Everyone wakes up differently. Some wake up like a bull with a sore head. Others wake up singing hymns. Some people can only wake up if an alarm clock, capable of waking the entire suburb, goes off next to their heads. And others just wake up at the same time every day, without any assistance. I wake up with owls.
This morning, to my delight, I woke up to the familiar hissing sound of the chicks. I looked out onto the balcony and there was Merlin on the pillar. PPO and Pappa were on a rooftop looking directly down below them, and I heard more soft hissing sounds. Timka - PPO and Pappa were showing me where Timka was.
It took a lot of coaxing from both parents before Timka finally made its appearance from the neighbour's garage. Timka got up on our wall, and settled back down into the Jasmine bush.
It's been wonderful having both chicks with us today.
15h00 Central African Time: Out of nowhere, dark, threatening clouds gathered over our area, and the Heavens opened. Small hailstones came down in buckets. Within a minute, the lawn was covered in a white sheet of hailstones.
Merlin lay flat in the pot plant nest. Timka rugged down further into the Jasmine bush.
As quickly as the storm appeared, it left - leaving behind two very unhappy looking chicks. At times like this, it is so difficult to let Nature take its course and not rush out and dry them both.
18h00: More storms approaching. PPO flew out of her roosting spot in a nearby tree to see her chicks, and immediately flew back under cover. Merlin is in the pot again; Timka remains by the Jasmine bush.
I suspect this be what happens for most of the night while the storms go past. It seems like we have finally entered our classic late afternoon / evening thunder showers that are so typical of a Jozi summer.
If the weather clears enough later this evening for the family to move about,I really hope we see the chicks tomorrow.
Every extra day we have our owl family around, is a blessed day.
Tracy, true a blessed day as the time draws near to them "growing up". What a truly great experience this has been to see Timka and Merlin grow and be nurtured by PPO and Pappa and to have you be their protector!!! I will truly never forget them and this experience and I will never forget you and hope to remain friends forever! I cherish my book like crazy! I have my calendar hung in my living room so I can see them everyday when I wake up! Thank you for this wonderful experience and thank you for letting us into your little world of your balcony. I look forward to next year!!! And I hope for the best for zbabbies that I hold dear to my heart. *tears but happy tears for this journey. Hugs, Caboval
ReplyDeleteThanks to both of you. When they are gone, I will miss them AND you. Hope you both stay well and enjoy life :).
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