Blackbelly:
In writing a diary, sometimes there are moments of long pauses, not because things have been uneventful or unworthy of being recorded, but perhaps the events do not strike the cords of writers fancy. I think I have had a fair share of that long pause and hence, and now I’m back to my diary desk.

Welcome
Update! Update!

The morning of February 22nd 2018 started like every other morning for me. I woke up, had some reflections, took Scofield for his routine outdoor visit, went inside to freshen up for the day while listening to his whistles, and crazy noises livening up the once quiet environment. One or two times I may have smiled or chuckled at the ways he tried to copy some of my phrases. After my breakfast, I went outside, picked him up and took him back to his cage, changed the water in his watering can, served one spoonful of millet into one of his feeding can and one spoonful of sorghum into the other, I gave one quick look at everything to make sure all was in place and as soon as I was ok with his welfare, I turned around and made for the exit. Just as I turned to leave, he whistled a particular tune (he made this tune whenever he wanted my attention). I liken this gesture of his to a young lad who grumbles in protest when he’s served a meal that he doesn’t like in the hope that his grumbling will make mum change the meal. There were times when I had let Scofield have his way by changing the food because of his annoying persistence, but today was definitely not one of those days. I turned around and walked briskly towards the door, but just as I was about parting the curtains, Scofield let out a long kissing sound. You see, Scofield was smart enough to remember that while I was training him to make the kissing sound on cue, I always gave him his favourite treat whenever he got it right, so he would sometimes make the sound even when I haven’t given the cue in hope of getting a treat. But this particular morning I ignored him because he needed a calcium containing diet and not just his regular favourites.

5:30pm met Scofield outside on his favorite perch, a small tree by the side of my house. He climbed to the top and was visibly excited by the evening breeze. He was both preening and making random chirps at the same time. I felt a little bit of concern about his excitement as I have known him to attempt flight when he’s very excited but I shrugged it off as I thought to myself “he can only fly a few feet at a time, after all he has only three fully grown primary flight feathers and he’ll need at least five of those to go a considerable extent”. My second reason for allowing him remain at that spot was to study his reaction as night falls, if he’ll make any attempt to fly towards the veranda, an attempt I would have considered a significant step in allowing him keep his flight feathers so long as he knew the location of his home.

As a precaution, I sat at a spot in the veranda where I could easily monitor his activity in order to mitigate the risks involved. Every few minutes, I would raise up my head from reading a thread on Nairaland and holla at him just to reassure him that I was nearby, he would whistle back at me and continue his preening business. Few seconds later, I raised up my head to check on him only to see empty branches. My heart skipped a beat as I quickly stood up from where I sat to have a proper look at the tree and alas he was not there. I bolted like a crazy fellow out of the veranda to check what had happened to my ‘boy’...alas! my worst fears...

Ever since I got Scofield, I have had fears of losing him to disease, cats, hawks, street kids…and with the growth of his flight feathers; I had one more fear to worry about. As I paced back and forth around my house and nearby bushes calling out to him in the hope of him replying, it became clear that my fears have now become real. At 6:35pm Scofield was gone! I told neighbours around that my parrot was missing and even had reward in mind for whoever found and returned him to me. Some assured me that it will surely come back home, when it finds that the food I give it is sweeter than the food in the bush (talk about superstition!). I went to bed with a consolation that most likely, I would hear him chirping and whistling in the morning. Strangely I went to bed without fear of finding him the next day.

Asleep on my bed, I was bombarded with all kinds of dreams about finding Scofield. The last of those dreams was so real that I woke up happy that I have found Scofield. The feeling wore out when I became fully conscious of my environment. I quickly dressed up and went outside to listen for his morning whistles and squawks, but all I could hear was the chirping of other birds. I called and whistled but still, nothing. After almost thirty minutes, the reality clearly dawned on me that my beautiful, lively, friendly, affectionate, noisy and sometimes annoying little feathered friend was gone. The hurt and guilt I felt at that moment cannot be put in writing. If only I could hear someone say “hey! Your bird is over here” or “look your parrot is over there” but sadly no one had such news for me, at least not today. At that moment when his loss dawned on me, if I was told to climb a mountain or swim across a river to get him back, believe me I would have dared it.

In all, I think the hardest part in having a pet is not the cost of purchasing one neither is it the time and labour put into developing a relationship with them, but rather the pain and hurt one experiences in losing them especially when one has grown fond of them. You may ask “what really happened to Scofield?” Truth is, I have absolutely no idea. One second he was there, another second, gone! If he had died in my hands, though it would have hurt as much, I think I would have had some sort of closure. Right now, many thoughts still linger in my mind: “could it be a bird of prey swooped in on him?” “Could it be a cat?” “Could It be he took to the air in excitement and landed in a thick bush some distance away and is unable to get out? Coming back home from work today, I realized that Scofield was no longer there to respond to the sound of my voice or amuse me with his funny mimicry of my words. This really made me treasure the time he was with me, howbeit life must go on.
Knowing that someone out there is reading my thoughts and probably understands my hurt will perhaps bring me the closure I so desire.

As I reminiscence over the pain I have had to deal with when I lost hitler, snow white and dipstick my pet Newzealand rabbits, or ding-ding, my west african giant rat, or rex, my cross bred Alsatian dog...never at any point has the pain coursed through my being like the pain of losing scofield. I guess the reason for this is not because I was fond of him, but because he was especially fond of me.

Damn so sorry bro, only a true animal lover will understand how you feel.. Just take some time out and get another parrot, ensure you invest in a harness some other time.My brother's parrot disappeared about eight years it took him time to get over it, getting another one helped..

I have thoroughly enjoyed your right up, shame it had to earn this way..life goes on bro.

Blackbelly:
As I reminiscence over the pain I have had to deal with when I lost hitler, snow white and dipstick my pet Newzealand rabbits, or ding-ding, my west african giant rat, or rex, my cross bred Alsatian dog...never at any point has the pain coursed through my being like the pain of losing scofield. I guess the reason for this is not because I was fond of him, but because he was especially fond of me.

You actually lost it? I thought you were just trying to keep us in suspense.
Sorry bro. It's so sad.

I felt worse when I lost kiwi... Sorry bro

Thanks guys for your words of comfort. I'm gradually getting over the loss of scofield. I think I'll get another parrot in no distant time

AgentXxx:
I felt worse when I lost kiwi... Sorry bro

kiwi looks cute. How long did u keep him?

please tell me it's all a joke. I couldn't really read through because the suspense was too much.

Arrgh Bros, ar feel your pain... It's heart breaking losing a pet after all the time and devotion all the attachments and how you've grown fond of the lad, then dey gone all of a sudden I know you will feel like he's gon pop out someday like everything was a dream or so... Lost mine last year 2 even tho mine died I kept telling maself if she just popped out arlld forget she died and move on like nothing happened (crazy rii) well the best thing you could do now is get another when ur done mourning Scofield and I do hope he comes back... And even if another wouldn't replace him it sure would makeup for the loss and help you move on

.

donshaize:
Arrgh Bros, ar feel your pain... It's heart breaking losing a pet after all the time and devotion all the attachments and how you've grown fond of the lad, then dey gone all of a sudden I know you will feel like he's gon pop out someday like everything was a dream or so... Lost mine last year 2 even tho mine died I kept telling maself if she just popped out arlld forget she died and move on like nothing happened (crazy rii) well the best thing you could do now is get another when ur done mourning Scofield and I do hope he comes back... And even if another wouldn't replace him it sure would makeup for the loss and help you move on

Bro, u totally understand the feeling. Since Saturday, everytime I'm entering or leaving the house, I always give a quick glance at the tree he was perched hoping to see him. Not seeing him there brings a rush of bitter-sweet memories of the time we shared. I console myself with the fact that he may be alrve somewhere

Blackbelly:
Bro, u totally understand the feeling. Since Saturday, everytime I'm entering or leaving the house, I always give a quick glance at the tree he was perched hoping to see him. Not seeing him there brings a rush of bitter-sweet memories of the time we shared. I console myself with the fact that he may be alrve somewhere

hopefully he would return if iz not been captured or dead our prayers are with you

Blackbelly:
Bro, u totally understand the feeling. Since Saturday, everytime I'm entering or leaving the house, I always give a quick glance at the tree he was perched hoping to see him. Not seeing him there brings a rush of bitter-sweet memories of the time we shared. I console myself with the fact that he may be alrve somewhere

hopefully he would return if iz not been captured or dead our prayers are with you

Oh my God!. Wow. Just seeing this. I really sympathize with you. Weee how wings still clipped ? Was he showing signs he could fly ?. If a cat pounced on Scoffied, he would have given a good fight by shouting and all and you would have seen traces of feathers or probably he was stolen

*were his wings. I sold an Africa gray to a client. It flew and returned after about two weeks. He will return

Blackbelly:
As I reminiscence over the pain I have had to deal with when I lost hitler, snow white and dipstick my pet Newzealand rabbits, or ding-ding, my west african giant rat, or rex, my cross bred Alsatian dog...never at any point has the pain coursed through my being like the pain of losing scofield. I guess the reason for this is not because I was fond of him, but because he was especially fond of me.

I share your pains blackbelly. I stumbled on this thread just this morning and I followed it to the end. I owned a parrot toonand I totally relate to your experience. A lovely bird I must say. Mine wasn't as 'difficult' Scofield though. We bonded within a month. I carry her with my bare hands, let her roam freely within the house and the compound. (She hangs on the curtains or window burglary bars or her cage, walks into a room she desires whichever suits her). She whistles, coos etc Funny, as soon as she hears my car coming in from work, she leaps from her cage and starts walking out to the gate to come meet me squawking. Oh She loves to sit on my shoulder too. Once I stretch my hand, she leaps on my arm and walks her way up the elbow and settles on my shoulder, picks my hair and nibbles on my ear sometimes. She only fought with my girlfriend then. Lovely bird. Her name was Ella.

WHEN I LOST HER
I took a trip that extended into a couple days. When I returned, my Ella has walked out of her cage possibly in search of me and was no where to be found. Unfortunately she strayed out of the gate and disappeared! Salt to injury, we had a bad thunderstorm. I was mad and furious at my neighbors, I still feel they let it happen. My endless search yielded no fruit, I cried and later resigned to fate.

About a week later, a neighbour came knocking saying she saw my bird. Ella was dead in an uncompleted building . Decomposition had started but her feathers were still resplendent. She must have suffered the cold and starved to death.

I picked her carcass and buried her, gave all her items away and moved on.

adecamp:
Oh my God!. Wow. Just seeing this. I really sympathize with you. Weee how wings still clipped ? Was he showing signs he could fly ?. If a cat pounced on Scoffied, he would have given a good fight by shouting and all and you would have seen traces of feathers or probably he was stolen

He showed few signs of flight, but he glided no more than 10ft. I don't think it was a cat or a case of theft, I think he flew away probably with help from the evening breeze that day. I have laid down any hope of ever seeing him again though. Thanks for the encouragement

laivwire:


I share your pains blackbelly. I stumbled on this thread just this morning and I followed it to the end. I owned a parrot toonand I totally relate to your experience. A lovely bird I must say. Mine wasn't as 'difficult' Scofield though. We bonded within a month. I carry her with my bare hands, let her roam freely within the house and the compound. (She hangs on the curtains or window burglary bars or her cage, walks into a room she desires whichever suits her). She whistles, coos etc Funny, as soon as she hears my car coming in from work, she leaps from her cage and starts walking out to the gate to come meet me squawking. Oh She loves to sit on my shoulder too. Once I stretch my hand, she leaps on my arm and walks her way up the elbow and settles on my shoulder, picks my hair and nibbles on my ear sometimes. She only fought with my girlfriend then. Lovely bird. Her name was Ella.

WHEN I LOST HER
I took a trip that extended into a couple days. When I returned, my Ella has walked out of her cage possibly in search of me and was no where to be found. Unfortunately she strayed out of the gate and disappeared! Salt to injury, we had a bad thunderstorm. I was mad and furious at my neighbors, I still feel they let it happen. My endless search yielded no fruit, I cried and later resigned to fate.

About a week later, a neighbour came knocking saying she saw my bird. Ella was dead in an uncompleted building . Decomposition had started but her feathers were still resplendent. She must have suffered the cold and starved to death.

I picked her carcass and buried her, gave all her items away and moved on.

Such a touching story. I feel your loss. Beautiful bird I must say. I'll surely get one soon

Blackbelly:

He showed few signs of flight, but he glided no more than 10ft. I don't think it was a cat or a case of theft, I think he flew away probably with help from the evening breeze that day. I have laid down any hope of ever seeing him again though. Thanks for the encouragement

Chai..All is well sir. Better things to come. Take heart

Where's our scoffield.

stanvesco:
Where's our scoffield.

Our scofield has gone with the wind. Lol

Blackbelly:
Our scofield has gone with the wind. Lol

Bros if an joke stop am oh.....me I am just waiting for u to end....thats how my colleague left his African Grey named Gold in my house....after we cheated on him and we became lovers...my friend came to reclaim his pet after a while.....Gold died afterwards from heartbreak.

Blackbelly:
5:30pm met Scofield outside on his favorite perch, a small tree by the side of my house. He climbed to the top and was visibly excited by the evening breeze. He was both preening and making random chirps at the same time. I felt a little bit of concern about his excitement as I have known him to attempt flight when he’s very excited but I shrugged it off as I thought to myself “he can only fly a few feet at a time, after all he has only three fully grown primary flight feathers and he’ll need at least five of those to go a considerable extent”. My second reason for allowing him remain at that spot was to study his reaction as night falls, if he’ll make any attempt to fly towards the veranda, an attempt I would have considered a significant step in allowing him keep his flight feathers so long as he knew the location of his home.

As a precaution, I sat at a spot in the veranda where I could easily monitor his activity in order to mitigate the risks involved. Every few minutes, I would raise up my head from reading a thread on Nairaland and holla at him just to reassure him that I was nearby, he would whistle back at me and continue his preening business. Few seconds later, I raised up my head to check on him only to see empty branches. My heart skipped a beat as I quickly stood up from where I sat to have a proper look at the tree and alas he was not there. I bolted like a crazy fellow out of the veranda to check what had happened to my ‘boy’ and I was greeted with intense jabs and upper cuts by my worst fears.

Oh no, you didn't trim his feathers again. I was looking forward to diary entries on that.

The strange thing about losing a pet is that when it is gone you are more aware of its absence. There's a strange feeling of nothing where something once was.

Best of luck getting a replacement. I can't believe he went just like that. You were too​ liberal. You trusted. I think the only kind of pet I can keep is a dog, because a dog will always return home. The other ones are with you for the benefits. Once they see freedom they go.

But sometimes, they say of the things that you love the most, if you love them then let them go.

While I still had scofield, deep down, I knew I wanted him to be free and to roam the skies. I guess my wish was granted in a rather tragic way.

Blackbelly:
While I still had scofield, deep down, I knew I wanted him to be free and to roam the skies. I guess my wish was granted in a rather tragic way.

this is comforting!

Blackbelly:
5:30pm met Scofield outside on his favorite perch, a small tree by the side of my house. He climbed to the top and was visibly excited by the evening breeze. He was both preening and making random chirps at the same time. I felt a little bit of concern about his excitement as I have known him to attempt flight when he’s very excited but I shrugged it off as I thought to myself “he can only fly a few feet at a time, after all he has only three fully grown primary flight feathers and he’ll need at least five of those to go a considerable extent”. My second reason for allowing him remain at that spot was to study his reaction as night falls, if he’ll make any attempt to fly towards the veranda, an attempt I would have considered a significant step in allowing him keep his flight feathers so long as he knew the location of his home.

As a precaution, I sat at a spot in the veranda where I could easily monitor his activity in order to mitigate the risks involved. Every few minutes, I would raise up my head from reading a thread on Nairaland and holla at him just to reassure him that I was nearby, he would whistle back at me and continue his preening business. Few seconds later, I raised up my head to check on him only to see empty branches. My heart skipped a beat as I quickly stood up from where I sat to have a proper look at the tree and alas he was not there. I bolted like a crazy fellow out of the veranda to check what had happened to my ‘boy’ and I was greeted with intense jabs and upper cuts by my worst fears.

Scofield flew away
Thank God... Good riddance to bad rubbish. At least now that Scofield is gone, you can focus on getting a job and stop being lazy. Imagine a grown up man waking up first thing in the morning playing with a bird and chilling in the morning sun. Thats the height of laziness.
Parrot meat is tasty... If i had seen Scofield i would have eaten him with rice.

Blackbelly:
While I still had scofield, deep down, I knew I wanted him to be free and to roam the skies. I guess my wish was granted in a rather tragic way.

If its any comfort, Scofield ended up being a delicacy for a hungry Nigerian. Fried or roasted, parrot meat still tastes good.