Inara

I wasn't able to see it either. But, I closed down my Facebook account, so that might be why I can't see it.

Many here who know HRH Inara know that she has a great penchant for talking English, and some have said that they wished their less talkative greybies would talk more. It got me thinking that HRH also talks in her own "foreign to me" language. She listens and listens, and so I try my best to return the favor. Over the past three years together I have come to know the meaning of many of her sounds even though to a stranger they would just seem like ... well *sounds,* but she is actually talking in her own Timneh language that is quite clear. Here are a few examples: --- a machine gun like burst of sharp staccato sounds means, "message received." for example when she sends out a flock call and one of us answers, she answers back with that. --- a clunking sound means set down your coffee cup or glass --- a woo0oo sound with excitement means I'm a party of one and the party is about to happen on one of my toys! --- a high pitched squeaking sound means time to load the dishwasher (it is the sound of the squeaky dishwasher rack being pulled out only as a scrillion decibles!) --- the first note of "Over the Rainbow" coupled with a squeaking floorboard means goodnight as I go to bed. (she does the 1st note and the squeak of my bedroom floorboard, I do the 2nd note, then she does the "message received" sound) Over the Rainbow is "my" tune that she uses to call me and If I Only Had a Brain is Joe's tune that she uses for him. --- a laser-like sound means back off I don't know you! --- a beak grinding means happy as a clam --- a whoosh whooshing sound means get ready for a storm --- a lipsmacking sound means whatever you are eating looks pretty damned good to me and I'd like some --- a phone call ending boop sound means wrap up whatever you are doing and pay attention to me or you will get the pterodactyl sound next buddy --- a weird assortment of loud R2D2 like noises when I am in another room means Hey! the timer in the kitchen is going off and why aren't you doing something?! --- ticklewhew means blow softly on my feathers --- a crackling sound means bring me a walnut (it's the sound of me cracking open a walnut shell) --- a sharp yip like a puppy bark means you've startled me! --- last but certainly not least while all the above sounds are her very own, I taught her from the first week she was with us a teeew-teew (think pew pew like little kid firing a fake gun sound) to mean D A N G E R. I would couple it with the word danger, and it did not take her long to figure out that that sound meant stay away from whatever it is (for example windows/flying into them) once she put together what danger meant all I have to do is make that sound if she is approaching somethat that I want her to stay away from and she will turn and go in a different direction. She will use it herself when she thinks something looks dangerous or doing something might be dangerous. Example if we are doing fly time and I move one of the perches way far away, she will give the danger sound until I move it to a distance that she feels good about. Or if the flight path is close to a lamp or other object. It's very cool. I am sure that there are many other sounds that she uses that I just have not decoded yet. As tuned in as everyone else here is also to our fids, I'm wondering what sounds that you've recognized in your fids' as unique to them and meaningful to you both? Tell all ! Inara's Hoomin

Well what a relief!! And calling a tree service was a brilliant suggestion and thankfully worked out great! You are a peach. Well, I can imagine that this time around it would have taken a herculean effort to convince them not to clip her wings after that episode and we all know you gave it your best shot. Safe and sound and home is the win here so I will join you in that being the focus. So glad that they had you to assist!! xo

Here is a mister that I use on HRH Inara -- she loves it! The mist can be set to such a superfine level that it is like a whisper of water and with several pumps to get the pressure up, I can mist her for a long time. She even now has gotten to the point where she is so unfazed by the bottle that I can adjust the spray to a stream and shoot it under her wings and soak the heck out of her. I don't hit her with the stream full force, I go light on the trigger pressure and she likes to reach down with her beak and get a drink from the jet. I also have always misted her with filtered water because we have really hard water that dries my skin and hair so I figure that it also does the same to her skin. I also without fail give her a treat at the end of her shower. When I first started misting her, right after she came to live with us, I would put her on my shoulder and mist us both while making fun sounds and acting like I was just loving the entire thing. It didn't take long for her to figure out that it felt good and that it was not scary. Now I just put her on a mobile perch in the shower area and mist her until she decides she's had enough and flies off and then she demands, "cookie!" A small price to pay for getting a girl to love her showers. When she first came to live with us, she had just turned two. While she had not been plucking per se, she was a really rough preener. Many of her feathers were shredded and tattered. When she would try to preen my hair she would pull it really hard! She also had not been showered and bathed on a regular basis because she "hated it." My philosophy was hate it or not, itsa gonna happen because we live high and dry up here. Eventually, as she continued to mature, her preening became more gentle and methodical and her feathers became sleek and nice. When she is molting, she will often 'assist' her downy feathers out and I will wake up to a little pile of snow in her cage. Now, I know that it is just her way and that it is fine. Charlie is such a youngster, that he too may learn as he goes along that his feathers aren't toys and that preening doesn't have to be a lumberjack type of effort. You are such a good parront and your love and great care for him are so obvious. Whether he decides he prefers a more punk-bird look or a sleek 007-bird look, we all know that you will adore him as your best feathered bud.

Chronic pain and/or illness really can be isolating. It's hard when you're the person who always has to cancel out at the last minute, or just simply can no longer do things that you used to enjoy. Am so glad that you let us know that you are struggling. It can be hard to reach out and let people know when you are feeling rough. You're never alone here in our flock. Hope this wee note finds you having a bit better day today. xo

http://goodbirdinc.com/help-escape.html How are things this morning? Hoping bird is retrieved and all is well.

Apparently Alex loves you as much as you love him! Wonderful video of the two of you!

OH Ray!! My heart stopped! It can all happen so freakishly fast. What an very heartfelt relief it is to know that Corky is safe and sound and that you are OK too! Thank goodness that she called to you as you were searching for her. And you are so correct: it doesn't matter how experienced we are or how many years we have living with fids, constant vigilance is a must! Hugs to you and to Corky!!! xox

Hmm.....this grocery sack walked into the Avian Vet and said, "Doc, I have a nut under my feet..." :D

Nancy? Have you made the decision to find Sophie a new home? If this is for real, you know that we will all work hard to help you find her the best one! .......... PS: if this is true, we all know this has to be a hard decision for you, and one that has been given a lot of deep thought. (if you are kidding us, may the bird of paradise fly up your nose... )

Count me in as another fan of the books and the series. I was worried that the series would not be able to do the books justice, but have been pleased with the casting as well as production. Over the years I have read up through Snow and Ashes and agree with Greytness that after the first three or so they started, for me, to become more formulaic. But still enjoyed as DG's writing is so vivid. The first three will always be my favorites. DG is such a talented writer and at her best has that magical ability to transport us all back in time. Greywings, you may be able to find the first series on Netflix. I haven't looked but if you use Netflix it would definitely be worth checking out. I need to catch up on the 2 most recent episodes and they are on my agenda for today! PS. I also love the History Channel's Viking series.

He's a heart melter for sure!

Whether natural quietness due to all of the activity, or the mug incident, or some combo...you know Maalik and what is normal. I can feel your concerns through the screen. If the vet says there's no structural damage, that is a huge relief. Any bruising will heal over time. Just enjoy that Maalik wants to be a bit more of a velcro bird right now. Sending good thoughts for Maalik to be back to his spunky self soon. <3

Your post just brought tears to my eyes. Imagining the horror and carnage wrought by the racoons just devastated me. They can be such clever creatures and are notorious for getting into wherever they want. Foxes also. Charlie was meant to be yours. Your love for him and dedication to him just come shining through! You both are fortunate to have found one another. There are so many great threads in these forums, so my only advice is read, read, and read. Keep him busy, and fly him indoors every day so that he can burn off energy. My Inara loves her fly time. I set up freestanding perches in different patterns around the house, and we play a flight game together called "Over Here." She loves to play it and then when she has had enough, instead of flying to the next perch, she just turns her back on it and faces home. We play Over Here every mid-evening and then she settles in for the rest of the night. One thing that I did with Inara to help move her to a healthier diet (when she came to live with us, she was a 2 year old and was living on McDonalds fries, and other stuff that while delicious was not a good idea), was I started putting organic baby food vegetables (sweet potato, squash, etc.) onto an organic buckwheat and berry toaster waffle in the mornings. I would toast the waffle, spread a skim of red palm oil on it, then spread some of the baby food on top of that and warm it for 8 seconds in the micro (making sure that it was not too hot by poking my fingers into it at various spots). I would then pinch little bites of it and feed it to her while she sat on my arm. She loved the closeness, and she loved the warm food. She still likes it, only now instead of the baby food, I just do a very fine minced veggies and fruit chop and put it on the waffle. She likes to sit on my arm and eat it off the plate. She usually eats most of the top off the waffle. It's like "birdie bread" only more fun for her to eat. When she's done, the outside ravens get the bottom of the waffle. Your Charlie might enjoy something similar. It also helps if they see *you* eating the whatever stuff. They learn in the wild from their parents what is safe to eat, so if Chas doesn't see you eat it, he may remain suspicious. . . Much love to you for taking in this sweet and wonderful orphan! If you were anywhere near, I'd hug you so hard you'd fart!

HRH Inara is pretty intrepid. I change up my hair color (had light teal and lavender streaks in it last year, this year violet and silver). I think she just wonders how I get my "feathers" to change colors. At times, she will look at me with curiosity, for example when I have a towel on my head over wet hair, etc. but I just give her "my" whistle and she completely relaxes. Joe's whistle is "If I Only Had a Brain" and my whistle is "Over the Rainbow," and Inara's whistle is one that she made up. I think this really helps, as she sends out the specific whistles for me and/or Joe and she will respond with hers. Sort of like a roll call flock call. All that being said -- we know how these feathered guys and gals can turn on a dime, so tomorrow she may decide my new fingernail polish has turned me into an alien.....

Loved this! Hadn't seen it, and it gave me a huge chuckle. Really shows how some birds seem to enjoy various training activities and how well socialized some can be. We all know that they are as different as we are when it comes to personality. I'm afraid that I'd have to admit that HRH Inara would likely just steal the ball and fly off, while laughing up a storm. Then she would extort cheese out of her opponents until returning the ball....

This is SO exciting! Will be keeping my eye on this thread to watch as the indoor aviary continues to unfold.

Just saw this thread and am hoping your pain has settled down. Sciatica can be so unrelenting and debilitating. My orthopedic surgeon taught me a trick many years ago that can be very helpful. Take a tennis ball and put it inside of a long sock or stocking down to the toe area. Then grab the open end of the sock up at the top. Lean up against a wall on the side where you are experiencing the sciatica. Place the tennis ball between the wall and the hollow of your buttox muscle while holding onto the top of the sock to keep it from slipping away. Then using the wall, press your muscle into the tennis ball and move around thus massaging that muscle. This can help it release it's grip on the sciatic nerve. It hurts, but just in the way that having someone massage a sore muscle hurts. It is back related for sure, which also causes the butt muscle spasms that can clamp down on that nerve. I do this daily (twice broken back, too long of a story for here) and it really helps over time to keep it settled down. I follow with a hot bath. Acupuncture really helps me as do regular chiropractic visits and physical therapy. I know these are not affordable for many people if not covered by insurance. The tennis ball tip is sort of like being your own physical therapist. You can also have another human get the same effect by placing there elbow in the same spot in your muscle and massaging with that. My physical therapist does that but she knows how much pressure to apply. My heart goes out to you, and HRH and I both send you lots o'love!

Am SO glad to hear that Ollie is recovering so well. No surprise there due to Nurse Rom and Sophie's watchful eye.

SO very happy to have caught up with The Lovely Miss Gilgirl this morning over coffee. How far she has come, not just over the years, but like an Auntie who has not seen a niece in several months, I'm astounded at how much she has grown since I was last able to tune in and catch up. What a sweetpea she is, and braver every day. She's become quite the intrepid traveler it seems. Maybe she has a bit of a gypsy soul. No doubt, always coming home to the same place is giving her a greater sense of security. She can enjoy the wanderings, and with each arrival back home, can trust a bit more that she is not simply being shanghaied only to wind up adrift on a new ship with new humans. I am envisioning her on the sundeck of a turn of the century adventure ship, wearing her ever growing pearl necklace and turning to you to say, "You simply must join me for drinks before dinner. I hear they are serving a lovely Nutriberry buffet this evening just as the Ivory Coast will be coming into view..."

Thanks Sterling, will work on putting some things together. Will have to Dropbox from my phone and then upload to computer then work on editing.

Wow! My heart was pounding just reading this. I can only imagine how you must have felt. Bless Maalik's little heart, a very close call indeed!! So glad that all is well. whew!

It really does bring home that *now* is the time to make plans. Our own thoughts are that we would love to find birdie "god parronts" who can spend the next several years getting to know HRH and learning how to physically handle her, interact with her, etc. and who have birds of their own so know what it takes and where she can visit for overnights, etc. That way they would be familiar to her and she to them. On the flipside --- when Inara came to live with us, we were complete strangers and she never looked back. Not once. But I think some of that was developmental stage timing. She was only 2 years old when we got her, and so would have been naturally wanting to start separating from her parents and joining the rest of the flock. Another bird may have mourned and had a long adjustment period. Both of my waybackinthepast birds, who were horribly abused, neglected and wild caught, learned to love and trust and we had long and wonderful relationships. So there really is no predicting how another creature will respond. Again, there is no perfect solution. For us, ending the life of a healthy, happy creature who could learn to adjust to a new loving home is not an option we would consider, but I can understand how the thoughts can come up as to what is most humane, especially given all we know about our beloved companions. I think doing a lot of footwork now, loooong before a solution is needed is of the utmost importance. Life is unpredictable. I used to be pretty judgmental and snarky about the number of birds put up on Craigslist and other sales due to "lack of time" "new baby" etc., and then something that Dr. Flock (aka Dave007) said made me stop and think about things on a deeper level. Regardless of the reason given for surrendering a bird or other non human companion, it is better that they go to a new home than be stuck in one where they are not wanted (not that that is the case in this topic). I guess it brings to mind, that in the event of severe illness or impending death on my part, I would in the long run rather risk HRH going to a new and carefully chosen home and being confused and/or sad for a period of time, than have her life ended prematurely because of my own sense of sadness at what I think she "might" feel/experience. Such a complex topic, again with no easy answer!!!

Yes there is never a dull moment that is for sure! Sterling, she really is a joy. And I envy your interactions with your flock! I love to see how easily you handle them and all the wild F U N ! When I see GreycieMae and Isaac and other greybies whose hoomans can snuggle them up and who love to just hang out up close and personal I get a wistful feeling, as HRH is a busybody and while she enjoys a bit of a knee perching or shoulder perching, she prefers not to be handled much. I would *love* a snuggler!!! She really is a sweetheart, albeit a bossy one. I must confess, sometimes I call her Beelzabeak! But she definitely is much loved and a great companion. Gosh Josey will be 10?! Time flies!! I really did find a gem and she's a real testament that many re-homed birds can be easy and sweet. It was worth taking my time when looking for her. That being said, I had had many years of experience so I trusted myself to find the right fid fit. Although, I was surprised it was in a wee Timneh! Even after 3 years with her, I'm always surprised at how light she feels compared to my (dearly departed) husky old 'zon and CAG. You are right, it is terribly hard to be in a bad mood around our house living with such a little smartarse. :) Sometimes, though, it can have a bit of downside, and that is when I would just like a peaceful, quiet morning, bath, evening, etc. and it's no dice. I have always made it a practice from day one to not ignore her when she is "using her words" instead of her beak (hahaha) so a lot of peaceful reverie is interrupted with my constantly having to answer her even if I just want to be quiet. My beloved will just put his earphones on to tune us both out. I feel that since I'm the one that encouraged her natural proclivity for talking, that it would be unfair now to just ignore her when she is truly wanting to communicate and is not just doing her "radio free Inara" (just talking to herself with her head in her water dish chamber just to hear the echo -- lol ) OMLGG! I've said it before and will say it again -- you and your fids need your own sitcom! Hey Sterling, how long does it take to upload one of your videos? Even a super duper short one of HRH seems like it takes forever to upload. And what video editing software do you use? I have some really good clips of HRH, but don't want to bore people with all of the blah blah blah stuff that is in between the fun stuff. I would love any suggestions. Right now I am using my Galaxy Note 5 android phone for my camera. LOVE the idea of using the GoPro! Agree with Timbersmom, looks like it is working great!

Just weighing in on this older thread. HRH Inara talks up a storm and she is DNA sexed female TAG.