My Parrots - New Couples from Ornithological Show of Reggio Emilia

This year finishes with the many new birds in our "family". We had many different species this year but they were not very good for the breeding because they were very difficult to grow up and the mortality was impressive. It was very shocking for me. I do not breed them for money but I see sentient beings for me. The terrible deaths I had powerless observe all the summer were too hard experience for me. No, there is nothing good in it.

In the autumn, I suddenly bought 2 Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus)
One of them, too clever, observed our behavior for some days than flow away in a moment of distraction of my husband. The second, in 2 weeks he was alone, became depressed, began to lose feathers... He is too young. So it was nothing to do, I had to buy a friend for him.

I found 2 little Cockatiels in one shop and bought one of them. In the moment I took my new Cockatiel from there, he greeted so touching the brother (it's very probably they are brothers)... The first was content to have a friend but it seemed to me, there was not great friendship between them. One day I passed near the same shop and saw the second Cockatiel still there very upset. So, I bought him, too. Now, we had 3 Cockatiels but they were not very good friends.

In the same period, I bought an adult couple of Rosellas. Both, rosellas and Cockatiels are parrots from Australia. Rosellas did not want to know anything about the Cockatiels, and even in the period when the first was allown, they never wanted even near him.

Some days ago, we visited the Ornithological Show in Reggio Emilia, one of the most important in Italy. I went there with the clear idea to ask those bird lovers who are my Cockatiels and to buy couples for those who need them. I took many shots of my Cockatiels on  my cell for it.

It was something incredible: so many persons were there in the show rooms.

But there were not so many species of birds as I imagined to see there. I thought, there will be great variety of exotic birds. I could not go from there without some big (not very big, middle) parrots and purchased two adult couples: Cloncurry Parrot (Barnardius zonarius macgillivrayi)

and Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi)

Both are The Australian Ringnecks (Barnardius zonarius) and seem to be from the same family as the Rosellas. I did not know it, but in any case, I like them for their beautiful colors very much.

I found one friend for my Cockatiels, too, and now they are 4. The good notice is that the first of them, that depressed, loved the new arrival in the same moment and now they are the best friends ever. All of them are happy and I can sleep happily, too.

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Eurasian Coot near Naples, Italy

We went northward of Naples to visit some of my husband's friends who are bird lovers. On the way, we had to cross a little river that was more similar to an irrigation channel. Middle of the autumn is the time when many birds fly to south over our zone and we often hear their voices. It's not too easy to see them because they often fly in the night. I don't know why they do it but I think they know about the danger of hunters and that they sleep in the night. :-)))

Crossing the river, we've seen some ducks on the water and wanted to make some photos of them.
As usually I had only my cell and could not make the shuts better but I think, you can believe me.

My husband sees better than me and as a bird lover he knows different bird species, so he cried: These are coots! Look here, you can see them here!

Well, coots or not, all the ducks were just hidden in the rushes when we neared them and I took some photos only when they did not see me. And, unfortunately, it's impossible to understand what species are those.

In any case I was very happy to see that there are still alive beings in the wild nature in this region because I've seen that there are too many persons with the guns and there is not any wild animal or bird who is so courageous to live in the day time.

Sleep, my Friend! I'll never leave you!

I could not pass away when I've seen this beautiful collection of the photos representing sleeping puppies. After the bad experience I had yesterday, when I've seen an old and ill rottweiler left by his owner on the parking place near a supermarket, I was very upset. That dog was so calm and looked trustfully on all the persons around him. He was so sure that somebody will help him. He did not even try to go somewhere. He was calm and good. How could that animal, his owner, left such a dog????? What heart has that beast?

I needed something positive. I needed to know that there are persons who would never do it...

Source: themetapicture.com via fanny on Pinterest

From the Life of the Ants

There is a completely strange world that everybody of us, humans, would like to avoid in the majority of the cases. It's the world of insects. Most of these beings are disgusting and terrifying. They are our nightmare of the daytime. We prefer to be as far as possible from almost all of them.

One of the species of insects that is not so much hated by humans as others is the ant.

Since I live in the countryside, I have to stay in very close contact with many species of insects. Ants create many troubles in our life. They make passages in the stones of the walls, they eat wooden parts of the windows, they feel free to eat everything they find and everywhere and so they make many damages in the house.

But if you begin to observe their behaviour, it becomes very interesting. They have many things common with us. Ants like sugar and can't resist when they have it in front of them. Ants have cemeteries and have special stuff to maintain them clean. They suffer from the diseases in the same way as we do...

Now, this time, I wanted to tell you how the ants drink.

This summer was particularly hot. There was not water and we tried to conserve it, too.
When Stassi was alive we had always a big pod with water near the door because not only Stassi but all the hens and other animals and birds came to drink from that pot. After the death of Stassi, we often forget to put new water there. But there are other jugs normally.

Once, I noticed this scene:

Ants went and went there. The row was sometimes very long, all round the side of the vase.  When I came with the camera, I just had not time to focus it because the ants finished to drink and went away.