Feathers

They are tricky little creatures... I assme this is the one that most of you can see... Here is the other one... sitting up in the V up the top... Oops, sorry Lib.... what an oversight, she is my favourite animal in the zoo. For non-Perthites, Tricia is the matriach of our elephants and is 51 years old this year! She is just the most beautiful creature. I also forgot this photo. Another baby at the zoo right now is Nyaru, who was born to her mum Negara in October 2007. This doesn't match me seeing them in the wild in Borneo at the beginning of the year, but in cuteness factor is is damned close! Sometimes it takes patience and 40 near miss photos. The cotton top tamarin in my photo is less than 10cm high and a really fast mover, but I was determined to get a good photo Libby, most of these photos were taken with my Nokia digital SLR and a 70 - 200 f3.5 lens. I'm glad you enjoyed them. I love animal photography because you never know what to expect with them. Feathers.

Hi all, my youngest and I spent a day at the zoo this weekend and I thought I would share some photos with you... This is our newest Rothschild Girrafe, Mapenzi, born 24th December, 2007 Mapenzi with parents Misha and Armani, Permai the elephant showing up her 'tushes'. Spot the 2 frilled lizards! Mr Black Swan stretching his wings Aren't Meerkats cute?! White Rhinocerous A Ruffled Lemur Hamadryas Baboon scrounging around for food An absolutely gorgeous Cotton-top Tamarin I just put this in because I liked the colours... flashless photography in the Nocturnal House Feathers.

I just LOVE this picture Feathers.

Hi Leanne, GracyLou will be okay with Charlie when she is older. The main reason a hen starts to attack a chick like that is because she wants the chick out of the nest so she can start laying again. Not a good idea because of her age. I think she has done really well to have one. She deserves the rest. Dad will be just fine looking after GracyLou until she has fledged and can eat on her own. Feathers.

After we toss a coin or something the budgies will be divided by one person getting the 1st, 3rd, 5th chick etc and the other getting 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. Feathers. PS: Kaz... graye is waiting. YF grey spangle boy ?? Do I have the hen for him !! Should I put him in a carry cage ready to go :budgiedance: Feathers.

Hey Chryso, Sounds like a much better day for you today. That is great! I hope that right now you are tucked up in bed and getting your beauty sleep before your brothers big day. Keep your updates coming.. it seems like I am not the only one who is interested in reading them. Feathers.

Hi Leanne, take mum out and leave Daddy to look after her... Poor Gracy-Lou Feathers.

After we toss a coin or something the budgies will be divided by one person getting the 1st, 3rd, 5th chick etc and the other getting 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. Feathers. PS: Kaz... graye is waiting.

Rgypsy, Great photos, the bubs are all looking good. Feathers.

Hi Birdluv, I can understand why you like the first hen. Beautiful birds. Feathers

Claire and Hobbes, Happy Birthday!!! Feathers.

Kaz, this is a very sad ending as they were both such devoted parent. I am really sorry that you lost her. Bih-Lin was one of your "special" birds. I can only imagine how low you must have felt finding her. *hugz and love* Feathers.

Shawna, What a GREAT video. It put the bigest smile on my face. He is so bright eyed in that video and you could feel the emotion and strength of purpose in him. As we have all pretty much said in the past, you must be SO proud of such an amazing kid. I am very sure that he will be, now and for a long time, very much an inspiration to kids and their parents who are facing a similar 'nightmare' in their lives. You ROCK, Lucas. I hope the many prayers for you, from all over the world, continue to help you as you "kick cancer's butt!!!" *love and hugz* to you, Shawna and your entire family. Feathers.

Goodness Elly, my heart skipped a beat when I read the topic line too. I was nearly too scared to look. I can totally understand your worry. When I went away for 16 days at the beginning of the year I wrote instructions for things to do and check eveyday. I also added an extra feeder and water bottle in the main aviary. In Kazumi's cage I put in a small self feeder, so that he would have at least 10 days supply of seed in there. *hugz* to Merlin, I am sure he will be fine, but I bet he will have a little party going on in his head when he comes back to Mommy! Feathers.

NickNack, Budgies live in huge flocks in the arid places in Australia, so there is a hot and dry environment. Mutations that come up that are very different looking, like blue, are seen as a predator to them, so they would be killed off very quickly by the flock. Budgies whose variations aren't quite so different, such as dark green, would be seen as different, but recognisable as a budgie. So, as long as food sources are plenty, they would survive. In flocks that were in an area where food was scarce, they would be killed off as they are competition for the food. Dark green budgies have also been seen, dead, in large numbers on the sides of rivers. What biologists presume happened to them is that budgies will fly in massive flocks hundreds of miles to find an area where there is a good food source. As they are flying they would dip down and scoop up water from rivers and streams. Unlike light green budgies the dark green budgies would be camouflaged by the colour of the water. So other birds, who can't see the dark budgie is there, would come down on top of the dark budgie, pushing it under the water as they did so. The dark budgies could then end up three or four budgies deep and they were drowned. (Information coutesy of Cec Gearing - South West Budgerigar Club) Feathers.

Pretty boy, you gave your family so much love and bought joy to the BBC forum members here with your photos and stories of you at play with Merlin. I hope you are having all the fun you deserve up there in birdie heaven! Fly free and fly long, beautiful boy. *biggest hugz* Elly. Feathers.

Kaz, I was going to ask how your buff "feather duster" worked out. She is looking GREAT! I really like your cobalt/violet pair. Is that Bleu? The first chick you posted earlier looks fantastic. Please remind me to visit that breeder when he is drinking. What wines does he like.. I'll bring extra! Feathers.

Kaz, I didn't realise it was the AGM on Sunday... poop! There will be a couple of noses out of joint when you, a relative newbie, gets a trophy. Congrats. As for the Unique Cars photoshoot, I can't wait to see the end result. I hope they manage to get a blue hue from the car to show up it's magnificent colour. *hugz* to you (just because it has beena while since I gave you one...) Feathers.

Hey Una, great to have a catch up thread. I love your eclectus, but I don't think I would like her nibbling on MY nose Feathers.

Hi Dave, Fantastic.. they all look great! Thanks for the news on Milly and Humphrey. I like your decision to give him another try come December, too. Sebby and Cheese have nice looking offspring and yes, you can definitely see the cinnamon coming through. Cheese must be split cinnamon. The hen can't produce visual cinnamons, only splits. I don't think the middle chick is opaline, because you can see black coming through between the shoulders. The last two batches look great look, well fed and looking healthy. Congrats, Feathers.

thk, yep... he decided to start saying "good boy" the next night. Not something I had ever tried to teach him. It is something I say when he goes back into his cage and I say it to the dogs a lot... he just picked it up. As for them not wanting to say some things, I did read somewhere once that they find names with hard letters "K" "T" etc easier to learn. So maybe cut down "It's time for bed" to just "time for bed", maybe he doesn't like the first word.. Feathers.

Hi newtobudgies, they are both very beautiful birds. Libby has said that they are both carrying violet as they look like they have "violet factor" bred into them. I would tend to agree as you can see violet high up on near the neck on the dominant pied budgie and I can see on the opaline budgie some tell tale 'teal green' markings on the flights. It just means one of their parents also 'carried violet factor'. Also the reason that the birds are not fighting over the top perch is because they obviously have already sorted out their pecking order. It sounds like Bert is boss as you said that Bert keeps watch on the very top perch and paces up and down on it. That sort of cage is not ideal so the earlier you get the aviary, the better. I think you are officialy hooked on these addictive little birds :sad: Feathers.

Hi throwback, it is really nice and a great design as well. I can hardly wait to see the fit out photos. Feathers.

Jimmy, just head to Kuala Lumpur.. they were at an outer suburb "pasar malam" or night market in english. They came with a really lovely dipping sauce :sad: By The Way Maesie, hopefully you are getting rid of these mice of yours... Feathers.

Hi Leanne, Charley may well have known that looking after more than one chick was too much for her. I was probably a good thing. Most breeders will not use a hen past the age of 4 as hatching and raising a clutch takes too much out of them and it is not uncommon to lose an old hen if you breed with them. The baby is absolutely adorable. She does have her baby bars, they just don't go all the way down to her cere... that is fairly common, some barely have bars at all.. they are all diferent. Hers just look very feint at the front. Mummy deserves lots of pampering now :sad: What a good girl. Dad looks like a nice budgie too. Feathers.