katana600

Now that I have realized that you leave the room while you are recording, I can listen and realize it is Dayo speaking, not Dan. LOL. I just love the way he describes what he has seen and heard from you. I go back to your videos just to hear him again. He is quite a character. Thanks for putting his updates online for us.

Thanks for the update on Hawkins, I loved it. It is always great to hear from others out there who are enjoying the daily joys and challenges of living with such amazing creatures. I am glad you found a place in your life for him and that he is better than you could have hoped he would be when you were creating a place for him in your heart and home.

Marcus sure keeps things light hearted at your house, I also love to read about his ways. Time will tell if there is any accuracy to the ten month theory. That would put Gilbert's big spurt right around Christmas time, so I will try to notice if he gets more verbal. If Tybalt isn't careful, Marcus is going to give him a nickname that stinks... I mean sticks. LOL

We have a red-bellied parrot cousin of your senegal. We also fostered a cockatiel (Milo) early on when Java was just a baby. Milo was older and he was hissing for three weeks and I was keeping him quarantined on a separate floor of our house. We never reached the moment when they could be out at the same time and it was Java who was always trying to get on Milo's cage and cause a commotion. We are three months in with Java and Gilbert now and I take one out of the cage at a time and make sure each of them have separate time alone with me to keep jealousy from rearing its ugly head, but I do see progress. At least now Java can ride on my shoulder through the room where Gil is in his cage and she does not try to swoop down and get on his cage. It will just take lots of time and paying attention for you to figure out a safe interaction with Jon and Shelby. Congrats on getting Jon while I was away for a bit. He is a cutie.

That is just adorable. Beaker looks so relaxed and sweet while Tybalt is preening him. Even more surprising than to see them so close and gentle with each other is that you could get a camera and snap a shot for us, well done. Thanks.

Everything is going fine and I believe we are steered where we are meant to be. Gilbert has had a couple of days of love/hate interactions with me, but he is getting back to his sweet little ole self. He is talking a LOT more than usual. He has been regaling me with raucous laughter and deep "good morning" greetings this morning. When I come in the door from being out for groceries or whatever, I call out "Honey, I'm home" and Gil has been saying "I home". He has almost got the whistling of the William Tell Overture segment down pat. While I was gone, I would call home and the answering machine is on speaker, so I would whistle his tune. My kids say he would make the phone ring sound and whistle and they knew the message was for him and not for them. LOL Apparently while I was away the dogs barked too much for his liking and he has been telling me all about it. He barks in sharp little yaps and then says "Hey!" or "Quiet". Hahaha. I just love his little ways. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Gilbert may be traveling soon and we will keep up on his adventures. He is not actively plucking, but he has a posture of curling up on his favorite rope perch at this door and I think that is when he is "holding" his feathers and worrying them out rather than actually plucking. The last place his fluff was being replaced with little feathers was his right thigh and that seems to be just where his beak lands when he is curled up. He has not plucked himself bald, just to the fluff. We learned something this time and hopefully can figure out how to keep him feeling secure. The general consensus at home is that no plucking was observed until we had some big storms just before I was driving back. Sarah did tell me he was unnerved by storms after living on the gulf coast through a few hurricanes. So, it does make sense that would be a contributing factor. He has been telling me over and over "Gilbert okay". So I think he is reassuring himself as well as keeping in contact with me through the day.

Living with our parrots is an ever evolving learning process. Who could know what is on Sully's mind? I am just thrilled to know he is encouraging Jordan and his family to be ever more involved and "hands on" with him. Getting him into a harness had to be scary the first time. It is something I have not worked up the nerve to try just yet, but it is coming. Your posts are very encouraging to those of us with "reform school" birds. LOL.

Yes! I am home again. It is about a thousand miles between home near Atlanta and family in Northwestern Pennsylvania and New York. I had to be there for a serious illness and may need to go back again soon. I was gone two weeks and Gil had company every day the same as if I would be here. When I got home last night, I discovered that he did pluck unfortunately. It was not bad, strange that he plucked exactly one half of his upper chest and his right leg. He was happy to see me, but grumpy too. He loved on me one minute and tried to take a chomp out of me a second later. He is back to good spirits today as if nothing happened. If I go back again, I am looking into renting an apartment and taking him and Java with me to stay longer. My best friend's mother just had her first round of chemo, we should know in another week if it is making a difference or if hospice will be initiated. This woman was good to me during a rough upbringing and even stood up for me in my wedding thirty years ago, so I will make arrangements for my birds and I to live there as the need arises. Glad to be home and sad for Gilbert to pluck, but it means I will try something better for the next time, this trip was unplanned.

Thanks Shelly, Val will get settled and I would guess she will NEVER want to go toward the door again. With us, I have read a lot and have been careful with Gilbert but it gets to feeling complacent for our extended family that since he doesn't fly they think he "can't" fly and I keep in my mind always that today could be that day. We will have grandchildren some day and I would rather train my family and friends now and be motivated by knowing how bad it would have felt to be in your shoes overnight, or worse. Not one of us would take chances with our beloved birds, it is the unexpected and unfathomable that startles us into vigilance and your sharing helps us all so we can make a plan for how we will handle our flighted birds and even for our clipped or otherwise flight impaired parrots. You and Val will be back to normal soon. It just makes my blood run cold to know what you have been through. Every day is a gift and today is the best day we have.

I think you and Aristotle both hit the jackpot at the same time. You are perfect for one another. He is happy to be in your home and senses your enthusiasm and excitement and you are talking to him and telling him your plans for him and I think he knows he is in a good place. You have a great setup and Aristotle is responding by being at his best.

I have been gone for two weeks and this was the first post I read this morning after driving about sixteen hours to get home yesterday. My heart was in my throat and I am estatic this turned out the way it has. I am so happy you found her, it must have been traumatizing for you both. It helps to keep me ever mindful that even though Gilbert can't fly today, I never know with the right motivation or fear when the day will come that he is capable and just has not "shown" me. We all have a two step process to go outside making sure always to come and go through the garage and to never open the garage doors until the house door is secure. It might be a pain, but I will show your posts to my family and make sure they continue the process. Thanks for sharing such a troubled time, we all learn from one another.

I love the ingenuity behind your toys. This looks like a happy toy to dig around and find little tidbits. Great thinking.

As you get things sorted, Phoebe will start feeling more secure. Some of this could be adjustment and not disability. Knowing how intelligent these birds are she may be exquisitely aware of her vulnerability until she gets the lay of the land. Is she young enough to have weaning issues? Do you know if the previous caretaker carried her around most of the time? It is important for them to learn independence, but if she can relax and feel safe she will reach that place of independence from a position of strength and trust. This adjustment phase will not last and you will find clever ways of providing safety and exercise for her. I wish I could live next door to you and give you a break to get some rest.

At this time, it is not meant to be to bring home another grey. I will be leaving on Friday and I brought it up delicately and let them know the option is open and I may come back in a few weeks due to the illness of my good friend's mother. I have been helping with doctor and chemo appointments and will be going home for a bit. When all I do is talk about Gilbert, Java and my other birds, people notice and take me to see other birds. What I have seen is not pretty and I will cry many times before it is resolved. Not just a grey next door, his situation could get better in time, but another "home" with birds that what I saw was not technically abuse, but stupid behavior that shows someone has a complete lack of understanding and caring for the birds. I have put out the word that I would drive two thousand miles round trip to come back for any of these birds and will likely get a phone call some day. As for my little guy, it is better for him to have me all to himself for a while anyway. I can't rescue the whole world, but I can be his world and he can be a big part of mine. It will be interesting to see how he responds when I come back home. I have not been gone this long from my home without taking all my animals with me. I can not express how happy it makes me to know he is willing to trust other family even though he must be wondering where I have gone. I suspect he is putting notches in his chew toy to mark the days of my absence. LOL. I have to be home by Friday, he will be out of beans and no one else does it like momma. LOL.

Oh that Lollie. That is a pretty picture on your signature and her avatar is sweet too. Imagine what is going on in her little head. OMG, something is ON me, get it off, get it off! It's a feather? OMG, I am going bald! Oh, that is what is supposed to happen when I preen? Oh, good, never mind. LOL Lollie

This is week two of being a thousand miles from home. Gilbert has been a real trouper. He is learning to fly from his cage to my chair. He lets my husband pick him up. He lets my daughter scratch his head. I miss him so much but I call home and talk to him on the speaker phone of my answering machine. He rings the phone and knows I am not really in my room. He is talking and happy and in good spirits and I am handling a serious illness of a loved one and expect to drive back home on Friday. While we were sitting on the outside patio, I heard whistling and a little grey whoop. There is a bird next door and I had to go knock and ask about him. Sure enough he is an African grey. What is meant to be will be, but I may not be driving home alone. The owners have put this little guy in an upstairs back bedroom and are not particularly happy with the noise he makes. On the other hand, hearing him answer me when I am far away and missing my boy, it made my heart leap and brought me great joy. I am going to ask if he needs a new home before I go back home. I am thrilled for Gilbert and my family having a bonding time while I am gone and even if it meant he gave me the cold shoulder, as long as he is happy, I will be happy.

I am so sorry for you to have to be separated from your birds as well as for you being sick. I will read up on this and see about air filters for my house too just to see if I can avoid future issues.

It looks like your baby is smiling. Congrats to you on the homecoming.

Last night my daughter was coming downstairs when she missed a step, slipped and caught herself. All of us turned and made exclamations of "are you okay?" and she was okay. Gilbert made his doppler effect bomb dropping much to our delight. We were all laughing and he joined right in laughing back with us. He has that slapstick kind of humor. I am kind of wondering if he came that way or.... if you become like those you are around? Hahahaha... that would be me laughing at Dayo pinching Dan on the neck. A couple of hours later, Gilbert had another "first". He had made a couple impromptu jumps from his cage if he is startled and I have noticed he is getting some feathers back and can get a little distance from the cage with his wild flapping. Last night though, he was swaying toward me and before I could get up to go get him, he lofted himself off the door of his cage and made it three quarters of the way across the room and then came running to me. It is his first time to come to me like that. I was so delighted, I picked him up and got his favorite fleece blanket to hold him on my lap for an hour and a half of head scratching goodness. He was there so long and so relaxed he was falling asleep. One thing I noticed about him with this long of an interaction is that he will nudge me for more scratches and he definitely wants me to touch him, but he has this wariness of watching me with one eye open, one closed and I noticed his entire body was trembling. This was at least a half hour into our time together so it wasn't from the excitement of getting to me. While I was scratching his head and rubbing behind his head on his neck is when my hand was close to his shoulder and I noticed how hard he was shaking. I cupped my hand over his back just to feel his trembling and trying to figure out what it was about. I was barely touching him, more just sensing him but he relaxed and seemed to calm down more. I get the feeling he is conflicted, that he really really wants to be near me and to have his head scratched but there is something about him holding back, maybe fear. He also does have that Jeckyl/Hyde thing going on where he bows his head to ask for a scratch, then takes a swipe at me but usually when he is sitting on my knee, I wait for him to come to me for the scratches rather than to approach him right away. I just think he has a little trouble trusting and he really has only been here a short time so we will figure it out together.

Welcome to the forum Paige and Chipper. If he is talking to you this early on he is most likely relaxed and comfortable. If he is saying "shut up", it may be likely he wasn't encouraged to talk so he might know lots and lots of words and you may here more of them in the near future when he realizes you relish hearing him interact with you. Congrats on making a new friend with Chipper and thanks for joining us. It will be interesting to see where he takes you in your journey together.

Whatever originally startled Sully, it sounds like he associated it with your husband. I haven't had that same kind of fright with Gilbert, but he has startled and he has bitten me and moments later whatever it was had passed and he is once again sweet. Hopefully it will just pass and he will be back to his adorable self. Just for tonight while it is still fresh on Sully's mind, maybe you could change up the routine so your husband doesn't get put in the middle of a second scare or reinforce Sully's association of dad and the shadow or whatever it was. Hopefully it is already forgotten and water under the bridge for you all.

Good boy Sully. He is just as cute as he can be. He is quite the little climber and acrobat as well as being a dancing star. Thanks!

All right Ray, I want to come right to your place and dig a moat around the barn to protect Hannah's eggs. Poor girl losing her eggs to vermin. I would love to see your eggs get hatched.