Post by avinet on Feb 13, 2008 18:32:45 GMT 10
This is the second part of the Eternal Quadrangle – if you haven’t read the first part I suggest that is read first to set the scene for this part.
If you remember, part 1 finished with Gwenny blissfully happy at being a Mommy and BB sorely puzzled at how he somehow became a Daddy.
To continue:-
Once the babies had weaned and left home, BB rapidly returned to his old ways, taking solace in Jacki's receptive company, but the next spring Gwenny decided to do the same thing again and laid 5 eggs. However this time there was a surprise twist to it all. To our amazement, 2 of the eggs were fertile! After 7 years of behaviour befitting a nun, Gwenny had finally succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh, and had produced babies that were truly her own. BB again was the dutiful father with these babies - and dutifully returned to his old ways as soon as they were gone.
However a complication to the eternal triangle emerged, with it turning into an eternal quadrangle. Pearl Girl, a then 7 year old pearl cockatiel became available after her mate died and we were given her, and BB wasted no time in comforting the "widow". In fact he was very enthusiastic in comforting her, but did not neglect to also continue paying attention to his mate, Gwenny and his first mistress, Jacki. In fact he was so attentive to all three that he would frequently be seen to "comfort" all three in the same day - eat your heart out Casanova!
A very pretty Pearl Girl
However at 10 years old the chickens finally came home to roost for our playboy, BB. Pearl Girl laid 6 eggs, and proceeded to be very keen to have all 6 incubated, especially since all 6 were fertile! BB however totally abrogated his responsibility and refused to help. We tried to insist he do his share, but he refused, and as a result was in mortal danger from an enraged Pearl Girl, who could see that she was about to get lumbered with doing it all, and wasn't at all happy about the mess BB had got her into. So, BB returned very smartly to Gwenny, who then proceeded to drag him around with her as she searched the house for a suitable place for her eggs to be laid.
Pearl Girl incubating her eggs
Pearl Girl in the meantime had been the long suffering mother left to hold the baby, so to speak, and valiantly incubating those 6 eggs all by herself - her efforts eventually to be rewarded when they started to hatch out. Now I have to admit to being a bit surprised that any eggs hatched - Pearl Girl had been doing a valiant job of incubating, but a girl had to get out and stretch her wings occasionally, sort her feathers out, and grab a quick bite to eat. All those things that a girl would normally do during the day at leisure while her mate was on the eggs. So, the eggs had quite long periods without parental warmth, sometimes 30 minutes or more, and I half expected them not to hatch, but happily I was proved wrong, and Pearl Girl eventually has the satisfaction of 4 babies hatching. Naturally she needed help, but got absolutely none from BB - he did wander over for a look at them but rapidly retreated when Pearl Girl suggested he knuckle down and do some work.
In the meantime Gwenny was given a nest box, and was about to get serious about parenting again, while Jacki was still an enticing target for his attentions – and he continued to mate both with Gwenny and Jacki, often within a few minutes of each other!
Pearl Girl continued to be a dedicated Mom, but when the babies were 14 days old we removed them for hand rearing, and gave her a chance to recover from all that hard work. She was quite relieved I think, but BB, who obviously thought it safe to start up a liaison with her, was given the cold shoulder in no uncertain terms – she wasn’t going top take a chance with the same thing happening again to her. In fact she made a point of pairing up with a 17 year old male – Tosh - who didn’t really have any concept of s**, and just wanted some platonic friendship and a bit of mutual preening.
Tosh when he was 16
Sadly both Tosh and Pearl Girl are no longer with us, Tosh having succumbed to old age and Pearl Girl to liver failure a few years ago.
That’s it for part 2, the third and final part will follow shortly.
If you remember, part 1 finished with Gwenny blissfully happy at being a Mommy and BB sorely puzzled at how he somehow became a Daddy.
To continue:-
Once the babies had weaned and left home, BB rapidly returned to his old ways, taking solace in Jacki's receptive company, but the next spring Gwenny decided to do the same thing again and laid 5 eggs. However this time there was a surprise twist to it all. To our amazement, 2 of the eggs were fertile! After 7 years of behaviour befitting a nun, Gwenny had finally succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh, and had produced babies that were truly her own. BB again was the dutiful father with these babies - and dutifully returned to his old ways as soon as they were gone.
However a complication to the eternal triangle emerged, with it turning into an eternal quadrangle. Pearl Girl, a then 7 year old pearl cockatiel became available after her mate died and we were given her, and BB wasted no time in comforting the "widow". In fact he was very enthusiastic in comforting her, but did not neglect to also continue paying attention to his mate, Gwenny and his first mistress, Jacki. In fact he was so attentive to all three that he would frequently be seen to "comfort" all three in the same day - eat your heart out Casanova!
A very pretty Pearl Girl
However at 10 years old the chickens finally came home to roost for our playboy, BB. Pearl Girl laid 6 eggs, and proceeded to be very keen to have all 6 incubated, especially since all 6 were fertile! BB however totally abrogated his responsibility and refused to help. We tried to insist he do his share, but he refused, and as a result was in mortal danger from an enraged Pearl Girl, who could see that she was about to get lumbered with doing it all, and wasn't at all happy about the mess BB had got her into. So, BB returned very smartly to Gwenny, who then proceeded to drag him around with her as she searched the house for a suitable place for her eggs to be laid.
Pearl Girl incubating her eggs
Pearl Girl in the meantime had been the long suffering mother left to hold the baby, so to speak, and valiantly incubating those 6 eggs all by herself - her efforts eventually to be rewarded when they started to hatch out. Now I have to admit to being a bit surprised that any eggs hatched - Pearl Girl had been doing a valiant job of incubating, but a girl had to get out and stretch her wings occasionally, sort her feathers out, and grab a quick bite to eat. All those things that a girl would normally do during the day at leisure while her mate was on the eggs. So, the eggs had quite long periods without parental warmth, sometimes 30 minutes or more, and I half expected them not to hatch, but happily I was proved wrong, and Pearl Girl eventually has the satisfaction of 4 babies hatching. Naturally she needed help, but got absolutely none from BB - he did wander over for a look at them but rapidly retreated when Pearl Girl suggested he knuckle down and do some work.
In the meantime Gwenny was given a nest box, and was about to get serious about parenting again, while Jacki was still an enticing target for his attentions – and he continued to mate both with Gwenny and Jacki, often within a few minutes of each other!
Pearl Girl continued to be a dedicated Mom, but when the babies were 14 days old we removed them for hand rearing, and gave her a chance to recover from all that hard work. She was quite relieved I think, but BB, who obviously thought it safe to start up a liaison with her, was given the cold shoulder in no uncertain terms – she wasn’t going top take a chance with the same thing happening again to her. In fact she made a point of pairing up with a 17 year old male – Tosh - who didn’t really have any concept of s**, and just wanted some platonic friendship and a bit of mutual preening.
Tosh when he was 16
Sadly both Tosh and Pearl Girl are no longer with us, Tosh having succumbed to old age and Pearl Girl to liver failure a few years ago.
That’s it for part 2, the third and final part will follow shortly.
