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).
Agree with Debra ... COME BACK MONSTERS AND MR. SCREECH PLEASE ... 
Hello all my lovely Screechers
I'm so sorry I haven't been around, been taking a bit of a break from the boards - actually not just the boards, but life in general. I went through a really hard time a few weeks back and was very low, for a couple of weeks I practically just sat and stared at the walls (not quite, but looking back it felt like that).
I want to take the opportunity to give a GREAT BIG THANK YOU HUG to Tas . She sent me some truly special PMs and they really helped me through the hard times. You are a wonderful lady and your messages meant a lot to me.
Thank goodness I now have my mojo back and am feeling a lot happier with life and the world in general. I have been getting stuck in to some long overdue projects, taking advantage of the sunny weather when it's here and getting the garden tidied up and my new vegie garden ready for spring planting.
On the rainy days I am inside painting - stupid, stupid me, bought blinds for all the windows and then had the genius idea of painting all the sills before I put them up. Of course that took FOREVER and now the sills are all nice and fresh, idiot girl is now painting all the skirtings, the ceilings and then all the walls. IN THE WHOLE HOUSE. Why, why, why, didn't I just put the blinds up?
Have also started digging a huge pond in the peacock enclosure, last summer I noticed that they stood in their water bowls quite a bit, so I think they will enjoy a pond to splash around in. Ulysses (the white male) obviously approves, this afternoon he was standing in the middle of the big hole and displaying! I took some photos, will download tomorrow and put a couple up here. It has almost killed me digging out the hole, but it is almost dug out now, so next week I start the task of lining and concreting it.
Squiddy Wiggles is growing by the day, he finished his last night at Puppy School this evening, and next week starts big boy obedience training. Will be interesting, as he has the attention span of a fruit fly.
And of course our dear Screechy Boy. Who is becoming wilder and wilder as the weeks go by. He now no longer comes down for breakfast at all, and will only come down from his tree at dusk after a great deal of coaxing, gobbles his (very small) dinner down and then flies away. No more Screechy snuggles for Monsters 
I must look at it as a good thing, though, it means he's almost completely rehabilitated and I'm very hopeful he will find a mate for this breeding season.
He went AWOL for an entire day and night last week, I spent all day peering up all the trees on the property, but it was like searching for the proverbial needle with the huge amount of trees on the property and his excellent camoflage. I was so worried all day and night, thinking the worst, but next morning he was back up in his tree and that evening he flew down to me immediately I appeared with dinner - obviously a hungry boy after his adventure, whatever that may have been.
Missed you all, promise not to let the updates go so long next time.
Will be back sometime over the weekend to put up some piccys.
So pleased to see you back - you have been missed.
Be proud that Screech is well on the way to being a wild bird again.
Love the stories of your menagerie.
Big hugs for you Monsters. I'm happy to hear you have found your way back to feeling hopeful again.
I guess the sad times are just contrast so we can appreciate the joyful moments.
