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So sorry you've had family member losses Karen -- that always makes the holidays harder. But so glad Timber is still doing okay. Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! (Yes, even those across the pond who don't celebrate it -- eat something delicious for tea Katrina (and share whatever is appropriate with Alfie -- he'd probably love our pumpkin pie and candied sweet potatoes here - Snickers always did!) I'm up late tonight, just managed a shower while my green bean casserole cools enough to go in the fridge and mixed up a watergate salad (will mix in nuts tomorrow just before serving). Sister is doing the turkey and other sides this year. Mom is 81, Dad turns 91 in 2 weeks. A lot to be grateful for.

I find myself praying that he outlives me (I'm 68) because I don't know how I'd deal with his loss. Yes, but how will he deal with your loss.. that to me is much harder as he will never understand where you went...:( That to me breaks my heart

My sincere condolences, You have been thru a world of emotions, ups & downs with him I can only imagine. What a sad beginning he had, but you loved him into the wonder he was. Thank you for coming back here for our support in this terrible time. God Bless you & I pray for healing.

My heart goes out to you. I never understood the connection that could develop between myself and an angry and terrified African Grey until I took Timber from someone wanting to rehome him because he wasn't "adjusting." The bond is indescribable unless you've experienced it. I find myself praying that he outlives me (I'm 68) because I don't know how I'd deal with his loss. I have no words, but my heart bleeds for you. God bless.

Oh, too kind, I’m not an owner, just a rescuer of fine antiquities LOL As Talon said, it would be almost a crime to let so much knowledge be erased. You guys are the owners. I just try and keep it running. Thank you all for years of knowledge and experiences put in one place. When I found this place it was basically one file database surrounded by bad infected code. I just cleaned it up. You also helped me save Mr. Grumpy bird from the other side of the planet in the badlands. It’s all you guys. Thanks. 🙏

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Yes it is scary how time flies. Especially when you are watching it in your children or your pets! I'm not fond of watching it in the mirror

I'm a bit late to the party but Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it! Appreciate the shoutout! Alfie is as spoiled as always. He's currently sitting behind me munching on his dinner whilst I catch up on a few things on the computer. Alfie will be 23 in April 2026. Scary how quickly time flies!

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Timbersmom! So happy to hear that Timber is doing well! That is something to be most thankful for!

You probably had a cookie or bookmark. In an attempt to foil this bot, I moved the site and put in an auto forward to https://greyforums.org/ip31 If you had a cookie in the browser, it wouldn’t pick up the auto forward. I have high hopes that this is resolved. I thank everyone for their patience. It’s been quite the time.

Always enjoy your pictures from this annual outing! Happy for you and Alfie!

What a fun venue for you both! And look at Alfie's big haul! Spoiled birdie!

My Nilah will be 15 years old next month. She does not like to be filmed as you can see by the end, but I managed to get her anyways. Just wanted to share, she can be such a love, but also a brat at times..but we go with the flow in my house! She gets the upmost respect from us all when her moods arise..LOL 20230316_175111.mp4

Thank you guys. My friends understand to the extent that they're all animal lovers who have experienced their own losses. They know my attachment to my critters. They know about Phenix' odyssey. Some were his fans. If admittedly from a distance which was best for all concerned. None of them have had any birds though. I think to them it's kind of like I've had a long term relationship with a bad tempered albeit fascinating interstellar alien. The long-term thing is very hard now though. Too many rituals & reminders accrued. So the sting of this won't be going away for that much longer. In the meanwhile it helps to think of him playing with his dogs. He really did love them. He called for Wolf in particular for a surprisingly long time after he was gone. I have a picture of them all together now & no holds barred. I wished this on myself because I was afraid of what would happen if Phenix went to another home. He would have had to find a safe place to land -and- be sufficiently adjusted to keep from slipping back into the abyss. There was no way to control such a big ask. So I'd preferred to have spared him if I couldn't protect him.

I just have the one- Alfie who is 22 years old- he'll be 23 in April 2026. I've had him since he was 11 weeks old. I have thought about adding another parrot over the years but don't have the time and space needed if they don't get on with each other.

I got Timber (TAG) in 2012. He was "thought to be" 6 or 7 when I took him. I'm not sure how many previous homes he was in, but at least two. So, based on assumptions, he would be about 20 now.

It definitely keeps me busy, but I have a good routine in place. I have my morning coffee while chopping up their fresh veggies. It's my time to mentally plan my day. In the evening is when everyone gets let out of their cages. They're all flighted, so I decided to make evenings their time to get out and fly/exercise. I have 10 fids. Like you, I stress over what will happen to them once my time is up on this earth. My family are not into birds, so I'll likely find homes for them if my health goes south. If I go suddenly, then I have a notebook of wishes,etc.

I have a young flock: Gizmo and Niko: dusky conures, age 13. Gizmo was my very first bird, and we got Niko a month later to keep her company Harley: Panama amazon, age 12 Maalik (12), Fynn (7), and Sydney (19)-all CAGS Shaylor-miligold macaw (11) Dexter-scarlet macaw (9) Teak-lesser Jardine's (11) Chloe-meyers (9)

Merry Christmas to all my bird loving friends from Timber and his family/staff here. I hope you all have a joyous Christmas season and a prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas to all & a Very Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to everyone here!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends here from Timber and myself. It's been a hard year with the passing of a couple of very close family members, but there is much to be grateful for. Timber had his annual checkup at the avian vet and everything looked good. His meds are controlling his seizures, and his weight is stable. Wishing you and years a blessed Thanksgiving and a joyous upcoming Christmas season!

Timber will be 20 soon also, at least if we were given the right age when we got him (6). I really have little in confidence in that, not really knowing how many previous owners he had. I just go with it though since it's all we have. We celebrate his hatchday on July 4, since we don't know that either.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Sorry to hear of your losses Karen. It is always harder during the holidays as we miss those who we have lost. It is great to hear from everyone here! Glad to know I am not the only one checking in! Bless everyone here & especially their babies! @ of my greys turned 20 years old this year! I cant believe it, I got them both when they were very young..seems like yesterday!

Ok, some of you were here and saw what was posted earlier, and well it got hacked again because of no security patches. This had to be paid, and I asked for some help paying it. I did get a small donation. Im just tired of this and was going to keep my good backup and keep rolling it back, but that would be stupid, anything you took time to post would be lost. And I am tired of cleaning the mess up so I just paid the $199. I Hope that gets us over the hump as the updated software has a patch in it. Im sure Talon will appreciate not having to look at red warning flags everytime she logs on. I know no one is made of money as you can see that gives us another year of life. I would appreciate it if folks could chip in $5 or $10 here and there over the next year. Ill keep a running total. If you don’t have to do it all at once, it isn’t too bad. So thats it. Next time, ill probably let it go.

Ok, they hit again last night. SO, assuming this is a bot, and were on a list, I am going to move the site to https://greyforums.org/ipb/ I am going to put in an auto forwarder so anyone arriving here will automatically be forwarded to the new link address. If your browser holds the cookie it may not auto forward till the cookie clears. Were getting closer. I now know it happens between 0130 hours and 0200. I also know that the database is not being attacked, because as you can see we have not lost any data. I also can restore the site in a few seconds by replacing the index.php file and removing the underlying word press infrustructure it uses. Moving the admin directory did not help so again assuming it's a bot/list setup, moving the site link might do the trick. If that doesnt work what is left is one of the plugins has some malicious code in it or it is a user here flying under the radar. We continue on LOL !!! Thanks for your patience.

Thanks Kevin, I noticed it last week, but didnt have a way to email you. I have been checking in daily, so Thank you for getting us up & running again. My apologies for all the problems.

This crazy waffle box girls turns 20 years old today!! We got her flown from Florida to Massachusetts via Delta all by herself at 4 months old :/...anyways she did great & it is really hard to believe it has been 20 years. She is the reason I joined this site 20 years ago. Without her, I probably wouldn't be here. This is our family no matter what..even if it is only a small few of us.

Happy birthday !

Ok, got tagged again. Someone is using SQL injection to change the index.php. So I have taken some extra precautions to protect it. It could also be the chatbox plugin, so I changed the version. If I catch it soon enough, we wont loose as much. I am not in here everyday, that's just the way it is. If someone that is in here everyday please email me when it goes south, I can get on it immediately. Im also going to look into a service that will alert me when it happens. I have one other IPB site running with no issues. if someone could email me at support@blackopshosting.com when you see an issue I would appreciate it. Thanks and sorry for the issues.

Awww....what a cutie in her waffle box. Happy birthday baby Talon and promise I wouldn't dare stick my hand in that box and expect to get it back in one piece. We have a spooky birthday coming up here soon as well. Somebirdy here will be turning 13...a teenager!

Happy hatch day!

Happy Hatch Day, Talon! I bet she was hoping to find a real waffle inside!

WOW 2 days, that security patch is holding. Sweet.

I'll take the smoke alarm sound any day over having 3 parrots making long, sustained belching sounds, one after the other, as if they'd just downed a tall frothy mug of beer!

You may have seen my previous posts about this- but I visited the Think Parrots Show again this year. It's the fourth time I've been, the third time I've taken Alfie with me and the second time I've stayed in a hotel over the weekend to break up the driving. It was on Sunday 7th June so I drove on the Saturday and came home on the Monday. Alfie was unfazed by the car journey, the hotel stay and LOVED all the attention he got at the event itself! I spent way too much on parrot goodies for Alfie- he has been well and truly spoiled this year! As well as all the stalls there were three "master classes" run by some parrot behaviour specialists and they introduced a "Feather Factor" talent show this year too which was quite entertaining. Loaded up and ready to go! Home for the weekend Adventures round the room Ready to go and showing off his wheels! Exhibition hall with all the stands Masterclasses More from the exhibition hall/stalls Back at the hotel after a long day! Alfie's haul of goodies! Back home! Info about the masterclasses Bonus photo- Alfie checking out his new friend!

Every 2 months of so, using frozen veggies, I cook up a bunch of different types, add some cooked rice or cooked pasta, mix it all together in a huge bowl, then pack it in small tupperware containers & freeze them all. I have 3 parrots, so I take 1 container out per week & feed a little to my parrots daily . I have an extra bowl I put it in when I go to work. I know someone else who freezes the same type of thing in ice cube trays & take them out & use them that way, 1 per day. My parrots don't like "chopped veggies" they prefer bigger pieces to grab with their foot & hold to eat for some reason LOL .. There will always be some kind of waste, but I just give less, or dump it out at the end of the day. Some days they eat more, others barely any. Good luck & keep us posted!

Give yourself a big pat on the back Kevin, you have done this place right & really kept us up & running when the cancer we had was running ramped here..it would have pulled us under if it wasnt for you & all your dedication & hard work. ❤️

Boxes are Timber's favorite thing in the world. I have a hard time keeping enough of the right size to stay ahead of his shredding addiction. Love the pic. Typical sibling behavior!

Hey..Nice to hear from you both! I , too am sad that such a forum with the incredible knowledge, resources & experience is barely going. I do check in daily, but don't log in if there is no activity, but I do see this place most days. Sorry to hear of the biting & grumpiness, but you are so wonderful to just go with the flow..most owners wouldn't, kudos to you Kevin! My 3 are still going the same, Talon is addicted to boxes. She gets an empty box on the counter when she gets out & immediately runs inside it..Rikki ( who has never had a desire before) tho has taken to annoying Talon when she's in it & they do argue over it. I try to get another box so they both have one..but of course like children it's not the same. They fight over the 1 box or sometimes it's a bag. NO one gets hurt, but sometimes Rikki pushes the bag or box onto the floor & Talon takes a tumble inside, but it's not far & she doesnt get hurt...just her feelings. Pic: Rikki won this round & is inside the box, Talon on top)

Wow, you started this in December, and there are 3 different reply’s. I hate social media. LOL. But I’ll go with it. 😃 I have Sukei. I think everyone that has posted knows Sukei’s story. He is a Middle East refugee African Grey. I’m guessing he is about 13 now. He was about 8 months old when I got him. He is still a bird living out on the Lam. (Fish and Wildlife say his import papers were not correct when he arrived at JFK for quarantine.) So one day we’re going to have to go to court and get that straight. When I retire in 5 years we are going to do so in the Philippines and I’ll need proper documents to get him out of the country. They used to be real big into bird smuggling. But it’s a long ridiculous story. They got all there money. Anyway he has become grumpy in his old age and likes to bite as some of you have heard the stories and seen the pictures lol. I let him out and some days are ok. Other days we play the bite game. (See if I can keep from getting bit) LOL I’ve got quite good at it. I work from home so he isn’t lonely that’s for sure. I hope a few more people post, there are a few I see that log in, but haven’t posted.

I am so sorry..how tragic..Do you have any currently? I am 65, so my bird life started late as well.

Thank you ! I have been checking pretty regularly last two days, but I’m sure I might miss here and there. It’s been top of mind because I really want to get this person. But it’s more likely a bot. Probably hit at some point before the first time, and we’re on a list. Even though the site looks blank when it strikes, what happens is it turns the site into a relay agent to infect other sites. in the background it relays other bots to other servers. Think of it like a zombie LOL, it turns into a dead site that infects other sites. Anyway, I hope with the changes made to the admin directory, that will put a stop to it. In the meantime I have you guys to be eyes and ears for me. That email addy comes straight to the phone and I get an email alert immediately. Thanks again.

It was a quiet weekend. I thank you neoow. It’s been nice to have some support. With our license being up to date now, looks like the Invision Power Board version 5 software is now available to us at no extra cost. The site has been through some interesting software changes over the years, yet somehow the database has always remained in decent shape. With the many changes and conversions, the database has areas that are in two different formats as far as the tables are concerned. To take advantage of all the new options version 5 has to offer, the tables will have to be brought into alignment throughout the entire board, going back to day 1. Depending on the continued interest, I may go ahead and do that. It is a time intensive process. Anyway thanks to everyone that has pitched in to help. It is VERY appreciated and not gone unnoticed.

Have just sent some money via paypal. Might end up being an odd amount because of currency exchange! Thanks for all you do to keep the lights on here. I still visit regularly even if I don't have much to talk about.

Thank you Karen ! $25 $139 left.

I'm fortunate there. I only have one bird so don't have to worry about harmony on an obnoxious sound. Timber's worst is the smoke alarm. He doesn't do it at full volume there so it is bearable, though confusing sometimes if you are in another room. Is it the detector or Timber? His loudest is his "alert" which I believe is common to all parrots. It's annoying but I don't hear it often.

Huey and Greycie both copied an annoying high-pitched shriek from my caique. Now they have shriek battles to see who can do it the most and the loudest. The only solace I have is the new guy, Odie, tells them to 'stop it' and 'shut up'. I'm wondering if they would go good with tiki masala sauce.

This makes me thankful that I only have one grey to worry about. He loves anything loud and obnoxious. He has this ear piercing squeak that he saves for when I'm walking next to his cage and it's so painful when he does it. I try so hard not to react so as to not enforce it... but he knows full well that he's got me every time. I can't imagine three of them making the same noise! As least you don't have this problem: Swearing parrots moved enclosures to help stop their bad language - BBC Newsround