birdhouse

Thanks, I was pretty comfortable about feeding them. But I did wanted to know if there was any reason to limit them. SterlingSL, what is "Home Aviary Design"? Sounds like it might be worth checking out. Janet - My experiences w/apparently all things grape vine related are expanding by the minute, thanks to my neighbors' "new" arbor. I've avoided stuffed grape leaves in the past because me & mutton/lamb don't mix (for this alone, most good Greek cooks would never forgive me!). BUT I am now looking forward to trying a recipe she gave me using hamburger. I munched a couple of leaves while I was washing the bunch she gave me to stuff. Also going to try some filled w/tabbouleh as suggested, too.

Somewhere along the way, I lost the bookmark(s) for my favorite toxic list(s). Computers - grrrh!!! So anyway the random search comes back with, "Grapes - Sure! Grape vines - Fine! Grape leaves - What about 'em!?!" I'm guessing it stands to reason that if the fruit & vines are safe, the leaves are too. But I'm checking just in case. tuia!

Hi & Welcome Marwan121 & Moy Moy! Just out of curiosity, how did Moy Moy get his name?

I think it's also about how easily they can climb. Although harder to come by, I try to get cages w/all horizontal bars. The spacing is less of an issue because the fid just goes up & down it like a ladder. Claws wrapped around one bar, beak hung on another. Whenever the bars are vertical, the fid has to grab two bars at a time in their claws. Wider bars are more of a challenge.

You might be able to save a bit if Alfie is anything like my guys. For some reason, anybody who loves the bagels, loves Chinese fingers, too. Rather happy when I made that connection because they're tons cheaper. I get them by the gross on Ebay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144-NEW-CHINESE-BAMBOO-FINGER-TRAPS-PUZZLES-PARTY-FAVORS-CUFFS-WHOLESALE-LOT-/331108751930?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d179e9a3a

It has to be at least 30 yrs ago now. But I still remember the first time I watched one of my little tiels go into full on attack mode. Wings outstretched, hissing & spitting across the floor, she really was surprisingly scary. The poor dog was certainly convinced. He tucked tail, took off running & didn't go near her again for days. Ever after I referred to it as (Veloci)raptor mode because I felt like our little fids were somehow related to those scary dinosaurs who ran amok in Jurassic Park. And sure enough, they've recently found the fossil of a long lost ancestor in China. It's name is Zhenyuanlong suni, partly because, "The Chinese word for dinosaur is konglong, which also translates as "terrifying dragon." When I read that I thought to myself, "...and sometimes that fits, too." lol What do you think? http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/17/asia/china-winged-dinosaur-discovery/index.html

Wallyworld is doing a thing today, even while they're among the Amazon bashers. Haven't had time to look at either, really. But I happened to need to check for aloe juice last night. Around here, anyway, it's $1 rollback. So at least all this noise was good for something I actually needed. :cool: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fruit-Of-The-Earth-Aloe-Vera-Juice-With-99.8-Aloe-1-gal/10314798

At his age, everything is new & exciting. Me it got a little concerned, actually because unfortunately, postings from parronts who have lost their clipped fids aren't exactly rare around here. Many people just don't realize how easily a clipped bird can become airborne enough to sail out of reach or even out of sight. And since they can only glide, not actually fly, their chance of survival & retrieval becomes even less than the average escapee. The good news is that you & Silver can still enjoy a great deal of freedom outdoors once he's harness trained. Starting now while he's still young will make it all the easier, too. If you have questions, just ask. There are a number of members who can help. Here's a couple of dhorje's vids for motivation He's got "a million" of them ") http://www.greyforums.net/forums/search.php?searchid=1263174

I bit of a delayed response, but... Is Silver outside?

I always feel bad whenever someone tells me they're afraid of birds (& there are a surprising number of people who are). They will never know what they're missing. Living for decades w/these little guys can be such a wild ride, at times. But mostly, it's a wonderful adventure.

I live on a pond, in the woods. No lack of challenges from critters here. But for the most part, we're a live & let live crowd. So first, it's try to find out why that little varmint is so-o-o jazzed about whatever. Around here, first guess bugs, second irresistible nesting site. For both, the best solution is get rid of them. I might also put it out there as a possible solution for the reflection theory, too. Can you live w/o a door knocker for the duration of breeding season? It's only another month'ish. Pretty simple to put a screw in the hole & hang a wreath ...or not. Often, the fixation goes away relatively quickly after the object that drives it is removed. All bets are off if it's hormone-driven, of course. And no disrespect to hubby & his rake (too funny!), but there at least a boat load of other possible deterrents, as well. Things like a few children's pinwheels, a line w/fluttery strips tied to it or a Motion Activated Sprinkler. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Motion+Activated+Sprinkler

There have been some rare parronts here who free fly their fids . BUT & I can't stress how big that but is, there are huge inherent risks & most would never be willing to chance losing their babies. So, flight outdoors is always limited to after the fid is fully comfortable wearing a flight suit AND in areas w/limited risk from things like hawk strikes, etc. Go Alfie!! Fun to watch but I was kind of holding my breath for a second. He reminded me a bit of a cartoon bird in flight.

--smiling!!-- Isn't that the sweetest!?! W/Greys, there are always the exceptions to any rule. But yes, most start out as closet talkers, then as they get more comfortable, they usually become more openly vocal. But it also takes how long it takes. So be patient. And now that you know, next time, set up the recording thingy, then put him on the stand, because we'll be looking forward to more vid's, please ")

Whatever's easiest & still fun for the fids to destroy. They're not big enough for perches. I figured craft project material; wreaths, maybe rudimentary weaving. Emphasis on "project", though. They're just a massive tangle of vines. I don't think there is any convenient way to wash and dry them. Near as I can tell the choices are use them wet, then let dry or make whatever, then clean it. But I don't see an easy way, either way & I guess they're going to have to stay in a pile outside until I get some time for them. Thinking this may have been one of "those" bright ideas.

---bump ---

My neighbors have a gorgeous grape arbor that never, ever gets sprayed. They gave it a big hair cut the other day & gave me a very large, very unruly bunch of the trimmings. Any ideas how to clean & store it?

I wish I knew where that phrase ever came from. I get that people who don't live w/them can never even remotely guess the remarkable way their brains work. But, I've never seen anything to justify how the uninformed masses thought any bird was any kind of stupid, either.

If you could find & collaborate w/a cartoonist, you could have a book deal w/in the year & more than enough for vet bills AND a new house in no time at all!

So awesome! Dorian is turning into a quote unquote normal parrot w/all the personality etc that entails. Revel in that for a minute!! As to outsmarting this little beast, uhh, marvelous creature you've created, do you have one of those sliding keyboard selves? Personally, I gave up on the PC around the birdies. I have a laptop, too. Runs w/o a cord & I can just shut the lid whenever I walk away. My solution to solving most problems has long since been to avoid them wherever possible.

^^^ Yep & my favorite pic of the bunch is the one where they look just like they're having a chat. Very nice pics, as always. Thanks for sharing them, Sanggay.

Thanks, I love stuff like this, cut paper, origami, sand art, etc. I don't know how people dream these projects up, but I wish I could.

Wood isn't really Kura's favorite thing, either. For years, it was all loofah, grass mats, paper, cardboard & the like. Eventually, I got everyone reed-like baskets to fill w/foraging stuff. I "knew" Kura's would last pretty much forever & expected the others would get demolished pretty quickly. But she surprised me. Since then, I've found she really enjoys destroying things like reed, rattan, grape vine, & certain soft woods like balsa/posicle sticks. Not pine though. She was especially fond of a hanger that was just birch disks w/the bark still on. Come to think of it, I should find & refill that. Thanks for the reminder. Ekkies don't have strong, sharp bills & most, Kura included, do not like to eat w/their feet. So nuts in the shell aren't her thing at all. But they might be Dorian's.

Even though you may not stop missing her, I hope your heart heals soon.

Phenix may arguably be best at interior decorating. Even though he's been the inspiration behind so much of our decor, he's especially proud of his own custom woodworking & paper lace projects. Overall, he's much less the talons-on & more the managerial type though.

I don't know what they are supposed to see. But I've read that birds don't see on screen images like we do. So worst case, they'll see some kind of graphic image which they'll learn to associate w/your voice, if that's true. But theoretically, you should be able to turn a PC or tablet into a 2-way Nanny Cam. Little 10" net books are $200* or less now. "Cheap" tablets even less. Most have a web cam & microphone built in. They should also have the software capability to create a VPN (virtual private network) which could wake up the system. This VPN could be created to remote into from different types of devices from your work computer (employer allowing ") to your smart phone. There are probably a zillion setup instructions on the internet for the more brave or tech savvy. For the rest, a chat w/someone at Best Buy's Geek squad, Staples Easy Tech or your local computer repair store, maybe? * I just got an Asus X205T at Staples for l/t $50, tax incl & a Toshiba Encore mini Win 8 7" tablet for free after all reductions (clearance, open box),$100 off coupon & Staples rewards. Guess who's giving the best presents this season!?! Yes, I am bragging a little bit. lol But only to show that w/a little creative bargain hunting, this doesn't have to be an expensive proposition, at all.