The Finsters got a new set of nest boxes! Peanut got to check them out first, since they were hanging on the outside of the Finsterium until Bruce (with the long arms) had a chance to put them in. Click here for a bigger picture with Peanut and the four new boxes; you'll notice that the one on top isn't like the other three "normal" nests made out of brown "kraft paper" boxes. Instead, it's another of those Italian nest boxes that you can throw into the dishwasher, if only you had one. But this one is brown, not white like the original one. Imagine my surprise when I opened the packing material!

This provides the opportunity to conduct a scientific experiment: Dynamics of New Residence Usage Among Lonchura striata (domesticated form) and Lonchura maja, and The Effects of Evil: Is Color or Substance the Determining Factor?

As you can see, the resident forpus passerinus ("Little Green Finster Head") does not seem to think that the New Plastic Nest Box is Evil. (Click here to see a bigger photo.) In fact, when a Finster Attraction Device — in this case, a sunflower seed — was placed on the top of the box, the forpus passerinus subject climbed right up to eat it so quickly that there wasn't enough time to bring out the camera to record the event. Unfortunately, this experiment cannot be considered validation for the so-called "Color is Evil" theory, since the same experiment was not carried out with the original white box, so that comparison can't be made. Nevertheless, the results suggest at the least that if the new brown plastic box is Evil — whatever the cause — its nefarious character can be overcome by the proper placement of the appropriate Attraction Device.

At any rate, the real test is with the Finsters. Now, whenever the Finsterium gets a really big cleaning, I change out all the nest boxes while I'm at it. After a day in a holding cage, the Finsters don't seem to care that all the boxes are clean and new. But remember the Finstipations when all the nest boxes got changed out without the distraction of the big cleaning? It took hours for them to settle in. And they took hours to calm down after I first put the white Evil box in. This time I had a trick up my sleeve: I only changed out four of six boxes. (Actually, it wasn't a trick; I ran out of hot glue.) This left the two boxes on either end dirty and familiar. As it turns out, these boxes became Places of Refuge during the four to six hours it took for the Finsters to feel safe with all the other new boxes. When it came time for bed, the Societies slept in their usual box, and Frank slept on top.

The brown plastic box didn't seem to cause them any more flutterpations than the new kraft paper boxes. On the other hand, the birds have been on and sometimes in the normal boxes already, but I haven't seen them touch the brown platic box. And they probably never will. Guess I'll have to add a Finster Attraction Device.

You'll notice I don't have photos of the Finsters not going on the brown plastic box yet. For now, you can click here for a bigger version of Peanut with the normal box.