bare eyed corella

Writing has come to a halt. Most of my days off have been spent on the verandah trying to reassure and befriend a Little Corella I've named Dimitri. He was captured with a broken wing (dead bone protruding from the wing) after spending a week in a park, earthbound. The wing could not be saved and was amputated. He appears to be a juvenile and although understandably wary and shy does not panic when approached. He lives in a cockatoo cage with the other birds on the verandah. At night, because it's so cold (real desert weather, clear skies and minimal humidity make for warm days and frigid nights) he is taken, cage and all, into the spare room with a heat lamp. Because of having his wing removed a palm sized area of skin is exposed to the air so he can't control body temperature. In the mornings, when it has warmed up, he's brought back to the verandah.
R has built him a ladder which leads from the cocky cage to the ground, and a 'tree' made up of a branch inserted into the stand of an old floor fan. I wrapped the bottom of the stand with rope so he can climb it which he did finally today.
Taming birds is a study in patience. It's a very good prescription for me as I'm not the most patient of people. But birds motivate me. If I can be patient for anything, it's animals (and conversely the most impatient, especially when a dog which knows the command to come, nicks off anyway!). So rather than writing, or doing anything 'worthwhile', I've spent most of my days off sitting on the verandah with Dimitri. Just sitting for the most part. Sitting near him reading a book, lying on the floor near him (hiding behind a pot plant) gazing out at the torelliana trees, perched on a doormat gazing at him. It will take weeks, perhaps months before he trusts me. Even though he takes sunflower seeds from my hands and will allow me to touch his feet and breast (preparatory to the step up command) and has even allowed me, albeit reluctantly, to scratch his head it is more good manners and a mild temperament rather than trust or friendliness. I have to prove myself to him, not the other way around. The carer said he bites but he hasn't bitten yet. He 'mouths' my fingers sometimes, a way parrots have of exploring something new.
Tomorrow is a concern. Dimitri doesn't like it in the cage - and why would he? He's in prison in a prison. Even when he's loose on the verandah, the verandah is still enclosed. He doesn't know why he can't fly. He doesn't understand why he's gone from a wild free flying bird to a flightless bird in captivity. He doesn't know that these huge upright beings mean him no harm. It's a prison sentence without reason. When I'm home he spends most of the day loose because I stay out there with him. R is unwilling to let him out of his cage while I'm at work because he, understandably, doesn't want to hang around monitoring him all day. If I was the kind of person who took a sickie because of having other plans I'd do it. Dimitri is a strong reason to do so but I can't. Not fair on my workmates. Anyway, he'll just have to tough it out. The interesting thing is he didn't get into any trouble today. He doesn't show any signs of wanting to chew - not that there's much to chew on anyway. He wants to sit quietly and I think with the tree that's exactly what he'd do. Just sit and be as close to a wild bird, sitting in a tree, as he could. Might be an idea to rig up food and water for him somehow. Poor Richard, I always come up with bigger and better plans.