Lost Bird - Found Bird - Lost Bird
Posted: 02 Jan 2012, 13:13
On around 10 October 2011 one of my DB's went missing and I suspect that it escaped through the door when my wife went in to replace some seed (she has been nagging me to put a double door entry/exit on the aviary ever since and rightly so). The DB has been missing ever since presumed killed in action.
This afternoon we were sitting outside when my wife noticed a DB out of the aviary and pecking away at some spilled over seed on the bbq bench-top, which is just outside the aviary. Thinking that one must have escaped, I quickly did a head count and found all me DB's in the aviary (only three). I got excited that mine had not only returned, but had somehow managed to survive in the 'wild' for three months! However, I wanted to make sure it was mine and not one from the wild before I attempted a re-capture knowing that A - Trapping is illegal and B - I did not want to capture a db that may be part of a local colony or belonged to someone else (I have read previously about a colony of db's sighted in Canberra).
Anyway, I sat back and observed the db. The first thing I noticed is that the odd db out of my aviary threesome seemed obviously glad to see the db, as if they had been a pair previously. They seemed to recognise each other and were right up to the aviary wire together. The escaped db (I will call him the escapee for ease of readability) was also beginning to search desperately for a way into the aviary.
The second thing I noticed was that the escapee was in pretty poor condition. When compared to the aviary birds, the escapee had lost a lot of weight and the whiteness between bars and around the head was very dirty. Other than that, the escapee was very active and alert and looked quite healthy. I also noted that he had the same coloured blue leg band as the other db's in the aviary.
Okay, everything matched so I quickly constructed my best childhood bird capture device, which I must admit, NEVER worked when I was a kid many years ago. You know the one, the square cage propped up by a stick with a length of string tied to the bottom and the other in my hand ready to pull the stick out and trap the bird. I put a hand full of seed under the wire cage and waited.
I couldn't believe it when the escapee came back down near the 'trap' and after checking it out, spotted the seed and straight in. The escapee was obviously hungry. Anyway, it worked, I actually captured the escapee. I dusted the escapee for lice and feather mites and put him into an isolated section of the aviary where I intended to keep him for a quarantine period. I was very excited and could hardly believe it.
The excitement was short lived. You guessed it, I still haven't completed the double door entry/exit and yep, as I went in to put the water and seed bowl in out the escapee went. I couldn't believe it. Maybe this was not meant to be.
So...the 'trap' is reset and I am again waiting patiently although this time, the double escapee has several warrants and is not so trusting of the 'trap'!
This afternoon we were sitting outside when my wife noticed a DB out of the aviary and pecking away at some spilled over seed on the bbq bench-top, which is just outside the aviary. Thinking that one must have escaped, I quickly did a head count and found all me DB's in the aviary (only three). I got excited that mine had not only returned, but had somehow managed to survive in the 'wild' for three months! However, I wanted to make sure it was mine and not one from the wild before I attempted a re-capture knowing that A - Trapping is illegal and B - I did not want to capture a db that may be part of a local colony or belonged to someone else (I have read previously about a colony of db's sighted in Canberra).
Anyway, I sat back and observed the db. The first thing I noticed is that the odd db out of my aviary threesome seemed obviously glad to see the db, as if they had been a pair previously. They seemed to recognise each other and were right up to the aviary wire together. The escaped db (I will call him the escapee for ease of readability) was also beginning to search desperately for a way into the aviary.
The second thing I noticed was that the escapee was in pretty poor condition. When compared to the aviary birds, the escapee had lost a lot of weight and the whiteness between bars and around the head was very dirty. Other than that, the escapee was very active and alert and looked quite healthy. I also noted that he had the same coloured blue leg band as the other db's in the aviary.
Okay, everything matched so I quickly constructed my best childhood bird capture device, which I must admit, NEVER worked when I was a kid many years ago. You know the one, the square cage propped up by a stick with a length of string tied to the bottom and the other in my hand ready to pull the stick out and trap the bird. I put a hand full of seed under the wire cage and waited.
I couldn't believe it when the escapee came back down near the 'trap' and after checking it out, spotted the seed and straight in. The escapee was obviously hungry. Anyway, it worked, I actually captured the escapee. I dusted the escapee for lice and feather mites and put him into an isolated section of the aviary where I intended to keep him for a quarantine period. I was very excited and could hardly believe it.
The excitement was short lived. You guessed it, I still haven't completed the double door entry/exit and yep, as I went in to put the water and seed bowl in out the escapee went. I couldn't believe it. Maybe this was not meant to be.
So...the 'trap' is reset and I am again waiting patiently although this time, the double escapee has several warrants and is not so trusting of the 'trap'!