sandra902

because they needed us. when merlin came home, aunty bonnie said i had room for 3 birds in the aviary. so that is what came to us! all of our 3 are rescues Peetey the cockatiel (when in doubt, the answer is 'no') Milly the conure ('rowdy clown' is right!) and of course Bird #1 Merlin

i get those kitty whiffle balls with a bell inside then i put drinking straws thru the holes til it looks like a sputnik. a little twine thru the straws with pony beads knotted at the ends and lots of parroty fun. plus merlin loves to oversee mamma's toy-making efforts.

oh man i think i posted about a year ago when merlin gave mamma a fat lip. i don't know who was more damaged - me or him for having a howling flapping mamma whilst he was hanging from my lip not knowing what to do next. i learned a valuable lesson that day. i think he did too.

the joke in the Monkey House is that Mamma is the Trainable Human.

ah lambert, i am standing by awaiting your report. and Good Name! merlin. my CAG is merlin. he is a rescue and #1 birdy here at the monkey house. i have a 'tiel that is a re-home. but i am friends with his former mum and the deal is she could call me up in however-many years and ask for him back and back he will go. and you know what? she did the right thing for him turning him over to me. makes it easy for me to do the right thing also by turning him back to his original mum should conditions warrant. i like him just fine and treat him as my own knowing he is not really. and that is fine. after all are we not merely custodians anyway for the short times they are here? each little soul that finds its way through the monkey house is cherished and adored to the best of our ability in the time given us. so some stays are long, some are short. we do with what we get. you may have this quality also but one never knows until one gives it a try. being a gushy sort of person i never thought i would have the ability to let a little one under my care move on. it is surprisingly easy once one gets accustomed to it. when you accept that you are a tiny piece of the big puzzle it puts it all into perspective. and really, is it about me? nope. it's about me AND the little ones. big difference. the joke here at the monkey house is that i am the Trainable Human. so those are my thoughts on the matter! do well, enjoy your visit, and come home either empty handed or not depending on what your path should be. -s

i just read a good article in this month's Bird Talk re: fostering. anyone else read it?

oh my! good for YOU. go and keep an open mind. we foster puppies at times. people think one cannot give up a pup that one has fostered, but i sure can. it is wonderful to teach them their basic skills and to see them off to their new forever homes. i bathe them and love them and teach them all i can in the little time i get. it is a fabulous link in the chain and an honor and a joy to be a part of. of course there are tears! you have earned each sweet salty one. but look at the invaluable service you are rendering to that forever home. you've given that little soul a really good start on the path to a wonderful life. so go go go and let us know every little thing. if you are meant to help a wee one on to their forever home -- again, what an honor. i'll be watching for your report! -s

'you have GOT to be kidding' 'whaddya call THAT' (merl actually says that too in case you are wondering.) 'maybe you humans call that breakfast. i do not call that breakfast. come back with some decent breakfast. a banana! grapes! something! not dry toast for cryin out loud - put some butter on that thing'

hello miss karina! big fat kudos to you on your upcoming Big Adventure! is this your first birdy? my merlin (CAG) is my first birdy. the best thing i can tell you is this: 'parrot time is next to eternal' meaning: with my dog i expect rather immediate results, but with those kraaazy birds, wellll.... so slow and steady does it. i found that playing soothing music was helpful. well maybe just for me to think i was making a difference. bless their little birdy hearts, they watch and observe everything. so just move slowly, and talk sweetly and keep the atmosphere gentle at first til you get signals from your bird. what's her name? each little soul is very different and you might have a shy one or you might have a real clown on your hands, or anything in between. she'll let you know in a few weeks who she really is. my merlin loves daddy-man and preens his beard and lets him give a head scratchy. to me and everyone else he gives a good sharp bite. but he and i are working on 'touch nice' so maybe one day i'll be able to handle him. i do get to stroke his beak through the bars when he allows me to. and i can give him a little kissy too if he is agreeable. but only through the bars, he and i both found out THE HARD WAY that boundary is the best for now! here are some good goodies to have available so she learns that The Hand brings good things: pine nuts! nutri-berries (merlin likes the el-paso sombrero ones, no substitutions allowed!) GRAPES (i cut them in half) popcorn (watch the butter and salt) we also like goldfish crackers and animal crackers. and boy oh boy is it Big Fun when it is banana eating time in the aviary! lots of good info on the site, i am sure you are browsing around here. but firstly and most importantly may i make a polite mention of a couple environmental factors you will want to be aware of: smoking non stick cookware scented candles plugin air fresheners air freshener spray microwave popcorn. there is an abundance of information on these important factors so i will not belabor the point. do consider keeping a journal. i know i was terribly discouraged so many times with mr merlin but having a bit of a journal really helped me see that we are truly making progress in our own way. i will be looking forward very very much to your reports! and photos photos photos... -s

here is the inventory at the Monkey House: 2 humans (overworked)(we try to keep up) 1 GSD with gray muzzle (lover of all small creatures except other dogs) (puppies acceptable) 3 katz 1-20 yrs old, 1-full of the devil, 1-accomplice 3 birdys: Merlin (daddy's boy) CAG Milly (mitred conure) mamma's pretty girl Peetey (cockatiel) he disapproves. happy anarchy! -s

peetey my tiel i give the parakeet/budgie fruit blend. he likes the smaller size kibble. milly (mitred conure) and merlin (CAG) get the harvest feast or the spicy one with the dried peppers. i used to give them the fruit blend too which they like well enough but those look too much like fruit loops for my liking. but that's just me. to be fair, i wish they offered a kibble-only product as my little outlaws do not go for the pumpkin seeds and dried peas and peppers and such and i (frugal soul that i am) dislike throwing the filler out each day. but i just chalk it up to spoiling our little ones and only mutter a little bit under my breath. i used to feed harrisons, but i was throwing out way too much for my liking. it is pretty boring looking stuff after all, as is the roudybush. i don't think i would like to eat beige food either. wonder if it has any flavor at all. -s

i leave the classical channel on for the birds. every now and then big daddy will sneak in and change it to the jazz or blues channel.

my merlin (CAG) is a feather plucker, as is miss milly (mitred conure). would i like them to not be? yes of course! but do i love them every day just as they are? yes indeedy. so i used to be a nail biter. why? i dont' know there are lots of theories why people bite their nails. nail biting in humans i kind of see as a parallel to feather picking in my birds. perhaps that is incredibly unscientific but it is my opinion. this dear birdy seems to be very fond of you and what a shame it would be to pass up the joy you two would share just because of feather plucking. you have a lot of love to give, as does birdy. do let us know the outcome, we are all standing by! -s

i like to sing 'good nite merlin' ('good night ladies') at lights-out. a couple weeks ago merl really surprised me by saying his name right at the part of the song where it belonged! hasn't done it since though.

the best way i can describe it in human language is if you whispered the word 'wheat'

merlin makes the H sound too. usually right away when i come in to say good morning. it is only at a good time never a stressful one (he has a certain tweet which means 'fruit fly alert') so i take it as a happy/contented/all is well sound. it is not in response to anything i say, so i take it as a good morning greeting or approval. now that i hear it is something other greys do, i am thinking it is a grey thing not just a merlin thing. happy sunday! -s

wonderful! my recommendation is you keep a journal. it can be as casual as you wish. rehoming a birdy has its ups and downs and keeping a journal helps one stay optimistic as well as chronicling the everyday joys and challenges you will encounter. for my 'journal' i regularly email the dear friend that was instrumental in my obtaining mr merlin. i save what i send her in a separate email folder and every now and then i look them over. very comforting to see how far he has come as well as me! i find having the classical music channel playing in the aviary sets a nice atmosphere. big daddy believes the blues channel is better. so sometimes we settle on the jazz channel. i wait til he goes away and then i change it. nyuk nyuk. have you changed her name? since merlin came from an unhappy environment, we changed his name. but as i recall, your little lady came from a happy home so there could be very good reasons to keep the original name. favored hand treats here are pine nuts, goldfish crackers and animal crackers. pine nuts are especially coveted and usually only given when milly comes off my shoulder and onto her cage. then merly gets some too just for being merl. i've found group banana eating time is great. we all take a turn at the banana. merlin is a banana hog though. i think his preference for the color yellow is how he gets away with it. must crack down on that (NOT)! lots of joy and wonder for you in the days weeks months years ahead! whoopsie doodle! edited to add: as far as talking, i find i get the best of merlin's talking if i wait outside the door to listen. when he thinks he is not being overheard he will pull out all sorts of stuff. be prepared to cover your mouth or bite your fist so as to not laugh out loud and be discovered.<br><br>Post edited by: sandra902, at: 2009/10/28 06:27

"...all birds please" all righty! #1 bird merlin (CAG) 5 yrs old, 2 yrs with us. mr peetey the cockatiel, not sure, 5 or 6 maybe? almost 2 yrs with us. miss milly - mitred conure i find to my horror that she is 18! about 1 yr with us. all are rescues/rehomes.

hello my feathered friends! it has been inexcusably long since i've been on the boards - my apology. trying to make a living and keep us all in kibble. Katz, Birds, doggy. of course they come first before me! you should see thier grocery list compared to mine. but i digress. today is merlin's 2 year anniversary at the monkey house. so i will give you a report on our progress with the good the bad and the ugly truth. no he does not step up. he will consent however to give a dainty tug on my sleeve rather then to growl and hurl himself to the floor as he used to do, so i'll take it! he loves his dad and i heartily approve. who would have thought 2 years ago this little mess of a man would learn to love or trust anybody. merlin is King of the Flock which includes milly the mitered conure (whom he will reprove for excessive noise) and peetey the cockatiel who gets cheered on when he has a fly-round. our merl has definite likes and dislikes (likes: the color yellow, chewable plastic, honeydew melon) (dislikes: too-big toddler wooden toys, pineapple [funny that -it's yellow after all]) and has mamma well-trained to give verbal affirmation to his antics on cue (upside-downy, peek-a-boo, up up up the ladder, down down down the ladder). talking is good, i sit outside the aviary door when he is practicing his words and phrases and have to cover my mouth so as to not laugh out loud and tip him off. he corrects himself when he does something of which he knows i do not approve...tugging the curtains, chewing his ladder. he says a solemn and confident 'MERLIN.' one day i was singing along to some strauss waltzes on the classical channel and he now sings off key and tunelessly in imitation of that. and when he does something silly or embarassing, he will say 'so whaddya call THAT?' so although he still plucks his feathers (thankfully not down to bare skin) he seems to be happy and well in charge of his situation. and we are ever so grateful and in wonder of this fine creature with which Fortune has graced us! and as i tell him each morning and evening (and he is working on saying himself) 'i love you every day'. or as he practices it: 'i love you...day.' so that is my 2-year report on the very fine and fabulous Merlin.

oh man and my little milly (mitred conure) has a bad scissor beak and is going to her A. vet on the 2nd. eeeek i am learning something new all the time. wonder if it is a procedure i shall have to learn myself or what. hope milly is as forgiving as willow. she's a pretty good sport and did put on a good show the first visit she had to the vet.

oh man i cannot imagine that nightmare! on a similar note, when people find out i have birds, many say, "oh i used to have a (insert type of virdy here) but she died. don't know why..." so i sweetily ask if they had smokers in the home, or used non stick cookware or perhaps used air fresheners to which they usually reply 'yes' to two or three of them. when i explain that these things are highly toxic to birds, the light bulb goes on. and how would i have known this without this forum? so i thank you so kindly, everyone, for helping me keep my birds healthy in a knowing and not accidental way.

for a long time merlin thought i was the devil's daughter but slowly (ever-so slowly!) we have been making our agreements as we go along. we sure do like each other but he LOVES big daddy and there you go. we are so very glad he is capable of that sort of bond, he was a bit of a mess when he came to us. i guess my advice to you is to put your own expectations aside for now and enjoy each day as your birdy gets to know you. you'll find a lot of successes to celebrate that way. keep us posted!

he got his hand out of the way in the nick of time as i was coaching him during the episode. yep we are pretty proud of out little guy. it's been almost 2 years and he has come a long way -- but in his own time that is for sure!

well, friends, another big milestone for mr merlin the rescue bird. we always knew he preferred big daddy (which is FINE) and yesterday he did a little mating dance for his dad and gave him a little regurgitation. whilst this was taking place i was softly telling big daddy that although this was a wonderful sign of acceptance and affection, it was not something we wanted to encourage. but we are very proud of our merlin for showing such a level of trust and affection with his background of such severe neglect. thought you'd like a happy report on a dreary monday morning.

hey ophee welcome to the boards and THANK YOU for rescuing your little lady! my merlin is also a rescued plucker and he has come a long long way since he first came home to us in oct 07. he MUCH prefers Big Daddy but merl and i have been working out our agreements every day. i accept that my relationship with merl will be very different from Big Daddy's and that is fine. for example, he likes to Really Bite mamma whereas he loves to gently mouth Daddy's finger and to preen his beard. so, no opportunity to bite mamma. but we hve lots of little games that we play together and each day gets a little sweeter. he is such a colorful little fellow with such an opinion that it has been a joy and a wonder to watch him blossom and to gain such confidence. his plucking is greatly diminished but we accept that he may well pluck his entire life. i guess what it is really about it his quality of life. and i had to learn the hard way that Parrot Time is close to the eternal. it certainly is not 'train your parrot in 6 easy steps' when you have a troubled little soul. but the rewards of watching them reach each little milestone makes the rescuing well worth it. do keep a journal, it will really help you remember the progress you are making when you might be discouraged. keep up the good work and thank you again for rescuing. -s