Photo by: Boonibarb
Today I'm going to talk about a little bird ... not just any bird, but a magnificent eaglet named Phoenix, who hatched April 29th on beautiful Hornby Island in British Columbia, Canada. We mourn Phoe who suddenly collapsed in her nest only days beyond her 2 month birthday. Gone way too soon, she is mourned by thousands.
Back in the first days of May, on one like so many others, my Meme looked in on her group on the internet where one friend had posted a link to the Hornby Eagles. "Click" and that was it ... there was little Phoenix, just a tiny ball of fluff, nestled with an ever gentile Mom, nourished by a doting Dad. And Meme, being a bit of a nurturer herself, was hooked forevermore as only she can ever be, and as I can personally attest from my own experience ... once hooked, she's a goner.
Back in the first days of May, on one like so many others, my Meme looked in on her group on the internet where one friend had posted a link to the Hornby Eagles. "Click" and that was it ... there was little Phoenix, just a tiny ball of fluff, nestled with an ever gentile Mom, nourished by a doting Dad. And Meme, being a bit of a nurturer herself, was hooked forevermore as only she can ever be, and as I can personally attest from my own experience ... once hooked, she's a goner.
What separates Phoe from all the other eaglets in the world is the bond formed among people across the globe through a webcam perched high in the treetop above Mom and Dad Hornby's nest and broadcast live all over the world. At any time of day anyone could go there and watch Phoe grow more each day, watch her antics, see her grow to be just a little bit spoiled and a whole lot bigger most particularly her extremely large, yellow, sort of ugly feet.
And thousands of people came to watch this funny little eaglet. When she was such a fuzzy fluffball Meme worried all the time that some harm would come to her, but as time went on and she became bigger and stronger, everyone became more confident that she was on her way to soaring the skies in just a few short days.
Everyone watched and wrote about Phoenix's antics, her screaming for food, her bossiness, her sweetness and as they watched, they fell in love with both her and her wonderful doting parents. I don't think most of them had any idea that Phoe had wrapped herself so tight around their hearts that what was about to come was going to tear them up inside more than they ever thought possible.
Eventually Mom and Dad Hornby stayed away from the nest for longer periods enticing Phoe to want to move farther from the center of the nest. They would perch on a branch or on the cambox above so Phoe could see that she, too, could do it. And she did ... clumsily for sure, but she did somehow make her way onto the box and back in the nest, wings batting haphazardly with no grace at all. And when she did, hundreds watched in awe at her admirable attempt even though it was hardly what anyone could call a "flight". But it was a start and everyone hungered for more, waiting anxiously, sometimes even impatiently, for her to take to the skies and soar against the bright blue backdrop that is the magnificent sky over Hornby Island.
Every night just before bedtime Meme would click on the live video to check on Phoe and see what people were writing about her, what she had done that day that perhaps Meme had missed. Next morning before she would do anything else (except for walking me of course which remained a priority, thank heaven) she would click on the cam where the picture was still dark and wait as dawn would break over Hornby Island. Phoe would already be up and waiting for Mom or Dad to come with food. Meme would watch and listen to the sounds as Phoe looked out over the landscape that she surely knew would be hers one day to devour and explore.
Especially in the last couple of weeks, Meme clicked more and more on the video, on Chat and Facebook because everyone thought any minute she would fly and no one wanted to miss that special day. Everyone was already worried about what they would do without Phoe being a part of their daily lives, but they told themselves it would be okay because Phoe would be soaring on outstretched wings high above us, flying strong and brave for many years to come.
And as the days unfolded Meme noticed more and more of a camaraderie among "Phoe's Phans" as more and more people would worry about Phoe; she was sneezing, she didn't seem "with it", something was off, she was turning down food, but others would say "Phoe is phine".
And thousands of people came to watch this funny little eaglet. When she was such a fuzzy fluffball Meme worried all the time that some harm would come to her, but as time went on and she became bigger and stronger, everyone became more confident that she was on her way to soaring the skies in just a few short days.
Everyone watched and wrote about Phoenix's antics, her screaming for food, her bossiness, her sweetness and as they watched, they fell in love with both her and her wonderful doting parents. I don't think most of them had any idea that Phoe had wrapped herself so tight around their hearts that what was about to come was going to tear them up inside more than they ever thought possible.
Eventually Mom and Dad Hornby stayed away from the nest for longer periods enticing Phoe to want to move farther from the center of the nest. They would perch on a branch or on the cambox above so Phoe could see that she, too, could do it. And she did ... clumsily for sure, but she did somehow make her way onto the box and back in the nest, wings batting haphazardly with no grace at all. And when she did, hundreds watched in awe at her admirable attempt even though it was hardly what anyone could call a "flight". But it was a start and everyone hungered for more, waiting anxiously, sometimes even impatiently, for her to take to the skies and soar against the bright blue backdrop that is the magnificent sky over Hornby Island.
Every night just before bedtime Meme would click on the live video to check on Phoe and see what people were writing about her, what she had done that day that perhaps Meme had missed. Next morning before she would do anything else (except for walking me of course which remained a priority, thank heaven) she would click on the cam where the picture was still dark and wait as dawn would break over Hornby Island. Phoe would already be up and waiting for Mom or Dad to come with food. Meme would watch and listen to the sounds as Phoe looked out over the landscape that she surely knew would be hers one day to devour and explore.
Especially in the last couple of weeks, Meme clicked more and more on the video, on Chat and Facebook because everyone thought any minute she would fly and no one wanted to miss that special day. Everyone was already worried about what they would do without Phoe being a part of their daily lives, but they told themselves it would be okay because Phoe would be soaring on outstretched wings high above us, flying strong and brave for many years to come.
And as the days unfolded Meme noticed more and more of a camaraderie among "Phoe's Phans" as more and more people would worry about Phoe; she was sneezing, she didn't seem "with it", something was off, she was turning down food, but others would say "Phoe is phine".
But she wasn't fine. Phoe had pneumonia, an acute strain that her little body couldn't overcome at such a young age and even though those who knew there was something wrong had already set the wheels in motion to get her down from the nest so they could care for her, it was just too late.
Nature took its course and that night as the sun set gloriously over beautiful Hornby Island, Phoe valiantly made one last flap of her wings and pushed forward bringing herself to the outer edge of the nest looking out over her world as if about to take flight. And there, where she was loved and nurtured by her parents and adored by her family all over the world, she died as darkness fell over Hornby Island.
So many people looked on that night and the heartfelt words filled with tears and anguish poured out onto those pages that only hours before held such promise and hope for Phoenix.
It was at that moment that Meme knew the full impact of what had happened here. This was about Phoe of course. But it wasn't only about the loss of one lone eaglet on an island some had never heard about before, this was about all that Phoe had stood for in everyone's minds and hearts ... love and hope and promise and all that we reach for in a desperate world with so much anguish and so many unanswered questions.
It was about refuge from the storm, a shining light in the darkness, a beacon of hope and a place to go to escape and simply experience sheer joy and love for a tiny bird about to fledge. Phoe stood for the bright tomorrows everyone dreams about. And now she was gone and that night, for that moment and the days following, it seemed that we had lost a lot more than a little bird named Phoenix. We had lost our ability to soar above it all and make our way to a better time and place.
But one thing I've learned from living almost 10 years and watching more closely than some would think ... there is evil, greed and gluttony out there in the world but it does not prevail and it never will. So much love poured out from around the world over the loss of little Phoe and a bond formed between all those people and gave them hope. Friendships were born and that love will live on even though we won't have Phoe with us.
In our hearts she stood for love, she stood for hope, she stood for truth and clarity. She was simple and sweet in a time of incongruity, tension and confusion.
She lived too short a time and she died a symbol of strength and freedom leaving many feeling at the time as if hope died with her; it did not ... it lives on in the thousands who love her and in many who never even knew her and have still perhaps never even heard of Hornby Island.
She lived too short a time and she died a symbol of strength and freedom leaving many feeling at the time as if hope died with her; it did not ... it lives on in the thousands who love her and in many who never even knew her and have still perhaps never even heard of Hornby Island.
"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven". I don't think there's a bird ever in creation who will live as long in the hearts of so many as our sweet Phoe.
'Til next time ...
Molly
