CHAPTER SEVEN

6 December 2011

While Tiny Tim was snoozing in his nice warm cage in the spare room, I rigged up the cage, which would have been his abode today.

I used a tall old birdcage and took the bottom off, then turned it upside down. And lined the bottom with some straw and a fluffy sock for a nest.   I also put one low crossbeam in for just in case he did not want to sit on the straw.  
Although he is too small to feed himself, I put some birdseed and water also in the cage.  One never knows with this bird.

I got up at four thirty to put him and his cage out so Mary can find him in the usual spot at daybreak.

When I lifted him from the mouse cage, his little claw got entangled in lining and he was fully awake when I transferred him.  He must have woken with a startle, poor thing.
I placed the cage in the usual spot with Tiny Tim clinging to the side.  So much for the warm-sock-nest where I was hoping he would wake up this morning.

When I went outside to check on him he was sitting on the rim of the cage again, so I took the cage, Tiny Tim and all, and carried it outside to where his nest used to be. (Boytjie, his daddy broke it down long ago and is building a new nest for his next wife. 

I lifted the cage as high as I could so he could jump onto the branch.  He did not have much choice in the matter.   It was lovely to watch his reaction from the high branch.

Boytjie thought it was a female coming to check out his new nest and became very excited, flapping his wings and trying to entice Tiny Tim to come and check it out.

That puts another slant on the saga of Tiny Tim.   It may be actually the saga of tiny Tammy.   He may be a she.      For the sake of the unknown, we shall continue to call her-him a he.

Little Tim was sitting there checking out the new environment, yet it must have looked familiar because this is about where his nest was.   His little head was turning in all directions. 

Then he spotted Mary and tried to fly towards her but plummeted into the lower branches of the bush with Mary in pursuit.  

Well that is the first and possibly last time that I can record the freedom of Tiny Tim. 

From now on I shall not attempt to cage him again.  What is the point?   He will just have to learn how to climb trees until his wings strengthen.