2021 :  JUNE 9  -  SURPRISE !!!!!  🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

 2021 had been a bit traumatic for us all. Between a kitty that was snatching up the chicks and attacks on the little ones by big Bulbuls we despaired that any chicks would make it this summer. One, Spunky, a favorite of ours, flew to Don's hand and fell asleep. Too injured to survive. We worried that there might be an avian disease as well  as the chicks this summer just did not seem very strong. 

So we worried  about the latest clutch ... 😟

Until Today !!!  😁

Just yesterday we thought that at most there were 2 survivors of this most recent clutch of 3 chicks and very possibly only 1 (until we saw Birdlet go across the street so maybe one was alive over there?)   Nicknamed Billy, Bob and Brandine these triplets were being raised separately by the parents. Two with Bird, one with Birdlet. As far as we could tell. 

Bird brought two boys to the balcony a few days ago. Yay! Then, sadly, yesterday, we were pretty sure that either Billy or Bob had perished as only one could be seen. So his name became BillyBob. So sad. Then Birdlet resumed flying across the street with her worms so hopefully that meant Brandine was still alive. Yay!  Sue traipsed across the street, called to  Birdlet who appeared and  sat on the street sign. She then came down to the proffered cup of worms, grabbed a few and disappeared into deep brush. Whew ! Sounds of a chick. What a relief. So back to thinking two had survived.  

Then this afternoon both parents seemed to just be hanging around here and  Don saw two chicks. Did that mean that Birdlet had brought over Brandine and had reunited the family?  But an hour later  she flew across the street again. Huh?  Had Birdlet  led Brandeine back across the street?  Hmmm..  😕

AND THEN .. THE REST OF THE STORY (as Paul Harvey would say) 

Don came to me at 5PM while I was out watering and told me to come sit on the lanai while he updated me with the latest "Wildlife Report". On no! I was sure he was going to tell me that only 1 of the boys was still alive.

But no!   He informed me that a few minutes before he had gone down the hill to sit and observe to see if he could find out how many chicks were there. Were Billy  AND Bob still alive?  Probably not but hopeful.

Wait ! How many chicks were leaping about in the tree?  He was thrilled and startled to spy several chicks more or less lined up on the fence and tree limb. 

Who were they you ask?  

He saw Billy AND Bob AND Brandine AND Bernadette!    Yep! A 4th chick !!!  🙌🙌

So now the  family is the 6 B's!  Bird, Birdlet, Billy, Bob, Brandine and Bernadette! 

Say those as fast as you can! 

Below is the angelic looking kitten that ate the prior clutch of chicks. He was finally trapped. He was not happy and we were not sure if he would be adoptable. He was clearly not someone's pet and made it clear he had no intention of becoming one.  Sue spent days trying to find him found him a foster/ adoptive pet parent  who did not live in our area so if he did escape he would not be able to come back here and dispatch more chicks. She sat beside his cage and read him "Becoming" by Michelle Obama while dropping treats into his crate. Finally he stopped trying to scratch her. And a foster/ adoptive mom was found. Yay! Foster mom took him to PetVet for his checkup before she was to take him to her cat sanctuary. And guess what happened! One of the vets fell in love with him and adopted him. What a lucky cat!  Credit goes to the life lessons imparted by Michelle as otherwise there is no explanation as to why this feline actually behaved himself at the vets. Seriously!  From feral bird killer to cushy pet !