birdhouse

Something like that, I think I'd just make part of the furniture. Literally. I'd try putting near a sofa or chair that gets a good bit of use & use it like a coffee table. You know how they love to get into things you leave around...?!? Maybe try leaving "bird bait" like paper cups, napkins, book, etc on it. Then just wait him out. Whatever else you do, totally act like you don't want him on it any more than any other furniture in the room.

That's lovely! At least in my web browser (Firefox under Win7) it looks like a watercolor. Definitely a keeper. So apparently is your hubby btw! Nice donor gifts. But thinking the "bigger picture" :rolleyes:, it might also be useful to make some nice coin. Need to copy write it first, though. http://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/09/five-things-you-can-do-to-protect-your-online-imag/ http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000977.htm http://webdesign.about.com/od/graphics/a/aa102406.htm From there the sky's the limit. Mugs, totes & tee shirts for starters. Bet you could sell them on Etsy for double your costs if you said the merchandise was for a good cause. It might also be another way to get some visibility too.

There I was thinking "mealy worms" & such whenever I read the title. lol I have seen my guys catch the occasional flying bug & eat it. In the wild it probably wouldn't be surprising if they munched the occasional grub since they're so big on tearing wood apart. But like Dave said, they aren't scavengers or carrion birds. In tame & boring Suburbia, those types of proteins tend to come from thoroughly cooked eggs &/or poultry bones. Although I have seen where some members also give their fids bits of tuna occasionally as well.

Talk about movin & shakin! I can't believe how "fast" this is happening. Awesome!

Bite me!?!

I've used office chair mats under the cages. They work well until they crack up from the weight of the cages. Now, I have waterproof kitchen mats that fit between the legs. I like them much better. They're prettier. lol They're cheaper & I can replace them one at a time as needed (which come to think about it, I haven't had to in about 3 yrs!). I can take them up to clean, wash & dry & also tuck them out of the way when I like.

Was there ever any question...? We all belong to perfect parrots!!

I'm afraid of aluminum cages because of the info that's starting to emerge about the potential health risks to humans. Birds have their mouths on their cage all the time, so personally I'll pass for the time being, just in case. Since they cost nearly as much as a nice safe rehomed stainless cage, I'd opt for that instead ...if I could afford one. lol I do have aluminum carry cages, which I love. The fids are only in them for short periods of time & don't tend to climb them much. They're the safest built cages I've found, so I have kept them & cross my fingers.

This includes standard & organic produce, as well as Deli & Bakery products where these types of fruits were used as an ingredient "Wawona Packing Co. is voluntarily recalling peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots that were packed at its Cutler, California, warehouses between June 1 and July 12. Wawona believes the products may be contaminated with Listeria nocytogenes" http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/22/health/costco-fruit-recall/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 People concerns http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/health/listeria-fast-facts/ Fid concerns http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24498796 *** Cross posted in Health & Grey Lounge for visibility***

This includes standard & organic produce, as well as Deli & Bakery products where these types of fruits were used as an ingredient "Wawona Packing Co. is voluntarily recalling peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots that were packed at its Cutler, California, warehouses between June 1 and July 12. Wawona believes the products may be contaminated with Listeria nocytogenes" http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/22/health/costco-fruit-recall/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 People concerns http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/health/listeria-fast-facts/ Fid concerns http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24498796 *** Cross posted in Health & Grey Lounge for visibility***

So glad you're ready to give your hearts to another grey, Sanggay. (S)He's one very lucky little fid & absolutely gorgeous!! Wishing you all the very best together! Like the name Kilaya. Where did it come from?

Ya, unfortunately it's like trying to get a pigeon or seagull help at the wild sanctuaries. There's only so much to go around & they don't apparently "merit" the time & effort either. Good luck w/your budgies! If it helps, you might rig up a diy enclosure or two w/pvc frames & wire mesh. Google for either bird or reptile enclosures. Here's one design serious design I found. http://www.starlingtalk.com/cages.htm

No hot air balloons, unfortunately. That's at the shore & the wind is always too turbulent. But there were some guys w/go carts & para-sails. Somehow they managed not to run anyone over in spite of the crowd & it looked pretty fun!! Ray, you're a man after my own heart. Whenever I finally take the snow brush out of the trunk, my big ol 2 line kite takes it's place. I couldn't trust it in all that congested air space because we had another storm coming in & the wind was just too strong & fitful. Otherwise, I couldn't tell you the last time it stayed in the car at Ft Adams, the beach, or wherever else.

I actually didn't start shunning Phenix on purpose. At that point in our relationship, I wouldn't have thought he'd care either. It happened "organically" for 2 reasons. The severity of that bite actually warranted stitches. It didn't even occur to me until it was too late because being bitten was such a matter or course. The next day he got me again in that same area of web between my thumb & palm. For a little while, I totally lost my nerve around him. AND I was really furious w/him for 2 days running. All & all I knew I shouldn't be handling him until I got my act together. I've never been in a head space like that w/any other critter & I was at a complete loss about how to get over myself. Then Phenix came to me. He was the one doing the heavy lifting for the first time in our oh so unequal relationship. I will also admit, I flat out didn't trust him. I still couldn't engage for a while. But he kept at the role reversal until we finally came out the other side. Who'd have guessed this would ultimately become quite a positive pivotal moment in our relationship? As far as what you said about 'the moment being over'...? W/dogs & cats, definitely. Parrots...? Maybe, maybe not. Look how long they can hold onto an emotional reaction. Multiply that by an entire flock dynamic. Doesn't it make sense that they'd need to remember causing that type of reaction w/a flock mate? Doesn't it stand to reason they'd need to expect to either be prepared for a dust up or stay the heck out of the way for maybe the next couple of days? I know; it's another one of my "interesting" theories. But I think it's part of what makes them so unique. I also think it's part of what makes them so difficult for so many people to relate to.

They just know when they're going to the vet & they aren't usually so cooperative. I'll ask nice twice. Then they get toweled & popped in the carrier so quickly they don't have time to get worked up about it. Otherwise, I tell them "we're going on an adventure" beforehand. Then I tell them what we'll be doing while I set up the cage(s). I think a running a dialogue about activities is important & a bit of happy, chirpy energy doesn't hurt. I open Kura's big cage & start w/her because she's the easiest. When the little cage is set up, I ask if she's ready, then give her a couple of minutes because ekkies are pretty slow movers most days. I'll put her on the carrier if she doesn't get onto it herself. On the rare day she doesn't want to go in or actually gives me attitude, I leave her & move on. Everyone gets their turn. If they really object, they get left behind. Some days, they don't feel like going on safari & I think they should be allowed to stay in. Apparently, it works for them because they won't usually opt out twice in a row.

I had an abused budgie. Truth be told I would never end up being much more than his caretaker. So at some point, I got another budgie for him. It took quite a while but they did eventually bond. They were both males. They lived in separate cages by choice. But the difference in Buzzard was unmistakable. A couple of years later unfortunately, my landlord accidentally let Teal escape. Buzzard was completely unreachable & there was nothing I could do for him. He shut down, stopped eating & died about 2 wks later. I didn't have him autopsied. It could have been a coincidence. But it surely looked like he literally died of a broken heart. I think the key is distinguishing between "normal" relationships & whatever goes on in a slightly (or very) dented psyche. I also think that especially in any species who mate for life, there can be "the one" who can change them for keeps. I also think for birds, the term "Rescue" may conjure images of the city pound for some people. They may be doing the best they can w/what they've got. But it's not a great place to visit & you wouldn't want to live there. Maybe "Sanctuary" is better word. "Sanctuary" in a Sci Fi kind of way. Escaping the apocalypse to find a much needed safe haven. Whatever you want to call them, they're most all privately funded & tend to be powered by one or more gynormously hearted people. It may be more of a group home than the conventional image of home sweet home. But it's a place w/people who are much better equipped & more likely to understand the special needs of these fids. I'm sure like anything else, there are better & worse places. But a good bird sanctuary isn't a bad place to live. In fact, I placed one of my fosters in one. I'd asked the owner for help working w/this particular bird & they just fell in love. He ended up in her own personal flock w/6 others of his kind, in a world of happy screamers & days of endless pandering. I honestly couldn't begin to imagine any better forever home for this guy!

Yep, the blue jay thing is murder. But for me, it's whenever the cardinals get the teils going ...at the crack of dawn ...at the top of their lungs ...every day for about 2 months in the spring. Not good. Once we survive that, it's just random conversations thru the open windows & I can usually deal w/that. For some reason, the rest of the things they tend to pick up aren't anywhere near as annoying. W/the possible exception of the never ending bottle rocket sounds around now & Labor Day. I'm so done w/that long before everyone else is.

^^^ It's true. This is already long enough to be a book. But really it's just the first couple of chapters of "Miss G & Dee". There have only been 2 things that made me lose it w/Phenix. One was when he started to bite me & laugh while he watched me bleed. As long as I could rationalize some reason for the bloodshed, I could deal. But to know for absolute certain that he was deliberately causing me pain just for the fun of it really pissed me off! It's a most unfortunate thing that they unquestionably have the upside of the power curve & know it. Since I couldn't do much of anything else, I eventually started shunning Phenix until he couldn't stand it anymore. He is like a 3 yo. He hates being ignored. Especially when I go out of my way to love on the rest of the flock in the meantime. };-> At some point, he always goes out of his way to get back into my good graces. And I make very sure to make him earn it before he does!

Like the title says... Until very recently we've been able to delete our own threads. I only meant to add 2 pages to the existing Daily Pic thread in the Photo forum. But somehow I started a new thread, twice. I figured it out right away & went to delete them but can't find a button. Could someone please give me a lesson? Thanks

Almost any decent weekend, you can expect to find a bunch of kites in the sky above Fort Adams State Park. Sunday turned out to be the annual Kite festival. So many extraordinary kites for as far as you could see! But we didn't know that when we decided to take a random drive to Newport RI just because it was a spectacular Sunday afternoon. Shame because all I had w/me was my iPod. Sorry for the pic quality.

Certainly the last thing I want to do. So I'll apologize & stop now.

"Mashed potatoes" like (some color of) :pwhite potato, :pmilk or :pcream, :psalt & ;)pepper? White potato (incl red bliss, gold & all the other "designer" types) are members of the Nightshade family. Raw potatoes & especially spuds, contain nightshade alkaloids which are toxic to fids. Most of the nightshade alkaloids are thought to cook away at some point. There's no known test to tell at what point. Some people do let their *healthy* fids eat a limited amount of cooked potato. Food Nazi's don't feed white potato in any form. Sweet potatoes/yams are not in the same family. They have nothing but good nutrition incl fiber, antioxidants like beta-carotene, vit C & A among other things. Warm steamed & mashed w/a sprinkle of cinnamon is very big around here. Sometimes I cheat & slip in a little yucky greens or mash them up w/some veggie or fruit juice. They also like some RPO melted into them sometimes. There are many residual types of yucky stuff that build up in & around the kitchen sink. Not sure what exactly normal soap is. But many of the most commonly used soaps can be a problem if the fids are "eating" it (anything they'll put their mouths on qualifies as "eating" for now). They generally have bad chemicals that don't tend to rinse off well & often have nasty fumes into the bargain. Plain old white vinegar is a surprisingly effective antibacterial/antimicrobial that can be used as a safe alternative for many spray cleaners. Simple table salt or baking soda can be used in place of powdered cleansers for scrubbing more stubborn spots. My favorite way to clean is my steam cleaner because it uses nothing but super hot water. To me it's generally the quickest, easiest, most effective way to lift gunk & sanitize. Really good to clean tons of things; stoves & cages, especially! Haven't looked at light bulbs in a while. But murfchck recently said they were replacing their bulbs. Maybe you can PM & let everyone know if you find something good. Did you mean Volkman Avian Science Super Parrot Seed Mix 20 lb? It has a good rep but I'll always question feeding sunflower seed, peanuts & corn on a daily basis. Also, fids tend to eat the "good stuff" out of mixes like that & toss the rest. Which means they don't get a balanced diet even from the best mixes. Bulk bags are economical. But it's a good idea to portion the food out into several smaller sealed storage containers to be used one at a time. It limits the food's potential exposure for things like mold & slows the nutrients from breaking down. It's not outside the realm of possibility to get a bad bag of food, either. There have been a ridiculous amount of pet food recalls lately & those were just what got caught by quality control (if I can use the term loosely). Something like that could also take a while to get out of a fid's system, too, depending on the problem. Something else you could try is checking the lot on the bag you're using & get a new bag from a different lot.

Guess that makes it's official. The new bird room has formally been given Talon's seal of approval.

Food spoiling is a very valid concern. Convenience (read necessity where it applies) is a big reason for having dry foods in a fid's diet. One thing that might help balance their diet a little more is if you switch the night feeding of pellets & the AM seed mix. They're more likely to eat more of whatever's offered in the morning while they're hungrier than later in the day when they're starting to get their fill. There are mixes w/safflower instead of sunflower seeds which are apparently better general nutrition & less addictive. But commercial seed mixes still tend to be lacking nutritionally. There's also no real way to make them balanced because most fids pick out their favorite types of seeds & leave the rest or pitch them.

***Aren't you feeding any commercial seed, pellets or treats?*** You could go back to your vet for further testing. You could go to another vet, because they are certainly not all created equal. Maybe you could have a major veterinary hospital or teaching facility take a look, if you have one in the area. You could see about working w/a behaviorist. Just be particularly careful w/that one if you do. Some of them sound great on paper & aren't worth their weight in bird poop. They can end up doing a lot more harm than good. Your call. There are pro's & con's to each option. Since Isaac did apparently get a clean bill of health, you can also continue to keep working thru the list of possible causes like you've been doing. This is still an episode vs a chronic condition. There's still a long list of unexplored possible answers. And just because a thing didn't work the first time, doesn't mean it won't work the second. Or the seventh. Making "hopeless" even that much farther away. For instance, did you know that sun lamps stop producing an effective temperature long, long before they burn out? Did you know that testing has shown surprisingly many bulbs don't burn at the advertised temperature & a very small variance makes one useless for stimulating Vit D production in fids ? Also, florescent bulbs have a flicker that humans aren't aware of, but is disturbing to birds? So, one possibly suggestion is that you can try replacing your lamp bulb w/a 5500K LED bulb. However, sunlight is always & absolutely guaranteed to burn at the exact right temperature to get the desired effect. Might also suggest getting Isaac's little red tail some of that. It happens to come w/the added bonus of fresh air & a change in scenery which is also good for a fid's mental health. An hour of natural sunlight is worth hours & hours of artificial light (no matter whether it's ever been scientifically proven). Fids are lactose intolerant. They can't process milk or milk products effectively. A *healthy* fid can usually stomach a small amount w/no ill effects. Right now though, it's probably more helpful to act like Isaac isn't strictly healthy & be a total Food Nazi. What do you think about trying Almond milk in your cereal? Unfortunately, I don't have a work around for the cheese which has lactose & salt. There's salt in the Triscuit's, too. So I guess I'd have to suggest you either hide whenever you want to indulge or prepare to "Just say "No"!" & mean it. I know you've talked about incorporating mash/chop into Isaac's diet before. what happened w/ http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?194243-Mash-amp-Chop& ? I'd also repeat myself that mash really isn't a mystery unless you are actually planning an entirely fresh fed diet. That does need to be well balanced & it takes some practice. But otherwise, any combination of stuff that he thinks is good to eat & is good for him is just fine. In other words, you can't go wrong w/"recreational" chop. I don't know anything about baby formula. I know it's sometimes used temporarily for sick adults. But I don't know if it's high in any particular vitamins or minerals which could cause an adult fid problems long term. Someone else would have to weigh in there. But if he's actually craving the feedings, maybe you could see how he feels about warm quinoa or oatmeal w/w/o things like applesauce, fruit, cinnamon, RPO. Palm nuts are a staple for greys in the wild. So feel free to give Isaac more oil & maybe see if you can find Palm nuts for him while they're in season. They have the added benefit of being healthy foraging which is particularly helpful under the circumstances. Noticed your current pics were taken at the kitchen sink. What do you clean the sink with? Wondering if somewhere, Isaac's being exposed to something like a cleaning chemical? There are healthy alternatives to commercial cleansers that might prove beneficial. No matter what, they can't hurt. ...So, you "do not have options", hmm...? This is honestly just a few possible suggestions off the top of my head. If I thought about it for a while, I could probably come up w/a real list! lol And I'll just bet that there are many other things that the rest of your support team will suggest, now that it's progressed to this point. So once again, for the record, Isaac is miles from being a hopeless case. You do still have options. Lots of options.