Betrisher
Well-known member
- Jun 3, 2013
- 4,253
- 177
- Parrots
- Dominic: Galah(RIP: 1981-2018); The Lovies: Four Blue Masked Lovebirds; Barney and Madge (The Beaks): Alexandrines; Miss Rosetta Stone: Little Corella
GUESS WHAT???
Barney Brown is safe at home again!
We had a phone call early this morning from a wonderful lady who'd been looking after him. Hoping against hope, we went to see the bird, who has half a black neck ring (much more than Barn had when he left home). I had my doubts at first, but then when I said his name and he looked at me out of the corner of his eye, I just knew.
When I gave him his coloured beads and asked him to fetch and put them in the bin, he did without missing a beat. Only my Barney would have known to do that trick with his special beads!
I cannot tell you how relieved and happy we all are. I can't stop smiling. Madge has suddenly blossomed again and she and Barney are catching up like an old married couple as we speak. I thought their noise was a bit annoying at times, but never again: it's music to my ears!
Barney was found at West Wallsend, about 10km from home. The woman who found him saw an ad from someone who had recently lost IRNs (more about that later) and rang her to see if the bird (Barney) she'd found was hers. When Sam went to see the bird, she knew at once that he wasn't hers, but she said he was because the woman had him in a tiny, filthy ferret's cage and kept poking at him with a stick. Sam took Barney home and then looked up the lost bird pages and saw our ad. She rang this morning at 6am and said the bird she had said 'Hello' in a funny little girl's voice. It sounded hopeful, but 10km away? Terrified, we all packed up into our van with Barney's toys and a spare cage.
Sam ushered us into her home and there in a cage was a smallish-looking Alexandrine with about half a neck ring. I thought 'Nah... that can't be Barney. He looks too old.' Then, I said his name. The bird came right up to me and turned his head, just the way Barney used to do. When I put my finger on the cage, he kissed it with his bill. Hmmm...
I asked Sam if I could get the bird out of the cage and she said that was fine. She'd been afraid to do so because of The Beak! LOL! I put my hand in the cage and the bird sidled away. Then, I said 'Step up' and he did immediately. I put him on Sam's table, placed the black 'bin' down and put a few of Barney's coloured beads at the other end. Waving a sunflower seed, I said 'Barney! In the bin!' Straight away, the birdie went for the beads, selected his favourite orange one, turned and walked the length of the table to put it in the bin. Then, he turned to me for his reward. It was Barney!!!!!
The rest of the story is not so good. The reason Sam had advertised losing her IRNs is that her entire aviary was blown over in one of the violent storms we've been having. She lost all her ringnecks, except for one which has no feathers on its wings (born that way). The birds were only new ones, all lacewing mutations and very pretty. One yellow bird was found a few houses away but none of the others has been returned. I feel so sorry for poor Sam and offered to replace her birds for her kindness. She said 'no', though, and plans to concentrate on hand-raising her Scaly Breasted and Rainbow Lorikeets.
So yeah. Suddenly, I've had a huge injection of Christmas spirit! LOLOLOLOL! Can't stop laughing! Barney is shrieking away outside with his Madge and all's right in our little world.
Heartfelt thanks to all of you who supported me during this horrible time. I really felt as if my heart had been ripped out - only someone who's lost a bird would know exactly how horrible that feeling is. I'm going to read the forum now - because I can. Love to everyone!
Trish XXXXXXX
Suddenly, I feel quite excited about Christmas coming up - I have a lot to be thankful for.
Barney Brown is safe at home again!
We had a phone call early this morning from a wonderful lady who'd been looking after him. Hoping against hope, we went to see the bird, who has half a black neck ring (much more than Barn had when he left home). I had my doubts at first, but then when I said his name and he looked at me out of the corner of his eye, I just knew.
When I gave him his coloured beads and asked him to fetch and put them in the bin, he did without missing a beat. Only my Barney would have known to do that trick with his special beads!
I cannot tell you how relieved and happy we all are. I can't stop smiling. Madge has suddenly blossomed again and she and Barney are catching up like an old married couple as we speak. I thought their noise was a bit annoying at times, but never again: it's music to my ears!
Barney was found at West Wallsend, about 10km from home. The woman who found him saw an ad from someone who had recently lost IRNs (more about that later) and rang her to see if the bird (Barney) she'd found was hers. When Sam went to see the bird, she knew at once that he wasn't hers, but she said he was because the woman had him in a tiny, filthy ferret's cage and kept poking at him with a stick. Sam took Barney home and then looked up the lost bird pages and saw our ad. She rang this morning at 6am and said the bird she had said 'Hello' in a funny little girl's voice. It sounded hopeful, but 10km away? Terrified, we all packed up into our van with Barney's toys and a spare cage.
Sam ushered us into her home and there in a cage was a smallish-looking Alexandrine with about half a neck ring. I thought 'Nah... that can't be Barney. He looks too old.' Then, I said his name. The bird came right up to me and turned his head, just the way Barney used to do. When I put my finger on the cage, he kissed it with his bill. Hmmm...
I asked Sam if I could get the bird out of the cage and she said that was fine. She'd been afraid to do so because of The Beak! LOL! I put my hand in the cage and the bird sidled away. Then, I said 'Step up' and he did immediately. I put him on Sam's table, placed the black 'bin' down and put a few of Barney's coloured beads at the other end. Waving a sunflower seed, I said 'Barney! In the bin!' Straight away, the birdie went for the beads, selected his favourite orange one, turned and walked the length of the table to put it in the bin. Then, he turned to me for his reward. It was Barney!!!!!
The rest of the story is not so good. The reason Sam had advertised losing her IRNs is that her entire aviary was blown over in one of the violent storms we've been having. She lost all her ringnecks, except for one which has no feathers on its wings (born that way). The birds were only new ones, all lacewing mutations and very pretty. One yellow bird was found a few houses away but none of the others has been returned. I feel so sorry for poor Sam and offered to replace her birds for her kindness. She said 'no', though, and plans to concentrate on hand-raising her Scaly Breasted and Rainbow Lorikeets.
So yeah. Suddenly, I've had a huge injection of Christmas spirit! LOLOLOLOL! Can't stop laughing! Barney is shrieking away outside with his Madge and all's right in our little world.
Heartfelt thanks to all of you who supported me during this horrible time. I really felt as if my heart had been ripped out - only someone who's lost a bird would know exactly how horrible that feeling is. I'm going to read the forum now - because I can. Love to everyone!
Trish XXXXXXX
Suddenly, I feel quite excited about Christmas coming up - I have a lot to be thankful for.
