Another loss

Long time resident, BLUE, died. When he became ill he went to the home of his original owner as she has others of his kind and wanted to try and nurse him back to health. He is an old fellow, I think he just wore out. He and his mate, PINK, who died a few months ago, came to live in my free-flight aviary about five years ago. They are grass parakeets from Australia known at Bourke's Parakeets. The third bird in the photo on the bottom is their first born offspring, PETE the TWEET. These are amazingly stunning birds and they will be missed.

Oh dear...

Today the old man died. Over 20 years ago I received a call from a woman who wanted to get rid of the pair of ring-necked doves she'd had for about five years. I took them and from that time, until today, the male has lived with me. I originally named them Nick & Nora Charles and of course their first hatchling was called Asta. You have to be either old enough or a fan of old movies to know these names. Nora died many years ago but with their offspring and other doves that came to live here, Nick never wanted for companionship. He and his various ladies produced many babies but today that all ended. He might have been old but he wasn't dead, his last baby was hatched in 2009. I will miss his beautiful cooing and seeing him flirting with the girls. Goodbye old friend.

Punk has arrived

It certainly has but in very small packages. These two baby cockatiels are less than two weeks old but are very active and demanding. Don't you just love their yellow hairdo? Each baby will be the color of one of the parents, one a "normal" and one a "lutino". Dad is the lutino which is white and yellow with the distinctive orange cheek spots and some dark spots on his wings. Mom is the normal grey color also with the cheek spots. This is not their first batch of babies. The first three were born a few years ago and are also living in the aviary. The second baby was hatched but at eight days old one of the other birds living there took him out of his nest and killed him. A total of four eggs in this batch were fertile but only these two have gained any age. One never made it out of the egg and for some reason the first to hatch died a week ago. These babies, if not sold as pets, will join with the other eight 'tiels living in the aviary.

Life goes on

In the face of death there springs life. Two days ago I discovered that my pair of cockatiels had produced a baby. Dad is a lutino color phase, mom is a "normal". I have no idea what this baby will be as you can see it's just covered with down right now. They had three eggs but only one was fertile. I certainly don't need any more 'tiels as I have eight already. They are either rescues or donations to the free flight area I have off my bedroom. Needless to say with all the varieties of small birds; 'tiels, parakeets, budgies, finches, doves and canaries, I awake to many songs in the mornings.