Saturday 29 May 2010

One bird goes, another arrives, and a Muse

I'd honestly thought I'd posted on what else I'd written this week. I made 1k the other day on a chapter. Then a few more words (possibly) on another day. Progress is being made!

Remember my two birds, Zach and Aeris? (pronounced Eris (Air-is)). Well, Aeris is no more. No, she's not dead. Well, she could be. But I don't know.

I got home from work, wandered up to my room, shut the door (always kept shut so my cat doesn't get my birds), heard a tweet. It was coming from the wrong direction. Zack was sitting up near the open window (tiny one at the top of the window). I had kittens. Pleaded with him not to move. Managed to creep up, and pull the window shut. Spent 2 mins trying to catch him. Put him in his cage.

Tears followed. Searched everywhere in my room for Aeris. Went out into the garden and checked under bushes. She wasn't there. She had flown away. Covers off food holes = bird prime escape route.

I was home alone. Phoned family, who reassured me they had done it several times in the past (we used to have an aviary with lots of zebra finches, canaries etc). I then said it would have been worse if Zack had hopped off and flown away. Family said that happened to them too. I was too little to remember.

It was heart breaking to hear Zack tweeting on his own, and not get a reply. The next day I went to get another one. Ended up with Bengalese finch (Society Finch for those across the pond). Uncertain whether it was a boy or a girl, so called it Snow.

Snow and Zack...tolerate each other. I bought an extra nest so they don't have to share the same one. Snow likes the new one. Zack stays in the old one.

Yesterday I thought something had happened, because when family popped out of the room after using the airing cupboard, I went in and Snow was on the floor of the cage, cowering, and not flying away when I tried to pick him up.

Grabbed a family member who has more experience in handling birds than me. They picked him up, checked both his wings....there are some feathers which are half missing on his right wing. Checked the cage for feathers (apparently if birds don't like each other they can pull tail feathers out). Nothing.

I then realised it was probably like that when I bought him - he had been clinging to the cage when I got him home, but I thought it was because Zack was being a territorial bully.

Feathers grow back (hopefully). Snow can eat, drink, get to his nest, get and stay on a perch. He just has to do it in a slightly different way. No way could I take him back. I love him as he is.

Yes, Snow is a he - because he sang! Only the male Bengalese finches sing. It'll do Zack good to have competition. I love them both.

1 comment:

Charmaine Clancy said...

I think everyone who's ever had birds has at some time, walked the streets looking for a lost chirper. Chances are Aeris landed in someone's yard and has been adopted. Snow sounds like a soulful little bird who will eventually win Zack's friendship :-)