An astonishing thing this morning when I went out: I saw two of the Brave Three on the roof of the football changing rooms and one had a stone in his beak. I say he as I am sure it was CD. He held the stone and dropped it over the little step in the roof. The two of them watched it fall. I thought they were playing.
Of course, it could have been a snail and they were trying to break the shell. But when it fell, they did not inspect it. Instead they picked up another thing and dropped that.
I was shaking my head in disbelief as I walked past, only to realise that I was being watched.
As I was progressing with my feeding, CD flew over to a sweet wrapper and started to explore it. Again, this seemed more like play than a quest for food. He folded it. Picked it up in his beak. Jumped on it. I had seen him before engrossed in sticks, tearing bark off and shredding the wood. At the time I thought he wanted insects but now I think he was just messing about.
And here he is doing an imitation of the Fluffies...
That was because the Driveways were flying outside their territory.
Anyway, I thought, maybe he'd like a real toy! So I took the feathered mouse out in the afternoon. This was a big mistake. The feathered mouse was seen by both CD and the Fluffies as EVIL. CD and Droopy Wing would not even eat the food that had been near the mouse. Tomorrow I will offer a small ball in subdued colours.
But, play. This kind of exploratory behaviour opens up new opportunities. I posted a picture of two of the Brave Three picking up a plastic bag - they were extracting crumbs from it. Such exploration also, presumably, enhances dexterity and knowledge. But the fact that they have leisure and tolerance to explore and play suggests that they are, in a way, affluent. They live in a good-enough situation to waste resources on actions that do not guarantee any benefit. I know they don't need to explore as CD is clearly not hungry - he caches everything I give him and now turns up his beak at dog treats. Only suet pellets are acceptable.
Incidentally, Diva is definitely spying on me. She is there pretty much every time I open the front door.
Oh and FF - the Fluffy Feisty - is the Feisty with the limp. I think the foot does look swollen. The other brave Feisty, who demands food, shall be heretofore known as Scruffy. Her tail and wing feathers are all incredibly bedraggled. I make sure to feed them as they might need a helping hand.
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