Want some!

As regular readers know, one of the phrases that frequently is heard coming from our timneh's beak is, "want some!" She will say this even when she's not sure what we have, as she wants to make sure not to miss out.

As often as possible, we try to oblige her, as a way to encourage her to talk more, and to show her that her words have consequences.

My friend's dog gave the parrots a Christmas present of parrot pellets. When Max saw me walk in with the package, she immediately started saying, "want some!"

Here she is, exploring the present:
When I offered her some of the pellets, she had more fun throwing them around than eating them, which meant that the gift turned out to be more of a toy than food, but it probably brought her more pleasure this way!

Just as with many kids who prefer playing with the wrapping paper to the toy inside, Max then turned her attention to the ribbon that had closed the package:Later on in the day, I was taking my daily calcium tablet. As usual, Max started in: "want some!" Normally, I tell her that calcium tablets are only for people, but I was feeling indulgent and gave her one, if only to prove that she didn't really want any.

She proved me wrong, as she ate a few bites from the tablet. I had to post this picture when I saw the dust streaming out of her beak. She quickly dropped the tablet on the ground, mostly intact, so I don't think she ingested very much. As a rule, parrots should not be given calcium tablets, unless directed to do so by a vet.
This third "want some" experience happened later in the day. I poured the remainder of a bottle of cherry wine into a glass for dinner. Not much remained, as an optical illusion led me to believe that more was left when I last drank some! (We don't drink wine in wine glasses since they are a bit too unstable around flying parrots).

I think she thought it was juice, but Max really wanted some, or at least that's what her words and actions told me. I told her she absolutely could not have any, so she started throwing a fit. Luckily my camera was ready. I did intervene with my hand a few times to make sure she didn't tip it over.