My High Society Finches
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:13 pm
A silly society finch story. As some of you know, I have a long flight with 7 male society finches that have split into two pairs and a trio. Recently I pulled out their old nests and let them build new ones. I gave them four choices. The Pippin/Badger pair took their usual place in the left corner. There was an ongoing competition among the others for the nest next to Pippin's. There were days and days of the second pair or the trio taking over that site and the other settling for the third most popular site for the night. One nest was utterly scorned from the beginning. Obviously a slum property, though only a finch would understand what was wrong with it.
Then I noticed for a couple of days that Pippin was spending time in the contested nest poking at the architecture. He's my building inspector and occasionally goes in the others' nests to work over their efforts, but this seemed more than that. I thought trouble might be brewing and put in more nests, so now there were six choices. The second pair and trio happily chose new sites, probably also foreseeing a coming eviction notice, since what Pippin wants, Pippin generally gets. The pair selected a nest next to the food court (smart choice!) and the trio took one overlooking the pool, and both seemed perfectly content.
And now Pippin, who clearly thinks of himself as high society, is a happy. No, smug. He and Badger laid claim to the nest the others gave up. Now they have a night nest, their original one, and a day nest, the one next door where they hang out during the day, and in his mind, they are both HIS. I think one house is enough for any finch, but what do I know? Building inspector? Only a beginning. Now he's moved up to real estate tycoon, living the high life. If anyone ever creates a finch monopoly game, he'll own the world in the first half hour.
Then I noticed for a couple of days that Pippin was spending time in the contested nest poking at the architecture. He's my building inspector and occasionally goes in the others' nests to work over their efforts, but this seemed more than that. I thought trouble might be brewing and put in more nests, so now there were six choices. The second pair and trio happily chose new sites, probably also foreseeing a coming eviction notice, since what Pippin wants, Pippin generally gets. The pair selected a nest next to the food court (smart choice!) and the trio took one overlooking the pool, and both seemed perfectly content.
And now Pippin, who clearly thinks of himself as high society, is a happy. No, smug. He and Badger laid claim to the nest the others gave up. Now they have a night nest, their original one, and a day nest, the one next door where they hang out during the day, and in his mind, they are both HIS. I think one house is enough for any finch, but what do I know? Building inspector? Only a beginning. Now he's moved up to real estate tycoon, living the high life. If anyone ever creates a finch monopoly game, he'll own the world in the first half hour.
