A Little Birdie Doppelganger

  The Story of Cornelius' disappearance had a new chapter added yesterday.  One of the vets I used to work with came to visit.  Got him to go with me while I medicated Dakota's eye.  Heard what I thought was a sparrow chirping over the hill down by the pig pens.  Didn't think too much about it although I commented to Jason that it was unusual to have sparrows here.  Later, while we were sitting on the deck heard the chirping again and knew it was a budgie.  In the poinciana tree above the aviaries was a little yellow and green budgie.  Cornelius returned!  What a miracle, after a week and he was still alive.  And weak.  Got a net and caught him.   He flew to the ground between the lorikeet and galah aviaries, got spooked and flew to the top of the lorikeets.  My heart was in my mouth.  I'd only get one chance.  If I missed he'd be wise to what I was trying to do.  I took a deep prayer-filled breath and swung the net.  And got him!  Jason raced over with the tablecloth he'd taken from Mallory's cage and wrapped the bird, still in the net, up.  I took the bird, clothand net and bundled the whole thing onto the verandah.  When I turned him loose he looked odd.  Behaved oddly too.  Even if he was a bit disoriented he'd soon figure out where he was but this bird was bumping his head against the ceiling.  His tail feathers were shorter and he wasn't as yellow on his breast as Cornielius.  Soon it became obvious he was not Cornelius.  A male bird, yes.  A yellow bird with black markings and an olive breast, yes, but not Cornie.  

Isn't that weird?  Lose a bird, gain a bird.  Our small house in the middle of nowhere (difficult to type, Natalia is smooching) and he comes here when we're in a position to hear him?  Life is odd.  Have locked him in Tony's night cage to ensure he gets enough to eat (and recognizes coop cups as holding food).   Will put a found ad in the Star.  Maybe Cornelius turned up at someone else's house and is being cared for.  That a yellow budgie survived predation for a week is a miracle.  I've named him Lazarus.