Muse

Peck gets to claim this month's entry - a double whammy last week. Me on the wrist, daddy on the inside of the arm (ouch!) with a nice welt and bruise. No pain with mine and due to the location and the fact that he 'clicked' a nice little chunk of skin out, I will probably have a nice scar. Tiny, but nice. He's very hard to read at times. The other night, he was up on the net, which is a couple of feet above my head at the edges. He was flapping his wings and I was encouraging him, flapping my arms and saying "Come on! Flap!" He then took flight, and landed at my feet. I expected him to try to attack my feet, but he didn't. He just walked past them. Other times he will chase me all around the cage if I am trying to get bowls. I suspect some of it is just cage aggression. Once he's more comfortable with me, I think the aggression will tone down. At least I hope so!

In your avatar, she certainly looks like a happy girl.

I would like to add - excitement or extreme happiness can cause eye pinning (as well as anger! be sure to examine the context!) and a partial fluffing, usually with neck NOT extended is happy, but if the neck is extended and ALL feathers including coverts are fluffed, they may be trying to look "bigger" which is a sign of threatening. Peck does this a lot. It is usually accompanied by a side to side head motion, sometimes beak "clicks" (a SHARP click, not the smooth grinding noise, which is a sign of contentment) and often followed by a rapid lunge and strike at the closest body part. The green cheeked conures also do this. The side to side motion is very serpentine, in fact I often say "Are you being a cobra-bird again?" When Peck truly is happy, such as when he is in the playroom, his feathers are usually mostly flat with some mild fluffing around the neck. If he gets fluffed all over, I know I am in for a possible bite.

I like what Matt Smith did at Project Perry. He has dirt floors, and puts wood bark mulch over that. He has worms (red wigglers) under the mulch and to clean the mulch he goes out and turns it over with a pitchfork and the worms have cleaned all the feces and dropped food, etc. That is how we are doing ours here. It also allows you to grow trees or plants and the birds actually enjoy digging in the soil. His have little cavities built, most of the ones digging appear to be pairs using them as 'nest' cavities, but he claims he's never seen an egg. I think I would put some horizontal wire around the perimeter to prevent 'digging out' or digging in by predators. We used very small wire on ours in Texas. I think it was 2 inch x 5/8 inch or something. This picture shows the scale of the wire against green-cheeked and sun conure: . This made it very hard for any rodents or the like to access the aviary. We were also under cover of a thick canopy of trees in the green belt, so it deterred aerial predators. Had we stayed in TX I would have covered our whole aviary with wire screen to keep out mosquitoes. I will ask the hubby tomorrow about where he got the wire. I know it was not that expensive.

Alex learned "dammit" before we got him. The reason I know this is he occasionally prefaces it with another word to make it even worse, and though I may possibly have slipped and said "dammit" in front of him, I can guarantee I did not ever blaspheme. So yesterday he was being a little stinker while other people were here, and he kept saying "kiss, kiss, kiss" in his raspy half-whisper. Finally, getting no response, he looks me right in the eye and said "kiss, dammit." I have tried many things. Ignoring. Redirecting. Giving him "the look." He seems to say it when he cannot get my attention any other way. Amazing how these little feathered creatures learn to push our buttons!

Inara is SUCH a smart girl!!!

I am hoping we can get to that point. He is still doing the 'cobra dance' and fluffing up so I don't think step-up is coming any time soon. But he's very new. I am very strange to him. He's only been with family for 22 years and I am willing to let him adjust to the newness (and chaos) of our flock. Our sun conure used to bite really hard, breaking the skin quite a few times with that small pointy beak. He's since become a mama's boy and almost always steps up unless I am trying to put him back and he does not want to go. But then he flies off rather than bite and it turns into a chase. It's the cockatiel that bites on a regular basis. Too bad for him his bites are such a joke compared to the other birds that I just laugh at him. Hehehe. I do know Peck is loving pine nuts, so I think I may win him over eventually. Hoping, anyway!

Beautiful pictures. And I agree. Megan showed Peck he was a bird. It was what I was hoping would happen. I have to agree with their description of the Grey's calls. I love to listen to them. His former owner said when they lived in the city strangers would gather on their front steps to listen to Peck's calls.

You know, I think in one of the videos I watched, they used young trees to spring their nets. Perhaps you are on to something. Maybe it does have something to do with their capture. We don't have as much trouble getting him in at night, but sometimes his out time needs to be in the daytime. So far, he's been getting pretty good about it. Last night, I asked him to go back. He declined so I went to the kitchen, did a few things, and came back. When I asked him to go back that time, he did. Tonight, he decided to take a different approach. I got my laptop as my PC is still torn down, and sat in their bedroom on the lone chair. He was in the playroom alone, as Megan was in time-out (again). He played contented on the net as I typed out a work email, when suddenly the WOOOOSH of flapping wings and he came soaring in. I thought at first he was going to try to land on me. I put my arm up, but he decided he did not want that as a perch and went to the highest spot - the top of Megan's cage. This meant making a loop around the entire room, which he navigated flawlessly. Unfortunately, there is paper on top of Megan's cage to deter her from biting the little birds when they land up there on their way to/from the playroom. He hit the paper, lost footing, and did a rather well-controlled crash landing on the floor. He promptly got his bearings and walked over to me. He was doing fine until he decided to climb Aria's cage. I said "No, Peck" and for once he ignored me and kept climbing. I said "Get DOWN from there." More ignoring. I got a stick. He even ignored that! So in the end, I had to get the towel out. This was met with some muttering and grumbling and resulted in a catch-and-release into his cage. He muttered a bit then settled down and started preening and has been doing that ever since. I was *very* shocked that he just shrugged off the stick. Every other time, he has flown away from it. Maybe he's learning that it is not so bad?

I know I am tired when.... I read this the first time and was thinking that the pictures to show the feathers curving were missing, until I realized it was the " ( " and the " ) " ... lol. Okay... must go to bed now.

Update for tonight: Peck has been pretty well behaved except for tonight. I let him out of his cage after we finished steam cleaning cages. (His was done a few days ago while he was in the playroom). First thing he does? Goes over to Megan's cage and jabs at her between the bars. He couldn't reach her, of course, and this drew an irate "a-WOOOO!" from her highness. Daddy arrived just in time to wisk her away to bedtime and I had to towel Mr. Peck after a couple of laps around their bedroom to get him into the playroom for some out time before I go to bed. He won't step up on my arm, just lowers his head or takes a stab at it, but he also seems to be afraid of the step up stick. I have never run into this before. They are just dowels. I'm not sure why he doesn't like them but he gets all puffed up, and when that does not work, he flies off. So for now I am just rolling his cage around to get him back and forth. I have discovered he adores cashews. Maybe I can use these to my advantage and coax him into getting used to the stick. Time will tell. For some reason the attachments window isn't working here, so I uploaded some pictures to our Flickr. (this link should be to Peck's album)

Looks great! We found a pretty good place to buy galvanized-after-welding wire, which is what we'd been told was best - next to stainless steel, which is very expensive. We went with GAW over SS because we knew the aviary we built (in TX) was temporary. I can get the information from my husband if you'd like.

For all the climbing he does, when properly motivated, it seems Peck flies very well. Today I had the door to the playroom open and he decided to fly into the kitchen, made an arcing loop towards the back door (screen door was closed), and then flew right back into the playroom and landed perfectly on his cage top. Our kitchen isn't very big, but it was a real, controlled flight and I was so proud of him! I imagine his stamina is not too good since he does not fly often, but that will improve in keeping up with Miss Megan, I am sure. He was all over that playroom today, on the net, on both stands, just loving it. And he makes the most beautiful calls. I was working in the garden and could hear him clear out there. It made me feel so good to see him fly. I can't wait until we have the aviary built. I think he is going to love it. Tonight, he was acting like he was going to bite me through the cage, so I just held the back of my hand to him. Instead of biting, he started licking it. He's also been making all kinds of noises when I come in the room. "Whooo!" or "Whooo-hooo!" usually. Sometimes just a wild Grey call. I am loving it.

Sheer curtains work wonders on windows. They let the light through but the birds avoid them. We actually use sheers in doorways to rooms we want to restrict them from flying in. You can still see through, and air circulates, but the birds won't fly through the curtains if they are closed. Good luck with getting your paperwork through. I hope you can get everything cleared so you can keep your Sukei with you!

Here's some video. It takes forever for these to upload, but I will try to upload more later. You can see how laid back he is. He did fly a little to get around. He was ALL over that play room. On the cargo net, on the stands, even on the plant stand while I took his cage out for a much needed cleaning (this is the first time I have been able to steam clean the cage because I could not separate him from it).

Emphasis mine - yeah, that! Amen!

Thank you all for the kind comments!

This morning, I got a call from the avian vet who saw Peck. She was calling to tell me the extra blood work she had done had come back and it was all perfectly normal. She said that she could be reasonably certain he was not carrying anything he might transmit to the other birds. So this afternoon, during his turn in the playroom (which has turned into a REALLY long one), I took Megan in there. They've been eyeing each other since he got here. At first they were a little hesitant, but I lured them close with pine nuts. He let her get all over his cage, steal his food, and play with his toys. He's setting atop his cage preening right now while she is going all over the room, acting like the hyperactive three year old she is. The ONLY problem we have had is her sudden fascination with the (too small) pieces of plexiglas that protect this ceiling. So far a "Do you want a time out?" has put a stop to that until I turn my back on her again. They are both very relaxed and I am not getting any vibes of aggression or even fear from either of them. She is talking her head off and he's making pretty wild Grey noises. I love it. The play room sounds like an echo of Africa right now. I have not seen Megan this active since Marden got sick. It's kind of a bittersweet thing for me seeing two of them in the playroom and knowing that she isn't with Mar, but I know it is what she needs. And Peck has spent the majority of his life isolated from other birds. I think this is good for him, as well.

Awww, that sounds SO sweet. Mar and I had a routine. He went upstairs with daddy, as mama's the night owl. When I'd go to bed, I'd always go over for a kiss and scritches. Unlike Megan, who got hatey if I woke her, he woke up, made a soft cooing sound, and fluffed up for head scritches and gave me kisses. Oddly, Megan has started doing the same thing, minus the kiss (my lips are still a bit mistrustful of that beak). Daddy does the tucking in routine. Although when daddy was traveling, both birds would want to stay up with mama. Megan now occasionally does, but if she goes to sleep in her cage, she refuses to go upstairs with me when I am ready. Funny how they have their own wishes and they make up their own routines. I cannot attribute ours, at least, to time or sunrise/sunset, either. All our animals - birds included - have always been on crazy schedules. First college with mixes of day and evening classes. Then work, with a late evening schedule that sometimes ran into mornings. All the birds have been fine, with the exception of Mar, and Aria who battled a respiratory infection for a month or so. Reminds me of an article by an avian "behaviorist" who said parrots don't have egos and she attributes their behaviors to 'patterning'. All of these experts throw the anthropomorphism label at anyone who dares to think that parrots might have their own likes, dislikes and preferences. I just shake my head and disagree. My animals have apparently breaking the rules of nature for many years now. I am pretty sure Megan has a strong ego, and has completely convinced herself that she is the boss around here. Sometimes I suspect she has daddy convinced of that as well. Tonight, Mr. Sweetness went RIGHT in his cage, and settled in. He did a few calls after I left the room, but we are going to bed early (for me) and I am betting he knows it is not really "bedtime" yet. But he's been a complete peach today. Evidently he did not hold a grudge over our tussle last night.

I suspect you are right. I have a feeling he's used to being the ruler of his people, by virtue of them being afraid of a bite. He was very upset with me last night. I have no idea why he decided the ONE time I really *needed* him to go back was not going to happen. Not cooperatively, anyway. He actually got down on the floor and was chasing my feet. And when he has been in the cage and I put the towel on him to take him out, he was calm and quiet. This time he fought like a wild bird. I did get him to calm down before putting him back, but I could still tell he was miffed. I could see it in his eyes. I hated toweling him. I even tried waiting a bit to see if he'd change his mind. Today he's back to being Mr. Sweetness and Light. Maybe it was just a bad mood. Maybe it was me bustling around getting things ready for my meeting today, and he felt a bit ignored. Even though I was gone part of the day today, he was cooing and whistling when I came home. What a lovely greeting!

Thanks to all for the lovely hatch-day wishes.

Originally, before I became obsessed with the whole "room to fly" thing, we'd planned something along with lines of what they have at ParrotsR4ever.org. Here are their pictures - the aviary ones are near the bottom of the page. http://parrotsr4ever.org/facility.aspx He has a page with instructions here: http://parrotsr4ever.org/Aviary_Const.aspx

We email each other back and forth. She also follows Marden's Ark's Facebook page, where I often post on Peck's adventures. Since they are eventually leaving the country, and he's unbanded AND has no real vet records, she knew she could not take him along. I think we were both very blessed to have found each other. Her for the peace of mind knowing we will give him the best home we can, and us for gaining such a good bird. Although he was a STINKER tonight! Wow! Didn't want to go back, had to chase him around the room and eventually towel him as I have to work tomorrow and needed to get some stuff printed and get to bed! Maybe all that bragging has gone to his head, lol.

So, tonight, we went for dinner at a place that had BLUEBERRY COBBLER beer. Not normally one to indulge (at my age), I had a few. When I came home, Megan wanted out right away, then got very sweet with me, perching in my lap and wanting scritches and even GOING TO SLEEP ON ME!!! (This is something that has *never* happened before). So I go in to give Peck some love before I go to bed, and he is all sweet and bowing his head. Maybe it was the beers - you know the "liquid bravery" thing? I reached in and gave him a very thorough head scritching. I kept waiting for him to snap that neck back and grab my finger. It never happened. He had a few pine nuts and took them like he was taking communion. Gently and delicately. When I finally went to top off his bowls before going to bed, he came over to the side and did his striking at the bars. "It's not nice to bite, Peck," I told him. So I held my wrist (bent) towards him, knowing he couldn't get purchase to bite the skin. He very slowly and gently reached through the bars to get my sweatshirt, and chewed it. But even that was gentle. He did not make one hole in it. Then he lowered his head, and I gave him even more scritches. At that point, he pushed back against my hand, and the tears began to flow. It was so nice feeling that affection flowing back at me. It's something I have really missed these past few months. "I love you, Peck," I told him as I got ready to head to bed. He looked up at me and made a soft cooing sound. It reminded me so much of Mar and our bedtime ritual and I cried even harder. Poor Peck. He must think something is really wrong with me. But our relationship is continuing to grow and blossom. I am just so in love with this little guy!

LOL! Such an accurate statement!