Lead

[asterroc]

When I went out to my car today, I was parked in by my neighbor Charlie's truck. I went to knock on his door and we got to chatting. He's got a vegetable garden on a fence nearby - it's actually on someone else's property, but Charlie takes care of the driveway in exchange for being allowed to plant there. As we walked back to his car, I mentioned how Peeper had recently passed away. He expressed his condolences, then dragged me back up to his apartment to show me, well, he found a tame (escaped, I presume) cockatiel by his vegetables just today!

He's a beautiful Lutino with the unfortunate bald patch they seem to be famous for, who looked a little nervous but readily stepped up on my or Charles' finger. That is, I'm assuming male from the bright cheek color, but I could be mistaken (as we were with Peeper). His eyes are red - apparently the specific mutation that causes Lutinos is a lack of melanin, which usually makes 'tiels gray and their eyes brown, but Lutinos and "albino" cockatiels do not have any negative eyesight side effects (at least I haven't heard of any).

So back to the bird, I offered Peeper's cage to Charlie, but I think he plans to not keep him in a cage at all, which is cute, but less safe for the bird and Charlie's posessions, but it's his choice. Charlie said he actually planned to give him to his mother, but if she doesn't want the bird, he'll give him to me instead.

I'm not getting my hopes up - I'm not even sure I'd choose a cockatiel for my next bird, and it'd be much easier on both me and it if I got it after I was done with the summer traveling. Though it occurs to me Charlie's so sweet he'd gladly take care of a bird while jethereal and I were travelling, and he does know birds as he has a number of parakeets himself. And I'd rather not a noisy jealous male bird. If I did get him though, I'm tempted to name him after the vet who was so good to me and Peeper - Raffaele (it's an Italian spelling, I gather). Or maybe Charles/Charlie, after the student and my neighbor. <shrug> No use counting my cockatiels before they're hatched. :-P

Comments

[galbinus-caeli.livejournal.com]

Glad you are there to help!

Look for lost bird postings though. Someone may be looking for their baby. Might check places like http://www.birdhotline.com/ as well

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Just checked Bird HotLine, didn't see anything listed for him. I don't get a newspaper or anything, is there anything else online you suggest? I've made him a vet appointment for Tuesday, so I can also ask the vet then.

[galbinus-caeli.livejournal.com]

local pet stores and vets. Especially bird vets.

Beyone that I don't know.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

I also checked my local paper's online classifieds, and I'm keeping my eyes peeled for signs in the neighborhood. But I'm not going to go so far as to put up signs of my own. If he flew too far from home for their (his original owners) signs to reach me, mine will not reach them. If they don't care about getting him back, he's better off with me. And if I put up signs there's a chance someone unscrupulous will manage to hoodwink me and claim him and then will resell him or whatever, and he's again better off with me. Not to be stuck up about it, but I'm thinkin' I make a darn tootin' good bird mom. ^_^ But if there's a family back home who's missing him, and who he's missing, I want to get him back to them. This probably wouldn't've happened if his wings had been clipped.