Author Archives: packbawky

It’s all good news, today!

First of all, minigull update:

Those minigulls can really motor! They’ve just spent the entire day running about, flapping their wingstubs and knocking into things, and are now back in the nest, presumably sleeping.

Second of all, the broken crow is completely patched up, now, and looking wonderful. He only has the slightest of limps, to show he was ever at death’s door. A funny thing, though: on the side where he was injured, the feathers are coming in a bit on the bleached side. Some are white, others greyish. 50 Shades of Grey wasn’t a good book*, crow, and it’s not a good look, either. (Sorry!)

Finally, I might’ve scored myself a new starling. I saw one on the railing, early this morning, eyeing up the birdseed. It didn’t get a chance to eat, though — four pigeons showed up, right behind it, three of which proceeded to have a fight, while the fourth emptied the feeder. (That fourth pigeon had the right idea.)

Outdoor pictures will resume soon, I swear; I caught a cold, and then I got busy, catching up after the cold. (Excuses, excuses!) But I’m almost caught up, now. Stop disapproving, Internet!

* Or so I’m told. Of course, I haven’t read it.

Somewhere, in the dimness of their gullie minds, the minigulls seem to recognise flight as a possibility. They’ve begun to flap their wings (which, at this stage of development, are really just fuzzy arms), and make practice runs at the sky. Of course, they’re nowhere near being able to take off. Today alone, I’ve watched them crash headfirst into their parents, each other, and the railing. Good thing they’re well-padded, with all that childish fluff. They don’t seem any the worse for wear.

Although they’ve yet to wander far from the nest, they’ve been popping into view much more frequently, since their first shy appearance. They’ve become more confident on their legs. Soon, I hope, curiosity should bring them closer; I’m dying for a proper look. Surely they’d like to explore the roof, now they’re not falling flat on their faces, every few steps!

I’ve included an adult gull in a few of these shots, to illustrate the difference in size. I swear, though, the minigulls are much less mini- today than they were, even yesterday. Soon, they’ll be enormous.

I hope the railing will prove high enough to keep them on the roof, till they’re as confident on their wings as they’ve become on their legs. If not, I hope they can survive the three-storey tumble. Ideally, of course, they’d plop onto somebody’s balcony. Otherwise, there are bushes to break their fall, if they come off the roof on the garden side. On the street side, there’s nothing but stone. Let’s hope they stay away from the street side. There are a lot of dogs, down there, and at least one feral cat.