Last night while taking my dog Jack for his nightly constitutional in the back yard, I nearly become the landing pad for a brightly colored orange/red parrot. I call for my husband and he gets the camera. The bird lands on our back fence and walks along it like he owns the place. We think it's hungry so I get some dry dogfood and a dish of water. It eats out of our hands! We try to catch it, but it's too smart. We even try using a towel, but it flies up into the trees. By this time, it's dark. So, we figure that's it and go inside.

This morning, I take Jack out for his morning walk around the back yard and search for the parrot. I can't find it. I hear a screech and look over into our neighbor's yard and there's the parrot sitting on their clothesline.

I call hubby on the phone to tell him the parrot is still around. The bird hears my voice and flies back into our yard, right at me again, trying to land on my head. It follows me through the yard, from tree to tree until we get to our back patio, where it sits on a plant stand. I go inside and get some more dry dogfood and a dish of water, which it appreciates and begins to munch happily.

Figuring we might just have something here, I drive up to the pet store a mile away and purchase a cage and a bag of parrot/conure food. I come home and find the parrot sitting in my gutter above my back door. I set up the cage and fill the dishes with food and water. Then I call up to the parrot to "come here" which it does! It flies right down and starts walking around on the top of the cage. I coax it inside by tempting it with some new food and in he goes, and that's where he's at right now.

I'm watching the lost ads in the newspaper to see if anyone lost a bird, but it's very possible he escaped from Busch Gardens or the local zoo. I talked to the pet store owner and he said if he escaped they don't want him back. He has a metal band around his foot that says TPA,FL. for Tampa, Florida.

As for now, he's quite welcome to set up a new home here with us. I've been studying the Internet learning all I can about Sun Conures.

The bird and I seemed to have bonded in some way. He likes my voice and comes when I say "come here". He is still kind of skittish so doesn't like a lot of movement around him. He even imitates me when I bob my head.

I call it a "him" even though I don't really know. For all I know it could be a she. Females have a rounder head, males are more squarish - According to pages on the Internet.

I just thought I'd tell you'all about my adventure today and how it turned out.

Oh how very exciting and how fortunate the bird was to find you two, people that love animals. Looks like you have a new pet, one that will give you hours of pleasure and fun. Congratulations to you all....

Thanks Chatty. I felt so bad for him, being out and about with no place to call home. I was afraid he'd become cat food. Our neighborhood has a lot of feral cats.

My dog Jack seems to be fascinated with the bird. He already knows, "Where's the bird?". However, the bird doesn't seem to be too thrilled about Jack.

Birds are so fascinating, and so very smart. Have you named him, yet?

I haven't figured out a name for him yet. I just call him "Bird"...

He's brilliant reddish/orange with green and blue wings and tail with a dash of yellow

You know Vicki he has all the vibrant colors of a mexican Pinyata. (spelling??) and since you first spotted him in a tree where they hang Pinyatas maybe the name would fit him?? So colorful and full of sweetness!

Pinata, would be a nice name, but I don't want anyone thinking he can be hit like a Pinata.

Oh, I love this story!!!!! Conure's are so sweet. You did bring the cage inside, right? How lucky for the bird and you. Please keep us posted.

Today the adventure continues. Bird and I took a ride down to the local petstore (where I bought the cage and food yesterday). I got his wings clipped and his nails trimmed.

I think he enjoyed the car ride. He stayed on the side of his cage, closest to the window so he could look outside.

I've called all the vets and animal/bird hospitals in the area asking if anyone has reported a parrot missing and left my name and number in case anyone calls in.

We've identified the breeder from his leg tag, so we can do some research in that direction to find his owner.

I got him a couple of toys to play with in his cage, so he's not so bored.

I love this adventure!! He's a blessed bird to have found YOU.