We may lose Jack. He's not dying although he was attacked again by Algernon and bitten on the foot. He's walking very slowly and using his beak as a third foot. We've started him on another course of antibiotics. That's one thing but the other thing is he's not bonded to either of us. G and P came around the other night for tea and Jack went right off. He is obviously bonded to G and as they're monogamous birds it is not fair to have him stay with us if it can be arranged for him to return to them. G and P are working on it, extending one of their aviaries to connect with the main aviary but with a mesh between the two so that Crock can't attack.
I know we have to do what is best for Jack, and we will, but nevertheless we don't want him to go. We've become very fond of him in the time he's been with us. I'm back to scratching him under the wing. He's got better at taking treats and seems less inclined to go into attack mode. Even walked past him this morning to hang his fruit and veggies skewers and he didn't try and bite my feet. He thought about it but he didn't. I've answered P's emails with an 'of course you must take him if it's best for Jack' but couldn't help but selfishly add that we don't want him to go and are very sad at the prospect.
He has many new feathers on his head, all with the keratin sheath. My fingers itch to get in there and remove them for him. I did manage to do one just a few minutes ago but it was a very tentative process. Perhaps if I was like G and just went in there and did things, full of confidence, sure that we are friends it would be different. But then he's bonded to her and not to me. I am scratching him under the wings again. He looks at me as though he can't quite believe I'd do such a thing but he hasn't attempted to reach around and bite. I do have a small advantage at the moment because his feet are sore and he's not moving quickly.
Dimitri grows braver by the day - nano-micrometers of bravery but still, we are happy. Nidji, the released rainbow, has a full day each and every day. He guards the feeder from visiting rainbows, who ignore him, and watches with helpless rage as the satin bowerbirds eat their fill of his food. We've moved his feeder from the tea tree to beneath of deck but the bowerbirds still come. I thought being so close to people and the dogs would be a deterrent but it doesn't seem to matter.
My only constant is Marvin. Sweet loving dependable Marvin. I took him over the brow of the hill the other day. He fossicked around for seeds while I gazed at the bush and watched the birds. When Marvin tired of fossicking he came and climbed my leg to sit with me. He's such a love. Loves to have a scratch, loves to do tricks for a sunflower seed (loves his food full stop - don't know why we can't get him to lose weight when his food is measured each day), loves to have a real snuggle. I am very lucky to know him.
The centaur drawing is coming along slowly. I can't move forward when I don't know what I'm going to draw. The central space is complete, the centaur is complete but now comes the framing sea and sky scape and I'm afraid I'll mess it up. Have had a look at some water pictures for reference but as the look of the water is dependent upon what surrounds it they weren't very helpful. I'll just have to wing it and hope it turns out okay. I wish I was more creative/spontaneous technically proficient. Those things will only come with practice yet my desire for perfect pictures puts a wrench in my ability to draw them. Very self-defeating. Still! We'll soldier on.
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