HeatherStrella

I was just wondering if anyone knew what happend to Paramedic? It seems like he was around a lot and then POOF, he's gone. Anyone hear from him?

What a cutie patooooty!!! If I read to Harrison like that, the book would be torn to shreds!! LOL

When we went to meet and get Harrison, she was already talking...she was 3 months old. I've never "trained" her to talk, she just picks it up from us talking to her or talking to each other. Although, things like "hiya hotlips" was something I wanted her to learn so I just started saying it to her...kind of training, I guess...she said it in no time. Right now I'm trying to get her to say "Okie Dokie Artichokie"...she has the first part down but the last word is a bit hard...she'll get it though. We just talk to her though...no treats or "training" the way you would think of training...just talking...I hope I made sense...lol

What if the first time you say "hello" and your bird says "what?" then you say "I said, 'hello'." then your bird says "I heard you the first time"..that way it's two different cues its responding to.

Look Mommy, one hand!!!

INSECURE!!! That is the word I was looking for. When I have her with me and if I do something else...like right now I'm paying attention to the computer, she doesn't like it at all. She wants all of my attention. I'm trying to hurry so she doesn't draw blood. Thanks for the complement, Judy, I appreciate it. Heather

Hello all... It's been a while since I've posted anything about Harrison. She's been doing quite well. She's out of her biting phase, I guess it was raging hormones. Thank goodness!! Lately she's been really clingy. Especially tonight. I'll tell you how she's been tonight. She's in the living room with us humans. Her play stand is out here along with her swing hanging from the ceiling (above her play stand)...she usually loves to play on that swing for a few hours each night. She just wants to stand on my finger. She doesn't want to go on her swing, play stand, the floor, the couch, nothing. I've tried putting her on the couch with some toys and I've tried playing with her but she just wants to be on my finger staring at me. She'll accept standing on my knee for a short time but it's back to my finger in no time. If I try to put her on her swing or play stand, I say step down and try to physically put her down, she bites me...not really hard but enough that I know she doesn't want to be put down. Of course, I take her back with me cuz I'm a freakin' push over. It's hard for me to say no to her. It really is. I guess my question is, should I be hard on her and say "no" and have her step down or off or whatever? When I've tried that, I put her on her swing/play stand and I go sit down and she flies to me in seconds. I love the fact that she wants to be with me, but I'd like her to be the independent little birdy I had a couple weeks ago too. She almost seems like she doesn't want to be alone...I forget the term for it. Not low self-esteem but...grr...I hate getting old...I can't think of the word. So, should I be sensitive to her needs for now and see what happens? Thanks!! Heather

I don't know. I think it's possible. We had Harrison for 18 months thinking she was male then we DNA sexed her and found out she was female. We had been saying what a good boy she was and stuff and she was saying it too. Stuff like "you're a good boy"..."he's a handsome boy"..."look at him"...etc etc...when we found out he was female, we immediately dropped all male talk and added the female words. In no time she was saying the female words and she dropped the male words. She's saying things like "you're a good girl"..."pretty girl" ...etc...I hope that makes sense. I think if I had changed her name she would have been fine. She already knew her name and I was thinking it would be best to leave it but I think she would have been fine. Even now if I wanted to change it, I think she'd be ok. She's a good talker and learns vocab very quickly...maybe it depends on how fast the bird learns it. ?? Just my 2 cents.<br><br>Post edited by: HeatherStrella, at: 2008/08/01 02:24

judygram wrote: DITTO!!!:ohmy:

Hi all. Heather showed these photos to me. Wow. Seems like the dirt would be a breeding ground for bacteria, skin irritation, and attract insects. I would be careful. (I am sure that you will take the Grey no matter what but....) Maybe you can let the breeder know that you are concerned that the bird is being harmed. Maybe ask for a Vet visit. Harrison's other significant other. Denis.

My husband has made several smaller stands so we can move them room to room (if there's not a stand in that room already)if we're tending to things in another room. I never leave Harrison alone out of her cage. If I need to do something where I can't grab her in an emergency...like taking a shower or something...then she goes back in her cage during my shower. Di2008, I share your guilt about having her out of her cage as long as possible due to work schedules...I HATE putting her back in her cage...and Harrison knows it so she plays me...ahhh what would we do without our little ones, huh? P.S. What time is tea time?

Thanks everyone!!

Mine comes with a story, hope you don't mind... A couple weeks ago, my best friend of 29 years (I was 7, she was 6 when we met) came over and met Harrison for the first time. Harrison was chatting and playing around as if she'd known Kim (my friend) all her life. Normally she doesn't do that sort of thing in front of my friends. I told Kim this and we figured Harrison could sense my own comfort around Kim and felt she could be herself. That just melted Kim's heart...the woman who isn't a bird person. Well, she goes to this veggie/fruit stand every weekend and she got Harrison mango because she heard Harrison asking for it when she was here. So, I thought a great little thank you could be a picture of Harrison with a piece of Mango in her mouth and a "thought bubble" type thing and she could be saying "thank you...etc" So, last night I took some photos of her eating her mango and added the thought bubble..my entry is the one WITHOUT the thought bubble...I'm just showing you the one with the bubble just to show you. My Entry Just to show you her thought bubble

Thanks guys...Harrison is my favorite photo subject...I'm sure a lot of you share my feelings about your greys. Thank you for the complements.

I snapped some photos of Harrison tonight and thought I'd share... Her face is a little blurry in this one but I thought it was kinda cute... Playing with her ball and swing About to attack the ball Just looking pretty This one was from a few weeks ago...I can't remember if I posted it already...I love it...I use it as my background on my computer... Thanks for lookin' Heather & Harrison

I've had Geckos shipped to me here in CA. One from New York and one from Virginia. The one from Virginia, I saw the UPS man walking up to my door so I went outside to see him tossing the box from one hand to the next...back and forth...I had to tell him to stop, that there was a live animal inside. Both times the box was just labeled with "Parishable" Talon, that is so sad about your bird!! I can't imagine how she felt..poor little thing.

OK...I got the volume to work (new computer)...she makes cute little sounds...is she copying something? If so, what?

I could see the video but I couldn't hear it. Maybe something wrong with my computer? Cute video though.

Did I miss something? Is Rikki a new CAG in your home? I'm sure I would have remembered her...I had a cat named Rikki for 13 years. How long have you had her?

Judy, yes Harrison does that..it is soo funny!! She says "poooopiiiieeee" either right before or right after she lets loose. Then she, as you said, turns her head and looks to see where it lands. She does the same thing with (people) food. She will try to drop it on the dog's head...she'll watch to see if she got the bulls-eye or not.

Thank you Raposa!!

Harrison was talking when we brought her home from the breeder at 3 months old. That is not the norm, though. She was saying "hello bird" and "hello birdies". She had two clutch mates...the breeder said they were female but who knows (the breeder said Harrison was male for sure!!)...they didn't make a peep when we were there picking out our baby. I do know what you mean when they sit and make noises like they're holding a conversation...Harrison will do this as if she's on the phone. When the phone rings, she'll make the beep sound it makes when we turn the phone on and then say "hello"...then she'll jibber jabber...blah blah blah...then she'll say "alright bye bye"...beep (turning off the phone)...it's hilarious.

I just posted this a couple days ago...I'll just copy and paste it here... Yesterday, I was sitting with Harrison and next to me was a brand new medication tray. You know the ones...they have Sunday thru Saturday on them..they're pop tops and you just put your daily meds/vitamins in the little cup. Well, I thought I'd see if H could pop it open...she did it on the first try. Then I put a treat in it to see if she could get it out..that was a little tougher but she got it out after a few tries. The I held up the tray lifted Wednesdays lid and put the treat in it. I closed the lid then asked her "where is it?" and I kinda moved it closer to her...she got it on the first try...then I set it up for another day she got it on the second try...but the 3rd try, it took 2x to get the third try...not bad, I say. I just thought I'd share my new toy idea. The plastic is pretty flimsy so I wouldn't leave her alone with it...it's something to do together. Followed up with: Just so you know, I didn't mean that I hid where I put the treat and then had her guess which one, I showed her which one I dropped it in. I wanted to see if she would understand that if she opened the lid, she'd get a treat. Another thing we do is get on the floor with a toy basket/box. We have all kinds of balls/toys that she can grab with her beak or foot. She will throw them around or just empty the box. I'll roll them to her and she'll pick it up in her beak and toss it to me or just toss it around..here and there. After a while, you'll be able to read your baby...sometimes Harrison just wants to sit...she likes to stand on my leg and doze...she'll ask for a "scratch scratch"...I don't know where she got that from but if she asks for it so clearly like that, I give it to her. I'll roll up pieces of paper and she'll unravel it and chew it up...sometimes, I'll hold her up high in my hand and have her kinda 'fly' around the room while still on my hand..make sense, I hope?? We'll do little flips here and there...you know like when she's perched on my finger and I'll make her go upside down...then she kinda flips over...it's hard to explain. If I think of anymore, I'll PM you or write it here. I asked THE same question when I first got her. I had no clue HOW to play...I found it easier if I kinda 'got in touch with my inner child'...lol. I bought her a bunch of ferret toys and other toys that are made for small mammals. I just NEVER leave her alone with them. We play together with those kinds of toys because they are flimsy and she could break them and hurt herself. But, go to the ferret isle or small mammal dept. at PetCo or PetSmart...you'll find small foot toys...wiffle balls (balls with holes in them)...if it's a ball that's hard with no holes or anything, she may not be able to pick it up...also, the small mammal toys are A LOT cheaper than bird toys. I've also gone to toy stores...baby toy stores...after a while you'll know what interests your baby...I've also gone to used kid toy stores....Good luck and have loads of fun!! Heather

Hello everyone...Harrison continues to learn more and more vocabulary and my husband was able to catch some of it on his MP3 player. We have 2 more new ones if you want to listen. #1 http://www.humyo.com/F/1479665-158922979 #2 (Sandy is our dog) http://www.humyo.com/F/1479665-158923135 I'll go ahead and post the other three that I already posted in case there are new people here... It's easier to understand if you have a list to follow along with... Here are the first ones we did...with a list of what she's saying: That's my girl baby wanna come out want some water hello birds how are you i love you want some water ??? come on almond? baby wanna come out hello I'm a star, superstar Link: http://www.humyo.com/F/1479665-132138503 Another with words again, she says wanna come out a lot Sandy (the dog) how ya doin girl, you ok? BIG FART sound, then she says "oooopsie" more wanna come out... cluck like a chicken wanna come out baby girl hungry? want some water? superstar superstar wanna come out baby girl? Hiya Hotlips! (HIYA is a bit hard to hear) ???not sure what she says here gimme kiss ???? LINK: http://www.humyo.com/F/1479665-132138527 And the last ???Don't know what she says at first Cockadoo doo good morning wanna come out baby girl whatRyaDoin? hungry? hello? wanna come out wanna come out baby want some water again want an almond and the final link: http://www.humyo.com/F/1479665-132136355 I hope you all can understand her. She's always coming up with new words/phrases and I have no clue where she gets some of it!! It's a good thing my husband and I don't yell and scream at each other, or curse each other out!! That would be a very bad thing with Harrison in the house...she'd tell everyone...lol. Let me know what you think...thanks for listening. P.S. I posted this on another site so if you've seen it before, that's where. Heather<br><br>Post edited by: HeatherStrella, at: 2008/07/08 07:02

WOW!!! Those are some fun photos!! You got her in some amazing 'poses'...Good Job!!