Gather round and huddle - RTPF

[monotwine]

So it's mid winter here and wet. Cold for us, but not freezing. Last night I went out to put the 6 hard core birds (green singers, orange cheeks and Violet Ears) that defy winter and sleep outside into the shelter as we had a very bad storm predicted with high winds and driving rain. They go towards my shelter light in the eve, so its a very stress free exercise.
While I was there though I could not resist taking some pics of my huddlers. They are too cute and do this every night in exactly the same order. They all jostle around until they get their spot in the shelter.

RTPF HUDDLE1.jpg (80.74 KiB) Viewed 712 times

RTPF HUDDLE2.jpg (63.55 KiB) Viewed 712 times

RTPF HUDDLE4.jpg (82.1 KiB) Viewed 712 times

And because the flash disturbed them I had an interloper

RTPF HUDDLE3.jpg (81.59 KiB) Viewed 712 times

Others

Shelter birds.jpg (85.58 KiB) Viewed 712 times

[monotwine]

And regular resident. She is fairly large, but harmless to the birds (the mesh is 1/2cm by 1/2cm). She (and others she's I've lost count of how many have taken over the shelter territory) and her occasional mates help keep the aviary insects and such under control.

Spidy.jpg (59.83 KiB) Viewed 708 times

[Rox]

Great photo's!! Love how they all cuddle together

We had a mystery towards the end of summer. I was finding empty shells of the mealworm beatles (in the spare bedroom, where I had them breeding) and I couldn't understand what was going on. We eventually found the culprit. A big, fat and happy rain spider. She thought she had hit a jackpot with free meals!

[Sally]

Those are great photos! It is funny that they go in the same order every night, they have obviously set up their boundaries.

[monotwine]

thanks Rox. funny I keep my meal worms in shed too. maybe they found the feed jack pot too. there are so many though so they welcome to some.

[Corkysgirl]

Great pictures! Yes, it is really amazing they pick their exact place with consistency. I've been watching three juveniles sleep on top of the nest at night, sleep in the same order and thought...how cute, but they are just three. I had no idea it would happen with such a volume of birds! I don't know what that spider is called but we have them in the chicken and turkey coops here too. I do NOT love them!!!

[Madcat]

Aww! How cool is that?!

[MariusStegmann]

I actually had a shrike that used to go into my gardenshed where it helped itself to my mealworms. It got quite clever and waited for me to turn my back to steal more. I eventually learned to keep the door closed. Monotwine, I wished I followed your lead and put a door on the enclosed part of my avairy, some of my chicks and a very nice pied parrot finch that I bought last saturday died. That shelter that you have looks to be very effective.

[finchmix22]

MariusStegmann
Sorry you lost some finches.

@monotwine
Great photos! love the cuddlers, too cute!

[monotwine]

Thanks all. Even in winter when the birds are resting and starting to moult they provide me with antics to appreciate.

Marius so sorry you lost your birds! That's terrible. I do love my shelter that I can close up in bad weather. I don't often have to as most birds tend to want to go there to rest anyhow. I think the trick is the light. I have it on a timer. It stays on after dark. All birds fly to the light to sleep - sun sets in opposite direction. Then the light can go off.
To me being able to close off a small section of aviary is most useful for catching birds too. Close them in the eve. Catch them in the morn.

[monotwine]

Corkysgirl If you have the same type here we call them Rain spiders. They look mean but actually they brilliant- especially if you don't like spiders and bugs in your home. They hunting spiders so move around alot and don't make webs. They hunt bugs and other spiders including their own species and are very territorial. They don't have poison but kill by stabbing their prey with those awful looking mandibles. Harmless to us and usually hide away in cracks during the day.

I live near a natural wetland which is full of things and countless spiders. I got used to them popping up all over the place.

[Rox]

MariusStegmann

Marius, sorry that you lost some birds. Having an enclosed section makes a huge difference. I have only lost 3 birds so far this winter now that I closed up the aviaries against the wind/rain. Last winter I had lost 8 adults and 2 clutches by end May already... It was a hard lesson to learn but while we don't get that cold, it's the wind and damp that take them out

Monique, I can't wait until summer and I can fetch a PF hen from you. After separating my pair, they are both finally moulting and are just looking so much better. I think next season we have a chance

[MariusStegmann]

monotwine Do know the genetics of the normal pf what I got from you? She has paired up with the normal pied male that I got from Wayne. Does she have some pied in her genetic makeup? The seagreen that I got from you is also a hen. I can pair her up with the young male that I bred a month ago. He is split for seagreen.

[MariusStegmann]

Rox The enclosed section that I have is nice, and I don't have any drafts in there, but I realize that I have to have an enclosed area at the top of the shelter where the heat gets trapped. At the moment the heat just dissipates. Also the pied male that died, I got from Leon, and he probably got it from Natal where you don't really get winter. In the future I will only buy birds in winter that was kept in local conditions.

[delray]

Great pics.