A Bamboo Forest Inside A Cage

Echo and BJ At Home In The Forest

Munch Gets Down To Business



Rocky Peeks Thru Bamboo

 Today many of the larger parrots got to go outside to enjoy this gorgeous day.  The cockatiels were delighted to get a little outside brought inside.  I clipped some of the golden bamboo from behind the turtle pond and supplied the tiels with a wonderful enrichment.  They went right to work denuding the tender leaves from the stem.  Yes, it's messy but it's worth it to see how busy they were!  I hang the stems upside down and hook one of the top twigs through the cage bars.  This allows me to leave the bamboo in but I'm still able to pull the papers and clean the cage floor.  Which, by the way, is now carpeted with leaves!  Edible plants are an easy enrichment to offer.  Check on line for safe woods, plants, flowers, etc. 

Special Guest Iggy

Iggy Has Specific Needs

 Iggy is a special little Goffins cockatoo.  This is his first visit to Parrot Nanny.  I was able to somewhat duplicate the type of cage and setup that he has at home.  His mom emailed me a photo so that I could do this. 
 Iggy has a special diet and a special routine. Every morning he gets a small organic apple placed on the bottom of his cage.  He loves this!  He eats about half of it by day's end but he also rolls it around and plays with it. 
  Iggy also get his small bowl of cous cous with peas and carrots in it.  Mom brought a good supply of this as well as some snap peas in the pod. 

Munch Ball Filled With Goodies

   Iggy also loves almonds in the shell...who doesn't?  To make it more challenging, these are placed inside a Munch Ball.  Iggy has mastered getting the almond out in a matter of seconds.  So, I added some other items to increase the complexity.  I also hooked it on a baby link to keep it from ending up on the cage floor. 
   So far, Iggy seems to feel very comfortable. Since this is the first time away from home in 11 years, I am eager to keep him stress free and happy.  I pride myself on accommodating special-care birds. Iggy is a hyperactive little lovebug. 

Time For Summer Camp!

Pierre w head between her wings.



Bring on the water!




Love it, Love it, Love it.

 If your life is busy and your bird is bored...send them to camp!  Even just one day here is a fun change of pace.  Pierre came yesterday just for the day.  She got to "talk" to all the other parrots while she had breakfast.  Then, when the sunshine warmed the day, she went outside to her favorite cage.  I have many outdoor cages and they are in an area that is netted for safety.  The temps climbed and I walked around with the hose set on "shower" or "mist", depending on the bird's eagerness for wetness.  Pierre couldn't get enough!  (Most amazons are water hogs.) The parrots get wet and spend the next two hours preening and eating and soaking up the beautiful spring day.  They come back inside in the afternoon to avoid any mosquitoes.  When Pierre's dad picked her up, she was full of happiness and tales of her fun day. 

Safer Outdoor Time



Lucy Visits with Knuckles and Big Bird

I have a lot of outdoor cages and rotate the parrots outside to enjoy sunny days.  The entire area is netted with "orchard netting".  The netting keeps the birds contained should they fly.  It also keeps the hawks out, should they be cruising by. 

I would never leave a parrot outside a cage in this area without personal supervision.  The netting isn't chew proof!  But it does provide a level of safety that allows me to sit out there and read with a parrot near me on the chair or on the tree stand. 

In this photo, Lucy, my scarlet macaw, is spending time with me.  Knuckles and Big Bird came over to check it out.  All of the macaws are "fully flighted" and enjoy their wings.  One of our games to play is called "Wings".  If I say Wings, Knuckles and Big Bird spread their wings out in response.  They love to perform, and it's a great way to redirect them from noisy to animated.  

Oro Takes Off!

Oro and Azul in their Desert Oasis Aviary

Oro and Azul lead the good life.  They are much loved and go from their home in the Bay Area to their home in the high desert of California.  Sometimes I am lucky enough to get them here as guests.  Their desert home is way out "beyond the pavement" and very remote.  While there, they enjoy being outside during the day.  Of course, they are brought in every afternoon to the safety of the main house.  Yesterday, however, Oro got spooked by a bandaid on mom's hand and flew off. 

These macaws are like 747s and have a powerful ability to fly.  Imagine the panic that followed as Oro flew away and then (luckily) circled back towards the house.  She landed up a steep hill in the tip top of a huge tree.  Mom had read a wonderful article about What To Do If Your Bird Is Lost.  She had kept it on her iPhone, just in case. 

She utilized the suggestions in that article and kept her cool.  She trudged up to the top of the hill and sat under that big tree never taking her eyes off of Oro.  She spent the afternoon/evening frantically trying everything to get Oro back.  She was alone with no one to help. 

Macaws are treetop parrots.  Unlike Greys and Cockatoos who often walk on the ground to forage, macaws stay aloft or in the canopy.

The indoor cage was brought outside within eyesight and loads of nuts and bead toys and food and water were there to tempt her.  Azul, her bonded companion, called out to her.  But Oro contently preened and nibbled on the pine tree. 

Eventually, she became tired and hungry and decided to figure out how to climb down to mom.  Hours after flying away, she was safe.  Mom was sunburned and lost 5 lbs sweating up and down the steep hill.  But there was a happy ending. 

Oro and Azul will be getting their wings trimmed now.  There may even be a netted corridor created between that aviary and the house.  

If you like to read the article that was so helpful in this happy ending, here is the link to the article.  What to do if your Bird is Lost by Emily Heenan.  http://www.cafabirdclub.org/lost.htm

Elwood and Vinnie are good eaters

 Elwood and Vinnie are visiting again.  They are quite a pair.  They mostly get along well until I serve the breakfast!  Then Vinnie becomes a bully and the squabbles begin.  Poor Elwood.  I saw what was happening and inserted a second breakfast dish to alleviate the stress.  However, by the time I did this, Vinnie had had his fill and moved off the dish to the background.  Just look at his crop!  They certainly love my Psittacine Cuisine!  Then Elwood got to partake to his delight.  

Your eyes are not deceiving you...Elwood gets a little carried away with the preening of the bald Vinnie.
 

One of the drawbacks of caging two birds together is the potential for too much allopreening.  It becomes a favorite pastime and the results are not pretty.
 
But Elwood (over 20 yrs old) and Vinnie (over 10) are happy and sweet and they are much loved. 

Old Birds

BJ is one very old cockatiel.  He was given to me approximately back in 1980. He can't fly as he has only one flight feather.  They just stopped growing in.  He is therefore very safe to take outside to the outdoor cages.  He is frail and thin and loves to sit in the warmth of the sun to soak it up. 

This is Ben.  He too is quite ancient.  He came to me when he was old.  Now he's older!  Going strong at 30+ years.  He isn't able to maneuver easily but he manages to climb around on his stiff legs.  He loves to soak up the sun too. 

Parrots are very long lived.  It feels good to give them comfort and care in their elder years.