It's been a while, and I apologise.
Exciting things have been happening, probably the most of which is our Big New Release. We let go 13 birds in the end, a mix of 4 white fronted (Amazona albifrons) and 8 red loreds (Amazona autumnalis).
The birds had been ready for a week or so, but we waited for Jamie Gilardi's visit so that someone with a halfway decent camera was around to record the event.
Unfortunately we had been delaying the inevitable and had not yet banded several of the birds in the vain and foolish hope that we could band and release all in one great bit tan-ta-tarrrra. Yes, of course we know parrots. Yes, of course we should know better. And with someone pointing a camera at us, it was bound to end it tears. Mine mostly. I have to publicly thank Jamie for showing me the 'how to immobilise a beak' technique the day AFTER I lost 3 pints of blood.
In the end we got the required birds out whilst retaining the un-required birds safely behind bars. It was a biggie for Belize - nothing like Brazil and Guatemala's numbers - but it was the first time we had released such a large group together. It certainly pays off: they are flocking together and you literally can hear and see the delight that they are taking in their new found freedom. We even got Timba out - he's a crazy loon on his 3rd attempt at release - and finally loving it. I honestly think he's smiling in this picture!
A moment when I knew they were going to do well when was on Monday morning they were nowhere to be seen at breakfast time. In amongst the panic, I realised that 13 birds can't all disappear at once, despite the best efforts of some of our fellow Belizeans, and sure enough, there they were on a gumbo-limbo tree (Bursera simaruba), enjoying the morning sun and snacking out on berries. Wonderful.
Almost a week after release and they are still hanging around the area. There's a little tension between the free Bibi and incarcerated Michael, who did not do quite well enough in the feather-growing department to join his friends (and enemies). Michael was sporting an all-too-familiar toe injury today: something that wouldn't happen on a remote release and one of the down-sides to releasing bird around their old home and cage-mates. I don't think he'll lose the toe - I tried to get antibiotic cream on it this morning but he was having none of it, awkward idiot. If I had a million, I would put another layer of wire and a separator to act as toe-guard. The released white-fronted are their usual scrappy selves too - fighting for space in our cramped 50 acres! Whatever makes you happy, I guess.
Speaking of millions: we have the go ahead for the yellow-head project and we should start getting our first birds next week. It's exciting a daunting all at once and I have a lot of homework and fundraising to do if this is going to succeed. So many question, so few answers, and of course the uncertainty of human nature can thwart any of our achievements in a heartbeat.
The first job is to build a new flight aviary way back in the bush and relocate the rehab birds there - we are very aware that the existing flight aviary is too exposed to human activity to give potential release candidates their best chance. Then we can use the old aviary for the yellow-heads: our crazy, unreleasable oratrix can handle a few dogs barking and cars passing with no ill effects, given that they will have been caged for years around people and can probably all sing the National Anthem. Of course, once we’ve made our second million, it may be a different story…!
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