Happy Endings~Tell us how you recovered your escaped bird~

[Featheredfuffs]

I know it's been a while but this is a story I grew up with and it always touched my heart and eventually set me up for getting birds.

When my dad was growing up, he had three pet budgies, Safire, Gizmo, and Emerald. All were from a pet store, and one, Gizmo, had a crippled wing (he was from a pet store, and they got him with it). He could fly, but he was very crooked and wobbly when he did. They were all potty-trained, flew around the house at will, and only were confined to their cage at night. They would come to anyone who held two fingers in the air, and were very friendly (except for Gizmo, who, according to my dad, was nippy and protective of his wing, until he got to know you, and then he was a flat-out cuddlebug who loved to sit with you).

Anyway (sorry, got kind of off track there), one day they had guests, and a guest left the door open by mistake. It was only a minute or two, but it was enough time for Safire to escape out the door and fly into one of the 15 ft. tall trees in my grandparents front yard. My dad, who saw her escape, walked to the doorway, and held up two fingers. She looked at him from the top of the tree, a small blue budgie in a huge world, decided she had enough, and flew back down to my dad. They walked inside, and that was the end of that. None of the three budgies ever escaped again, and all lived to ripe old ages ​

 

[clawnz]

Here is one of the best Lost and Found. I can relate to you.
Alex the Alexandrine I got after the death of Dexter and the other seven.
It is a copy & Paste from my write up at the time.

21st October 2016
Alex has flown out of the door at Care Vets 69 West Coast Road Glen Eden 11am this morning. Last seen flying towards Clayburn reserve on Clayburn road.
He is human friendly and will I am sure go to someone for help. He is finger and hand shy. So please do not force him. Offer a arm and he will step up on his own if asked.
Semi recall trained but not good at flying down out of high places. (To some degree flight impaired). But make no mistake he can fly.
I am shattered and he will be freaking out. If sighted or caught please either contact me or the vets.
He, I felt he did respond to my calls.
But as I have alluded to before (Due to constant clipping) he has lost or did never learn how to fly downwards. So off he went over the railway lines and I lost sight of him behind the building. And assumed he may of landed up in a large Pine tree on the reserve in Clayburn road. I spent time in that area calling him, but gave up and went home to print posters and list on every site I could.

22nd October 2016
I delivered posters to every letterbox in the area I thought he maybe, and stapled them up on every telegraph pole.
Calling his name all the time.
I had heard nothing.
But the lady who spotted him on the 23rd did say she heard a strange bird call tonight before dark.22st October 2016

23rd October.
My birthday and we were off fishing for the day. I wont get into details.
Except to say my mobile rang on the way out running down to the back of Waiheke.
Forgot to check when we got parked up.
And then it rang again, I was on to it this time.
The lady said am I speaking to Clive? I think we have your bird!
68 Westcoast road. Across the road almost, from the vets.
So he went back to where he flew away from almost. Smart little bugger.
At that time she just filled me in with a few details how they had managed to get hold of him and he was safe.
The call before turned out to be from the after hour service of the vets, to say I should contact such and such number as they have seen a bird, but had not been able to get it as it was high up in a tree.
This is where, having a smart intelligent bird helps. And all the work I have done with him over the last 16months has paid off. After they had found the Carevets
Notice and made contact. Knowing his name now they went back to calling to him, and he replied.
Back this handicap of not being able to fly downwards.
They said they could tell he wanted to come to them, and he worked his way out the ends of each branch and got to the next lower one, until he ran out of branches.
Then he flew to one of the ladies, but did not get low enough and flew past over her head and down between two houses into a low tree/shrub. Still to high her to get hold of him. She went and got a small pair of steps and went back worrying that she may frighten him into another flight.
But No, she was able to get both hands over him, Her reward was getting a bite. But I think this was just a stress reaction from him, as he did not nail her. They took him inside and put him in a cat cage.
After I talked to them and said he would be ok once he relaxed they had him out in the lounge for the rest of the day.
When I got home I called and they had me on speaker phone. And said boy did he get animated when he heard my voice. Off I went to get him. My gift to them in way of thanks was a 1.2kg half of my special cold smoked salmon.
We had a long talk about Alex and how they talked him down, and a few other things, then I left after about an hour.
On the way home he went to the floor of the car where they is a seed tray always for him.
At home I put a good array of foods out for him.
On dusk I went and turned the bird room lights off and took Alex to my bed room and he flew across to his beer box. Landed on top where he would normally stay until I go to bed. But this time and the first time I have known he wanted to get down and went straight into it.
I take it he is happy, full and needing rest and recuperation.

 

[EagleClem]

It was June 2016, only the beginning of summer and it was hot. No I mean REALLY hot,and humid, 90 degrees in the shade and We were sweltering! Clemmy stepped into her travel cage and we went outside to try and catch a breeze. It was very windy,but not a cool refreshing breeze, more of a hot furnace blast from the south. I turned the hose on and set the spray nozzle to mist and misted Clemmy. She chattered away to me, and I to her. I walked the length of the yard and we settled in the shade under the lilac bush. What happened next is a blurry nightmare, and awful mistake which I wish a thousand times I could correct. It ended with Clemmy escaping from the travel cage, the wind startling her and carrying her away. I could hear her calling to me and I searched and called until night fall. Clemmy was gone and it was all my fault. I called family members and friends,and neighbours and everyone helped walk the neighbourhood, alerts and pictures posted on social media, and posters with a reward on every hydro pole in the area! I was told she was gone. I was told I would never see her again. My dear husband had already contacted a breeder to find me another bird...but I did not want another bird.I wanted Clem.My crazy little,bossy, sassy Clemmy Clem. I remember going off by myself and praying and crying asking the Lord to forgive me for being so careless and if He would bring Clemmy home safe I would be so grateful! Every morning I would wake before sunrise and listen for her call. I placed her play stand on our garage roof,and her cage in our back yard with food and water.
On the second evening without Clem I was walking with my dog, searching a street we had not yet gone down. When I thought I heard Clemmy crying. I stopped and searched every tree, and bush and saw no sign. Was it my imagination playing tricks on me? After searching with no sign, it began to get dark and I reluctantly headed home,tears streaming down my face. My daughter and grandchildren arrived just as I was getting home, and I was grateful for the company. When we went around to the back door I could just hear the phone ringing. I ran up the steps just as the answering machine clicked on. 'Uhhh hello?, uh I think we found your bird Clemmy?"
I grabbed the phone and punched the talk button, "hello!?" , I was out of breath, and holding it all at the same time! But it was true! Clemmy was found! We could not drive there fast enough! My husband was getting gas at the station when I called, Don"t pay the reward until I get there he said. He was concerned someone would try to pass another bird for Clemmy(like I would not be able to tell.)
I arrived first my daughter and grandchildren with me. I heard her before I even saw her,I knew it was her! I know you guys can relate,we know our birds have a unique voice
It turns out while I was walking my dog, we walked past the very spot where this man was keeping Clem. It was his birthday and he had planned on keeping Clemmy for himself,until I walked by and Clemmy saw me and my pup and began crying! It was not my imagination I had heard Clem! He had the poster we made and called the number! When Clemmy saw me (He had her in his car and this is why I could not see her,tinted windows). My husband arrived just as I did, screeching around the corner,lid still off his gas tank!
The man was going to just open the car door and grab Clem when I stopped him. No way was I taking any chance of loosing her a second time! She was in the back window trying desperately to get to me. I had my husband go to the window to talk to her while I slipped in the driver side door,closing quickly behind me. '' Ready to go home Birdie bird I asked?'' She flew to me so quickly, all the while trying to tell me her side of what happened.
My husband paid the reward, more than what we had offered we were so grateful! And Clemmy was home!
It turned out that Clemmy had flown right to him! She had enough of being a wild bird it seems, and she was hungry! I asked what he had been feeding her. Dill pickle flavoured sun flower seeds and beer!
When we arrived home the first thing Clemmy said was "Nutriberry!" We rushed to get one for her. I had been trying to teach her to say thank you,and she had as yet never said it. But clear as a bell before she even took a bite she said "THANKYOU!" She slept for nearly the whole next day, and I am sorry to say I was so afraid of loosing her I took her to the vet and clipped her wings.
On the drive to the vet I told her what the vet was going to do. I said Clemmy mommy loves you and does not want you to fly bye,bye anymore. The vet is going to put you in a towel and give haircut to your feathers. She watched me give my husband "haircut" often so she understood the word. Please don't bite the vet.
When we arrived at the vet he had already heard of Clemmy on social media, and knew our plight. He checked her over and said she looked pretty good considering what she had been through. He wrapped her in a towel, and clipped her beautiful blue flight feathers very,very short. And no Clemmy did not bite the vet, she watched me the whole time and I know it was because I told her what was going to happen.
Her feathers have all grown in again, and she is again my little eagle Clemmy swooping and diving landing on my head
So that is our story. It did not have to happen at all, and I thought I would share it to give hope, and to warn others to NEVER be careless like I was. My story had a happy ending, but so many others do not My heart goes out to all of you you have gone through this with no happy ending Thank you for readingShell and Clemmy