Parrots living Dangerously

I feed beautiful Crimson Rosellas during winter on my studio deck. They disappear in summer when there is plenty of wild food, but during the colder months they are very attentive, whistling to me when they hear me in the yard and hanging off the window frame peering in at me when I begin to paint.













We also have lots of rabbits, who tear up my garden, and dig warrens into the steep bank next to my studio, which could bring the bank down and cause catastrophic damage. My partner is a terrible shot, so I have to resort to poisoning them, which I hate. But too many bunnies means no garden and the dogs go crazy at them through the fences.

I laid out some Rabbait (Pindone) in neat piles and the rabbits duly nibbled away at them. Rabbait works by depleting Vitamin K over a series of feeding days, so successive feeds are necessary to 'do the job'.

Yesterday morning I went out to check, and my lovely parrots were nibbling away at the seed. The experts say the seed is dyed green to deter birds, as they usually like red and yellow colours. Not my hungry parrots, it would seem. I chased them away, dug the seed into the ground and covered it with mulch, and got on the Rabbait website. It stated that parrots husk their seed which left them without eating the Pindone, but I am now very nervous about using it. My beautiful feathered friends are too valuable to risk.

I can do carrots in a concentrate, so may try that next. Poor bunnies.

My studio heater is fixed, finally, so I am looking forward to getting out there tomorrow. Back to work!