Well she is so clingy I can get blasé about her not wandering off, home home is rather rural, so she'll sit on me for hours when I'm pottering about, occasionally using a fence or gate then back to me.
She's unclipped so I have been loading the gun for my own moment of disaster.
Work base is central in a town, and i have a private courtyard that she does the same in - hangs with me sometimes.
God daughter is staying over, and popped to the shops, left the door from the flat to the courtyard open - not the outer door, there's CCTV everywhere so i was able to review and work out what happened.
Chico pops out has a nose about, i'm walking back and forth to the bathroom, she works out there is a window to the bedroom - normally shut, now open, trys to be smart and use this as a short cut to get to me from outside, misjudges a landing spot so head up probably towards the roof line.
From there its guesswork - but there are feral pigeons around, she could have been unnerved by one, or just plain curious about the bustling town square outside.
3 mins after she vanished upwards I'm seen running around looking for her.
She's cocky with people, but wary of the unknown, lots and lots of people out shopping on a Saturday, but she ends up assuming anyone with food is obliged to share it with her at a cafe directly opposite.
I'd guessed she wouldnt travel far so spent all afternoon just patroling the square - niece put up posters and asked at all the shops.
But it took until Monday before the cafe owner spotted the poster by his own door and rang me up to say she'd been caught and passed on to someone who had a parrot person for a friend. That lady separately saw one of my adverts and rang me that evening.
So, I think... half a dozen parrot and local animal shelters were chased, similar number of local vets, 3 or 4 national parrot / bird website listings, local radio station, advert on the freeadds, gum tree etc, posters up all around - and the tool the lady rang me from a boosted facebook post. I work in entertainment so we run a lot of adds on there, £50 over 2 days was strong enough to ensure pretty much anyone who turned their smart phone on locally saw her pics and a plea.
Offered £100 reward but the parrot lady refused it - so I've donated to an animal charity of her choice instead.
Between paid adverts and the suggested donations or registration fees probably £100 in, then the thank you on behalf of her foster mother same amount, and a minor disaster Saturday - I received the phone call that turned out to be the other parrot - i charged off, probably not at legal speeds... clipped a kerb, blew a tyre and trashed a wheel on the car - so thats another £120.
But of course its worth it to have her back.
So the other parrot - I did think as soon as he was in the car "thats not chico" - but after a day of tears and panic my end, i did think - there cant be another quaker loose today in the same town, with a scruffy neck line, and put it down to her being scared / angry.
Next morning I'm looking at him saying - well, unless shes grown 2cm, gained a neck twice as thick, darkened her bib a shade or two, lost her vocabulary and forgotten the geography of the flat then that really isnt chico.
So after finding her i've had to back track over the vets, the adverts and the listings changing them from lost quaker to found quaker.
Chico had a bit of a WTF moment after being very very loving on her return when she saw the interloper.
Hes quiet, and yes much heavier build than her, she feather condition is excellent bar a slight line at the neck (Chico heavily mutilated herself when we were separated for a couple of months 3 years ago - i dont mean just plucking, she gouged her self on the neck and cheek - twice had to be sewn up by an avian vet.) lots of her feathers have grown back, but some dont look like they'll ever resprout - skin damage, and shes generally scruffy, as a friend put it, like a girl whos got her man so doesnt try to hard any more
and the incomer - referred to as Bigboy currently is much much neater and sharper.
So - she gives him a nip or three if he gets near her. I think he may be an aviary bird or from a pair rather than a companion bird, vocally i've heard nothing other than bird sounds, and hes always interested in following her rather than being near us.
Hes calmed down over the last few days and begrudgingly allows him self to be picked up, rather than flying away if anyone steps too near. He doesnt seem so keep on the wee cage i've had to house him in, it chicos "over night cage" sort that can flat pack for a short trip somewhere, so I'm letting him out more than Chico out of guilt - and every now and then he lands on her cage resulting in Chico Gonzalez clambering to is feet at speed to give him a manacure. He wisely moves then.
I have learnt this week that 2 parrots make 8 times the noise of 1
bigboy replying to anything chico says with a series of squwarks,
I am a bit wary of Chico being unhappy with his presence - her self abuse when peed off doesn't need to be kick started again, likewise i dont want BB to have a traumatic time before we find his owner.
and finally, after all those times i curse the "great idea" i had once getting a parrot, and how easier life would be without replacing remote controls and laptop keyboards as frequently as i have to, or the time saved by not having to check clothes for poop before heading outside - i was in tears Sunday when we'd yet to find her.
Damned Minx
