Des Res for Chirpy

Sadly the little yellowbelly bird did not make it. After escaping yesterday and enjoying several hours of freedom, it was caught again last night by Mayze. It didn't have the strength to fly away and was flapping around on the ground. I tried to get it to eat, but it was exhausted. It died before I went to bed.

The first one however is very chirpy. This morning I opened up the home made nest in the plant pot at 7am to give it chance to fly away, if it could.  It managed a couple of feet of low level hopping into the hedge bottom, where it stayed perched on a low branch. I kept the cats in untill midday, to give birdie a chance of escape, but he only moved a couple of feet along the hedge. I kept feeding him every half hour with three or four small pieces of Felix wet cat food, the little chappie is always hungry.

Eventually I had to let the cats out because they were pacing up and down and crying. I needed to make something safe and secure for birdie, which was like the hedge bottom which he seemed to like so much. Ideally a big bird cage would be just right, but I don't have one. So here is my improvision. I have some metal shelves which have gone rusty and are not needed any longer. I screwed the uprights together to make a cube.

Then I wrapped some shrink wrap (like cling film only bigger), around the sides. I fastened it to the ground with tent pegs, and filled it with foliage, and branches that birdie could perch on. Then I used two of the mesh panels which I fasten across the cat house door, and laid them on the top, secured by clips and clothes pegs. To finish it off I stuck some small branches around the outside to create something like the hedge bottom. It works quite well, birdie likes it, he is safe, and I can take the top off to feed him. I have been spraying a fine mist on the top to cool him down a bit. The sun will be round the front of the house shortly and he will be in the shade.  

'Aye up, what have we here', Mayze is curious.

'Come and have a look at this, Bugsy, what do you reckon, a tasty morsel for dinner maybe.'

Chirpy is hiding from the enemy.

'Bugger, I don't think we are going to get him, that woman keeps spraying us with her water pistol everytime we get near. I don't fancy getting sopping wet in the process. Think we're going to have to give up.'

'Well I'm going to try round the back, surely there must be a way in somewhere'.

Nope, can't find it, and that woman is squirting the water about again, I'm off.'

That's got rid of them, come on chirpy open wide, hope you like chicken flavour.

'Thanks mum, it won't be long now, I'll be off as soon as I've learnt how to fly.'