WHILE OUT ONE DAY WITH ME IN MY TROLLEY, WE SAW A NEIGHBOUR WALKING UP THE ROAD IN FRONT OF US.

AS WE APPROACHED HE TOLD US ABOUT A PARROT WHO HAD GONE MISSING FROM A HOUSE A FEW DOORS DOWN FROM HIM.

THE NEIGHBOUR SEEMED GENUINELY CONCERNED.

FEELING SORRY, AND UPSET FOR THE PEOPLE LEFT IN THIS SITUATION, WE APPROACHED THEM AT HOME TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY WAY WE COULD HELP. PERHAPS WE COULD GO OUT AND LOOK WITH THEM OR HELP THEM TO 'FLYER' THE AREA....

ANYTHING.  WE DIDN'T MIND.  IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO US...

THE MAN JUST DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO CARE AT ALL. HE DIDNT WANT TO DO FLYERS. DIDNT WANT TO GO OUT AND LOOK  LOCALLY OR AFAR. DIDNT WANT TO APPROACH THE POLICE OR  THE PRESS.... ACTUALLY DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO CARE....

AS WE TALKED TO THE MAN, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT HE REALLY DIDN'T CARE WHETHER THIS POOR LITTLE ONE EVER CAME HOME OR NOT...

WE LEFT OUR PHONE NUMBER, AND SAID THAT IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE THOUGHT OF, OR ANY WAY WE COULD HELP TO PLEASE NOT BE AFRAID TO GET IN TOUCH...WE'D BE THERE...

IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MISSING BIRD, WE FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS BADLY  FEATHER-PLUCKED AND HE SOUNDED AS THOUGH HE WASN'T HAVING A VERY GOOD TIME OF IT AT ALL...

MUMMY SAID HE'D PROBABLY RIPPED ALL HIS FEATHERS OUT BECAUSE HE WAS EITHER BORED OR SAD... HE HASN'T GOT ANY TOYS AND I'VE GOT A WHOLE TWO STORAGE BOXES FULL. WE WERE GOING TO SORT OUT AND GET SOME DOWN TO HIM, BUT...

AT ONE POINT OF THE CONVERSATION, 'DAD' THREATENED TO PUT  THE BIRD THROUGH MUMMY'S LETTERBOX....THING IS MY MUMMY WOULD HAVE LOVED FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. COS AUNTIE ELLIE WHO USED TO HAVE A PARROT CALLED 'BENSON' WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE GIVEN HIM A GOOD HOME....

A FEW DAYS LATER, WE HEARD THROUGH ANOTHER NEIGHBOUR THAT THE BIRD HAD BEEN FOUND, AND WAS NOW SAFE AND SOUND BACK AT HOME, WELL... BACK AT HOME ANYWAY... HE'D BEEN FOUND AT THE LOCAL 'HOMEBASE' SUPERSTORE (LOOKING FOR MATERIALS TO MAKE A NEW HOME, PERHAPS!!)

WE ARE HOPING THAT WITH ANY LUCK, PERHAPS HIS DAD WILL REALISE, NOW THAT HE'S GOT HIM BACK, JUST HOW MUCH HE LOVES AND MISSED HIM, AND WILL TAKE LOTS MORE CARE OF   HIM IN THE FUTURE..