Yesterday morning I did my rounds of the aviaries with food, rearing food etc. as usual. I was in rather a hurry as we were going to catch a local bus in a few minutes time. Because of this I didn't check my safety porch BEFORE opening the outer door
Needless to say my hen Australian Kings Parrot was hiding in an upper corner & as soon as she saw the sky - out she went - with me like a demented whining idiot calling to her. She circled the bungalow twice and then headed off for the town centre
I then proceeded to swear at myself, went indoors and left the house to catch the bus. On my return (mid afternoon) I phoned all the local vets, a local bird business and the police. Having tried the two local radio stations with no luck - one doesn't do lost & found anymore (swines!) and the other's switchboard was closed.
This morning I heard her mate in his aviary calling for her around 7am onwards - poor boy was very lonely. Tried phoning the remaining local radio station again but to no avail. Then - an anouncement came over the radio that someone only half mile away had her in his tree
Taking the cockbird in a cage with us we then spent the rest of the morning tailing her from that garden to the c hurchyard and back to the original garden again (there was wildbird food, fallen apples, bird feeders etc. there so she must have been hungry).
Eventually after placing an empty cage next to her mate's I managed to lure her with monkey nuts to the doorway and when she had taken the two nuts outside the cage she hopped inside to attack the "mountain" I had put in there. Yay!! I ran to the cage and dropped the door before she knew what was happening, mind you this little manoevre did take about two hours in total & it was freezing cold too
.........
So I am elated and on cloud 9 at the moment. The two of them are chatting away as usual in their flight again and she hasn't come anywhere near the safety porch since going back in!
I love happy endings so perhaps this new year might be a good one - about time I had one of those
To top the lot I've just heard I've won a birdy photo comp. as well