Welcome to Wednesday Open Thread. Come in, set a spell and let us know what you are up to. I’ve been given a slot for second Wednesdays of the month here and want to try some fluffy stuff. Which brings me to flying rats.
I love birds. Any sort of birds even those who are considered “Flying Rats” or those birds who are invasive and/or not protected under the Wild Bird Act: Pigeons, English Sparrows and (chief among these) Starlings. I've fostered a couple starlings: Scrappy and Peepers Pesterbug from unfeathered nestlings to flying-around-the-house pests.
Starlings are very active birds, hence the "pesterbug" name. They would love to land on my head and pry with their beaks, looking for bugs. We would often wear hats in the house.
The Pesterbugs were very clean and loved to bathe up to four times a day, so I think it was fun for them. These would get soaking wet, fly to a handy shoulder, and shake like a dog. Nothing like the smell of wet feathers!
The Pesterbugs seemed to have no trouble with imprinting at all. When it was time to go, they flew without a backward glance. I, however, would often find myself calling out "Scrappy!" in various parking lots.
How is your Wednesday going?
