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]

Screechy Boy's a rolly poly powder puff! 😮

:^O

:^O I have to admit it's not the most flattering shot of him! He's all puffed up there, but when he is doing his impression of a tree he still looks reasonably sleek.

It's hard to get a photo of his tree impression, 'cos when I point the camera at him he thinks it's his dinner and resumes his "I'm just a cute baby bird" position. (I carry out his dinner in little white ramekins and my camera's also little and white).

[monstersinthedungeon]

Well done, Tas, looks like he's holding up the sign with his claw.

[the*scarlet*pimpernel]

I'm starting to think Screech is too pretty to be a boy

[terracottacar]

Mrs Monsters, he is absolutely fabulous!

[monstersinthedungeon]

Oh don't be telling me that, Pimpy, he CAN'T be a girl, 'cos his name is Screechy BOY. :^O

Terracotta, he is fab - I feel very honoured and blessed to be able to share his life; a pet but not a pet; not quite wild, not quite tame.

[annies_fancy_dress]

He's so cute, it's wonderful he's become so friendly. 😄

[tasfleur]

Could be Sceechy Gal? ....  :^O

Good morning, just heading out into the city, but thinking about Screechy, Monsters, the Camels and all the residents around the property this morning ...  :-x

[monstersinthedungeon]

Annie, I love that he's friendly and hanging around, but I do worry that I've done him a disservice by making him so tame - I didn't intend to, and tried very hard to only interact with him when feeding and made no attempt to stroke or hold him.

Food is a great tamer all by itself. That I can attest to, I now also have five bush turkeys who are becoming more cheeky by the day, coming up in the afternoons when I feed the mash to the camels, and throw a bit out for the turkeys.

I do hold Screech now, but it's for transport reasons only - i.e., I get him to "step up" onto my hand so I can move him from the low fence back up to his tree after he's been fed in the morning.  I also stroke him, but that's because I've found out he doesn't really like it, and it will get him to - finally - leave my hand and fly back up to his tree if I stroke his back. Otherwise it seems he would be quite content to just sit on my hand all day!

Tas :-x

Thank you for thinking of us. Everyone is fed and watered for the morning, I'm now (critter) chore free until this afternoon.

I'm just calling him Screechy from now on, just in case! For some reason all critters are boys to me, until I know different.

[debra9275]

monsters, I just love the way he looks at you

[tasfleur]