So I just return from uni, and offer to put the animals to bed!
First I go to the rabbits and spend half an hour chasing them in with them thumping repeatedly to tell me how displeased they are.
Then I go to the quail... To get our quail inside and not run the risk of them escaping I have to crawl inside the run with them pick them up one by one and put them inside the coop... so the first five all dutifully run up the ramp nice and easy... The 6th (Chanel). She cowers in the back corner, so I reach over to get her and she starts flapping and flapping, then she flies at the door that i've pulled shut, and manages to open it again! So off she flies.
I run out after her and see her still within the electric fencing next to a rabbit (I failed to get the rabbits in first) so I grab the nearest thing (a rabbit house) and creep over to her, she sees me coming and runs straight through the electric fence. I panic, run out of the fencing and through the trees to where she is (getting slapped repeatedly round the face by branches) I creep up again, get within inches and she runs into the long grass. I spend half an hour rooting around the long grass, find her and she takes off over the hedge into next doors garden. I am now nearly in tears and about to phone my mum and admit what i've done. (she's at church so hopefully in a forgiving mood!) I miserably go back to putting the rest of the animals to bed, thinking about the fate my poor little Quail might face!
I get the rest of the animals in bed, and I think, I can't just give up on her I have to go next door and look! so I grab a better catching device (a cat litter tray) and run next door, only to discover it's pitch black and I can't see anything. So armed with only the light from my phone I set off hunting. Suddenly she flies up and over to the other side of the garden. I head over and carry on hunting.
Then she flies back again so I follow! I see her at the edge of the neighbors pond and creep up, this time I get so close I can almost put the litter tray over her, when suddenly! My phone beeps to inform me my battery is dying, well the beep alerts her to my presence and off she goes again, and this time lands right in the middle of the pond.
Not knowing wether quails can swim i'm now thinking, is she drowning! what if the big fish eat her! Should I jump in after her!
So I run round the other side of the pond, and see she's nearer to the edge than I thought, so in I creep once more. Just about giving up all hope of ever catching her again, I'm now leaning over the pond knowing that if I slip i'm going straight in. Armed with my litter tray I reach out hook it over her and scoop her in!
I managed to pull her to the side of the pond and pick her up.
I have never been so relieved, and happy to have my little Quail back!
But the moral of the story is, uni is safer, and never offer to put the animals to bed!
Just had to share my traumatic evening!
=)