Meet the Orange-Cheeks

[Rox]

Orange-Cheeks are the true explorer's of the waxbill world. Not a single leaf or blade of grass is left unexamined and every inch of the aviary is 'hunted' for something to eat. This lot were put together just over 2 weeks ago and it amazed me how quickly the flock mentality kicked in. Very cool to watch

The 4 pairs consist of 2 pairs homebred and 2 pairs wild caught. No firm bonds have been formed yet and I'm curious to see who will pair with who

Homebred male


Homebred hen




Wild caught male


Wild caught male. This guy LOVES apple. Spends ages in the fruit bowl






Wild caught hen






Wild caught hen


This grass isn't going to last much longer...

[debbie276]

Very nice! They are busy busy busy

[Jen]

Rox
I always enjoy your photos and as usual you didn't let us down. So beautiful to see these guys in a natural setting. I noticed the wire mesh is different in some of your photos. One sort of square and the other round looking. What size spacing are you using? I really love all the plantings in your aviary. So cool!!!

Thanks for sharing!!! Post more when you get time...never get tired of looking at photos!

[Sam007]

Fantastic pictures! They are so beautiful!

[lovezebs]

Rox

Beautiful, as usual .

I envy you the greenery. Here, everything has turned Winter brown and drab looking, sigh.....

[dunker817]

Orange cheeks are so cute and you caught them on camera very well.

[Rox]

Jen

Jen, the original aviary is built out of galvanized wire mesh and then the extension is good old fashioned chicken mesh. Both have a gauge of roughly 1cm (half inch). Mesh is then painted black for better viewing

Thanks all for the compliments! These little guys keep me entertained for ages

@lovezebs
Elana, not sure how much longer everything will be green my side. The country is in a drought, with record high temps predicted for the summer. Parts of the country are already without water

[Jen]

Rox
What kind of outdoor temps do you get when they refer to "record high"? Do you have to do anything to keep your guys cool like fans?

Best of luck!!

[Rox]

Jen We are looking at temperatures of 40'C (104'F) and higher. Out of our 9 provinces, 4 have already been declared drought disaster area's. It is the worst drought the country has seen since 1982 and there is no rain on the forecast. Our dams are incredibly low and in certain area's, they are already having to truck water in to hospitals etc. I just feel for all of the wildlife

I have small fans that I put up in the aviary's. All it does is circulate the air but at least it helps cool it down at bit. I've also put up thick shade cloth along the back of my metal aviary to reduce heat retention. My aviary's currently have full roofing to protect them from the elements and wild birds but if it gets too hot, I might have to take the clear sheeting off to allow in more air. All I can do is monitor it and hope for the best

[lovezebs]

Rox

Oh dear, that's not good...... 40c and higher, this early in the season doesn't bode well for the next few months.

Yes, the wild life will suffer. You'll have to put out some containers of water in shady spots for the wild birdlings at least. I'm sure they'll need it and appreciate it.

Do you get any rains at all during the Summer months normally? Or is it like back home, Summers hot and dry, Winters, damp and rainy?

Good luck.

[Rox]

lovezebs

Elana, most of the country gets summer rains and then a smaller part (where I live) gets winter rains. But we didn't get much rain at all this winter...

The government is already asking farmers to start reducing their herd numbers due to lack of grazing. It breaks my heart, not only for the animals that need to be put down but for the people who rely on farming for an income. No government subsidy will ever recover the full loss involved.

I was born in 1982, so this will be my first real experience of a drought. I'm not looking forward to it

[lovezebs]

Rox

No, drought is not a good thing, not for animals or for people...

We are having some strange weather patterns world wide. Up here in Canada, we are into our second year of the el- nino phenomenon, which for us usually means short, mild Winters. For other parts of the world however, this can be catastrophic weather wise. Sigh....

BTW, you're just a wee child