While I originally stole the name of Briar Rose off a character from the Fable franchise, I've ended up turning out more like the Briar Rose from Sleeping Beauty, with my own little posse of animal friends. ^_^
Incase you missed him from the Pink Whale thread, here is my little friend Hedly the Hedgehog. ^_^
We found him underneath our outdoor bench. He used to live in our back garden but then we moved house and had to say goodbye... But now, I've made a new friend! Meet Pidgey the pigeon! ^_^
We found him on the edge of the road under a bridge. He's a fledgling that can't quite fly yet. His nest was too high to put him back and the area was too dangerous to leave him on the ground, so we took him home with us! He's super friendly and loves being stroked. ^_^
He really is! My boyfriend's dad's friend raises pigeons, and he says that Pidgey looks nice and healthy and should be ready to fly in about a week, so we're going to take care of him until then. ^_^
They're racing pigeons! (Would've given him Pidgey to look after, but he lives in Turkey and is only here on holiday.) And Pidgey is shitting everywhere, but we gave him a little wicker basket lined with newspaper to sleep in, so at least most of the mess is confined to that :p
Yeah, they take them over to other countries and then race them to see who can make it home the fastest. ^_^
Yeah, we made the same mistake with a fledgling magpie once. Couldn't fly, took him home, googled it, realized there was absolutely nothing wrong with him and took him straight back to the park. :p
Naughty Miz! >.<
Oh, I forgot to say, one thing that's super cute is that he seems to love it when we play youtube videos of pigeons cooing. ^_^
I trust Hedley implicitly. He seems like he could help me escape from a city.
He seems like the kind of hedgehog you can really live and learn from.
doesn't really look like a pidgey to me
Pidgey flew away already! Super proud... But I miss him. :'(
Yeah, I am pretty concerned about him. I mean, we took him out into the garden so he could practice flying, and for ages he barely managed to get from the table to the chair next to it... Then all of a sudden, he managed to get on the roof... Then to the neighbour's roof... And I think he was up there for a few hours. Not sure where he went from there but I wish I'd waited until he was a little older before I took him outside. I just assumed he wouldn't be able to get very far.
Yeah, I'm sure he'll be okay... I just wish I hadn't ordered all those pigeon bands now. I wanted to get Pidgey a pigeon band, so I'd be able to recognise him if he came back... But apparently, you can't buy individual pigeon bands. You have to by them in bulk... So... Can anyone think of a use for 100 pigeon bands, now that I don't have any pigeons?
I do, in fact!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IG7CVRbZdA
... What the actual fuckitty fuck? >.<
Of course! ^_^
Super cute! :]
Good news! I saw Pidgey on the neighbour's roof again today, and there was another pigeon who looked like she was feeding him. I looked it up and apparently it's quite common for adult pigeons to adopt orphan babies... Pidgey has a new Mummy! ^_^
The cuteness factor in this thread raised from 100,000 to a billion.
They're not there right now, but if I see them again, I'll take a picture. ^_^
A new friend has come to visit our garden. We will leave some peanuts out for him in the hopes that he comes back. Our dog was not impressed, but I like him! I shall call him Nutsy. (Also there was a new hedgehog in the garden yesterday, but it was too dark for me to take a pic. I love our new house!) ^_^
Awww, so precious! Nutsy's adorable. :]
And now, for another tale of Briar's friendly forest critters.
Yesterday morning, my boyfriend saw a robin outside the door to the back garden, weirdly close to the house. He thought maybe it was begging for food, so he got some seeds to take to the little guy. Turns out though, the robin wasn't after food. there was an adorable little fledgling robin, just learning how to fly, who had somehow gotten himself stuck between the house and the little outdoor step. So my boyfriend jiggled the step away, scooped up the little guy and took him over the the bird table, where he provided the tiny robin with more seeds than his little heart could desire.
Alas, sweet readers, but this story has a sad ending.
The little fledgling robin decided to try out flying again and made a beeline for the house. (Our theory is that he saw my boyfriend through the window and wanted to thank him for rescuing him and giving him food.) But tragically, it wasn't meant to be. The little flegeling robin flew straight into the window, crashed to the floor and perished shortly after. A moment of silence please, for our tiny fallen friend. :'(
And sad. :'(
Here's a fun new addition to Briar's garden... A couple of parakeets! ^_^
Don't usually get them in England, but a few of them escaped from somewhere a few years ago and then they just bred like crazy, so now they're everywhere in my local area. Very pretty. ^_^
OMG, poor little thing! Did it survive?
I am going to assume that you nursed it back to health and are currently keeping it as a pet. ^_^
Well, we don't have gophers in the U.K. I guess it's easy to find animals cute when you don't actually have to deal with all the shit they cause. I wonder how cute rural Indian villagers would find a wild tiger.
And awhhh! Pretty deer! ^_^
New hedgehog friend! My doggie was barking like mad last night and when we went to see why, she had this poor little guy terrified, all curled up in a ball in the middle of our garden. She had no idea what to do with it and was just kind of tapping it with her paw like, "What's this thing? ... Ouch! ... But what is it?... Ouch! ... Is it food? ... Ouch! ... Poking this thing hurts... Ouch! I should really stop... ... ... Ouch!" So we took the naughty doggy in and then just kind of chilled with the terrified hedgehog and took pictures of it until it finally worked up the courage to uncurl itself and scamper away... I shall call him Mr Snuffles. ^_^
Only hedgehogs don't get into anything, or cause any trouble and are basically just there to be adorable. ^_^
Well, we don't exactly have scorpions, but at least they keep our lawns slug free. ^_^
... Also, is it weird that I'm kind of jealous that you guys get racoons? I mean, I know they're a pain in the ass and all, but they just look so cute! ^_^
Okay, maybe not so jealous now. Was unaware that racoons were chicken rapists.
Wow, what little cunts. Yeah, our wildlife is much nicer. I mean a fox will rip a coop of chickens to shreds, but at least it's more difficult for the fox to get to them.
It's a kitty burrito! ^_^
Lol. Yeah, very true. One of my cats used to disappear for days on end, then suddenly return looking extremely well fed and happy. Also it would often turn it's nose up at it's cat food like, "Bitch, you really think I'm gonna eat Whiskas now? My other family be feeding me Sheba." :p
I'd love to say the same thing for the ones in my garden, but they come to steal and eat my ducks eggs. And now I don't get my omelet every morning. >:[
Otherwise they are the cutest things alive (after my ducks of course).
You fucking have pet ducks? O.O
I do ! They have plenty of space in our garden to take a stroll :)
They spend their days outside, and don't leave the garden. But sometimes they get to our door to demand more food (we don't know how since we placed fences, and this duck species can't fly).
Roger that for the next time :)
My ducks are "Indian Runner". It's a breed that can't fly and is well recognizable for their straight posture. We got them after our cat we had for 10 years unfortunately passed away. We didn't want to replace him with another cat, yet the garden felt empty. So we got those two female ducks, from a breed known to be ok living in a garden. They also eat snails and slugs, which is useful for our vegetables since we don't use chemicals.
We don't have any ducks, but there is a pond really close to where I live with beautiful geese. The geese can be really mean though. One time my friend and I were hanging out by the pond when he got too close to the goose and it started chasing him! It was pretty funny.
It's no coincidence that they made a game about a goose being a dick.
Can't agree more on that
OMG, I love them so much!!! I especially love the fact that in the first picture they're doing the exact same pose as the ducks on the sign behind them. :p
It's my favourite picture of them, representing the duo perfectly
We get squirrels. Evil, evil squirrels who keep messing up the bird feeder. >:[
But they're hungry! <3
I know, but they keep scaring away the birds. :[
You're right. It's time. I'll go get my llama herd.
Also forgot to mention that we have red squirrels. They're pretty awesome. ^_^
Was looking into other British animals that you don't get in America. Do you guys really not get robins?
The funny thing is until I looked it up, I didn't realize we didn't have hedgehogs. I just figured I'd never seen one in the wild running around, since I know I've seen them in zoos.
I'm pretty sure I've seen robins. Though there's probably different versions of them.
These are American Robins:
Named after European Robins because of the distinctive red chest, but not actually related to European Robins. They're actually a member of the Thrush family.
And this is a European Robin:
A lot tinier than the American Robin, about the size of a Sparrow. You may remember them from pretty much every single Christmas Card your Granny's ever sent you.
... Should probably add that I think we have a robin nest in our hedge. ^_^
It's even cuter when it bathes in a gutter and dive in like in a pool.
You're missing something....
Also, apprently, Americans don't get blue tits, which is a shame because I think they're the cutest birds. ^_^
I'd say the coolest birds we get in our garden are the parakeets. Though my boyfriend has seen a bird of prey in the garden eating a pigeon, but he wasn't sure what kind. Bigger than a kestrel, so probably either a Sparrowhawk or a Peregrine Falcon. Really hope I see it because birds of prey are my favourite.
Also there's this weird, super colourful bird that I've seen a few times but have absolutely no idea what it is. It always flies off before I can get a picture. >.<
We have tits of every size and color
Who exactly, besides Smurfette, has blue tits?
I'll get back to you on that.
My biology teacher wrote a whole book about them. While cute, they're an invasive species with pretty severe environmental consequences.
Has anyone made a drawing of Avery surrounded by the animals listed on the thread? Because if not, then I could do that.
... I should mention that I also have a little mouse who lives in my shed. ^_^
At this rate, it will end up looking like this....
Quick update to let everyone know that I will actually try and attempt this.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand done! Any thoughts?
I shall never expose myself!
-signed, A Llama
Happy Easter everyone! New update to my friendly forest critter saga. My boyfriend found an injured hedgehog by the side of the road. We think he has something wrong with his back leg, so he took him home to care for him until the vets are open. We have named him Sonichu. ^_^ Did some research on sick/injured hedgehogs and apparently they're very susceptible to hypothermia, so we gave him a hot water bottle and wrapped him up in a blankie to keep warm. Going to take him out for a little wander this evening to check if it is his backleg that's the problem, or if it's something else. Will keep you guys updated!
... And he died. Now I'm sad :'(
F
Well, at least his last moments were in a more comfortable and warmer setting.
True, and if you find hedgehogs out in the daylight, it's generally safe to assume they're very ill, so there's probably nothing more we could have done. :(
On a lighter note, Mr Snuffles has come out of hibernation recently and is doing great! We have bought him a little hedgehog house where we leave him food and water, and while he doesn't actually live there, he goes there for his dinner every night, so I guess it'd be more accurate to call it a hedgehog restaurant. Here he is! ^_^
I have a new friend. Her name is Spearow! Our mean old dog caught her in the garden. We think she's probably a fledgling as she can fly, but not very far. She was hopping about, right next to our dog, not scared at all, and the dog just went for her. Luckily my boyfriend managed to rescue her. No bleeding or serious damage that we can see. Just a bit confused and disorientated. There's something weird going on with her beak where one side of the beak crosses over the other. My boyfriend thinks the dog may have done some damage to her jaw, but I looked it up, and apparently there's something called cross-beak, which is quite commonly found in chickens. Not sure if other birds can get it, but that's certainly what it looks like to me. Anyways, not really sure what to do with her. Doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong with her other than that she's in shock. We did try to let her go in the garden, but since she can't fly very far, we figured it'd be best to keep her in the cabin until the dog goes back inside, since we don't want the dog to get at her again. Will keep you updated. ^_^
... And, she also died. Apparently I am not very good at taking care of animals :'(
You know I was actually going to post after your first post about the bird and saying "Let's hope this goes better than last time." Just as well as I didn't.
Well once again at least she was in a comfortable setting before going to that great aviary beyond.
You gave them more care than most would even bother. I think they were grateful for it at the end.
Figured it was the least we could do since our dog nearly ate her. :p
On a more positive note than my last couple of posts, me and Mr Snuffles are bestest buddies now. He waddles right up to me and eats food out of my hand. ^_^
Your hand was so exactly still till the end, I thought this was a camera setup to see who's been stealing food from you while you're sleeping
Finally caught the thieving bastard! ^_^
Good news! The best of news! Mr Snuffles is in fact a Mrs Snuffles and has produced a Mini Snuffles. Look how tiny! ^_^
Well, you can never tell until they're popping out miniature versions of themselves.
Aww kitty
Pointy kitty. ^_^
Bloody hell, the amount of injured animals me and my boyfriend bring home, you'd think we were wondering around the neighborhood with a net and a baseball bat looking for unsuspecting critters to knock out, just so we had an excuse to bring them home.
Anyway, our latest friend is a little pussy cat. We found him wondering around down our street with a really bad limp (we think his leg might be broken.) Anyway, he was meowing really loud and hobbled over to us, wanting to be petted. He didn't have a collar, so we knocked on all the nearby doors but nobody owned the cat or knew who the cat belonged to, so we took him home and put up posters all around the area and posted on local lost pet groups on facebook. We think he may have been lost for awhile because he is quite thin and was very, very happy to be fed. Unfortunately all the vets were closed, so we're going to take him in the morning if the owners haven't contacted us by then.
He is probably the friendliest kitty I have ever met. He just wants to be cuddled and petted all the time. Was unable to do much this evening because kitty was on my lap and he was purring so happily, I just couldn't bring myself to move. We love him and have named him Limpy.
I really hope this goes better than the last few times...
If he dies, me cries. :'(
We have taken Limpy to the vet. Going to keep in touch to see how he's doing.
Happy news! The vets have found a new owner for Limpy. Her leg may need to be amputated, but her new owner is someone who has experience with injured animals and can provide them with the extra care they need. Her new name is Wobbles. ^_^
So just a maiming this time. Getting better!
Yep! Hopefully one day we'll be able to save an animal with all of it's limbs intact. ^_^
That's great to hear.
Sorry, I missed this when it was posted. Pic not actually working for me but whatever animal you found, I'm glad it survived... So long as it wasn't a wasp. I don't like wasps.
Pigeons are doves, miz. They're in the same family. So, y'know, don't feel too bad about misidentifying one or the other, they're pretty much the same bird.
Awh, he's got a tag. Must be a homing pigeon. ^_^
Haven't updated this thread in a long time. Should do a big update for all the injured animals I've found in the past year, I've missed out quite a few. Anyways... Meet Maggie the Magpie!
My boyfriend found her in the park. She had fallen out of her nest. At first we thought she had broken her legs because she can't walk or stand. I was really upset because our plan was to take her to the vet in the morning, but all the forums on injured birds I looked at said the vet would probably either put the bird down or just abandon it somewhere to die, and there aren't any local bird sanctuaries anywhere, so I figured the poor guy didn't really have any chance. After watching videos on baby magpies though, it seems that it's quite normal for fledglings his age not to be able to walk or stand on their own, so hopefully he'll be okay, and after he's grown a bit, we can just let him fly away. ^_^
Sad news, I'm afraid. Poor little critter died in the night. Chirp in peace. :'(
Yeah I think out of the 4 baby birds (And even a couple baby squirrels) that fell out of a nest near my old house as a kid only one of them actually lived.
I like to think that Pidgey's still okay and flying around happily somewhere. ^_^
Shame to hear that. That sucks :(
I could not control my laughter at this post, damn. It's sad and all but like... as soon as I saw the thread being updated I thought "oh another pet died" and then turns out I was right...
Should rename the thread to something more appropriate.
I really do get the image of you being a Disney princess surrounded by dead animals now.
I shall become a necromancer and create an army of adorable, undead friends. ^_^
There's an idea for a storygame
Anyways, here's all the animal updates I forgot to post.
This is Pidgey the 2nd:
We found him in our garden. The neighbour's cat attacked him and he was injured pretty badly. It was a Sunday so the vet's were closed, so we just put him in a cozy box and gave him some seeds and water. Were planning on taking him to the vets in the morning, but by then he had died. Poor guy. Bad cat.
This is Butters the Butterfly:
Found him hopping around on the pavement with a broken wing, so brought him home and fed him some sugar water. The next day I went to the local garden center and got him a little plant to snack on and a butterfly house to live in. By the time I got back home he was dead. Went back to the garden center and got a refund. >.< On a happier note, on the way to work one day, I saw this little guy!
Teeny tiny little baby hedgehog, just wondering around in broad daylight. He didn't look injured or distressed at all, and apparently it isn't abnormal for baby hedgehogs to be seen out in the day as they like to explore, but this guy was right next to a very busy road and I figured, even if there is nothing wrong with him and his mother is nearby, if I leave him there he is going to end up a squashed hedgehog very soon. So, not wanting to leave him so close to the road, I picked him up (with great difficulty, he was very prickly) and took him to work with me. Luckily all the people I work with are animal lovers and one of the ladies I work with had the number for a local hedgehog sanctuary. Everybody at work fussed over him until a volunteer from the sanctuary came to pick him up. They named him Cinnamon and took care of him until he was big and strong enough to be rehomed. ^_^ Best update of all. We heard from Wobbles the cat's new owner. She didn't need to have her leg amputated after all and she is very healthy and happy. This is her now. ^_^
I don't have any pictures, but a couple days ago while driving to work in the morning, there was a box turtle crossing the road.
So I picked him up and put him on the other side where he was heading. He was still alive when I left him, though probably confused about his brief airborne adventure.
... Wait... Did... Did @MadHattersDaughter predict the future?
There's a particularly friendly pigeon who visits our garden who will hop right over to you and ask you for food. Then eat the seeds right out of your hand... Now he's got all his buddies joining in! Now all I need is to catch a couple of mice, squueze them into waist coats, and my Disney Princess army will be complete! ^_^
