Cute as a scrub wren!
Kurt found a little bird sitting in the middle of the road as he was driving out onto the Newstead road. It hopped onto his finger and came into the car with him. When I woke up this morning I was greeted with this little cutie hopping around looking for food in our living room. Its right wing looked injured and it couldn't fly, but it was perky and very tame!
I went into mummy mode, fretting about what to feed it. An unlucky fly perched outside our window was the first delicacy which the little bird pounced upon gratefully and swallowed in a couple of gulps. For the first time I wished we had lots of flies but none else were to be found as it was a cool windy day. I tried some dead insects I found around the house (for once I didn't whinge about the continual drift of dead insects decorating our window sills) but uh huh, the little one only likes fresh insects.Before long the bird was hopping around scavenging for its own food from spider webs (again for the first time I was grateful for the everpresent spider webs). Cute as a button, and so tiny, it was very happy and at home, letting me pick up its almost weightless self in my hand.
I rang Ron & June our local animal shelter friends, to ask what I should feed it and we packed our new little feathered friend into the car with us & took it to visit Ron & June. There we were shown how to mix up Wombaroo and were given a little special cage in which it could recuperate and heal its wing (for 2 weeks, recommended Ron). Ron identified it as a little scrub wren, straightaway. Thank god for that, as I can't tell a wren from a sparrow. Looking in the Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds under Scrub Wrens, I still had difficulty identifying the particular species, as there's dozens of species. I think it's Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. I think I shall call it Heath. It's so tiny, with a plump round body, stumpy wings and bright little eyes. All day Kurt hears me muttering blissfully, "so cute... so cute..." I'm in love...
Back home again, little Heath was not so happy about being caged, so whilst I cleaned and furnished his little cage he came out to play. I lined the cage floor with a towel, put his food mix and water in 2 little matching ceramic dishes, and rearranged the borrowed nest (June's contribution). Little Heath was happy to go back in and seemed to love walking on the towelled floor, hoeing straight into his food. When we came back from our Photoshop class a few hours later, he'd somehow emptied his water dish & was absorbed in his new food. I can't believe how tame he is - happily hopping onto my hand & playing happily by himself. He's snug in bed now, his cage right next to Tutti the cockatiel's.
I went into mummy mode, fretting about what to feed it. An unlucky fly perched outside our window was the first delicacy which the little bird pounced upon gratefully and swallowed in a couple of gulps. For the first time I wished we had lots of flies but none else were to be found as it was a cool windy day. I tried some dead insects I found around the house (for once I didn't whinge about the continual drift of dead insects decorating our window sills) but uh huh, the little one only likes fresh insects.Before long the bird was hopping around scavenging for its own food from spider webs (again for the first time I was grateful for the everpresent spider webs). Cute as a button, and so tiny, it was very happy and at home, letting me pick up its almost weightless self in my hand.
I rang Ron & June our local animal shelter friends, to ask what I should feed it and we packed our new little feathered friend into the car with us & took it to visit Ron & June. There we were shown how to mix up Wombaroo and were given a little special cage in which it could recuperate and heal its wing (for 2 weeks, recommended Ron). Ron identified it as a little scrub wren, straightaway. Thank god for that, as I can't tell a wren from a sparrow. Looking in the Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds under Scrub Wrens, I still had difficulty identifying the particular species, as there's dozens of species. I think it's Chestnut-rumped Heathwren. I think I shall call it Heath. It's so tiny, with a plump round body, stumpy wings and bright little eyes. All day Kurt hears me muttering blissfully, "so cute... so cute..." I'm in love...
Back home again, little Heath was not so happy about being caged, so whilst I cleaned and furnished his little cage he came out to play. I lined the cage floor with a towel, put his food mix and water in 2 little matching ceramic dishes, and rearranged the borrowed nest (June's contribution). Little Heath was happy to go back in and seemed to love walking on the towelled floor, hoeing straight into his food. When we came back from our Photoshop class a few hours later, he'd somehow emptied his water dish & was absorbed in his new food. I can't believe how tame he is - happily hopping onto my hand & playing happily by himself. He's snug in bed now, his cage right next to Tutti the cockatiel's.
posted by loily at 12:45 am
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