Are you ready for the FairyCastleFarm Surprise? *drum roll please* ....

Hi furiends!  It’s me Eli 🐦💕

Watch the video below to discover our big surprise!   

Scroll to 2:22 if you simply can’t wait a second longer to find out ❣️

A Honey Eater 🍯 🐦 hopped by to say “Hi!” 👋 ❣️

Yollie couldn’t believe her eyes!  

See the baby Honey Eater hop by to say hi

This native FairyCastleFarm Resident may be teeny, but Yollie’s heart was simply bursting with joy and wonder,  long after her little friend fluttered off for the day! 

Do you have Honey Eaters where you live? 

Adult Honey Eater (South Australia 🇦🇺 )

We hope you enjoy this clip. 

Oh no!! Papa might be bullying Eli 🙀😢

Experienced magpie rehabbers please advise.

Please note: Eli (baby) was not harmed, I’m hand raising due to a wing injury. 

It’s Eli's father in the video. 

He has maintained daily contact with Eli but I've recently noticed the behaviour changing...  

Should I be concerned? 

 I don’t know magpie body language and behaviour, I’m hoping this is merely a dominance display or right of passage ritual?  Eli looks like he’s submitting, I’m just not sure where this will lead.  I don’t want him hurt but I do want him returning to his rightful place in

 the wild.   

Eli's mum is visiting daily and feeding him.  She has never shown this kind of behaviour with Eli.  

The loud calls you hear in the video are hers.  She swooops at one point (off screen) but doesn’t interfere or intervene.   After I intervened the male took a few minutes, warbling and calling 
to the female before they flew off to their tree (in the park nearby) together. 

Eli’s Mum has been spending a few hours watching over him and teaching him to fly each day.  Their relationship seems good, but she seems to get nervous/frustrated with his inability to fly. Just before this video was taken she was trying to get him to self feed... I raced inside to grab my mobile, hoping to capture the moment on camera, but when I returned the father had arrived.  


Eli is vet checked,  his wing is not broken but he needs longer to heal before he can fly. A wonderful lady with over 20 years Fauna rescue experience is guiding me in his rehabilitation. 


Please, no negative comments, I needed to film this to understand the behaviour.  Eli is never left unattended and I won't let the father repeat this if it's an aggressive or dangerous behaviour.

This video was also taken today, we are so proud of our little fighter!! 

Eli’s Wing has improved, look at him now!

Hi furiends, 

This post is especially for Gillian (experienced bird rescuer), who’s been checking in on his progress. 

She brought Eli a big bird, bath to have a good soak.

However, he’s been too shy to dive in during her visits...  so I promised to video it and share with everyone.


He is the cutest little bird!  After the bath I  dried him off quickly (using the low setting on hairdryer). 

Eli’s wing is healing well, the swelling is gone and he is able to hold it up so that it doesn’t droop down.  This means I’ve been able to remove the tape supporting his wing and we can begin building up his strength in preparation to start flying lessons! 

Eli’s takes a Bath! 🛀🐦❣️

Hello buntastic Furiends! Sweetie here, can you see me? 

Yes, here I am, eating fresh grass in my FairyCastle 🏰

I hope this finds you well....  I am very excited to share with you that Eli, our injured little Magpie patient is recovering  beautifully well.  

His wing is still injured, he has to keep it supported until he can hold it up in the correct position. 

Eli doesn’t understand this though and it’s a bit of an effort to keep him from removing the tape from his good wing....   it makes me giggle to see Yollie patiently re apply the tape over and over
 again...  

personally, I think that Eli has turned it into a game...

This is Leroy, he loves Eli and has lots to say about it! 


Overall he is looking much better!  He is alert, gaining weight, heartily gobbling all his food, 
he’s active and very vocal!  Eli likes to sit and chatter away with Leroy, I think they sound like an old married couple *giggles*.. it’s buntadtic to see his strength and vigor for life is growing by the day!   

Yollie and I are very thankful that Eli is getting stronger,  all this TLC for Eli does make us feel tired though! 

Below you’ll find links to watch his very first bath, playtime and the most magical, his parents close by keeping an eye over their baby as he spends some time outside...  

Just before I go, we reached a  bunderful milestone earlier today, 84,444 visitors have hopped over to read our blog!   Thank you all so very much, we can’t believe how far and wide our Kingdom travels each day, it simply would not be possible without you! *soft whisker tickles* 


As always, please, don’t be shy to hop by and say hi! 
Sweetie xoxo 🐰💕

Eli’s Road To Recovery 💕🐦💕

Thanks for your support and encouragement. 
I’ve received many messages asking about Eli...  FB restricts our posts so here is the best way to keep up with updates, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow our blog www.fairycastlefarm.blogspot.com THE RECOVERY : Book Eli 📖 🐦💕

Please keep Eli, the wild 🇦🇺 Australian Baby Magpie in your thoughts. He still has a long road to recovery ahead. 

Hi Friends, I’m helping Yollie take care of Eli  💕🐰~Sweetie 

Here is a summary of his remarkable story so far...

Follow Eli’s 💕🐦🎬 on YouTube  

Just before last light, on 22nd October 2017, I found Eli with an injured wing, hiding in the long grass in our garden, he’d only been out of the nest for 3 days. 

At this stage of his development, Eli is called a fledgling, not yet able to fly or survive on his own. These vital lessons are taught by his devoted parents who share this responsibility.  

Sadly due to his injury, Eli’s parents sense that he is unable to learn these lessons.  So their instinct is to reject him and start the life cycle again. Letting nature take its course meant that Eli would not have survived the night. 

I am so glad I found him! 

The next 24 hrs were critical. I brought him inside, administered first aid, warmed him, hydrated and fed him.  The next morning I rushed him to the vet, where he was xrayed.  

The vet clinic agreed to release him to my care and I contacted a lady with extensive experience rehabilitating Wild Birds.  That same day she visited my home and taught me how to properly hand rear Eli and keep records with the hope to release him back to the wild once he recovers. 

Things are going well, but with any wild animal containment and human intervention does not always go to plan.  Stress alone easily kills animals.  

Luckily for Eli, I know who his parents are and they consider our yard their territory.  I’ve been able to encourage them to continue to spend time with their baby while he heals.

I’ve created this playlist to journal his recovery and I hope it has a happy ending, when I’m able to successfully release him from my care and back to his parents.   Wish us luck 💕 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbzOt6I-z46c6ONT1AyAYI0EVbRYctp6Q

He makes the sweetest little sounds!

Eli is looking so much better today. He gained 13g in 24 hours and ate 44mls of Isectavore. 

His mum is still visiting him and they appear to have retained a connection, which is wonderful.  

I have taken video of their reunion, and will share tomorrow. Thanks for your caring and support.  Eli has a long road ahead, but we will do everything to help him return to the wild. 

Yollie 

The Recovery: BOOK OF ELI 🐦

Unfortunately yesterday Eli’s parents rejected him again 😞

This video explains: 🔽

Visit us on YouTube and subscribe for updates

To clarify something before I share yesterday’s events.  I don’t actually know Eli’s gender.  

I refer to Eli as ‘he’ and this is purely because I don’t see animals where we don’t know their genders as ‘it’- so I'll take a 50/50 chance and refer to Eli as ‘he’. The only way to know his gender at this stage of his development is with a DNA test. Baby Magpies all have female colouring (speckled grey feathers on their backs). 

When Eli has a full molt and his baby feathers are replaced by adult ones we will know his gender. If his back feathers retain their speckled grey then he’s a girl, if they are replaced by all white, then Eli is a boy. 

Eli Before his Wing was Strapped 

I’ve recorded a video this morning about what happened yesterday, it’s a summary covering many details and I’ll share as soon as it’s ready. 

Most importantly, Eli’s condition is unchanged, however it’s clear his parents see his injury as too serious to recover from .  So after a positive reintroduction, they stopped feeding him and distanced themselves from him again.  Without their proper care he won’t survive. 

I reached out to a wonderful lady (whom I’d made contact with before taking Eli to the vet) with extensive wildlife rehab experience (possums and native Australian birds are her expertise, but she works with any Aussie animal).  She was able to visit my home and spent a few hours with me, teaching me the essentials to hand rear Eli.  

She also strapped his wing (taped the injured wing to the healthy wing so that it can heal correctly) and showed me how to set up his cage correctly for warmth, security and comfort.  

I am so grateful for her help and I am hopeful that I learned what I needed to rehabilitate Eli. I feel so much more confident in what to do and what to look out for.  I’m keeping records of his food intake and daily weight so that we can see his progress. 

The hope is that he’ll completely recover, learn to fly, retain a social connection with his family and when he is strong and healthy enough, return to the wild.  

Alternatively, if he is rejected by his family-sadly this outcome is the most likely scenario that they’ll no longer recognize Eli and he’ll be harassed or bullied by his  family who ‘own’ our yard.  Magpies are very territorial birds and in nature, Eli will ultimately need to leave the nest and find his own flock to continue the next phase of his life.  If this happens I have a couple of options:

1) I’ll  reach out to wildlife sanctuaries where he can live a happy and healthy fulfilling (semi wild) life with his own kind in a large enclosure. 

Or, 

2) I’ll introduce him to a group of hand reared magpies via the Fauna Rescue Group, where he can join them then when the time is right, be released as a member of their ‘orphan’ flock. 

Thanks again for your support and well wishes, he’s going to need all the love and care he can get. 

Yollie 

Eli is HOME!!!!!!

Hi friends... Yollie here, 

Ive not had time to share all the details just yet, so here’s a quick video to catch you up... 

I’ve had a wonderful lady with extensive experience in hand raising Magpies visit with me today. 

I’ve received a crash course in what to do for Eli and will ensure he has the very best chance at rehabilitating with the intention of releasing him to the wild when he is ready. 

Wish me luck, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, to follow Eli’s amazing journey. 

Thanks for all your positive encouragement and messages, I really appreciate your support. 

Yollie   

❣️ *Vet update* ❣️ Eli made it through the Night!

Update: 1:15pm Tuesday 24th October 2017, 
________________

Eli Update: Update...    clinic just called...   we can’t get ahead of ourselves just yet, but....   please, please keep on with whatever you’re currently doing to keep him in your thoughts/prayers etc etc!!!  

Here’s what I know:

The vet is hesitantly/guardedly optimistic.  The wound has begun to scab over and heal, however it is very swollen.  It appears to be an impact trauma.

The vet is preparing to do an X-ray, he has one surgical procedure ahead of Eli. Depending on what the scan reveals, then they’ll decide the best course of action.....  

Ideally, it’s just a bump and will heal and he’ll be a strong healthy wild magpie.... 

But if it’s beyond repair (which I was told statistically any open wing wound in this location has the odds of recovery stacked against him) and unlikely he’ll recover or have a degraded quality of life, we will discuss his options available (which unfortunately include euthanasia). 

I’m so very, very thankful to the clinic as they are going above and beyond to assess Eli with the goal that he can return to MY care!  (Earlier today this was not even an option, so for this alone I’m so grateful!) 

There is a risk with any procedure involving sedation that he may not survive..  but I’ve given my consent and trust they will take care of him... 

The vet says that he is remarkably strong and calm considering the location of his wound and the time he’s spent away from his parents...   the receptionist says he is a real character and his antics are hilarious...   so it seems he’s won his way onto their hearts too! 

So again, thank you, please keep wishing, thinking and /or praying for our little fighter... Eli has made it this far, now we just need mild miracle! 

Thanks, 

Yollie 
________________________________________
Hi friends,

Yesterday I discovered Eli has sustained an injury to his left wing.  

Here is Eli before his injury:

  From what I can tell it’s the birds Thumb or, Alula*. 

Healing Thoughts For Eli 🐥❣️

Here he is this morning ▶️ 

To read the post I wrote yesterday, with more information on what happened please visit:
 ▶️ Healing Thoughts for Eli 🐥❣️

*Here is a link to Wikipedia n the Alula: The Structure of a birds Wing

Healing Thoughts for Eli 🐥

Hi dear friends, it’s Yollie here.

My heart hurts 😢 

Two days ago we finally met our little wild resident Eli, who left the nest to join us at ground level. He was thriving, learn to fly, chortle and grow into a gorgeous Magpie.

Here’s a video I published yesterday : 

I’m sad to share however, Eli has been rejected By his parents. 

Sometime between 3pm and 7pm today, Eli has sustained an injury to  his left wing. 

I’m under instructions from Fauna Rescue of South Australia Inc. to isolate him (he’s being kept warm in a covered cage) inside and take to the vet as soon as they open. 

Once at the vet they will evaluate the injury and decide the best course of action for our precious little one. 

Please, please keep Eli in your thoughts and send good vibes or prayers or whatever you think will help...  

We’ve been waiting so long to meet him, I’m devastated at this has happened to our little guy.  What’s worse was seeing his parents trying so hard to get him to respond to their calls... 

I’ve successfully given him a feed and he eagerly took water from a syringe...  I just hope he holds on through the night...  we’ve only just met, it’s only been two days that Eli left the nest but I’m so worried and really care for him. 

Yollie 

Sorry it's been a while, quick update on Yollie's Surgery....

**** this happened in August 2013***
Yollie here,   I am finally home after "day surgery" completed on Thursday....

What an ordeal! 

Wednesday at my pre-op assessment my Anesthetist made a clear pain-relief chart to use post-op.

 I am allergic to almost all pain meds (morphine, pethedine, NSAIDS, Asprin, Codiene, digesics etc) as well as many antibiotics, it’s important my plan is thorough in the event of surgery. 

I’m nervous visiting the doctor or planning for surgery because of my sensitivity to so many medications. Going through my list, the anesthesiest said he could only perscribe IV panadol. He then wrote a script for "Capadex", to bring with me to hospital, this is one of the only strong pain meds I can use.

The plan was to get it that night and bring it in to hosp the following day, to use post-op. Stewart had a world of trouble filling it, the pharmacies advised Stewart it is no longer avail (with court cases pending) on it's use. Apparently it's supposed to be identical to "digesic" so this is the medication it’s substituted with. I however am allergic to Digesic (swelling of airways last year). 

Luckily though my local chemist had a pack of 10 capsules left and sold Stewart these. It would do, to get me though my post-op pain.

During admission to he following morning, the nurses locked up my medicine and then when they were needed (per my chart) post-op, I was informed that legally they could not administer Capadex, as it is no longer for sale, regardless of what my Anastesthiest had ordered!

So as per my hospital notes I was given 1 x iv panadol at 9am (post op), at 11am when I started really feeling the pain and asked for more pain relief, I was told "Sorry, that is all you have written up for pain meds, because Capadex is not allowed to be dispensed by staff!" They paged the Doctor, but it felt like forever and I was quickly getting to the point agony!

I begged, pleaded, cried, screamed. I told them to give me panadol, anything, but they said they could not because it may interfere with what the Doctor may give me when they eventually respond to their page?!?!

It felt like I was in hell!! I wanted to call Stewart and they would not bring me the phone!! ...I sobbed like a baby but it made no difference. For the course of the day - a dr was paged every 20 min, I was in agony. One of my nurses sat by me rubbing my back and trying to stop me crying, I just begged her to unlock my personal effects so I could use my mobile to call my GP!! I as refused and told my personal items were to remain secure until my discharge (normal procedure for day surgery).  I was in and out on conciousness and it wasnt until 5pm a Doctor finally arrived.

I was given "fentenol" I was told they took a calculated risk but the alternative was putting me back under anastesia while they sorted out what to do!!!

Needless to say I wasn’t discharged and I spent the night in the Gyni-ward. Once there I was put on a drip for fluids. At 8pm I noticed a sharp pain at my left elbow - at the site of my IV line, I called for the nurse who said I must have strained it ?? or fallen asleep on it ??- It’s progressively getting worse, red, hot and very swollen.... The doctor ordered a compression bandage, cream and antibiotics, hopefully this will heal it quickly. I also had an ultrasound to make sure it was not a clot - thank goodness it isn't.

So all in all It was a living nightmare but right now, as I type this,  I’m feeling better.   . I would not have believed yesterday, that today I would be feeling as well as I am.

Thanks again for all your kind and positive thoughts. take care ~ Yollie

The famous Snow🐇Rabbit-Shifter&Charlene Mouse🐁

Greetings FairyCastleFarmers! 

It’s me Sweetie! 

Today I’d like to share more of my Yollie’s art with you. 

Here are the three interpretations she created of Snow and Charlene.  I know, a few of you have met them before!  

Yes, that’s right, they’re famous characters in the Chronicles of a WereRabbit series written by talented author, MY Zeman.  

Here’s a link to find out more :  
Amazon: Chronicles of a Wererabbit

#1

#2

#3

Can you guess which of the three designs was used?  

Here’s a hint, if you’ve read the third book, you’ll see it in the acknowledgments. 

She had so much fun bringing these characters to life and is thrilled to be working on a new project!  Here’s a sneak peek.... 

You can see more of Yollie’s art here :
 ▶️Art By Yollie ◀️

Mumford Never Gives Up

Nose bumps and whisker tickles, till next time 
Sweetie 🐰 💕

Don’t be shy to hop by and say hi 👋 

🐰Today Is Going To Be Awesome!

Great Bunz !!
As I type this, our blog is 4 visitors away from 80,000 views!!  
⭐️🌟🌍🌎🌏 🌍🌎🌏 🌍🌎🌏  🌍🌎🌏 🌍🌎🌏🌟⭐️
Thank you so much for visiting us from all over the world, all your support and sharing! 

▶️Click to jigsaw Planet◀️

 Here is a small token of our appreciation, one of my Yollie’s BunDoodles, for you to print out and colour. We’d love to see your creations, visit us on Facebook to share. 

▶️Visit our ‘Art By Yollie’ Page on Facebook! ◀️

Here is the link to our new puzzle, to celebrate. 
Today Is Going To Be Awesome 🐰

Click to visit All our free Puzzles Thanks again, visit often and as always, don’t be shy to hop by and say hi. 
Sweetie xoxo 🐰

How do we see? An Angel in my Arms.

Greetings fabulous friends! 

Your bunderful FairyCastleFarm Spokes Bunny here, that’s right, it’s me Sweetie *courtesy*. 

I have been enjoying our South Australian school holidays tremendously....I mean- what’s not to get excited about? 

I’ve been relishing my days spent sneaking a few extra treats and snuggling with my furless sister and welcoming the arrival of daylight savings. 

Winding the clocks forward also means I need to be vigilant and sometimes I work extra hard ensuring my hoomins keep up with their earlier bunny feeding schedule! 

Most of all however, this is also the beginning of the long awaited tingle I feel in my nostrils that quickly spreads throughout my entire body, signaling springtime is finally here!  

We all agree, spring holidays are the best! 

Extra daylight hours also means My Yollie has more time to work on her art, here is her latest artistic creation.
What do you think?  

An Angel In My Arms - Art By Yollie

Here’s how Angel looks too you normally

Personally, I think it’s Buntastic....  but she’s my hoomin so I pretty much love anything she does, so long as my dinner is served on time *giggles*.  

On a serious note, Yollie says that we bunnies don’t see the same way as hoomins do, the art she created today is inspired by how she believes the world looks to us with our impaired detail and muted colour range.   

Don’t be sad though, Yollie thinks there is a special quality to how we see and she says our gift is in our hearing and exceptional range of vision. Did you know, we can see almost all the way around our ourselves (360 degrees)?   The only area we can’t see, which is called the blind spot, is the space directly between our eyes, you can get an idea of what this blind spot feels like to us by making two fists and pressing them one in front of the other in the space between your eyebrows.  You’ll just have to imagine what seeing all the way around the back of your head, above you and the sides, all at the same time is like. This for me it’s normal, but for you I’d imagine it would seem strange, just like the way your world would look to me. 

Thanks so much for hopping by, remember, don’t be shy to say 👋 hi! 

🐰Sweetie xoxo 

How many real* bunnies do you see? Trick ‘o Treat! Puzzle Time🐰

Howdy Furiends,

Can you correctly guess how many Fairy Castle Farm bunnies are in this picture? Let us know by leaving a comment. 

Don’t forget to click the link and have fun solving this easy jigsaw puzzle.  

It’s Puzzle time!! 

Trick ‘o Treat

*extra points f you can name us! 
Trick ‘o Treat on Jigsaw Planet 🌍

Visit our “Free Puzzle” tab from the top of our home page ( or click here▶️ Free Puzzles to see all our Jigsaw Planet Puzzles 🐰
Thanks for playing along. 

Sweetie xoxo

Bunnyzine - Free Online International Rabbit E-Zine

Exciting news!!

Facebook page:

Full Bunnywe’en Issue

My Yollie wrote the Rabbits Around The World article!  How cool is that?!? 

Here’s a little snippet, to read the rest you need to download the full issue.
via Facebook: ▶️Click Here◀️

It’s totally worth getting your copy... not just because it’s free, but because it’s buntastic! Full of great articles, famous Internet bunnies and cutest ever pictorials!   

As an extra special treat, my Yollie has also provided this colouring in page, especially designed for Bunnyzine readers! 

There’s a fan art pictorial where you can see the creative ways people have coloured BunWeen.. and one for you to colour too! 

Fan Art! BunWeen by :▶️Art By Yollie

▶️Halloween Issue OUT NOW◀️

▶️Visit the Website : BUNNYZINE◀️

Best way to start the day!

Greetings! 

It’s me, Sweetie!! 

This is my favourite way to start the day..... 
 kisses and nose tickles!  

Who could resist? 

Thanks for hopping by, now don’t be shy to say hi! 

Sweetie xoxo 

Sweetie Blows a kiss

Hi friends, 

Ready join in the fun! 

Here’s our latest Jigsaw Puzzle:

*  Sweetie Blows a kiss  *

This is what the puzzle looks like: 

See our other puzzles here:   Free Puzzles

If you’d like to share your finish time you can in the comments 😊 

It’s Bunny Butt Friday!

show us your bunny butts!