flin Flon and The Pas, a number of Manitobans are being told to evacuate their homes.
Canucks' Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosscheck on Oilers' McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been given the highest possible fine under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Jerry Seinfeld speech prompts pro-Palestinian demonstration at U.S. university graduation ceremony
A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting "free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: Traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.