They look but...do not see!

"Three days, it was after three days, that he noticed", lamented a female friend of mine. My friend had her long hair cut to shoulder length and it took her husband three days to notice. Does that sound familiar where men are concerned?  I told her I share her grouses. I live with a young man and a younger man.  Age sensitive so I call them such in the house. The young man is of course my husband.  Whenever we women sit down to talk, we have almost the same things to rant about.  Men, they look but they do not see.  I can drop a piece of clothing on the floor and both men will walk over it and not see. It (the piece of clothing) can be sitting there and no one man will notice it. Another friend lamented that her husband will use one coffee mug then leaves it lying (in front of him) and takes another for another cup of coffee!  Oh my…I will not be able to finish this post if I go on. 

We got home from dinner the other night and young man was the first one to go into the house.  He had to open the door with the key and walk inside.  I was outside and called out to him to pass the packet of fish food left on the table.  He walked out to the garden to hand the packet of fish food to me.  Noticed that he had walked in and out of the house twice.  He did look but he did not see.  He had to look where he was going, to get into the house. Do you know what he did not see?  A snake coiled near the door.  After I had finished feeding the fishes in the pond, I proceeded to the door (I had to, to get into the house.)  Yikes! I screamed.  There is a snake in the house.  Young man replied from the sitting area. "Where?" I just walked in.  I did not see it.  Obviously, he did not.  "It is there at the door", I shouted.  By then I had climbed up and sat on the front cover of the car.  Yes, I am terrified of snakes.  Young man came and stood at the door, "Where?”  I pointed to the snake.  "Oh!"  It is a small one.  He behaved nonchalant and said, "No wonder I did not see it".  Now, how big is big?  Is it just his ego?  He did not want to admit that he missed seeing the snake (calling it small). Or...he has bad eyesight? I would say both. (LOL)

"Please look and see!" I called out. By then, the snake had tried to slither and I was hysterical.  Luckily, the floor was slippery so it could not slither very far into the house.  I got down from the car only when young man had put the slimy thing inside the pail. "Earthworms are small" I said when I had the courage to peek into the pail before it was taken to be released into the jungle nearby. Gosh, it was something like three feet long. Yet, grand young man called it small.  Goodness gracious, how can that be called a small one.  To me it was big as big can be. I would have gotten angry with him for making me sit on the car (the engine was still hot) for such a long time. Anyway, I did not as he was sweet to take some pictures for me. No, I would not want to follow was my answer to his question. Therefore, he went on his own as there was no way I would get into the car for the ride to the jungle together with the slimy thing. That was where it was released :o)

Ring Tabs...Collect them

A Kilogram of aluminium canned tabs can be used to manufacture components for a pair of prosthetic legs. (As reported in the StarMetro, 20 April 2012-News section) 

I used to send my collection to the Girl Guides Headquaters (Penang) but they have since stopped collecting.   Help by doing a small part..start pulling the ring tabs off the cans  and start collecting.  There is a project going on in Penang. For details on where to send these tabs Click to find out more..:o)

My Bird Story...ends

The fledgling's disappearance was unfathomable. It was there just a few moments ago. The sun was scorching hot and I wanted to walk away.  How to find something so little in such mess?  Guilt overrode everything.  I decided to search further as the birds chirping were so disheartening. 

I let out a “Oh, oh you are here".  My heart thumped when I saw the little one 'sprawled' (with wings outstretched) in the drain on top of a pile of rubbish. “Please tell me that you are alive,” I thought to myself.   I scooped it with both my palms and ran with it into the house. 

I did not know what else to do except to give it a few drops of water.  Imagine my elation when it swallowed the two drops of water and then let out..."Tweet".  Oh my, I would have jumped had my hands been empty.  The fledgling is breathing and alive.  Happiness inside my heart was beyond description.  

The little one stood up on its feet and I quickly grab my camera.  I had to be very careful not to frighten it.  The camera was bulky and this little one was small and fragile.  Whatever it was, I managed to operate the camera with the fledgling on one palm and the camera on the other.  It was quite a task but I was so glad I managed to capture so many pictures of this beautiful little one.  I think I took about ten pictures.  I was so 'greedy'.  Then again, how often…just how often do I get to experience such a beautiful moment. I mean having a fledgling sitting quietly in my palm.

I have never come so close to a baby bird.  I could not help myself from stroking (very gently) the feathers. The fledgling was comfortable on my palm.  It moved a little and shifted its position.  Ooo...the feathers were so soft it felt like cotton wool.  

Mama bird was chirping ever so anxiously outside in the garden.  I think she must be worried sick so I decided to end my close and wonderful encounter time with the fledgling.  I put it back into the nest.  To my thinking, that was the best solution. I stood for a while and decided to capture a shot.  Picture below showed the fledgling lying snugly inside the nest.

I stood nearby and kept a watch on the nest.  To my surprise, I saw the fledgling's head.  For me, it was a rare and beautiful sight.  The fledgling looked so cute peeking out of the nest.

Peek-a-boo

I noticed that there were two birds with different feathers chirping loudly.  I presume them to be 'mama' and 'papa' bird calling out to their little one.  A little while later, the fledgling flew out of the nest. The chirping, the tweets (there were other young birds) this time around was different.  It sounded beautiful to my ears.  Harmoniously beautiful melody to my ears and it made me sing in my heart.  It was such a wonderful feeling (small act though) seeing the birds reunited. 

There were a few similar kinds of birds flying and chirping.  I presume they must be from the same brood.  I think this last fledgling to fly the nest...it would be safe.  

I took a last picture of the nest a few days after the fledgling and others left that little corner (just to be sure). The nest lasted right until the fledglings flew out.  And, I thought it was such a flimsy looking nest.  Who was wrong...? 

Happy ending. :o)

My Bird Story...Where are you...?

The day hubby and I released the fledgling; I went to the place where the nest was. I wanted to check if all the fledglings have flown the nest.  To my surprise, I saw a little one perched on a dead heliconia branch.  It was beneath where the nest hung. It looked so cute calmly perched on the dead branch. It did not tweet nor flutter. I decided to take a few pictures of the cute little thing.

 

The fledgling was sitting on the branch quietly.  There was not a tweet coming from it the whole time I was there.  Mama bird was nowhere to be seen and I reckon it could be somewhere looking for food.

cute fledgling

I left it alone after taking the few shots. (It looked so cute I could not resist taking a few shots.) It would be safe as the place it stood well hidden among the dead branches, dead leaves and the creepers.

A little into the afternoon I heard a bird chirping very loudly.  I peeked out of the window into the garden.  To my horror....!

I saw Miss Mischievous sitting in the lawn looking in the direction where the fledgling was. The sun was scorching hot and I know Miss Mischievous would not be in the hot sun.  I ran as quickly as I could outside to the garden. The fledgling...Was it still there.

Mama bird was chirping so loudly and even a fool could tell that it was not a happy chirp.  Even the nest was empty! What had happened to the fledgling?  There was anxiety and frenzy where the birds and yours truly were concerned.  

Initially, it was only 'mama' bird chirping worriedly and anxiously.  I was anxious too as the sun was scorching hot and the fledgling was nowhere to be seen or found.  

Then, I saw two more birds.  I know they were additional ones as mama (presumably) was still outside perched on the bamboo chirping ever so loudly.  I was getting anxious and the chirping made me feel worried.  Where was the little one?  I could not fathom the disappearance.  It looked well protected the day I discovered its existence.

With so many birds flying and hopping from branch to branch, I wanted to cry thinking of the unforeseen.  Could a snake have eaten it?  Had a monitor lizard managed to crawl in through the drain?  No, it was no possible as I had placed a wire mesh (with very small gaps) blocking the drain hole.  Then it struck me...Miss Mischievous.  She was in the garden under the hot sun!  Oh, my heart wept just looking at all the anxious birds flying about.  They must have been as desperate as I am as they flew quite closed to me. 

Out of sheer desperation, I called out to the dogs.  I gave them a good shelling and then checked Miss Mischievous' mouth inside and outside of her mouth.  Had she eaten the fledgling, I reckon a few feathers would be stuck somewhere around.  The TV series CSI, NCIS showed...well, there always had to be some evidence. Both dogs were clean, no traces of feathers or any blood.  Then, come to think of it.  The dogs are well behaved.  They had killed rats, monitor lizards even myna birds.  However, the dogs always left the carcasses alone and never ate any.  OH...little fledgling, where are you...?  I would not believe that it disappeared...just like that! :o(
To be continued...Click

Better to be...safe than sorry. Please Read

[This came to me through an email (I wonder if it is true)...please read and use your own discretion.]
Urgent Message from TELEKOM Malaysia!! 

To those who have a telekom home phone, please read. Here is the original text received from Telekom:
If you get a call from someone identifying himself as a phone technician performing a test, and this person asks you to touch nine( 9 ), zero( 0 ),hash sign ( # ) and then hang up... Please REFUSE TO DO SO! By pushing 90# , you are giving the individual, who called you, access to your telephone line and allowing them to place a long distance call with the charges appearing on your telephone bill.
We were further informed that line scam has been originating from many of the local jails/prisons.
Please pass the word around.

One dropped by for dinner...!

A week plus after I posted My Bird Story, the outside of my house sounded like spring. I know we do not have four seasons here (in Malaysia) but I used spring just to describe what it was like.  Birds were chirping and little ones tweeting away.  The three nestlings were learning to fly.  

I tried taking pictures of the fledgling but they were learning to fly and all over the place. They did not settle down at one place long enough for me to capture a picture of them.  However, I did managed to capture a few pictures of 'papa' bird (I presume it to be papa).  It was chirping away and swooping down to 'guide' the fledgling.  One of the fledgling even tried to 'get into' my car through the window (wound up).  It was a beautiful day and time as I sat there watching them. 

Pictures Below and Above--'Papa' Bird

I was telling H about the wonderful time I had with the 'birds' in the day when...we heard a loud tweeting sound.  We were watching television at that moment and both of us thought it came from the television and having our dinner.  Then it got louder and I asked, "Is there a bird in the house?”  Hubby disagreed.  Again, the tweeting came...and it got louder.  We started looking and at first, it was nowhere to be found.  I decided to follow the tweet and discovered a small black blog behind one of the cabinets.  "It is a fledgling and it is here!" I exclaimed excitedly. 

It was excessively low behind the cabinet for any one of us to reach and catch it.  I decided to use a brush and lightly tried to move it out from behind the cabinet.  It flew out and.....

 

There was frenzy in the living room.  The fledgling flew all over the place.  We ran all over trying to catch it.  Then it hit us, the windows and doors were opened. Hubby closed all the windows.  I had the fan switched off and the doors closed. Then the fledgling decided to fly again.  This time it flew and landed on hubby’s towel.  I thought it was clinging there for dear life.  For that one night, I was glad hubby decided to hang his towel on the chair (where it normally should have been inside the bathroom).  I tried to catch it but it flew out of my hand and landed on the floor at a corner. The sight of the 'little one' sitting in the corner was heart wrenching.  It looked frightened and gave out a loud tweet.  (I am not going to hurt you...I promise as I held the 'little one' in my hand. 

Frightened little one

We did not have any birdcage in the house so I made do with what was the next best available that was a rectangular basket.  I caught the bird and it kept there for the night to make sure it remained safe.  The fledgling was quite quiet during the night with just an occasional tweet let out.  We have preys outside the house in the forms of our two dear dogs and a tomcat that stalked around on the rooftop of the car porch. 

"Oh, oh, you are going to cekik (strangle) it to death", I said to hubby.  "No, I won't", he replied.  We were going to release it. It was daytime. I wanted to capture a picture before releasing it.  It was daytime...and we could hear mama bird (I presume it to be) was chirping worriedly.  I/We could not see 'mama' but could hear the anxious chirping.  She must be on the roof (somewhere near) as we could hear her chirping.

Frightened and tweeting away

Hubby released it and we noticed that it could hardly fly.  It flew somewhat unsteadily and landed on a dead branch some three feet away from where we stood.  Mama bird was still chirping anxiously and the fledgling looked here...

...there and finally flew to the roof of the car porch.  I think it was reunited with 'mama' bird.

Happiness..:o)

Read more...Click