He Aint Heavy

I have just spotted the date we last posted on here - that is amazing  2 weeks ago so I made my big bid for freedom

Seriously though - its hard to see where the last 2 weeks have gone - wasn't that long ago I was posting here daily....oh how times change!

Thought I would share with you a little "incident" from this afternoon in the garden....

Dad threw us a chick - by 'US' I mean Gizmo & myself - so there we were - our perches shaded from the sun - WHAT SUN - and as always we were pretty close together

We as you all know - us females don't eat much - and I am such a picky eater at the best of times - but today I soon demolished mine and was looking longingly at Gizmo's chick - just laid of the path - invitingly.....

Think Gizmo must have read my mind though cos as I made a leap for it so did he!!! He won....so I gave him the sad eyes - and what did he do - HE TURNED HIS BACK ON ME!!!

And once back on his perch boy did he rub it in he had a chick and I didn't!!! So I lunged towards him - no luck - tried again - and again - and again but no joy at all - my leash was just a few inches short

Gizmo turned to look at me and teased as he slowly demolished his chick - what a rotter he is!!!

Doesn't that song go "He aint heavy - he's my brother" - well take it from me - he is HEAVY - cos he's a greedy owl

Fancy not sharing with his sister - had it been the other way round I would have shared with him - Honest!!!! And pigs might fly.....

Hope you enjoyed the story of our feed in the sun!!!!

See you again soon

Polly's Big Adventure!!!

Well its been a while since I last posted on here - but I did say I wouldn't be posting so much as nothing different was happening!!!

Well - I couldn't wait to share with you my very first BIG adventure

Oh what a great time I had too!!!!

Look at the photograph - what do you see....

Nothing but leaves and branches

Look again!!!

Its me....tee hee...

And this is how my great adventure came to be....

We were at a little fundraising event over in Routh East Yorkshire, everyone was there to set up - mum, dad, Andrew and Graham - the gazebo went up, chairs out and then all us birds made a grand entrance!!!

Graham had Casper his Harris Hawk - Andrew brought along Barney the 4 week old Barn Owl, then there was Gizmo and me.....

Although not a lot of people were about to start off with they all made a beeline for us birds - and didn't we all love it!!!

Well I started to show off as I do tend to try whenever there's an audience - and today's gathering was perfect! So I flapped about a bit while the spectators oohed and ahhhed - then I aimed to get up on dads shoulder - as I'm sure you all know, us birds love to get to the highest points whenever possible so a shoulder or better still a head is great - anyway - I landed on dads shoulder and flapped about again to keep peoples attention on me....

Naturally dad went to calm me down a little - raised his right hand (birds are ALWAYS on the left hand - rarely any exceptions!) and at the same time I took flight - totally unexpected - and without warning I was up up and away!!!

I did hear people say it was like something on TV in slow motion as I took flight and slowly my leash slipped from dads fist and rose up his shoulder - over his head - and too high to reach by the time it dawned on him or anyone quite what had happened!

Now I know I should have just flown around and come back - but no - I had to show off a little first - so what did I do?

Flew up into the highest trees!

And sat and watched as dad, Andrew, Graham, mum and others stood below looking up, calling my name, whistling and generally looking shocked and nervous!!!

I had no plans to come down too soon - I had a great view of everything and everywhere - but poor dad is beginning to worry - you could see it in his face - so after around 45 minutes he decided he had to go all the way back home and get his ladders and maybe some food to try tempt me with!!!

All in all I think I was up there around 2 hours till Graham climbed to the top of the ladder and then climbed around 6ft up the tree - to rescue little old me....

The relief on dads face was a real picture I can tell you - I honestly think he had it in mind I was going to fly off and he wouldn't be able to find me again

Does he think I'm stupid? I love my mum and dad - not to mention my buddy Gizmo - plus dad feeds me on yummy chicks - bugger having to hunt for my dinner - I'm good - but not that good!!!

Look at the lovely Gizmo - he was such a good bird today!!!

Hope you enjoyed the Naughty Polly adventure....

See you next time folks

x

Photo's - but not Polly!

Blinking typical - I have a blog dedicated to ME - to chart my growth, my intelligence etc and then some bright spark decides to go taking piccies of Gizmo in his bath to share with you

Mind you, that Gizmo loves to be in the bath or in a puddle - hes a real water owl I have to say..

Here are lots of photos mum took out in the garden last Thursday 28th July...

He sure did have fun

Not for me though....water - yikes - cant think of much worse to be honest!!!!

Before we go I must just add that when Gizmo calls its quite high pitched and to our shock - and suprise - dad went to bring us all from the garden a few days back - it was late - after midnight - he heard noises and there on a lamp post behond our houses were 2 tawny owls perched on a high street light happy chatting to our Gizmo

Hope they will be back again and soon!!!!

Till the next time which hopefully wont be too far off

x

Well not sure if you will believe this - but mum and dad are actually - erm were actually - bird sitting!! STILL

We had CASPER with us for around a week - but his dad came and collected him this evening - think dad was chuffed to swap the bird for a bottle of real ale lol

And the other bird if Andrew's baby barn owl - he left him with us last Wednesday - and do you know  my Mum has become really attached to him - and is snap happy with him....

Hey mum - what about me???

So the baby - Barney - is growing at an alarming rate - his mum and dad asked that we get a photo every day for their album and mum hasn't let them down - yet!!!

As hes only small  - and young  - he stays indoors all the time but everyone stops to talk to him and give him a stroke which he loves

Here are a few of the photos - one from each day he has been with us so this was taken on 27th July

And then 28th July

29th July

30th July

31st July

and finally 1st August

Isn't it amazing how he has grown day after day....

I think mum will be pretty sad when he goes home to his mummy and daddy on Wednesday - but its been great fun having him over for the week!!!

NEW Polly Photos

Hello again my friends

As you will have spotted I have decided to drop the DAY headings now as the posting is so here and there now....so from now on it will be a heading instead....

I'm sure most of you will have noticed just how lovely the weather was on Sunday after about a week of dull dark dismal wet days so it was a lovely change to get out onto the garden!

We are actually bird sitting this week so the garden held Kai on one side of the garden and Casper another Harris Hawk on the other side with Gizmo and I against the shed side which is a favoured spot as its sheltered from the wind if there is any!

Well Gizmo and I have become the best of friends - we love to share perches whenever we are close enough to do so, and we are often seen preening each other - bet you're sat there thinking "Ahhh how sweet!!!" and don't say you weren't - lol

Who would have thought that 2 totally different breeds would have hit it off like we do?

Some of the photos look great and I am pretty sure when looking at them you have captions in your mind don't you? I know I do!!!

Just for a change this is Gizmo on his perch and me trying to move on in - I was just a tad too far away to make it to the top centre with him which is why you see me either on the floor at the front, back or side of him....mental note for dad  BE SURE TO PUT US NEARER TO EACH OTHER!!!! lol

The photos shown were all taken on mums mobile phone - she decided not to crop them in any way so they were simply blue toothed to the PC and resized so that they don't take forever to open!!!

These are a few of best buddy Gizmo - he is such a handsome lad isn't he? So cute and cuddly and very very friendly especially with mum!!!

And here is the last of this weekends photos - its me - cheeky Polly!!! I am at the stage where I really don't like having my photo taken so shy away but mum tricked me with this one!!!!

Before I go I must mention some sad news we had recently, another of the baby barn owls that belong to a member of the falconry course sadly died unexpectedly just a few days after SOVA, this baby was a few weeks old and called LULU - only the night before she died mum was stroking her when her daddy brought her to the falconry group meeting!

 

On the happier side, Andrew - Lulu's owner has just got another baby - good luck Andrew.

Bye for now folks.....

Day 103

Hello again friends - bet you aren't enjoying this magic show are you? The vanishing Polly - here one day gone for the next week!!! lol

Its as I said before, with no news I just had to cut down on posts as they were pretty dull for me to tell and must surely have been the same for you readers!!!

But I have photos to share with you of Gizmo and I - we really have become inseparable these days - its good to have a best friend though, I'm sure we are all agreed on that! The photos above were what mum took on Saturday as she was trying to get ready to go to a craft show - every morning we are so hungry so fly at everyone that dares to walk past whichi s why so many photos of me in flight!!! They arent particularly good photos but then it is MUM taking them!!

And some very sad news too....one of the baby barn owl friends SOVA from dads falconry course very sadly died - his mummy got up yesterday (Sunday 17th July) to find him on his back - very unexpected and naturally the family are devastated, they have been in touch with the breeder who has said she can have a new baby from the next clutch. SOVA was just 7 weeks old. As we know after having Sid then getting Polly, its never the same - they make look the same, go through the same process but their characters are so different and even now we still compare Sid and Polly as I'm sure Esta will with hers!!! This is a photo of SOVA that was taken at our fun day when he was just 5 weeks old.

So now back to me again - my favorite subject ME! ME! ME! ha ha how naughty of me....

The weather over the weekend has been dreadful hasn't it - so much rain - so us birds have been indoors and we have loved it!!!

Kai has been in the dining room so gets to see everyone and everything that goes on - he is really well behaved sat there looking regal....except when that white dog Fern is around - oh my word he does NOT like her at all so hisses and spits and goes off like a wild thing until she goes away...its not that she has ever done anything to him so maybe its from when he was with a previous owner....

Gizmo is a real odd ball as dad put him in the box - this is a purpose made bird box with a perch used to transport birds and cut done on stress, well Gizmo just loves it - he is a happy chappy sat on the perch whether hes watching whats going on, facing the wall or even with the door shut - and he does like to shred paper - dad keeps the box clean by using an A2 sheet of paper and Gizmo will sit on the floor and pull it to bits, then flick the pieces all over....he is so loved by everyone, its easy to see why isn't it?

And I've been in the hallway - what an adventure that it too, its on the dark side which suits me great, people pass in and out but don't over bother me, I get to greet anyone knocking or visiting - its so funny when someone knows, I start clicking and when the door is open they start to talk and stop open mouthed when they see me....so even ask why do we have an owl in the hallway!!!

Last night there weather was pretty good so without warning dad decided it was flying lesson/attempt 2....I was taken out and perched on the fence while dad got himself sorted, he walked about 10 steps into the street then called me....nothing!! He tapped the glove which is how he gets my attention - nothing!  He dangled the food above the glove which is his next resort when tapping hasn't worked - nothing! Clicked -nothing! whistled - nothing!

Come on dad - what do you expect? I get out there are there is just so much to see - maybe not for dad but for me - WOW - remember Ive only been here a couple of times before, I see the wind moving a bush or tree branch, a cat stalking up the street, the lights...its a huge excitement - and then you all know, I have the concentration span of a gnat.....maybe next time eh dad?

So it was just like the last time, indoors and I flew the full length of downstairs to get to the food - yum yum, I really was hungry - just nosier than hungry this time dad - sorry!!!

These last photos are of Gizmo who decided to jump in the bath of water outside just before been brought in a few days ago - he was taken to the craft room for mum to see and of course settled happily on the back of her chair for an hour till he went off in search of the glitter and papers - in fact anything to chew that he wasnt meant to chew!!! Doesnt he look cute though....

Hope you enjoyed the news update....hope it wont be too long before I'm back again....