danewillow
New member
It's starting to warm up here in MN. I opened up the 3-season porch (with a space heater) so we sit out there at night. The birds' perches are still in the family room in the basement so we were acting as perches while in the porch. The back yard is a disaster area and the dogs have to be let in through the garage to get their feet clean before coming in the house. I went to let the dogs in with Einstein perched on my hand. All of a sudden, he FLEW AWAY!! All I saw was his little birdy butt disappearing into the woods! 
His wings are trimmed but he's been molting lately so he has a few flight feathers. In the past though, he's never been able to do any long distance flying since he's always been trimmed and doesn't have the strength or coordination to do it. He's also never been one to fly off my finger (there are dogs that like to play with you when you land on the floor). He flew quite a ways last night. So far I couldn't see where he landed. Our neighborhood is heavily wooded. We have 3 acres and our neighbors all have at least 2 acres. I go crashing through the woods, doing all his little sounds. No sign of him. I run back into the house and get a cracker (it always gets a response from him), still nothing. My husband is out there calling him. I'm getting all torn up by the raspberry and blackberry thorns. The sun was going down and it was getting dark. We were wishing the whole world would just quiet down. Wild turkeys were gobbling, crows cawing, tweety nocturnal birds coming out, cars driving by. No signature hello whistle or "cracker" or "CHIRP" from Einstein. I went back in to get a flashlight and my husband is telling me I have to stop looking. I couldn't leave him out there! His little African body isn't made for cold and it was getting down into the 20s last night. Plus, I'd been hearing an owl every night and the neighbors all let their cats roam! I'm out there scanning everything with my dying flashlight and I'm just heading back to the house, finally giving in to the fact that my bird is gone :17: when my light hits something that looks quite a bit like a (very scared) grey parrot! I had probably walked by him 5 times already but his grey just blended in with the grey of the woods at dusk. He gripped my finger so tight I thought it would fall off (I was gripping his toes so tight he probably thought the same). I come in the house and my husband stares in disbelief "YOU FOUND HIM?????" Einstein is safe at home now. I don't think he'll want to take another trip out into the woods but he won't get that choice anyway.
Julie
His wings are trimmed but he's been molting lately so he has a few flight feathers. In the past though, he's never been able to do any long distance flying since he's always been trimmed and doesn't have the strength or coordination to do it. He's also never been one to fly off my finger (there are dogs that like to play with you when you land on the floor). He flew quite a ways last night. So far I couldn't see where he landed. Our neighborhood is heavily wooded. We have 3 acres and our neighbors all have at least 2 acres. I go crashing through the woods, doing all his little sounds. No sign of him. I run back into the house and get a cracker (it always gets a response from him), still nothing. My husband is out there calling him. I'm getting all torn up by the raspberry and blackberry thorns. The sun was going down and it was getting dark. We were wishing the whole world would just quiet down. Wild turkeys were gobbling, crows cawing, tweety nocturnal birds coming out, cars driving by. No signature hello whistle or "cracker" or "CHIRP" from Einstein. I went back in to get a flashlight and my husband is telling me I have to stop looking. I couldn't leave him out there! His little African body isn't made for cold and it was getting down into the 20s last night. Plus, I'd been hearing an owl every night and the neighbors all let their cats roam! I'm out there scanning everything with my dying flashlight and I'm just heading back to the house, finally giving in to the fact that my bird is gone :17: when my light hits something that looks quite a bit like a (very scared) grey parrot! I had probably walked by him 5 times already but his grey just blended in with the grey of the woods at dusk. He gripped my finger so tight I thought it would fall off (I was gripping his toes so tight he probably thought the same). I come in the house and my husband stares in disbelief "YOU FOUND HIM?????" Einstein is safe at home now. I don't think he'll want to take another trip out into the woods but he won't get that choice anyway.Julie
