Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

we're always having whole nests come down in big winds. Unless the chicks are well feathered their chances are poor but we do have a wild life rescue person on the island now & that's where I take any rescues. I had to do a fruit bat one nasty winter when I couldn't get onto WIRES & it was a huge amount of work & I didn't have the right equipment. I had to resort to doing what my poppy used to do when weaning poddies. It was a nightmare. The kids all wanted a go with no idea how strong the sucking reflex was. I've done Black Swans & Mutton birds & each & every time it is traumatic but I am incapable of just leaving an animal to take it's chances. I do what I can but some animals seem self destructive. We had a curlew chick with a water obsession. I was always fishing it out of buckets & ponds till its legs grew long enough to get it out of trouble on its own!

I think it is good to help when appropriate. I believe it is good for the human soul. There is a compassion for other living things that we need to feed.

It is important to understand as well that not all can be saved or should be saved. It is like Shad's putting them back up on the limb except I would go a little further when I could.

 

[RoyalChick]

Update 2: Happy ending?
Here is Tweety Bird looking rather well after a couple of hours rest and multiple meals. My interfering is done and I can look forward to another day of mayhem in the garage.

 

[Shadrach]

Not really a cheerful point of view but understandable. Have you ever considered that we are also part of nature and our interference at times can be part of the plan? Surely nature needs us to help with the garage door in this instance.

I have considered this often.
One would have to believe a) there is a plan, and b) that if there is a plan we have the ability to understand it in order to help rather than fiddle.
I haven't seen much evidence of either.
I'm not a fan of the species I belong to. We seem to be a rather unpleasant and destructive species. I rate us somewhere below a virulent virus.

 

[BY Bob]

Update 2: Happy ending?
Here is Tweety Bird looking rather well after a couple of hours rest and multiple meals. My interfering is done and I can look forward to another day of mayhem in the garage.

I am so glad it worked out. I need to stay up tonight to see how it turns out. Any thoughts to dumping out the water or covering it so there are no more splash landings.

 

[BY Bob]

I have considered this often.
One would have to believe a) there is a plan, and b) that if there is a plan we have the ability to understand it in order to help rather than fiddle.
I haven't seen much evidence of either.
I'm not a fan of the species I belong to. We seem to be a rather unpleasant and destructive species. I rate us somewhere below a virulent virus.

I hear what you are saying. Plan or no plan I'm going to try my best when I can.
Unfortunately you are correct about our species in many ways. But we can do good as well. I think we all need to do what we can to make things better, even in little ways.

 

[RoyalChick]

Any thoughts to dumping out the water or covering it so there are no more splash landings.

Oh yes indeed - the bucket got emptied and the sink dried out after the second splash landing, other hazardous stuff got covered up too (though what could be hazardous to a 1oz bundle of fluff is hard to predict).
But what a difference a day makes. Now they can all fly as well as Tweety Bird did yesterday. No more face plants on the walls, no more suddenly losing height mid-flight and plummeting to earth. The garage is basically full of birds flying from one perch to another and crapping on everything as they go. It is a joyous sight to behold!
It is also very interesting - I have never witnessed 'flight school' up close and personal. I guess I had never thought about how they learn to fly. And I now know that they learn to fly by falling out of the sky a lot!

 

[BY Bob]

Oh yes indeed - the bucket got emptied and the sink dried out after the second splash landing, other hazardous stuff got covered up too (though what could be hazardous to a 1oz bundle of fluff is hard to predict).
But what a difference a day makes. Now they can all fly as well as Tweety Bird did yesterday. No more face plants on the walls, no more suddenly losing height mid-flight and plummeting to earth. The garage is basically full of birds flying from one perch to another and crapping on everything as they go. It is a joyous sight to behold!
It is also very interesting - I have never witnessed 'flight school' up close and personal. I guess I had never thought about how they learn to fly. And I now know that they learn to fly by falling out of the sky a lot!

I would love to see video of that! I'm so glad it's worked out for them. You are so blessed to be able to see this.

 

[BY Bob]

Happy Friday!

i present a double dip present, Hattie as a pullet and all grown up. This is especially for you, @Ali James

 

[RoyalChick]

I would love to see video of that! I'm so glad it's worked out for them. You are so blessed to be able to see this.

The video thing is hard now that they are not 'tethered' if you see what I mean. I have a few clips of various 'fails' - mainly plummeting down from the nest.
My anxiety has now moved to be aligned with what I suspect their parents are thinking, which is 'will they ever leave home?' - very cute and all that, but the aerial bombardment will get old very soon I suspect.

 

[BY Bob]

The video thing is hard now that they are not 'tethered' if you see what I mean. I have a few clips of various 'fails' - mainly plummeting down from the nest.
My anxiety has now moved to be aligned with what I suspect their parents are thinking, which is 'will they ever leave home?' - very cute and all that, but the aerial bombardment will get old very soon I suspect.

I can imagine it will. It won't be long now. Try to enjoy it.