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]

Actually Debra, I think he's just a big wimp!

I have no idea at what time he flew back into his aviary - last time I checked on him was half-past-midnight and he had moved back to the top of the aviary.  Actually at first I thought he had flown away, because I couldn't see him, but he was hiding in the middle of the roof. Hopefully he had a bit of a fly-around and just came back to sleep for the day.

I gave him a big feed last night before I "released" him, perhaps if I give him a much smaller feed, just a half-a-tummy tonight, he will be hungry and be forced to do some hunting. I will keep leaving the door of the aviary open for him at night - after all it's his choice I guess if he wants to keep coming back to it, but I did give him a stern lecture this morning and told him that if he doesn't man up and leave home, he will never find himself a wife.

[debra9275]

Good luck for tonight monsters

[monstersinthedungeon]

No go last night, we had a huge storm and I didn't want to let him go in that.

I did leave the cage door open, but he completely ignored that, and was waiting for breakfast this morning.

Today is a beautiful day - the first for many, many weeks - so as long as it doesn't all turn pear-shaped, tonight's Screech's night.

Coincidentally I am reading a book about birds at the moment (sounds very boring, but it is very well written and enjoyable reading). Anyway, the author is currently staying with a woman who rehabilitates hummingbirds (USA) - she notes that it is common for the hummingbirds to keep returning to their aviary for a good week or so, so I don't feel so bad about my release failure at this point!

[monstersinthedungeon]

The coincidental bit was that I read the part about the hummingbirds returning to their aviaries just last night, so good timing of the author/my eyeballs.

[*pepe]

well done on rescuing him.

a lot of rescue and rehab places do a 'soft release' which is just leaving their cage door open until the bird gets the confidence to go free of its own choice, so you are on the right track.

[monstersinthedungeon]

Thanks Pepe, that's good to know.

I don't want to force him out if he truly doesn't want to go, but as he knows no different to his cage and life thus far, I'd like him to at least have a taste of outside and THEN make an informed decision. :^O

I know they don't think like that, but I feel sorry for him living in a cage (albeit a very very large one) and although they are solitary and sedentary birds by nature, I feel bad for him lonely in a cage each day the same as the next.  If he finds a mate, they mate for life, so he wouldn't be lonely any more.

[*pepe]

just don't provide him with a 3 course meal and he will have to venture out and hunt for food himself.

[debra9275]

monsters i know he's being a big sook ATM , but I'm sure he'll eventually take the big leap into the unknown. You're dong the right thing leaving the door open at night

[monstersinthedungeon]

Well the door's been open since 6:30pm and at last check (10:30pm) he was still inside the aviary, in fact he had moved from his normal perch near the door, to the very end of the aviary!

I'm guessing I'll find a hungry Tawny inside the aviary in the morning, but who knows, he may hoist up his big boy pants overnight. I only gave him a half-feed tonight, but there are heaps of bugs inside his aviary (not aviary meshed, so bugs can get inside no problem), so he doesn't really have to venture far for food. 

Don't mind how long it takes, I like having him around, just feel sorry for him being caged and lonely - he has to be caged during the day for his own safety, but I'll just keep leaving the door open each night and he can choose his own timing.

I'll be sure to update if and when he finally moves out of home!

[j*oono]

I really like this thread about Screech and you are doing the right thing Monsters.  As long as the door is left open at night he can make his own choice.  I'd love to see a new photo of him.

I've got my own little lodger here and although I've left the door open for him to leave he's snoring his bloomin' head off on the settee at the moment. Grrrr