Just Give In and Accept It

Roxie will not stay put. I place her on the kitchen stand so that she can "watch" me prepare the meal for her and Rosie, another Blue and Gold Macaw. This is a galley kitchen, however, and the jumping distance is easy for her. She hops over to the kitchen counter and offers to sample the items being prepared. I tried consistently to place her back on her stand with a morsel to enjoy...but she has made this "her game" and plays it well. If you can't beat them, join them. I now allow her to supervise me. Roxie wins this one!

Turkey Day!

I arrived at my Walnut Creek "Nanny Visit" to care for the parrots and was greeted by the wild turkeys! What a great way to spend Thanksgiving! When I opened the garden gate to return the garbage cans, there they were...hiding. I calmly greeted them and they didn't seem agitated at all. Later, they appeared at the picnic table as if to say, "Well? Where's dinner?" They forage quite peacefully around the garden eating just about everything from flowers to bugs and who knows what else. But they do scratch around in the discarded birdfood that I scatter. Maybe they are so beautiful because of the Harrison's pellets!

Last evening, as I was leaving this house, a large flock of Canada Geese flew overhead honking loudly on their way to Heather Farms. Yes, it was a very memorable Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The holidays are a busy time around here. I utilize the time carefully when I am home and have my routine down pat. The birds are enjoying warm showers inside now, instead of outdoor showers from the hose. They all get their breakfast and a clean cage before I head out to take care of birds in their homes. Sometimes, by the look of things, these guys have quite a party while I'm gone! I return to a complete mess and enjoy giving them all some one-on-one attention and a little dinner before bedtime. As your holidays get busy, don't forget to give your birds that little bit of special time. It doesn't take much to really make their day! Also remember that the "strange" lights and decor with extra visitors in and out can be scary.

Freako Appears

Obviously, much of my writing is about parrots...

However, my current story is a success story about a very shy kitty named Freako. (named for a reason) I have been caring for this group of cats and parrots for a long time. Freako has been a phantom glimspe now and then.

Finally, this week, I actually got to stroke him and hear his purrrr. I guess he decided that he was missing out on some pretty awesome affection. I would pay attention to all the others and he would hide behind the sofa. One evening I just sat quietly on the couch and waited. Freako came out and relaxed in my presence. Success is wonderful. He enjoyed some neck skritches and turned on his motor. I wish parrots could purr! It is so satisfying.

FLYING IS FUN

Here are Mango and Blue roosting on their armoire in "their bedroom." They are fully flighted and quite active when I let them out to stretch their wings. They swoop and circle the room and have their favorite places to land. When it's time to go back...they can be quite taxing.

I have learned to spend time with them in the evening because I can easily persuade them to "go back" when I turn down the lights. However, in the daylight, I have to use some ingenuity. Today I actually had success when I "mesmerized" them with my singing! I requested each one to step onto their ladder and then sang a high lilting song as I slowly inched towards the cage. Blue was so intent on listening to the song that he forgot to fly off for more games. Once Blue is in the cage, Mango cooperates immediately to be with her pal! These methods are shared because it never ceases to amaze me that our birds love to play games and "cajoling" them to cooperate gets to be a challenge!

Josey Wales Relaxes

Well, Josey Wales has learned to relax and his "seasonal aggression" has subsided. The first thing I did was remove the cardboard boxes from his cages. He certainly loves to tear them up and go into hiding, but this is only allowed if it does not create a monster. The second thing I did was to trim his wings and toe nails. Believe it or not, this seems to settle him down. The third remedy was to provide him with his bead laces. He uses these to relax. All seems okay now and the stress has passed. I firmly believe, when a bird bites, it stresses him as much as the "victim."

Kiku Loves His Ball

Kiku can be pacified easily by giving him his little orange wiffle ball. He loves this ball! He holds it expertly with his little feet and tries to put the ball on his shoulders. This activity makes it look as if he is giving himself a massage. It has been interesting to watch how Ben relates to Kiku. Ben, my elderly little Blue Crowned Conure, is next to Kiku and seems intrigued by him. Ben was a solitary bird for all of his life prior to coming here. Now that must have been a mind-blowing experience coming into this house full of parrots! I think it's interesting that he seems to have buddied up to Chauncey, of all birds! He does get calmer when he is next to him.

Cockatoo Aggression

Well, it's that time of year! Earlier than usual but definitely "that time." My male Umbrella Cockatoo, Josey Wales, has begun exhibiting his seasonal aggression. Unfortunately, it manifested itself first towards my "nanny in training" Shelley. I have been showing Shelley the ins and outs of caring for my house full of parrots in the event that I get sick or have some other emergency. She is wonderful and quite comfortable with all of the birds. She, herself, is a macaw person and cockatoos are definitely different from macaws. Josey nailed her. I am so sorry! (Usually this begins in late December or January.) I removed the cardboard box from his cage to ease his territorial sense. He is still full of himself. His outdoor play cage has a box in it too. Today he was very difficult to manage. That box is now history. If it keeps up...I will trim his wings. He is fully flighted now and I can't trust him to not get away from me when we're transferring to the outdoor cage. Also, the wing and nail trim will subdue some of his ego. There's something about jumping up and down and flapping fully feathered wings that spurs him into wild "attacks." I'll let you know how things go. Luckily this only last a few weeks.

Cats and Birds

This is Joplin! Joplin is a very sweet Noble Macaw that is quite vocal! She, (actually a he, but who cares) announces "ready to go to bed!" as soon as I get there to tuck her in. When I gather up my keys, she says, "bye bye!"

The handsome kitty is Comet. He lives very successfully in the same home with Joplin. Joplin's cage has some "loaded aluminum cans" placed on the top of the cage. Just in case Comet gets curious, the noisy cans will totally change his intentions quickly. Can there be harmony with a cat and a bird? In most cases, yes.

QUAKE SHAKE

Earthquakes are always quite the experience in a parrot home. At the time of this last quake Tuesday night, I had eleven birds in residence. (eight are my own) I found that the larger parrots all seemed aware but unaffected by the event. However, the little birds immediately become flustered and crash around in their cages. Buster, my Congo Grey, also gets upset. No real harm done except for a few dropped feathers in the excitement. It takes a while to talk the cockatiels into going back to their roosting perches. They cling tightly to the sides of their cages waiting for more shaking. Things settle down eventually although I am quite sure they feel the minor aftershocks throughout the night.