The parakeets are still coming around our bird feeders, along with the occasional pigeon, robin, starling or woodpecker. I feel like I haven't seen as many tits lately, either blue tits or great tits -- no tittering from the peanut gallery, please.
Last night a parakeet showed up that had a huge chunk taken out of the feathers on its head. It looked like it had been pretty severely wounded, whether through fighting, mating or getting its head caught in something, I'm not sure. It's the bird in front in the photo above. Here's a closer look:
The wound had scabbed over, though, so it appears to be healing. I wonder if the feathers will grow back? Poor noisy, squawky thing!
Incidentally, I took these photos with my big camera, which you may remember was malfunctioning and giving me error messages when I last tried to use it. I switched out the data card and that seemed to help, and though it still has trouble with my standard lens, the zoom and macro lenses seem to work.
I really just need to get the thing serviced. I like my phone camera but the Canon is capable of so much more. Maybe when we get out of school (in a little more than two weeks) I'll take it to the camera shop.
Here's the state of the bathroom. It's pretty much done and it certainly looks great. I have concerns about the durability of the floors, as I said yesterday, but we'll do our best to preserve them. And nothing's been painted because, as I also said yesterday, we have to wait for the walls to dry out.
Dave hates those glass shower partitions, but they're a thing in Britain. No one has shower curtains here. I don't know why. Dave insists the glass doesn't work since it only shields half the tub, but I told him we just have to make do. If everyone else in this country can manage, so can we. Another reason to be nervous about the floors!
And now, I'm going to vacuum the house because this place is incredibly dusty. But I don't want to invest too much energy in cleaning because the extractor fan is supposed to be installed today, and that necessitates drilling the wall, which will probably mean brick dust everywhere.
Yay for the new bathroom. It looks like they did a very good job. Although the floor looks nice, it's such an odd decision. And with only a glass partition (common here, too), very impractical. Today's photos are stunners. The parakeet's head looks like a predator took hold. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteAh the English who won't have mixer taps, only for historical reasons. The bath looks smart enough. R's bath has the same glass shield set up but his glass does extend past the middle of the bath and splashing isn't a problem. Before we renovated, he had framed piece of glass that was shorter but still there wasn't really splashing. I really dislike shower curtains, especially if they come in and cling to you.
ReplyDeleteIf you both agree to try a shower curtain, you can easily put one in place using an inexpensive extendable rod. They're easy to put up and are fully removable if you don't like the look.
ReplyDeleteThat looks painful for the bird..but it does show how much bulk is feathers!
ReplyDeleteI far prefer what is there to a shower curtain..far easier to clean, and keeps more water off the floor as well, which is an important consideration with laminate flooring
I can’t imagine how half of it glassed will be very effective, being said by someone who has the entire thing glassed and uses a squeegee to clean the water droplets off after every shower. I’m also halfway through replacing a cheap laminate floor that water vapor caused all the seams to pucker up and look terrible. Your landlords may learn an expensive lesson.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos of the parakeets. That one poor guy, wonder what happened, but the feathers should grow back.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the half glass, water can get out and it lets in the cold air. Laminate in the bathroom, bad idea, but it's not your money thankfully, otherwise it looks very nice:)
I'd replace that glass shower door with a spring tension rod shower curtain and liner. But I don't live there. The new tub and surrounds look lovely though. And I'm very dubious about the floor because of the steamy atmosphere from showering. But just now it looks nice. Anyway once the fan is installed, you'll have peace for the summer.
ReplyDeleteOut of school again?? As adults used to say to drive us kids mad, you're never there!
As a former, full-time, self-employed housecleaner I can state unequivocally that glass shower walls are a pain in the patootie to keep clean.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you have bath mats (rugs) to lay down when you are bathing 🛁 or showering🚿 ... in that tub! Protect the flooring the best way you can. And, get an adjustable rod, liner, and shower curtain to also help protect the flooring and makes it easier to take a shower without splattering water 💦 all over the bathroom!!
ReplyDeleteLove the wild parakeets!
Looks like a bird of prey got to that little keet's head. It's lucky to be alive. Excellent photos.
ReplyDeleteYeah. That half glass partition looks sort of ridiculous. I've seen them too and I'm sorry, they just don't do the job. How bizarre that they've become a thing.
perhaps the parakeet had a close encounter with a raptor of some kind. and I can see now why water would be a concern in the bathroom with only half the tub covered. they couldn't have put a second sliding glass panel up? you'll have to get a big bath mat for the floor where it's open.
ReplyDeleteThat half glass shower partition is crazy. I agree with the previous comments about putting up a curtain.
ReplyDeleteThe parakeet looks like it has survived a close encounter with a predator. I hope it stays well and healthy.
I'm another vote for the shower curtain. You could be a tension rod on the inside with a curtain. It would keep the floor dry and the glass door clean!
ReplyDeleteThe bathroom is looking good. I bet you will be glad when it's all back together again.
ReplyDeleteThat does look like a very nasty wound on that bird's head. He's lucky to have survived that.
The life expextancy of critters in the wild is not long. Your parakeet had some mishap and looks like he'll survive.
ReplyDeleteThat poor bird!!! Hopefully the healing continues.
ReplyDeleteI get Dave's point about the half-door, but the glass looks so much more sleek.
I've never see a half door like that! Normally there are two that slide. Personally, I prefer a curtain with a liner.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what got a hold of that bird!?
I'm with Dave, I hate those half glass shields or what ever they're called. They let in too much cold air, and let out too much water.
ReplyDeleteThat ringneck parakeet looks like a predator tried to eat him. Poor thing.
The first time we went to England back in the 80's we encountered those half shower doors and were surprised. But in our travels through Europe since then we have seen many more. Water does escape easily.
ReplyDeletePoor keet. On occasion I see squirrels with wounds on their backs and surmise they've either been fighting one another or a local raptor lost its dinner.
ReplyDeleteBathroom looks nice. What did you have previously in the bathroom... shower curtain, fixed glass partition or sliding glass doors?
Too late - I was already tittering. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Dave - there's no way I wouldn't have water EVERYWHERE. Crazypants!
Poor birdie! Although the shower looks nice, the one glass door baffles me also. I have one shower with two glass doors that slide, one with a glass door that opens out and the last one with a shower curtain. The shower curtain one is WAY easier and when I get tired of that curtain I can easily replace it.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great, Steve (the shower, not the poor parakeet). Could you hang a tension rod and put up a shower curtain? Odd about the glass not closing, though. Still, looks terrific!
ReplyDeleteBathroom's looking good. If you feel like nipping downunder I've got a fair amount of dust here you could vacuum up, bit of cat hair too.
ReplyDeleteMitchell: What is it with these glass partitions? Why don't they just enclose the whole shower?
ReplyDeleteAndrew: I think the aversion to mixer taps has something to do with the highly variable water temperature. You can turn on both hot and cold and get anywhere from freezing to scalding water. Something about the boilers, I think.
Jenny-O: So, the funny thing is, we HAD a curtain on a tension rod. (Although the tension wasn't enough to hold it up so we Super Glued the ends to the wall!) That's what was removed in this renovation.
GZ: It IS easier to clean, though a curtain would keep water off the floor as long as it was INSIDE the tub. (Some people put it outside which serves no purpose.)
Ed: Oh, a squeegee. Maybe we should get one of those!
Pixie: I think they'll grow back, but the skin underneath is gone too -- the bird has a big scab -- so who knows.
Boud: It feels like we're here ALL THE TIME, believe me! We had a tension rod/curtain before this renovation, funnily enough.
Lynn Marie: We had them in our previous flat and YES, they are a pain. But curtains are basically impossible to clean, so it's hard to say which is better.
Marcia: Love your little visual aids there. :) We do have a bathmat which we pick up after every shower, and there are rugs as well that stay down.
Ms Moon: I don't understand the appeal, except that they're probably cheaper than a full enclosure.
Ellen: Yes, we do have a bath mat. I hadn't thought about a predator but you (and others here) may be right.
Robin: I think the fact that its wound has scabbed over and it's eating is a good sign it will be fine. It might always be a little bald, though!
Ellen D: I've never seen a curtain used WITH a partition, but I suppose it could be done!
Sharon: He really is! I wonder if it was a sudden attack or a slow wearing away of feathers and skin (getting in and out of a hole in a tree or something).
Red: Yeah, I think his odds are good.
Bob: It does LOOK good, I'll give it that. At least when it's clean!
Kelly: Those sorts of partitions are very European. They're everywhere over here.
Allison: I didn't even think about the cold air factor! (I always shower after Dave so he's warmed up the bathroom for me!)
Jim: It's a strange feature of the European bathroom!
Damselfly: We initially had one of these partitions (but older and uglier) and we took it out and put in a curtain on a tension rod. But since this one's brand new we're obligated to keep it!
Bug: It's especially hard for Dave because he's tall and fairly big, so there's a lot more splashing!
Margaret: You have THREE showers? Oh, I'm envious.
Jeanie: It does LOOK nice, I agree. We could put up a curtain, I suppose, but we'll see how we do with this.
River: Ha! Will you buy my ticket? :)