Lookit! We found a birdie!
Or maybe he found us.
As I was locking the back door behind me as we left to do some shopping and get a Christmas tree, I heard a very distinctive whistle. Huh?
Hydra and I looked at each other. "That was a budgie." (AKA parakeet.)
He tooted again and I spotted him under the table on the deck. I unlocked the door while Hydra knelt to get a better look. There was this little yellow bird! He moved a little away from Hydra at first and I gave it a chance and just crouched down and put out my finger and said, "Step up."
Little guy hopped right on! I took him in and he stayed on my finger eating millet while Hydra washed out the cage we'd used when we rescued a cat-damaged finch a year or so ago. His feet, which were soooo cold when I first picked him up, were nice and toasty by the time I put him in his temporary cage.
Temporary because either his family will claim him or because we'll get him a bigger cage. Three budgies at once; we've never done that before!
He's in quarantine in Hydra's room for the time being, but he can see into the living room.
To give you an idea how cold it was Sunday, this is what the mountains across the valley looked like. The high was around 45 degrees. Budgerigars hail from the deserts of Australia and aren't built for much cold at all.
Since we name all our budgies after fliers of one sort or another, we are calling him Nick. Because, you know, it's Christmastime, and St. Nick flies around in a sleigh, and...
Yeah, well. We like it. Braveheart and her partner, Doc(umentarian) spontaneously and simultaneously covered their faces with their hands in chagrin when I later told them about the name.
Then I clarified that we don't think the bird is a saint or an angel, just a bird. So they didn't kick me out of their house.
Feeling full of good cheer about having rescued Nick, we began our shopping day with a stop at Starbucks. Do yourself a favor and don't try the Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha. It's not even coffee, it's a little bit of heaven in a cup.
2 comments:
Oh yay! A rescued birdie! That's fun that he hopped up on your finger so easily. He knew just where to come. :)
Kim- Yes! We're still thrilled about it. I put a found ad in the local paper and Hydra put up notices at the local market and by our mailboxes. We'll see what further fate has in store for him and us.
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