This week’s assignment, brittle, really makes one
ponder how to photograph something fragile or easily broken!   I had heard an
old wives’ tale about “brittle bird beak” and found reference to the fact
that some bird’s beaks can become brittle.

http://www.petplace.com/articles/artShow.asp?artID=2328

Fortunately, this hummingbird’s beak looks very
healthy!  <g>  My initial assessment for this image would be the need for a
little better depth of field and faster shutter speed.