Family Birthday Sharing

     Welcome

            To My WonderBird's 11th Birthday

                 Visiting Reader

        It is a Special Day for a Special Dove...

       This is also the second giving of introducing to you a Family Member, well third actually, silly to exclude my self. (First meeting of one of The Clan was in Flowers and Other Nature Bits "Rain Stopped Sun Shone", 21 Dec 2010 Posting... our Jasmine Shrub in Flower) (Rain Stopped Sun Shone's link is active).

      This giving actually includes a further two of the Clan, because WonderBird's Pal is Poppi. Just wouldn't be right to exclude her.

Now Poppi is at the back, and the today 11yr old WonderBird is in front.

         This photo was done on 18 December 2008. Curious. Am noticing I have actually begun preparing this giving on the same date but in 2010. Interesting. The photo's detail quality may be lacking, but I do think it is a lovely photo of them both.

        The giving was done by "Blacky", my first photo phone. Blacky was an Lg VGA flip phone. Its camera capacity probably not much more than 1 pixel, therefore the result really is quite good.

        What is important is their personalities show. Poppi is now about 9. It is not that I've been sloppy about Poppi's Birthday, it's just that WonderBird's is right on New Year's Day. About 5am he was born.

        I was awake and present for the event due to seeing 2000 arrive and continue arriving as each country around the Earth welcomed the new millennium (a wonderful world event, television can be a rewarding experience).

        The experience extra better with WonderBird's arrival done. Takes a while to work one's way out of a shell when so new and tiny. Quite exhausting has been my observations. So, while folk were greeting the arrival of 2000, WonderBird was working his way out of his shell.

        If you are wondering if Poppi is sitting and WonderBird is laying, the answer is yes. Poppi's legs never straightened. The best describing is if you bend your arms at the elbow. For Poppi that is how her legs are. She has this wonderful way of spreading her wings to give her self better sitting support when an egg needs to emerge. Poppi has a wide wing-span for her size, and they're strong when in action. She's quite robust.

        For WonderBird there is a story. Simply, at this moment, his legs would not hold him when he first stood to his surprise and mine. Yet, there he is in the photo being 8. To me he's a wonder. If ever I feel I can not cope, I look at him, he looks at me, and I just stop being a fuss and a misery.

       

        If you'd like to continue this journey......

And this is WonderBird when 9

        This photo also by Blacky, was done on 23 January 2009. And that is WonderBird. Not to be messed about with nor pitied. Never considers pity worth his while. I've actually seen him look quite puzzled at those who would offer him pity.

        Next photo is introducing another three members of the Clan, so in essence you will be meeting five Family members this time. Seemed sensible when the feeling flowed through me to include WonderBird's Parents. Well they birthed him, just didn't quite manage to rear him themselves, and is part of WonderBird's story telling.

Introducing from left, Cindy, Tammy, and Peter. Peter is WB's Dad. Not certain whether Cindy or Tammy gave the Egg containing WonderBird.

Their photo done 28 January 2009. Overall about 13yrs of age in this photo, and about 4rs old when birthed WonderBird.

(The photo of Cindy, Tammy and Peter is one of the first done with 'Viewty', my next photo giving phone of 5 megapixels by Lg. The difference in quality quite visible. Yet am forever thankful to Blacky for the amazing givings it achieved for me to enjoy, to have, and to share.)

        Now to the telling of WonderBird's Story.... 

          Doves, have discovered are insatiable clucky egg layers. Have decided the reason for this has to do with them being a popular item on the menu for many predators in Natural circumstances, Humans inclusive in this, even though Humans also utilize them and others of their kind for many other venues. Read somewhere that once upon a time when pigeons took to flight, the sky filled as though a dark cloud was moving across it. Must have been quite a sight to experience.

        So with this egg-laying agenda a priority even in domesticated circumstances, I am challenged to ensure inter-breeding is prevented, and over-crowding doesn't occur. Over the years we have managed to reach an understanding, and have since progressed fine.

        Maybe you are wondering why have caged birds anyway. Well I did not originally put them in cages. But birds are put in cages, and in being that way, and bred in those conditions, and distributed about the world, their opportunity to live their lives out and about are seriously compromised.

        So in simplicity, they are in the conditions they find themselves, and need someone willing to assist them to be comfortable, and I simply happen to be willing to do my best to do that for the few I can. And I really do believe that what I give one, resonates throughout the species, therefore what I do matters.

        With a little history and I think the term is soap-boxing done, return to Our Clan's Story.....

            WonderBird is born. Cindy, Tammy, and Peter have had a long night observing and nurturing the process, and now they are stoked. Each juggle to be the one to tuck him under them. Taking turns is a little fraught, but they soon settle into a routine of who's turn it is. All is fine. Now begins the problem. Their parenting instincts aren't extending to feeding him. Each time he lifts his head for food, they just look at each other, look at him, snuzzle him.... my only description is.... they are oohhing, and aaahhing. They are fully absorbed in him. Admiring him. Closing eyes in rapture with the feel of him tucked under them. But... not feeding him.

        Lecturing them was doing nothing. They just looked at me with glowing eyes and contentment exuding from their faces as they fluffed and snuggled him in more closely. I really became anxious as the day moved on and still were not doing any feeding. By the following morning his full birth crop was depleting, and lifting his head to ask was getting weaker. I had to do something, otherwise they were going to be admiring and snuggling a dead babe.

        Thankfully I had Mumzy to turn to at the time. (Mumzy, at about 17yrs, died during May 2008. Deeply missed, but I have the memory of her alive within me, and the knowing I held her as she passed and we were looking at each other. She glowed golden and closed her eyes at the moment of passing. I held her for sometime afterwards. Her body looking radiantly healthy in death. Age and unwellness gone. Left her for a time with her partner and companion. Have found the doing important in the farewelling process given.)

        Mumzy was an amazing Mum. Did many nurturings in her time, even of rescued Natural Babes found out and about for one reason or another not in nests. So I said to her that if she doesn't do the Mothering WonderBird will die. She had this way of walking with purpose, eyes going coal black and shiny, the mode being adopted for this event.

        So I removed WonderBird from Cindy, Tammy, and Peter, of which they were not at all pleased once realised what I was doing, and proceeded to belt me with their wings. But I felt I had to do it, and presented him to Mumzy. She studied him for a few minutes. He really could barely lift his head by this time. Then she shifted her wings about, walked over to him in her way, and proceeded to help him to feed from her.

        The eager delight once he understood and began filling with much needed nourishment brought tears to my eyes. Cindy, Tammy, and Peter watched, and looked at me still annoyed. Did take them awhile to adjust. They could see him. Still able to admire him. May not have been as intimate for them, but was a necessary doing for WonderBird, and luckily for all concerned, Mumzy had accepted him.

        From then on he thrived. Mumzy was her fabulous self. WonderBird glowed with contentment with his crop always full to what looked to me to be nearing bursting, yet never did. Then came the day when the standing part sets in and which in its turn also became the next challenge we all faced.

        Up WonderBird stood. It was exciting. He took a few steps, aiming for the water bowl, and what would have been his first independent venture, and plop. His left leg went out sideways and he was down. The look of surprise on his face mirrored my own. Up he got again. Fine. Then out the leg went again. A few more times of this, and getting up again became no option. He looked at me, Mumzy looked at both of us. And that was that.

        What makes this unexpected outcome special is Mumzy again. WonderBird, we had to accept is a cripple. Speculation as to why wouldn't change that fact. But here is where Mumzy made the difference.... she continued to care for him right up until he was fully feathered and able to eat and drink for him self. Unique is the choosing to do so too. Usually, lame or ill babes will be abandoned. Mm chose not to do so for WonderBird.

        So from that day to this, we have been a team. With me taking over full responsibility of assisting WonderBird with daily managing.

        With great pleasure and honour, I have shared with you WonderBird's  Story, and his 11th Birthday.

        I hope you will, like me and The Clan, congratulate WonderBird on his courage and fortitude in wishing him a fabulous 11th Birthday.

WonderBird (left) is 10yrs in this photo with Poppi (right)

Photo from my then phone, Viewty on 25 June 2010

Thanks for Journeying with this Story to this moment

 Until soon, from Magda with appreciation.

Introductory Cake is from -

   http://www.animationlibrary.com

Birthday Animation from -
   http://www.livepencil.com

The Remaining Photos Are My Own. First 2 achieved with my then VGA 'Blacky'. The second 2 achieved with my then 5megapixel 'Viewty'. Both were Lg Mobile Phones.