I got home tonight around 11:30 PM after a day spent traveling back from Costa Rica. I will write about the trip in future posts, But I feel I must come to the page about what has just transpired because I am still trying to figure it out.
Prior to leaving I was scrambling to put together better bird-care instructions for the new bird care person I had found. I trusted him to follow the instructions which came with pictures of how everything should look. The instructions were detailed and when I ran out of time to finish adding all the pictures, I believe I wrote copiously about every step. The pictures and these short videos were taken with the iPhone.
While I was taking pictures of food preparation, I also managed to get a video of Zorro singing. He appears in the video above.
Sitting in the airport in San Jose this afternoon, I got a disturbing text message from the bird care person I had hired for the second time. He told me 6 birds had died and he was upset, because he thought he was following all the instructions. Two of them, he said, were the ones that were failing. I asked him if the other four were the rest of the Zebra Finches. He said yes.
I came in the house tonight and was shocked to find only 3 birds. One budgie and two Society Finches. When I left I had 17 birds: Two budgies (one of whom was on his last legs), five Zebra Finch males, two Spice Finches and 8 – yes 8 – Society Finches, including my two little singer guys, Hector and Franklin. Neither one of them survived. I have found some corpses but not all, and I will not elaborate on where I found them. I have found none of the Society Finches. They were very young and the healthiest. I have two left, but I’m not sure if they are the two females that came with Hector or their daughters. Well I guess I don’t have to worry anymore about them multiplying.
But I am devastated. I cannot imagine what was done or not done to kill 13 birds in a little over one week, when I have left birds for up to three weeks before this. And I am wondering what I should do. My first instinct is to try to find more birds – not 14 replacements, but at least a couple young Zebra Finches that would reproduce, so I could have several little songsters again. But then I wonder if it is wise to take on another 12-year project at my age. Is this a sign that I should stop playing music for birds? Should I get used to silence and being alone? I don’t think I could stand it.
I guess I will know the answer when I wake up to silence tomorrow morning. It will take me a week or two, perhaps, to sort this all out. I will be looking for birds, perhaps, but I am not taking in just anyone. And I will certainly be looking for another bird care person when I decide to travel again. It won’t be any time soon.
R.I.P. Hector, Franklin, Gregorio, Zorro, Beniamino, Adolfo, Pietro, Beau Budgie, Marty, Johnnie, Isabella…and one whose name I can’t remember presently, if Phoenix and Ricki are still with me.
That had to be heartbreaking, Lisa. So sorry.
Thanks so much, Jim, for your kind comment. It was mind-boggling but the details are beginning to reveal themselves and I will be more careful next time. If anything i think I’ll stay put for a while!
I am so very sorry, My Dear Friend.
Thank you, Dear Linda. It was shocking. It still is but the sun is shining and I have a few new friends. (It’s noon and I’m finally getting caught up to breakfast, I haven’t had a meal since breakfast yesterday. Just as well, we were very well fed on the trip.)
My dear Lisa, I’m shocked by this news! I’m so sorry, it’s mind bogglingly sad!
Thanks, HJ. It is mind-boggling and a hard lesson to learn but I will be much more careful next time.
I’m so sorry for your loss Lisa, that is devastating.
Thank you so much, Susan. It hurts. I will certainly be more careful next time. There has to be a good care person out there somewhere. 🙂
so sorry…Birds become your little people..
Thanks, Syl. Yes. they are my little people, all with personalities, likes and dislikes, friends, habits. I’ve learned more about people observing birds than the other way around!
That is really rotten luck. Life shouldn’t be so mean.
It is rotten. I was weary enough already from travel. But not giving up yet.
I am so sorry to hear about your birds. I can’t even imagine how you must feel. Thank you and the birds for all the amazing posts and so many shared experiences.
Thanks so much, MaryLee. I’m so sorry they had to go the way I think they did, but perhaps it’s a wake-up call to me as well, that I can never take my precious little friends for granted. So now I have acquired some new little personalities to worry about and I look forward to sharing them with you.
I’m so sorry to hear about this but glad to hear you are moving on. It’s a shame when you put your trust in someone and are completely let down. I hope you can find someone reliable in the future, it would be a shame to feel so tied down.
Thanks so much, Frank. It still hurts, especially when I am reminded of certain individual birds, or when I do something I know that person did not do. But my neighbor who parks his truck on my slab in exchange for handy-man services has offered up his brother and I also remember at least one local woman who responded when I first started looking two caretakers ago. Whoever it is I will be much more careful training before I leave for anywhere. Hope to report soon about my new charges who are already helping me get over the loss. 🙂