# SPOGGY the Aussie sparrow we raised from 1 day old - turns 1 month



## theAussie

*UPDATE!!! SPOGGY the Aussie sparrow we raised from 1 day old*

G'day everyone,

Well.........my husband always had a bit of a dream that he would one day have a tame pet sparrow. I didn't see it happening, we only have a few here, our yard is full of Blue Wrens and starlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh and we got through Spring without having to knock hole no 5 in our wall but we did one internal wall rescue and then there was the juvenile that broke INTO OUR HOUSE 3 times and was found sitting on the cages - same Juvenile, just obviously wanted to live with us but we turfed him out with a kiss and a prayer 3 times and told him to find somewhere else, our ark was pretty full with starlings.

Then, some of you may remember the Black Currawong photos I put up to show you. Something happened for the very first time here. A large flock of over 100 of these incredible birds (think Crow but with a beak twice as thick and a white stripe) and suddenly there was dozens in our yard, on our roof and they sat over the top of every baby bird nest, just waiting and they pretty much got them all. It was like the "Birds" and I was out there yelling and screaming at them to move along and leave my birdies nesting in our roof alone but they were completely unafraid. They stayed 10 days and we still have a few pairs here. 

Mums house is about half a mile away and she has what she calls her 'sparrow tree' and it has a whole colony of sparrows in there, and it is a very dense shrub/tree and sometimes 50 sparrows just fly out of it at the same time to come to the feeder. A pair of Currawongs sat on mum's clothesline and JUST WAITED!!!!!! They will wait a long time and stay very still. Mum happened to look out (as she does at the exact right time) and saw them fly off with their beaks full. She went outside to look around and there on the ground (she nearly stepped on it) was a large nest that she had noticed was on the more outer branches and in quite a vulnerable place. She picked it up and the Currawongs were back, sitting at Mums feet and looking up at her and Mum couldn't believe it, inside the nest was a one day old sparrow and she looked at it and at the Currawong and knowing they had to live too, for a moment she hesitated. But when I saw her car pull up and she got out at that time of the evening with something in her hand - I KNEW - OH NO - Wildlife rescue time and she passed it to me still in its nest (it fell 6 feet but what a cosy nest, all feathers and I dont know of many chickens around here) - she said "I know it wont make it most likely but I thought I would let you try - it's a sparrow"

I looked at it and thought "Crikey" could she have given me one any younger. The youngest bird I had saved to date was orphaned starlings from 5 days. This tiny little thing, that looked all bum - how was I gonna do this? But I took heart because I knew many people on ST had sparrows and there would be people like Terry to ask for help and if I could, then I was gonna make my husbands dream come true. David my husband grew up opposite a soccer oval and would as a young boy, watch the sparrows play. He always thought it would be lovely to have a male sparrow for a pet. Hmmmmmmmmm

My issue was I did not have a heating pad and of course this occured the week before Christmas and there was no postal and I rang the Chemist, the vet in the closest town and no heating pads so I had to go with the heated bag of wheat I use for my neck which was good *but has to be checked each few hours*. 










yep it was about 24 - 36 hours old - Gee Mum, thanks!!! LOL

Ok - so we got the info and the sparrow rescue began and I took night shift, sleeping with an egg timer in 45 min lots as we had some very cold nights, this bird had no sibling to cuddle for warmth and I was unsure of the wheat bag, it was not always constant with its heat - I wanted to keep it warm and not cook the baby and yet, it had to be warm enough to survive - *so I slept in the day, watched over it at night and at 6 am, I passed it to 'Dad' to watch over and feed and we did the baton pass for days.*

OK - HOW FAST DO THESE THINGS GROW.  We began taking pics of it in the morning and then in the afternoon because it grew so much in just a day.

We had issues with clicking noises in it's first week and I was NOT going to get my heart set that it would make it, and we had just lost one of our birds and then a wild baby wren we had tried so hard to save, so my confidence was down - but it grew on queue!! 


















On day 6 - it opened it's eyes and most likely thought "OH NO, my parents are long haired hippies!!!!" ROTF! 

here is a short video without sound of just a few seconds to show you the little thing at day 6 - it was such a funny looking thing.

looked more like a reptile to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmxCi-_Dr40

End of part one, part two coming straight up 

love and light
susan in Tasmania Australia xxxx


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## theAussie

*Spoggy the Aussie Sparrow - part two*

Here is a good shot showing just how fast these little things grow









Ok - so by now, we allowed ourselves to get attached cos it looked like it was gonna make it. Here is the double figures photo



















Well that was how this little baby wormed it's way into our lives and our hearts. And today - *SPOGGY TURNED ONE MONTH OLD!!!!! *


So just to get you up to date on our baby - here is the latest photo and two short vids without sound which I think you may find cute and funny!!!! 










and the videos we put up today are the links below (but if you really are a sucker for more, just click on my name 'trowuttatwo' and you will go to my youtube page and there are about 9 vids of little Spoggy.

THE VIDEOS ARE
Could this be the laziest sparrow in the world? hee hee, well why fly if you dont have to? 

and a 

Cute as! snuggle pie video where she shows just how much she loves to snuggle in Dad's hands. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_mwwkagKHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnubKh1Pyow

my youtube channel is http://www.youtube.com/trowuttatwo and you can subscribe if you would like to see when we update with more wildlife videos from way down here in Tasmania Australia.

*HOW DID THE NAME SPOGGY COME ABOUT???*
All of us, myself, my husband and my Mum all thought of this same name for the bird if it made it. How could that be? Well we all grew up in South Australia and strangely, the word SPOGGY is a slang term for a sparrow. It originated in South Australia sometime before 1974 but the source is no longer known. But anyone from that part of Australia never say "sparrows" - they say, oh look at all the 'spoggies' - so SPOGGY IT WAS. 

love and light
hope these make a day brighter

susan and David and the spoilt Spoggy the sparrow xxxx

PS - It does appear we have a little girl. David always hoped for a boy, thinking they were more striking, but I can tell you, he absolutely adores this birdie and doesn't mind a bit that it is a girl. What it is, is a clown looking for a circus at the moment.


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## flitsnowzoom

Oh, Spoggy is certainly growing up to be such a cutie!!  Glad to find out she's doing so well.


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## Charis

What a precious little bird.
I shared my house with a lovely little House Sparrow named Sparkle for eight years. She suited her name in every way. I raised her from just a wee little thing too and so she always thought of me as mom. Sparkle was a wonderful companion.
I know you will enjoy your sweet little one.


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## maryjane

What a treasure! You did a fantastic job raising her. She is a little miracle.


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## theAussie

*thank you for your kind words*

Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, it is indeed a magical thing to raise something so small and to have it show you such trust. I hope some of you will enjoy the little short videos, they do not have sound and load quickly. You can see some of its sweet and funny behaviour.


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## TAWhatley

Susan .. Gosh! Thank you so much for the great pictures and Spoggy life history. You went way above and beyond, and I appreciate that so much! Thank you! I just adore your little GIRL!

Terry


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## naturegirl

Those little Spoggys are something special and make great pet birds. I have one that was born only with 1 wing her name is "Uno" if someone wouldn't have found her she would have been cat food. She is so funny though as I put a paper souviet in her cage and she plays with it, she pulls one corner up and rolls in it and hides. she also likes to play Peek a Boo. She is adorable. 

Cindy


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## Skyeking

Hi Susan,

That is just a lovely story with pics and video's to match.

Spoggy is a real cutie, thank you so much for sharing.


Cindy,

I'm glad you have such a little cutie too, I raised one when I was little, and they are just too cute.


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## pdpbison

Hi theAussie, 



Wow!


Well done!


Sparrows are so charming, at every age!


Nice to see...


Best wishes!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## mr squeaks

FIRST word thought after reading your adventures and watching videos, was *WOW!!!* Next word...*WOW!!* _Finally_ got off the WOW kick and thought *TERRIFIC!!*  

JUST *SUPER!!* Sure helped make MY day!!

Do I see a BOOK about SPOGGY in the future...complete with pictures???

*WELL DONE!!* I KNOW that DAVID is beside himself!! Oh, and YOU too, of course!  

Susan, please DO keep us updated about SPOGGY's adventures!!

*THANK YOU!!*

WITH LOVE, HUGS AND SCRITCHES

*Shi & Squeaks*


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## Maggie-NC

Susan, well done! Spoggy is the cutest little fellow. I especially loved the picture at 10 days old showing his "mohawk" hairdo. We rehabbed one a few years back and it was the hardest thing in the world to release him. He would ride around on my shoulder and cuddle into my neck....just the sweetest thing! We also got him in as a very young baby and raised him with a baby robin who was, of course, much bigger. He would scoot up under the robin and hide and the robin didn't mind a bit.

We let him get wild in a friend's aviary for a few weeks before release and it sure made a difference. He would hardly come to me when I went to check him out.

Looking forward to more pictures of Spoggy.


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## GimpieLover

OMgoodness! absoultely adorable


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## theAussie

*THANK YOU such lovely warm responses*

Thank you all for taking an interest and looking at little Spoggy. 

I thought you may enjoy these latest videos, the first one is my favourite. It is Spoggy doing his "Dad's Home" Routine, where she shoots out the cage to my husband, then flies to him to me, to him to me, attacking the camera in between. Then dives into his arms. I love this video because it shows my husband and how wonderful he is with the birdies. He loves his little girly - YEP ITS A GIRL. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHH0dneSQMw

You can see the adoration of my husband so well in this clumsy no sound little clip.

Also, Spoggy FINALLY had its first bath in water and David was out so I caught that on video too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSf71gEzeWg

and wowee did she get wet. *Terry was right to call her SOGGY SPOGGY.
*
And finally, this is not related but I would like to show you a short no sound clip showing the sunset and the skyline here the other night. It was such a magnificent sunset and I so wished I could have everyone I knew on my front lawn with me to share it. But I guess this is a little bit like that, I hope it inspires you and makes you smile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs6LOPsm06s

Thank you all again, here are some pics taken yesterday and today, of our little miracle save, Spoggy the Tasmanian Sparrow. 



























ok I love this pic because it seems to me, to convey it's monkeyness. It is a really funny little clown and this pic really shows it's personality well. 

love and light
susan in Tasmania Australia and David with his new girl - Spoggy! xxxx


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## theAussie

Cindy, do you have any photos to share of Uno, your very special Sparrow, I would love to see some

love and light
susan in Tasmania xxxx


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## pdpbison

Ohhhhhhhhh, golly...

I have not had any Sparrows in quite a while, and the ones I tended to get were sick or injured Adults...and only rarely any Babys.


But the adults after their convelescence and into their free fly phase in here, soon became such total easy sociable charmers.


I could not sit or lay in bed reading, without Mr. or Miss Sparrow being on my arm or shoulder, or pecking ( with real persistance!) at some tiny 'mole' on my arm, or, interested in how-come I was interested in the 'print' of the letters and words in the Book.


Ones I had raised of course all the moreso, even to being complete 'cuddle bugs' if they did not get all 'haughty' and "Well! Hufff! Hufff! I am MUCH too grown up to have anything to do with you!"...and either way to one degree or another, once of an age, or once ready, they would 'pace' at the window, so I would soon open the front Door and out they'd fly...


They would fly across the street to visit with the Wild Sparrows they could see through the windows, and, fly back in come dusk...and, they would do that routine for a while, then, stay out a few days, come back for a night, then, stay out for weeks, come back in for a night...then, stay out for good.


I loved how as Sunset would near, I would open the front door, and see a tiny little 'dot' way out in the Sky, somehow I would see it TO find it, and, the tiny 'dot' would be getting closer till I would see it was them, and, I'd stand aside, and at full speed, little Sparrow would fly in, land on something highish, and stand there as if to say, "Well, errrr, uhhhhhhh, whats for supper anyway?"


Golly...


Phil
l v


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## TAWhatley

Thanks, Susan! I really appreciate you sharing the new pictures and videos with us!

I just adore Spoggy!

Terry


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## pigeon kid

oh spoogy! she is so cute... and you did pritty well with her


i hope you two will do well


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## Rooster2312

Hi Susan  

Congratulations to you and David on raising such an adorable little Spoggy  !!

She is so gorgeous and I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at your fantastic pictures and videos! Looking forward to seeing many more.

Well done. She looks really happy and loved.

Lindi


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## theAussie

*heee heee - ITS A BOY!!!!!!!!*

Just a little note to say that SPOGGY turned out to be 

A BOY!!!!!! 

I think I mentioned my husbands dream from a very young age was to have a tame pet male sparrow. Of course he didn't mind a bit when we thought we had a girl, but nope, at 7 weeks of age, this one developed the black triangle front and got darker and darker all over and chocolate on the wings. It's most certainly a boy now. 

HERES SOME UPDATES
this one is called - SPOGGY GET OUT OF THERE! 

David has to make up *a lot of ST mix each 2 days as we have 9 birdies who are eating it. * We add it to the sparrow dish each day with its seed selection. It is hard to know though, how much of it, she (or he) is eating. David gets the tub of it out the refrigerator and then goes back and forth to the bird room, getting the dishes from all the starling cages, washing them and replenishing them with food - this is done twice a day.

But when he came back in to the kitchen, on one of these journeys, he discovered...

THIS!!!!!!!

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/trowuttatwo/?action=view&current=P2080030.flv

Well I guess there is now no question about whether Spoggy is getting the ST mix or not. I noted too, the birdie did not poo in there.

and here are a couple more pics



















hope these bring a smile
love and light
susan and David and Spoggy the BOY in Tasmania xxxx


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## Charis

A smile and more...Spoggy is absolutely adorable.


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## TAWhatley

Thanks for remembering us here on Pigeon-Talk, Susan! You know I adore the Spogster .. keep those photos, videos, and updates coming, please!

Terry


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## zimmzimm3

Just curious but what are your plans for little spoggy? Are you going to keep him as a pet or try and release him.


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## TAWhatley

zimmzimm3 said:


> Just curious but what are your plans for little spoggy? Are you going to keep him as a pet or try and release him.


Not Susan here, but I know FOR SURE that Spoggy will be kept as a pet. He (or so it now appears) was raised as an only sparrow and is completely tame and would be totally unable to fend for himself.

I'm sure Susan will reply the next time she's on Pigeon-Talk, but I'm not sure when that might be. Spoggy is a regular item on the Starling-Talk board, and I have kept track of things there.

Terry


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## TerriB

Wonderful vidoes of your cutie-pie Spoggy!


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## mr squeaks

How terrific! Looks like Spoggy found his "food heaven!" I mean, after all, the food WASN'T covered...NO ONE was around...hey, he just did what any respectable Sparrow would do...HELPED HIMSELF!  

I bet he is something else and a joy to have around!!

Thanks so much for the update, Susan! I'm so glad that David got his "wish!"

Hugs and Scritches

Shi & Squeaks


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## Maggie-NC

Susan, thank you for the update on Spoggy. What a doll-baby he is. In the second picture you posted he looks like he is posing and knows what a good-looking boy he is. From the video, he does look like he is having a great time eating his choice selections from the ST mix.


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## EgypSwiftLady

Happy 1 month birthday to you! The photo's are great, you are so lucky to have such a wonderful little bird in your life! 
Thanks for sharing.


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## Rooster2312

Hi Susan,

Spoggy is just adorable! I too really enjoy your stories, pics and videos of HIM   

Lindi


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## theAussie

*G'day again*

G'day to everyone 

Thanks Terry for responding, I actually didn't know I had so many messages to catch up on. Terry is absolutely correct, Spoggy is our pet and will remain with us, as our special little boy for as long as he lives. He was not raised for release, *all his siblings were killed *and the nest he was in fell to the ground. It was not possible to return the nest as a large wild flock of Currawongs (over 100 - as big as Ravens) came into our area and ate every baby from every nest they could find. Spoggy was saved when my Mum saw currawongs flying through her garden with their beaks full of babies, and Spoggy was found, in a nest, down deep lying on the ground under the tree.

Spoggy is a forever pet and is our joy (but he is also a cheeky naughty brat) but is very loved AND spoiled.

I have a new Video to put up which has some more pics of Spoggy and the life story of our time here doing wildlife rescue in Tassie, I just came here to post it.

love to you all and THANK YOU SO MUCH for your loving message and interest in the spogster! 

love and light
Susan in Tasmania Australia xxxx


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## mr squeaks

WELCOME BACK, SUSAN!!

So nice to hear from you again and know that Spoggy is doing well!!

Continued Love, Hugs and Scritches to ALL!!

_Shi & Squeaks_


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## pigeongirl21

i love the pictures of the baby sparrow growing up


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