Look Wut I Got! (Scroller and Photo)

[monstersinthedungeon]

This is Screech.

For the last couple of months we've had a very diligent Tawny Frogmouth pair sitting on their nest close to the house.  We've watched with anticipation and were finally rewarded by seeing a little bundle of fluff popping his head out of the nest.

Then last weekend - DRAMA - I walked outside to see a massive monitor making his way towards the Tawny tree.  Screamed at hubby to come and help, we tried to avert disaster, but the monitor was way too fast for us and scaled the tree.  

Mumma Tawny was very panicked, as the monitor came closer to the nest she flew off into a nearby tree.  She gave me a look of absolute desperation HELP ME! (yes, she did!) but the nest/monitor were way too high for us to do anything.  Hubby tried to throw things at the monitor, but I stopped him as the monitor's life is no less precious than the chicks - I didn't want to see the monitor get toppled out of the tree and hurt or killed.  Plus hubby damn near hit my car with a rock. ;\

I put some eggs around the base of the tree so the monitor could see them, in a vain attempt to lure him away from the chick.  We had to go out briefly, so wished the Tawnys good luck.  Alas, when we came back, the nest was empty :_|

Went about our afternoon chores when suddenly I spotted baby Tawny!  Sitting on the ground next to the tractor.  We dropped everything, made him a makeshift nest and put it up in the tree, then caught him and put him in the nest.  We saw Mumma and Pappa Tawny watching nearby.

Cut down a long story, Bubba kept jumping out of his nest over the next three days and Mumma and Pappa abandoned him, so the decision was made to bring him inside to keep him safe from both the monitors and our dogs. (our four young ones would kill him). 

He will be released as soon as he can fly properly and learn to catch his own bugs (I am catching them for him at the moment).  He's all puffed up and hating me in the photo, that's a good thing, we don't want him imprinting on us. He's feeding really well though (I hate you, I hate you, yum, yum, more please, I still hate you). 

[monstersinthedungeon]

Ms. Mioux, hubby is actually very good looking, but I don't see that anymore (we've been together for close to a hundred years), but he has such a good heart that he is gorgeous to me even if he was fugly :^O

Joono, hubby is missing him badly. OH doesn't show he emotions but last weekend he was as bad as me - we were both walking around with red-rimmed eyes.

Sprinkles, have passed on that tap on the nose to naughty Henry - cats aren't even supposed to be able to taste sweet - what a waste of my slice!

Freddie, whilst Tango loved me, he really was a Daddy's boy and that's exactly what his expression is saying!

Tas, another lovely piccie, thank you.

Pimpy, Ele, I don't think Tawnys hunt wabbits - I know they will eat mice and small frogs, but I think a rabbit is too big for them. Didn't know rabbits screamed, guess it could have been a rabbit being grabbed by something else, or maybe another wild bird being grabbed. I had a look around this morning but couldn't see any feathers/fur. It was the most heartrending noise.

[tasfleur]

Couldn't help but laugh at the cat eating your slice Monsters ....  :^O ... Clever Henry!

Not taste "sweet" my foot, tell that to our cats who will and have both stolen cheese cake ...  😐

It must be so upsetting for you missing Tango, but you know he will always be there in spirit Monsters, the love and happiness both ways will always stay there.  It doesn't get easier but it does get a different kind of peace that rises as you realise what you did for him and a warm calmess will settle around you both ..  :-x

Night night all, have a good Friday and a happy easter.

[tasfleur]

[tasfleur]

Isn't the white one spectacular?

[monstersinthedungeon]

Wow, Tas, the white one's amazing - looks more like a parrot. They're obviously captive, wonder if they're rescues, pets or zoo birds? Although I would imagine it's probably illegal to keep them as pets.

Naughty Screech had to be put back into the aviary today!  I was working in part of the chook yard which is very close to his trellis. Well, silly bugger kept on flying down to me where I was working - although he is supposed to sleep during the day.

Problem was, of course, that our dogs were all running free, and he kept flying down to the low fence of the chook yard - a recipe for disaster.  The first three times I called all the dogs inside, climbed up the ladder and put him back up on his trellis.  The fourth time I got fed up and put him in his old aviary (which now houses young guinea fowl keets). He told me off when I put him inside "wak wak wak", but I told him that naughty birds who don't do as they're told, have to be put in time out for their own safety.

He's free again tonight (don't have to work in the chook pen tomorrow, so hopefully things will be back to normal), but before I released him I fed him and it was just on dusk so the guineas were starting to come up to roost on the branches in the aviary. Was so funny watching him tell them off - advancing towards them on the branches with wings spread - plop, plop, plop, one by one the guineas jumped off the perches away from the crazy "owl".

[sprinklespowerpuff]

The white Tawny I'd say is an albino and would have no chance in the wild. The parents would have abandoned it from what I've read happens with any creature that's albino - their own boot them out. 

[tasfleur]

Yes, I think you are spot on there Sprinklespowerpuff, it certainly looks like an albino.

Naughty Screech ...  :^O ... what a great personality he has Monsters, I think he's going to help keep you busy for a very long time ...  :-x

[the*scarlet*pimpernel]

I hate guinea fowl, pretty creatures but omg the noise, and usually at daybreak. I hate mornings and anything that disturbs my sleep in. I hate trains too. They are good for keeping snakes away though. The guinea fowl, not the trains

[monstersinthedungeon]

Pimpy, you do get used to the noise pretty quickly - I don't even hear it anymore, it's just something in the background.  We also have a train up the back of our property (it's a large property and probably at least a kilometre away as the crow flies, and I don't hear that anymore either. It's a freight train and probably only runs a couple/few times a day.

The guinea fowl are also really good for keeping ticks down, unfortunately no good to us, as because of our young dogs we can't let them free-range - stoopid dogs sorta eating the hand that helps them.  These are the last of my guinea fowl, selling them and will have no more because of the dogs - I don't like keeping birds penned.

[the*scarlet*pimpernel]

Maybe Dr Harry can suggest a way to stop the dogs from chasing the poultry.

My neighbours have a young dog, he looks a lot like a dingo and he loves chasing birds. Yesterday I saw him grab a galah. 😮