Yesterday morning, something alarmed Calypso. I have absolutely no idea what. He appeared to mostly be looking outside, but I could see no movement, and I don't think he'd be able to see hawks or anything like that, given the density of the trees in our backyard.
In any case, he did this for about 20 minutes and then all was well with the world again.
Warning: the audio on this video is irritating!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
...and so does Rocky
Right after Brian took his bath, Thomas went into the bathroom to shower. I grabbed Rocky and was bringing him in to shower with Thomas, but was met with a surprise: Brian had flown off of the kitchen table and found Thomas in the bathroom. I guess he didn't want to be left alone! So we exchanged parrots -- I took Brian and Thomas took Rocky. I think I got the better deal there!
It was pretty steamy in there today:
He started clicking, and then "singing and dancing" with no provocation. He loves the shower!
It was pretty steamy in there today:
Brian bathes
I had made a much better video of this, but apparently I hadn't pressed "record." Argh! As Thomas was drinking this morning, Brian kept trying to fly into his glass, a clear signal Brian wanted to take a bath!
Right before this, in the video I didn't actually take, he'd jumped all the way inside and splashed around a bit before exiting again.
A still shot, mid-bath:
After; my wet budgie:
We've tried other bathing methods, but this is what he prefers. I have no idea why -- since he'd never been let out of his cage at his previous home, it's not like this is what he was used to.
Right before this, in the video I didn't actually take, he'd jumped all the way inside and splashed around a bit before exiting again.
A still shot, mid-bath:
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Calypso forages
Being in the kitchen means Calypso is getting on the blog more frequently! This morning, I looked over and he was standing on his foraging bucket, throwing out his foot toys and toy parts. After he was done, I put everything back in and I'm sure he'll empty it again soon.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Kitchen birds
Calypso may have permanently become a kitchen bird. We moved him in a month or so ago because his hormones were out of control. We thought perhaps a change of scenery and removal from the presence of Beeps and Basil (the two parrots he'd try to attack) would do him some good -- and it did!
We tried bringing him back in the living room over the weekend. Within minutes, he tried to attack Beeps; thwarted, he turned his attention to Basil (thwarted again.) Needless to say, he immediately went back into the kitchen!
I think he likes getting more one-on-one attention in the kitchen, especially in the morning before we get the other birds up. He's even starting to bond with Thomas a bit more, which has been great to see. This could have something to do with receiving a near-daily piece of toast from him:
Brian continues to get his toast in the following way:
He mostly just rips tiny pieces of toast off (you can see the crumbs on the plate under his beak) rather than eat much. It's a giant toast toy.
In other Brian news, he talks a lot when he's on my shoulder, but much of it is unintelligible budgie chatter. So, it may go like this: "chatter chatter chatter gotta go chatter chatter shot and a beer chatter." Or, "chatter get me a beer *whistle whistle whistle* chatter chatter do ya wanna." With me understanding less than half of the words he says (and with much of what he says tantalizingly incomplete -- where do you gotta go? Do I wanna what?) This weekend, for the first time, included in that chatter, he said his name, but with a bit of an impediment -- he said "Bwian." Can he get any cuter? (I am trying to get this on video, but he really only talks when he's on our shoulders, and when he sees the camera, he quiets down and gazes into the lens.) Maybe someday I will be successful!
We tried bringing him back in the living room over the weekend. Within minutes, he tried to attack Beeps; thwarted, he turned his attention to Basil (thwarted again.) Needless to say, he immediately went back into the kitchen!
I think he likes getting more one-on-one attention in the kitchen, especially in the morning before we get the other birds up. He's even starting to bond with Thomas a bit more, which has been great to see. This could have something to do with receiving a near-daily piece of toast from him:
In other Brian news, he talks a lot when he's on my shoulder, but much of it is unintelligible budgie chatter. So, it may go like this: "chatter chatter chatter gotta go chatter chatter shot and a beer chatter." Or, "chatter get me a beer *whistle whistle whistle* chatter chatter do ya wanna." With me understanding less than half of the words he says (and with much of what he says tantalizingly incomplete -- where do you gotta go? Do I wanna what?) This weekend, for the first time, included in that chatter, he said his name, but with a bit of an impediment -- he said "Bwian." Can he get any cuter? (I am trying to get this on video, but he really only talks when he's on our shoulders, and when he sees the camera, he quiets down and gazes into the lens.) Maybe someday I will be successful!
A bit of Rocky
Rocky, who screams when he's locked inside his own cage, again willingly went into someone else's cage to play with toys:
He then came out and started throwing all of the foot toys and toy parts out of Calypso's foraging bucket:
He's gone back to doing one of my favorite things: hanging out underneath his cage. This is nesting behavior. This year, in a twist, he knocked a phone book off of the top of his cage and dragged it under so he can shred it.
Last night, Thomas was trying to get Rocky to come out as it was time to go to bed, but Rocky stayed under the cage, singing and talking. We think he was trying to entice Thomas into his nest, but as it's barely big enough for a severe macaw to enter, a human certainly wouldn't fit.
Thomas was prone on the floor, asking Rocky to come out. Of course, when I came over to take a picture, Rocky emerged to threaten me:
After he was in his cage, we had more sweeping to do.
Last night, Thomas was trying to get Rocky to come out as it was time to go to bed, but Rocky stayed under the cage, singing and talking. We think he was trying to entice Thomas into his nest, but as it's barely big enough for a severe macaw to enter, a human certainly wouldn't fit.
Thomas was prone on the floor, asking Rocky to come out. Of course, when I came over to take a picture, Rocky emerged to threaten me:
Friday, October 7, 2011
Foraging for air
Last weekend I'd found an old foraging tower that Max used to use many years ago. I don't think I've even had it out in the 3+ years Stella's been with us. It was on the table, and there was a cashew in it, which (with my help), Max managed to dispense this morning.
Then, even though I hadn't replaced the cashew, which Max should have known since the toy is see-through, she started playing with the levers, hoping a nut might materialize. Of course this brought Stella over, and for quite some time, both of them were banging on different sides of the tower.
I didn't get a good picture of both of them working on it at the same time, but it was funny to watch. I don't think Stella had any idea why she was doing that, but I suspect Max was hoping for a cashew.
Maybe this weekend I'll put another nut in and see if they can figure it out.
Then, even though I hadn't replaced the cashew, which Max should have known since the toy is see-through, she started playing with the levers, hoping a nut might materialize. Of course this brought Stella over, and for quite some time, both of them were banging on different sides of the tower.
Some recent questions
I had a few questions in the recent comments that I thought I might just address here instead of in the comments since it took me some time to finally get around to them!
Of course I can't answer this for all greys since every parrot is an individual, but I do think that greys have the tendency to be very curious and intelligent and therefore get into everything, including trouble! I must also add that when Max was a single grey, she did not get into nearly as much as she has since Stella arrived. Because they are flock animals, I believe that the presence of another grey motivates them to explore. I also believe that a big part of the reason why Stella transformed so quickly into a happy bird after her mutilation is the presence of Max -- even though they don't physically interact, I think that Max was a good role model for Stella.
Additionally, we encourage our parrots to explore and make their own choices as much as possible. That, combined with the fact that they can fly, may make them more likely to get into things than an average grey who is clipped and may only come out of his cage a few times a month. The fact that they frequently find food only reinforces this!
Officially, Basil is still just a foster bird. He is willed to us, so we were expecting to have him full-time at some point, though we thought it would be decades yet until this happened. Originally, he was just supposed to stay with us for a month or two, but it's not been nearly 10 months. His owners aren't ready yet to officially sign him over to us, though I suspect that will happen soon.
Luckily, he is quite possibly the lowest-maintenance parrot I have ever met. That's part of the reason I write about him so infrequently -- he's not doing many exciting things! He has integrated well into our house, has learned our routines, and I think he's pretty happy. I'd like to eventually get him playing with toys more frequently and stepping up nicely, but we have lots of time to work on that.
I do have a bit of guilt about keeping him, though if he is surrendered to us, he'll stay. He took the last open spot in our house, which I'd been planning on using to foster birds for the rescue and adopt them out, like with Steve. There's actually a (mutilating, seizure-prone so on meds twice a day, blind) grey at the rescue that I'd be fostering right now if it weren't for Basil. It doesn't sit well with me that such an easy, low-maintenance bird is taking the place of someone who needs us more, but that's the way things are.
I am not aware of any programs that return former pets to the wild, but frankly, I'd be very hesitant to go this route. While I do wish that all parrots could be wild and that we'd never brought them into our homes, I don't believe that those who've lived so long in captivity would possess the skills to survive and thrive in their native land. I've read a bit about the work done by the Ara Project in breeding macaws to release in the wild, and spoke with a biologist doing that work in Costa Rica. It's a lot of work to make sure that the bird is ready to live in the wild and won't just walk up to a human (to be recaptured) as that's what they know. I've also read about work done by captive breeding programs by the International Crane Foundation (for cranes, obviously!) and was involved in helping to raise orphan baby wildlife when I volunteered at a wildlife rescue center, and I know they try very strongly to make sure that the animals will not associate humans with food.
That being said, if you can't find any individuals who will take your birds when you're no longer around, I think the best thing to do is connect with a parrot rescue to make plans. This includes leaving money for them to be taken care of, possibly by means of an insurance policy. This should help ensure that the facility will be able to take your birds when it's time (many rescues are currently full with long waiting lists for surrenders and this problem will only get worse every year.) The good thing in your case is that your birds are smaller, so it should be easier to find someone to take them, even if it means they are split up. It's very difficult to find a good home for a cockatoo or macaw. I wish I had a better answer for you.
phonelady asked: do greys just naturally get into everything ? sure sounds like they do from your gang
Of course I can't answer this for all greys since every parrot is an individual, but I do think that greys have the tendency to be very curious and intelligent and therefore get into everything, including trouble! I must also add that when Max was a single grey, she did not get into nearly as much as she has since Stella arrived. Because they are flock animals, I believe that the presence of another grey motivates them to explore. I also believe that a big part of the reason why Stella transformed so quickly into a happy bird after her mutilation is the presence of Max -- even though they don't physically interact, I think that Max was a good role model for Stella.
Additionally, we encourage our parrots to explore and make their own choices as much as possible. That, combined with the fact that they can fly, may make them more likely to get into things than an average grey who is clipped and may only come out of his cage a few times a month. The fact that they frequently find food only reinforces this!
D. Richard asked: What if I may ask is the status of , Basil, Thought he would be home by now or do I not remember the proper dates ?
Officially, Basil is still just a foster bird. He is willed to us, so we were expecting to have him full-time at some point, though we thought it would be decades yet until this happened. Originally, he was just supposed to stay with us for a month or two, but it's not been nearly 10 months. His owners aren't ready yet to officially sign him over to us, though I suspect that will happen soon.
Luckily, he is quite possibly the lowest-maintenance parrot I have ever met. That's part of the reason I write about him so infrequently -- he's not doing many exciting things! He has integrated well into our house, has learned our routines, and I think he's pretty happy. I'd like to eventually get him playing with toys more frequently and stepping up nicely, but we have lots of time to work on that.
I do have a bit of guilt about keeping him, though if he is surrendered to us, he'll stay. He took the last open spot in our house, which I'd been planning on using to foster birds for the rescue and adopt them out, like with Steve. There's actually a (mutilating, seizure-prone so on meds twice a day, blind) grey at the rescue that I'd be fostering right now if it weren't for Basil. It doesn't sit well with me that such an easy, low-maintenance bird is taking the place of someone who needs us more, but that's the way things are.
D Richard continues: I am no spring chicken myself and I am a little worried about what to do with my flock in any event . I was wondering after you sent a review of RIO . what do you think of my leaving money to have my flock released in their respective lands at least for the conures and lovebirds . Australia does not want the cockatiels back and the same with the quaker, Both considered agricultural pests . But do you have any thoughts ? I don't have family or friends that would want them , Any of them
I am not aware of any programs that return former pets to the wild, but frankly, I'd be very hesitant to go this route. While I do wish that all parrots could be wild and that we'd never brought them into our homes, I don't believe that those who've lived so long in captivity would possess the skills to survive and thrive in their native land. I've read a bit about the work done by the Ara Project in breeding macaws to release in the wild, and spoke with a biologist doing that work in Costa Rica. It's a lot of work to make sure that the bird is ready to live in the wild and won't just walk up to a human (to be recaptured) as that's what they know. I've also read about work done by captive breeding programs by the International Crane Foundation (for cranes, obviously!) and was involved in helping to raise orphan baby wildlife when I volunteered at a wildlife rescue center, and I know they try very strongly to make sure that the animals will not associate humans with food.
That being said, if you can't find any individuals who will take your birds when you're no longer around, I think the best thing to do is connect with a parrot rescue to make plans. This includes leaving money for them to be taken care of, possibly by means of an insurance policy. This should help ensure that the facility will be able to take your birds when it's time (many rescues are currently full with long waiting lists for surrenders and this problem will only get worse every year.) The good thing in your case is that your birds are smaller, so it should be easier to find someone to take them, even if it means they are split up. It's very difficult to find a good home for a cockatoo or macaw. I wish I had a better answer for you.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
More neti pot fun
Stella is obsessed with Thomas and with the neti pot, so the combination of the two is irresistible for her. This was the scene this morning; yes, she is perching on his ear:
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Pay attention to me!
Ran a marathon over the weekend, which meant that the afternoon was spent relaxing and eating. Thomas was in the living room watching football. I had been there as well, but then decided to go into the kitchen to listen to playoff baseball and catch up on the paper.
Of course, Max had to follow me in. I think she was a little miffed that I wasn't paying attention to her, as she started doing cute things to make me notice her:
Then, she flew to the table, found a receipt, and started shredding it:
She wasn't interested in this pecan when I'd offered it to her a few days earlier, but when she found it on Brian's cage, then it was interesting:
I brought Calypso from his cage (which is still in the kitchen) to the table so he could roam around. He decided to perch on my glass:
And then beg for me to pick him up:
So, not much roaming. Mostly trying to figure out how to get me to pick him up.
Rocky was torn -- stay behind with his preferred person, or keep an eye on his nemesis (me)? Several times, I caught him on the threshold of the hallway, trying to peek in on me. You'd think he just would have enjoyed some alone time with Thomas.
More paper shredding from Max:
The afternoon turned out not to be as relaxing as I'd hoped.
Of course, Max had to follow me in. I think she was a little miffed that I wasn't paying attention to her, as she started doing cute things to make me notice her:
Then, she flew to the table, found a receipt, and started shredding it:
Rocky was torn -- stay behind with his preferred person, or keep an eye on his nemesis (me)? Several times, I caught him on the threshold of the hallway, trying to peek in on me. You'd think he just would have enjoyed some alone time with Thomas.
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