2 Cockatiels lost, 1 found and home

This is sorta long.. but it's been 2 months since it happened.. thought I'd share that if you lose ANY of your birds, don't give up, I was going to give up and then we found Charlie, but sadly we never got Jasper back/found him.

16th of August 2009

I was changing the bottom of the girls (Cockatiels) cage outside and there was Charlie right next to me.. and Jasper was sitting on top of the cage - it all happened so fast, I had two 'tiels to catch and as soon as I went to get Charlie, he went, and off Jasper went with him. (I looked at the boys cage and one of the little doors was wide open)

Jasper went one way (somewhere in the thousand acre bush) and I could hear Charlie close by.. in a tree so I ran and seen him in a tree and as soon as my brother climbed the tree off he went right back into the bush, same direction as Jasper. I have Emmit outside in the cage, but I don't think we're going to get either of them back. I'll put signs up and etc tomorrow but it's not much of a big town and there's so much bush that there's a big fat chance I won't get them back. This is the the second time this has happened, first Dipsy, now Charlie and Jasper. What hurts so much is that Charlie went through a lot, and I hand raised him myself.. from 3 weeks old and he only just turned one. Emmit was in the same cage and didn't get out, surprisingly.

18th of August 2009 -- 04:41 PM

UPDATE

WE FOUND CHARLIE!!

But haven't got him yet! he was up in the tree and then he started chriping away. But 10 mins later.. he flew away. THAT'S NOT IT.. he isn't far we can still hear him.

We have Keiko, and the 6 'tiels out there with the budgies and an empty cage. He knows where his home is so I reckon he's gonna stick around.

It's nearly 4pm and it'll be dark soon and it's getting cold, so the birds can't be out for too much longer but they're gonna be out there for awhile still.

so everyone please keep your fingers crossed! I am about to go back outside and call him and shake a box with seed in it (I was doing it for ages before) it doesn't seem to help much BUT I'm sure he'll come down when he's ready, he's probably scared and I hope he isn't hurt.

UPDATE # 2 - 18th of August 2009 -- 05:12 PM (same day - a little while after)

We have him! OMG I am ever SO happy!

He went out into the bush and then he came back and sat on a big tree right at the top in our backyard. He sat there for a bit and then flew right down to a tree on a very low branch (a branch we could reach) mum showed him food and he ignored it and flew right onto the girls cage!

Mum went to the cage really slowly and got him to step up and he did. He's really really weak, and he's been eating for the past 5 mins. He also drank a lot of water, poor baby.

I have put him in the budgies old cage, I have him sitting near a heater, and covered a bit. Mum's gone to get some Gaterade (sp) for him..

If there's anything else I could do, please let me know. He's lasted 3 days out in the 'open' and we thought we would NEVER get him back. He flew the direction to my old house on the first day.. mum said he might have been going to our old house - I'm just so excited and happy. People are right when they say they stick around, home is where the heart is and he knew exactly where his home is.

Thanks so much for the support, thoughts & prayers, it helped SO much and now we have Charlie back. I haven't forgotten about Jasper, I will still be putting up posters for him and our local newspaper comes out tonight so I will be checking that too.

I just need everyone's prayers that he'll be OK!
___________________

This is a photo of Charlie not long after we got him back.. he was so weak, hungry, and thirsty.



I was all hyped up running around the house for the next 2 days, but at the same time, we didn't know if Charlie would live or not, but he did, he fought and pulled through!

I did continue to look for Jasper, but nothing.. I previously lost one of my other Cockatiels, Dipsy a similay way.. but they were inside and the doors were open. I still cry a lot when I think of Jasper.. it's like a huge part of my heart has been torn out.

So for those of you who lose their birds, just remember, the minutes you start giving up, are the minutes you could be out there looking for them. I'm so thankful to have Charlie, but I miss Jasper so much.

I think Charlie proves that they know where home is, he was out there in the cold for 3 days and 2 nights... it was so windy and cold then, I thought he wouldn't survive, but he did!

This is a photo of Jasper.. (the one that is still lost)