As you may have seen on my 'other blog' the eagerly anticipated leg bands shipped down by Dr Gilardi have arrived. I have to confess, we have done no more than band Chili as yet - which by and large was a success. She worried it for a few hours and then left it alone for the most part. The next check is for the reaction within a pair of birds when we band one and not the other. If the un-banded bird becomes obsessed with his partners' new jewelery, then it's very likely that the band will receive similar attention from wild birds and so there will be no way we can band our releases.
I have no excuses as to why we haven't yet done this simple task, other than the fact that there always seems to be something a lot more urgent to attend to. I have instructed 2010 to treat me a little more gently, and I am planning on changing to a30-hour day. I just need the rest of Belize to comply.
So, what's happening in the Belize parrot world? Well, the wild guys are flying thick and fast - well, not so thick, to be honest. We see an average of 15-25 pass over in the morning and back again at night (a mixture of white-fronted and red lored mostly) compared to a 40-60 average last year. Back in 2006 we were seeing flocks of 120 red loreds, but the largest this season so far has been 38. It's not a good indicator of the state of the populations, I have to say. We are still getting visit from the 2 red loreds which sends Perky the Parakeet into a frenzy - something's definitely broken inside that bird - but so good to see releases return.
I must get in a quick thank you: we were amazed and flattered to visit the post office the other week and pick up not bills, but a lovely big parcel of parrot toy leather strips. Thank you so much to Liisa from Nova Scotia for those - it makes a real change from the usual limited fare we get in Belize. The birds are still getting hours of fun destroying the toys - and we are still having hours of fun making them, come to that - this is Jerry in his ‘Santa goes Welding’ outfit with our friends Frank & Michelle who are very comfortable with our motto: “you want to stop for a beer, there’s a price to pay!”
Chili says thanks a million, Liisa.
A couple of weeks ago, the Forestry Department brought us a beautiful young red lored. They told me his name as they handed him over, but I usually don't pay much attention to their pre-owned names as it's usually 'Polly', 'Lorito' or 'Just a Bird'. However, this one is most definitely "Pepperito". He says his name regularly, bright and clear, along with wolf-whistles, 'Lorito', 'Polly' and all of the usual vocalisations we get from former ‘pets'. As with all of the talkers, he's going to be a tough one to rehab. He's keeping Katy company in the house right now as we need to check his flight ability, his poop condition (lucky us) and just generally assess his character and condition. He's a very lovable bird, which is a huge surprise as he was liberated from a cage that was so small, he was touching all four sides by just sitting still. The person who reported him had cycled past him for a fortnight thinking it was a stuffed bird, as 1) surely no-one would ever put a bird in a cage that small and 2) he had never moved (because he couldn't, I guess)
Anyhow, he now has run of the entire living room, but his favourite places are the curtain rail for sleeping or during the day he perches on the central bar underneath Jerry's dining chair. Strange little bird - and sooo funny when Jerry's sits down for dinner and puts his bare feet straight into the day's poop. Every night. Without fail. I shouldn't laugh, but it's the little things that keep us going.
Anyhow, Pepperito has grown quite fond of Katy, so I'm going to wait until Katy's ready to go back into the small aviary and move them both together. It will be a big relief for Jerry's feet, and for Chilli, who rather resents the intrusion. This shot is Pepperito taking what is probably his first ever rain-bath.
I shall end my final missive for 2009 with the very best wishes to you, your family and your birds for the coming year, and will contemplate which resolution I shall go with this time. I've always been terribly good at thinking them up, but never actually get around to putting them into action. I plan on 2010 being the Year of the Implementation of Multiple Resolutions - which in itself may actually qualify as Resolution Number One. See - halfway there already!
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