he's still here...

Oliver's still hanging out with us. Although he still spends most of his time indoors, Moops takes him outside to do bird stuff (fluttering, flying, pecking, preening, strutting, perching, etc.) several times each day.

And sometimes she has a treat for him.

Here he is posing in a tree, pretending to be a real bird.

overheard

You know how little kids sometimes talk to themselves?

The other day I overheard Little Miss whispering to herself,
I'm a good, hard workin' girl.
It's true. She is.

Later, getting ready to go outside, she was running through the house saying, I need my straightjacket! I need my straightjacket!
We didn't find it, but it's gotta be around here somewhere.

Today she said (to me),
You're a big smelly skunk!
I am not.

Oliver and his Auntie KK

We're looking forward to the day that Oliver decides to fly away and live among the birds, just as a bird should. We'll miss him, yes, but that's where he belongs. It won't be long now.

and now, he's a fledgling...

Yes, little Oliver has been testing out his wings, fluttering back and forth across the yard... and the living room!

oliver, an update

Little Oliver, the mourning dove, has been in protective custody for just over a week now, and he's growing bigger and stronger every day.

He's actually starting to look like a bird now that his feathers are coming in.

Just look at how pretty they are.

He does still need a little help in the neck area, though.

He likes to spread his wings and flap them wildly, exercising his wing muscles.


All that resistance training is turning him into one buff little dude, eh?

Careful not to burn himself out, Oliver likes to spend a few quiet moments in the sunshine after working out. And then it's on to perching practice.

Moops carefully places him on a privet branch, helping him grasp the branch with his tiny toes.

Success!