Marguerite
Active Member
G'day, folks.
Having a fairly quiet time currently. Much-needed.
Our weather has been unpleasant. Grey days, cool and damp. This afternoon we had a massive thunderstorm. More rain, morecold, is forecast all week. As far as I can tell, the cold/wet weather stops south of the Queensland border, so easy child 2/difficult child 2 & SIL2 should be enjoying pleasant summery weather for their honeymoon.
I'm still recovering from a bad cold which has now gone to my chest. I went out to the garage yesterday afternoon in between cloudbursts, to find two Rainbow Lorikeets flying down to perch near me. As I moved towards the house, they followed, perching on the clothesline and clearly watching me. From what I could tell they were young ones, less than a year old. They looked hungry so I quickly grabbed my breakfast bowl and put a spoonful of lorikeet mix into it, adding a splash of water. I took it outside and put it on a table. They flew down to the table but ignored the food, so I went back inside and grabbed a slice of bread. Local people often feed bread to these birds, they love it but it's not healthy for them (like feeding a kid pure sugar). I broke off a corner of bread and dropped it into the bowl of lorikeet mix. This lorikeet food is like a specialised baby cereal, it's fortified with protein and vitamins for them.
http://images.google.com.au/images?...&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5
With the piece of bread, the birds went for the food and were tasting the cereal mix as well. They ate about half of it then flew off - I think the rest of the flock called them. I was glad to have got some healthy food into them, they looked too thin.
This afternoon after the thunderstorm, husband called to me. The two birds were back. They were the same ones, I recognised them from their shape and the few orange baby feathers on the back of one of them. But this time, they had flown right to our back door and were peering in, looking for us. We have our large recycling biin at the back door and they were perched on that. So I grabbed my breakfast bowl again and put in a heaped spoonful of lorikeet mix. This time I wasn't getting the bowl rained in! No bread this time, they tucked right in to the gruel mix and emptied it. They waited there while I went back inside for another spoonful of gruel, then they polished that off too. They flew off again, but with a spoonful of food each they should be comfortably full, with a healthy meal.
We will see if they visit tomorrow.
They sure learn fast!
These birds love to play in water, our neighbours have bowls of water they put out for the lorikeets and refill several times a day. When we have rain you can hear these birds getting very excited, calling to one another. Today and yesterday, this pair were dripping wet. Although they like water, theyshouldn't get so wet, their feathers are supposed to be more waterproof. I think this pair are lacking condition. I'm hoping they will let me build them up.
I'll let you know if they keep visiting.
Enjoy your Tuesday.
Marg
Having a fairly quiet time currently. Much-needed.
Our weather has been unpleasant. Grey days, cool and damp. This afternoon we had a massive thunderstorm. More rain, morecold, is forecast all week. As far as I can tell, the cold/wet weather stops south of the Queensland border, so easy child 2/difficult child 2 & SIL2 should be enjoying pleasant summery weather for their honeymoon.
I'm still recovering from a bad cold which has now gone to my chest. I went out to the garage yesterday afternoon in between cloudbursts, to find two Rainbow Lorikeets flying down to perch near me. As I moved towards the house, they followed, perching on the clothesline and clearly watching me. From what I could tell they were young ones, less than a year old. They looked hungry so I quickly grabbed my breakfast bowl and put a spoonful of lorikeet mix into it, adding a splash of water. I took it outside and put it on a table. They flew down to the table but ignored the food, so I went back inside and grabbed a slice of bread. Local people often feed bread to these birds, they love it but it's not healthy for them (like feeding a kid pure sugar). I broke off a corner of bread and dropped it into the bowl of lorikeet mix. This lorikeet food is like a specialised baby cereal, it's fortified with protein and vitamins for them.
http://images.google.com.au/images?...&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5
With the piece of bread, the birds went for the food and were tasting the cereal mix as well. They ate about half of it then flew off - I think the rest of the flock called them. I was glad to have got some healthy food into them, they looked too thin.
This afternoon after the thunderstorm, husband called to me. The two birds were back. They were the same ones, I recognised them from their shape and the few orange baby feathers on the back of one of them. But this time, they had flown right to our back door and were peering in, looking for us. We have our large recycling biin at the back door and they were perched on that. So I grabbed my breakfast bowl again and put in a heaped spoonful of lorikeet mix. This time I wasn't getting the bowl rained in! No bread this time, they tucked right in to the gruel mix and emptied it. They waited there while I went back inside for another spoonful of gruel, then they polished that off too. They flew off again, but with a spoonful of food each they should be comfortably full, with a healthy meal.
We will see if they visit tomorrow.
They sure learn fast!
These birds love to play in water, our neighbours have bowls of water they put out for the lorikeets and refill several times a day. When we have rain you can hear these birds getting very excited, calling to one another. Today and yesterday, this pair were dripping wet. Although they like water, theyshouldn't get so wet, their feathers are supposed to be more waterproof. I think this pair are lacking condition. I'm hoping they will let me build them up.
I'll let you know if they keep visiting.
Enjoy your Tuesday.
Marg
