"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Wild thing...

Early last week, when we went through to the nearby town for Mike's birthday, as we were leaving after the party our daughter had a request.

Could we please adopt another feathered friend - a Cape Turtle Dove.

Only that morning she was working in the kitchen when she heard a noise and turned round.  There, walking on the floor, was this little dove.  As it was tame it was obviously someone's pet.  She shooed it outside, but it just came in again.  

This tame little creature wouldn't last long there as our daughter has three boisterous dogs and a cat.

So, with Mike's help she had placed it for safekeeping in their garden shed until Wayne came home that evening.  But she was at her wits end as to what they were going to do with it.

So, we agreed - although I was reluctant...
Here - I have to stay here...?
The little thing is so cute.  As soon as we got it home I placed it near the duck enclosure (birds of a feather, etc LOL)
Okey-dokey - I'll start by having a munch...
But, it wasn't happy there.  It had a quick munch of duck food (crushed corn), and a long slurp of water, and then flew up onto a nearby rain water tank.

It stayed there overnight - I was worried that the owl that frequents our fieldmouse-laden property would go for it that night.

The next morning it was still on the tank.  So I served it breakfast in bed. 

During the course of the day we checked on it and it was nowhere to be seen.

Then we heard an "Ooooo" from the backyard area.  (It makes a deep "Ooooo" sound when you're nearby).
Can you spot it?  Look on the far left handlebar of
the left quaddie
(btw, the numberplate does not make the quaddie
road legal - it was juts me having a bit of fun with
an old numberplate)
On further investigation we spied it sitting on the handlebars of my quadbike - in the shade.  Clever bird :)
Hmmmm, not too shabby.  Iguess it'll have to do
It seems to have taken up residence there, so I have secured a small bowl of water and one of duck food against the strong south easterly wind, and have provided it with a bed (a cardboard box filled with hay and weighed down with bricks) - I have no idea how it was housed previously, and I don't want to make it feel unwelcome...

I reckon that it is used to having easy access to it's owners house though...

... as it even waddled into our lounge from the front patio last night.  RMan and I were busy at the dining room table, Scallywag was sleeping on the floor, and all we heard was this close - very close - "Oooo".  (I had to distract Scallywag with skins of the cooked broadbeans I was shelling whilst RMan picked it up and took it back outside - I don't do bird poo in my house LOL)
So tame it happily goes to RMan's hand,
and then up his arm, and onto his shoulder,
finally settling on top if his head!
But, it's presence has been gnawing at me.  This little turtle dove is someones pet. Yes, it is illegal here to catch and cage wild birds, but someone has - maybe they hand reared it?  And they are probably missing / worried about their pet. So, last Friday, when we went to town for our weekly groceries, I asked Mike, my grandson, to visit all their neighbours and find out if they are missing their pet.  Although it is able to fly, it doesn't fly far, so logically, it must have come from a neighbours property...

Also, I have placed notices on the boards at the local supermarkets to advise that I have a "bird" - they must identify what it is before I hand it over to just anyone LOL

I hope it gets reunited with it's owners - we must be a strange set of people and circumstances that it now has to adapt to...

10 comments:

  1. I hope you find it's owners. I have never heard of a Dove being a pet but he/she is so darn cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FW - Apologies to everyone for my delayed response to all your comments - things have been extremely hectic here...

      No owners have come forward so far... :(

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  2. Maybe it was injured as a youngster and someone hand-raised it by necessity. I do hope you find the "owner" if that's the case.

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    Replies
    1. Quinn - That is the conclusion that RMan and I came too. No owners yet...

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  3. Well it managed to get to the proper place didn't it? It will be cared for and treated wonderfully, even if you only have it for a short time. You did good, ha!

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    Replies
    1. 1st Man - LOL - yeah, it's being cared for well - hand fed (giggle)

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  4. Someone probably raised it as a chick.

    It's illegal here to keep deer. One family found an injured fawn and raised it . For years, it lived happily on their land. Then a hateful neighbor told the Department of Natural Resources. They came out and shot the deer in front of the family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Harry - It's completely understandable to make keeping wild animals illegal. They don;t fit in with the tame side, and, judging from the reaction of other birds, don;t fit in with them either...

      Poor little thing.

      Don't agree with shooting tame wild animals either - what IDIOTS!!!!

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  5. What a cutie! We have similar doves residing at our place, they are not pets though :)

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    Replies
    1. Tania - They are not allowed to be kept as pets here?! But, it is very cute :)

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.