Monday, July 10, 2006
Poor Little Lost 'Tiel
We came across a wayward cockatiel this past weekend. Poor thing was clinging to the phone lines above our house, calling out with a typcial 'tiel wolfe whistle. We brought our own cockatiel outside in his cage, hoping he could help lure the bird down. No such luck. This lost 'tiel doesn't seem to know how to land. He tried a couple times, but a strong breeze sent him off in different directions. By sunset on Saturday, he was quiet in his telephone pole roost. Sunday morning, we were happy and relieved to wake to his cockatiel calls (he made it through the night!), and again brought out our 'tiel, a travel carrier and food cups. After an hour and a half of whistling to him, we thought he was finally coming down, but a car startled him, and he flew off. This time he kept going until we couldn't hear or see him. We could only hope he landed somewhere safely and into the hands of someone who knows birds.
When we returned home Sunday evening he was back, on a tree right across from our home. The sun was already going down, so we knew we didn't have a lot of time. Our neighbor had a long mop-style pole that would reach up to where he was in the tree. I was really hoping he would step up onto the extended arm of the pole, but no such luck. Off he flew to the same spot high on the telephone pole where he roosted the previous night. Well, this morning I woke to cockatiel chirps right outside. Sure enough, our brave little 'tiel was still on the telephone pole. I went back in the house to get food, but he was gone. I whistled to him and he came flying back my direction from the next street over and landed on the telephone line again. We're still trying to get him to come down. He's been flying about for atleast two and half days now, so the clock is ticking. He wants to be rescued, we just have to figure out how to make that happen.
When we returned home Sunday evening he was back, on a tree right across from our home. The sun was already going down, so we knew we didn't have a lot of time. Our neighbor had a long mop-style pole that would reach up to where he was in the tree. I was really hoping he would step up onto the extended arm of the pole, but no such luck. Off he flew to the same spot high on the telephone pole where he roosted the previous night. Well, this morning I woke to cockatiel chirps right outside. Sure enough, our brave little 'tiel was still on the telephone pole. I went back in the house to get food, but he was gone. I whistled to him and he came flying back my direction from the next street over and landed on the telephone line again. We're still trying to get him to come down. He's been flying about for atleast two and half days now, so the clock is ticking. He wants to be rescued, we just have to figure out how to make that happen.
