Ugly and uglier

[cjkrit]

Congrats on those babies.
They get prettier day by day.
Well done!!!

[MariusStegmann]

We had a bit of a cold front last week and it got quite cold overnight. When I looked into the nestbox, I saw a dead chick. I put my fat fingers inside the nest and pulled out the dead chick. I though the other 3 were dead too because they felt cold. I opened the top of the nestbox and wanted to take them out as well, they popped out of the nest like their tails were on fire. I put all three back inside the nest. The one refused to stay inside the nest and has been out for 2 days. The other 2 can't fly yet. They were out again this morning, flapping about on the aviary floor. I put them back inside the nest, Hopefully they will stay put. If they make it for the next 2 days, they should survive, because the weather is warm again, up into the high twenties.

[MariusStegmann]

Photo's of my Parrot finch babies. The one has fledged and 2 are still in the nest.

[KarenB]

Not so ugly!

[Rox]

Now they are getting prettier by the day!

[MariusStegmann]

I agree, getting prettier. The one that fledged looks still a bit too young to be flying around. Yesterday, he was still hopeless at flying, today he is getting around quite well. It looks like my Seagreen pied cock is not the father of these babies, the previous male is possibly the father, because they don't look seagreen to me. They also don't have any red on their chests. Could be all be females.

[MariusStegmann]

They are all out of the nest. I thought that it would be the case. Nestlings seems very headstrong, and even if they leave the nest too early because of a scare, once they have tasted freedom, they don't want to go back.

Freedom Las Vegas, Freedom Las Vegas, Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!

[monotwine]

Not sure if it is just the camera / my computer settings, but they all look seagreen to me. Usually you can tell the seagreen by how red or orange the tail feathers are. Your babies look nice and strong. Mine also usually come out way too early and without any colour on the head. Your last lost showed a lot of colour and may have stayed in the nest longer because of the cold weather. This lot have tasted freedom You will just have to wait and see what sexes they turn out to be.

[Rox]

Marius, at least the weather is good at the moment. Going to be a nice hot weekend! Summer seems to finally be arriving in the Cape!

[MariusStegmann]

Rox I hear that some cooler weather is expected on Monday, By then my little fledglings should be strong.

@monotwine I am glad that you think that they are Seagreen. There is no red or orange in their tails. My previous lot had lots of red in the rump area. I thought that Seagreens would be more grey than these.

[monotwine]

Seagreen look Seagreen from the beginning. normal are bright green. SG will have full orange tail feathers too. Yours may need a little more time to show colour.

I for one am happy with good weather- now would it be too much to ask to take away the wind too?

[MariusStegmann]

monotwine I didn't notice any wind, but my daughter who runs 10 km everyday said something about wind.

[Rox]

Yes, please take the wind! It is howling my side. But then the wind is always blowing by me...

[monotwine]

does she run-like-the-wind?

Rox I feel your pain. Marius you are more sheltered than us. We are near to the coast and get any breeze or gale that passes. Thats how I know my birds are strong and hardy. They can survive all our environment throws at them.

[MariusStegmann]

Monotwine and Rox, you live in such beautiful surroundings that there should be some drawbacks. Where the wind is concerned, I am quite lucky. By me a light breeze would be blowing, but if I drive about 2-3 km towards Cape Town, then there is wind. Rox, I love being on the Strand beach early in the mornings, before 10 / 11, before the wind starts blowing. Monotwine, you are quite correct of the chicks being seagreen. I can see a little bit of orange tail feathers.