katana600

Happy hatch day to Nala. She is just perfect. It's wonderful you can share her with your classroom. It must be very good for everyone, including Nala. She is a lucky girl and has lots of love to share.

How precious. What more could we wish for when you have a guy like Brutus in your life?

Ray, I sought out your words once more as a reminder to never give up. We may bring home a feathered baby and then are shocked to discover a couple of years later that the relationship changed. The compliant and sweet baby suddenly becomes willful, noisy and not as fun, exotic or novel as he was in the beginning. Sometimes we take in a rehomed parrot that is taking a really long time to accept us and that wonderful rush we had when we saw his need gives way to months and months of being eyed suspiciously. Hey, I am being good to you, this is the good life, why aren't you grateful? The bottom line is are we going to hang in there and figure it out? There are going to be doubts and fears, there are going to be hard times. There is going to be moodiness and hormones but thankfully Miss Gilbert forgives me and gives me another chance when I have those times. Hahahaha.

It has taken a great sensitivity to Gilbert's state of mind to first reach a point where we could approach her cage without her shaking, fluttering and looking for an escape. For a long while, she would accept us only when her door was closed and locked tight. To this day she will only relax and allow a scratch on her head from me if it it through the bars of her cage. If she is outside the cage, I can put my hand inside and she will lean close to the bars to allow a brief touch. She reached a point with David that she will stand in a certain spot on her playtop and lean to him and allow him to scratch her head but about two out of three times she will suddenly get nervous and bite him. She doesn't draw blood but its not just the brush off either. For six months or so she has been coming off the laddder to the floor and from there will offer her foot for a step up. As soon as she is on our hand, she is leaning toward her cage and it is very clear she is distraught. She will shake, breathe hard and flip her wings nervously all the while her eyes are darting, looking for a way out. As soon as we walk toward her cage she is frantic to get away from our hands and she will hurry inside. The past three nights have been different. She is still visibly stressed at being out of her comfort zone, but is starting to let down her vigilance. I am so happy to report that she sat on me long enough and relaxed enough to poop on me last night! Whoo hoo, that is progress.

Something is going on with Miss Gilbert. Last night she was still so rattled she fell right off her perch three times. I was sitting right there where I could see her and she went from calmly sitting at rest to hitting the deck like a PTSD survivor. Her mind is probably in a chaotic state but she isn't reverting to any more feather damage or other stress behaviors. In fact, she is coming to me for comfort. Three nights in a row I have approached her and asked for a step up from her cage and she has obliged without hesitation. I usually pick her up and talk to her and she is wild-eyed and looking for her escape back to her comfort zone. Tonight, once I gave her a moment on the back of the sofa, I asked if she wanted to go back and she certainly did. But, as soon as I put her on the cage top, she launched off and hit the windows clear out to the front door. I gave her the chance to compose herself and go back to her cage but she ran to me instead. I sat down and put her on my shoulder and she made a few sirens and warning tones but then talked and asked me to go night night. I got a chance photo on my cell phone and she is a little wired, but she had about ten minutes on my shoulder like we have done this all her life. When I stood up she attempted to fly off my hand and she is getting more controlled and graceful on landings and walked right back to me to pick her up again. She is undergoing some changes but its having advantages to her too. Look at this beautiful little face.

That video just made my day. Talon is really enjoying a good tussle and giving that spoon the ole what for. She has a lot of energy and personality.

Miss Gilbert's "new" interest in shredding everything when she barely played before coupled with the recent confirmation of her gender may have me a little more sensitive to her changes. With "her" first spring and what appears to be nesting behavior, we are making a conscious effort to keep her daylight to darkness ratio about fifty percent. Although her activity and exercise plus her renewed interest in her love muffin is endearing, I wouldn't want her to start laying eggs. I am cutting back on the oatmeal offering because I have the idea that is not only a way for the babies to bond with the parent, it is also something I have observed with the breeding pair when the hen is sitting and the male feeds her. I'm not going to stop altogether because it has had a remarkable effect on her affection towards us as well as motivating her to try new things. She has been especially sweet and engaged in asking for lots of head scratches, step ups and is more calm and stable in general. Every part of me wants to take advantage of her progress but a little wet blanket on the party and seeking a level of moderation so it doesn't escalate into mating expectations might be healthier for her in the long term.

Rise and shine Miss Gilbert. So many things have changed since she came into our lives three years ago. Every step of gaining trust, every moment of gaining insight and understanding has been hard won for this this little girl. When she finally, finally, closes her eyes and permits herself to enjoy a gentle scratch on her head, we are getting close to the goal of having her feel so safe in her new home that she unpacks the final baggage and shows us her shine. Shine on little Miss Gil Girl.

That is a great idea, I might even try it for a bathtub. Miss Dayo looks completely relaxed and in charge of her kingdom. Thanks for a smile first thing in the morning.

Hi Ray, welcome to you, gf and Gandalf. You seem off to a great start together. Love that you are taking her to visit your parents and giving her the benefit of many people she will know and trust in her extended flock. It seems as if you are on top of things. The only thing I can think of that might make your life easier later is to start training her to wear an Aviator harness now while she is letting you touch her and hold her. If you get her accustomed to it, she could ride on your shoulder outside to get sunshine and that will be beneficial to you both. Its one of those things that if you start early and keep her accustomed to wearing it on a regular basis, it will really be helpful.

We had the best of days/worst of days all rolled into a six hour session yesterday. Upon returning home after a couple of hours of errands, I met with a houseful of feathers. It was shocking, there were downy feathers all the way to the back door and more and more as I came around the corner to Gilbert's cage. On the floor right beside her cage was such a pile that my heart was in my throat thinking a weasel got in her cage or something horrid. Strangely, she didn't look much worse for the wear. There there two or three tail feathers, a couple of flight feathers, grey chewed feathers, white chewed feathers, but nothing of the molting type. The only thing I can think of is maybe someone came to the door and rang the doorbell. If she was startled she may have fallen off a perch and then gotten upset. There is only one tiny little patch the size of my fingertip where she is missing some feathers she barbered off. With the flapping of her wings, she might have made the dust and chewed feathers scatter over a large surface area of freshly cleaned hardwoods and that might have magnified how much it "looked" like. She didn't seem distressed or grumpy at all. She came out on the door and I asked her what happened and she put her foot right out for a step up from her cage. That was a big surprise to me, but I just went with it. As we walked away from her cage, she started looking frazzled and she jumped off my hand to the back of the sofa. When she started pacing and her eyes were pinning and she was getting breathless, I offered her a step up to go back. She stepped up willingly and pleasantly, but then launched in a flight attempt. She landed on the rug with a more graceful landing than she has previously achieved. Then in a surprise move rather than her cautious, slow, fearful motions she ran like the cartoon roadrunner in a beeline for the ladder of her cage and climbed right up all by herself. She spent the rest of the day shredding the biggest sisal, birdie bagel and shredded paper toy that has been sitting new on her cage for more than two months. Later she asked for oatmeal and spontaneously offered me another step up. She sat again on the back of the sofa and once again when she was finished she attempted flight in the direction away from her cage, and then ran back to climb up on her own. She is calm and settled today, all the feathers were cleaned up and there have been no more. Surely something frightened her and she was coming to me looking for safety and comfort. But.. not too much, too close or too soon. At bed time she stood for what seemed like hours to have her head scratched and was sweet and calm. Very seldom has she rested her head in my fingers as I hold them through the bars but she fell asleep leaning into my hand. I may not understand her or know what happened, but I let her lead the way and she surprised me with some great strides forward.

Each new feather looks pristine and perfect. He may "worry" one or two but it has to be a little distracting to him to have new sheath feathers, pinfeathers and changes to his plumage. He is a beautiful, patient boy. He really is coming along wonderfully and looking ever more his handsome self.

She did get a good scratching, every half hour from her dreamboat. I am beginning to believe she is ripping up that paper and creating her "love nest" just for the two of them. He was home all day yesterday and while I was in the basement doing some serious spring cleaning, every time I came up, she was down on the floor to get closer to him. When she would see me coming, she would quickly go back to her cage and climb high. Today he was mentioning how she will move toward him and away from me. He said he was getting concerned about the way she was rubbing her beak on him and then as if on a cue, she started regurging for him. He told her thank you and went about his way. When he came back she leaned over for a scratch but when he got close she bit him. Three times she lured him with posturing and sweet words and bit him every time. I have to admit to my dark side... somewhere deep down inside I was happy that it isn't just me. Not that I want anyone to be bitten, nor Gil to be frustrated, just not always with me.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. David has been gone for almost two weeks. Last night he was home at our normal dinner time. Miss Gilbert was just beside herself with rambling incoherently with a few words tossed in with great emphasis that we did understand. It sounded every bit like a fishwife giving him the "what for" about being gone so long. She was really wound up like I have never seen her. He came in to talk to her and she rushed to the edge of her cage as she does for oatmeal but she was begging him to scratch her head. When he went around the corner she hung off the side of her cage to lean far around the corner. When he came back she insisted on a scratch, on the outside of her cage yet. He sat down while she was out and when I stood up, she scurried inside. I sat down, he stood up and she came out of the cage. We did this from across the living room three or four times to see if maybe it was a coincidence. She definitely was coming out for him to touch her. Going in when she saw me could be conditioning. When I feed her, she hurries to get inside and sit next to the food doors to supervise me properly. While she is totally against me touching her outside the cage, she generally will not run away from me, so I don't think that was what she was doing. It was just funny to hear her giving him the business with a few choice words for being gone so long this time.

You know, this is a different side of Isaac. He has been a sweet sweet little boy. Today he has a rogue-like bad boy persona. Maybe he is going to have a drummer-in-a-rock-band kind of vibe.

You have a great instinct Dan. The first time I read this poem, I had lost Juno but was caring for Kopi. At that time, I could not begin to imagine anything but care, gentleness and response from our two boys. By the time I read it the second time, we had Gilbert and he was still a "he" and I was sure we would be best friends in no time. Now, I have been with Miss Gilbert for three years and have lived and breathed life with a parrot who has feared hands and this time, I really really get it.

Welcome to the forum to you and Garcia. When you commit to this girl, it is not only giving her the chance she deserves, but your kindness, patience and the work of building her trust will reward you for decades to come. Our Miss Gilbert took a while to believe in us and to open her heart but it has been worth every minute. My thought on trying the sock buddy is perhaps to combine it with a vet visit. Their staff is well experienced in handling techniques and watching them will give you confidence when the time comes to do it yourself. It speaks very highly of you that she has chosen you and allows you to pick her up. I am not well experienced in handling a dedicated plucker, but you will get to know her and hopefully you can help her be happy even if she is a nudie.

When we got our first parrot, I did a lot of reading about what to do right. This forum has been a tremendous resource. Also, just before bringing home my baby, I found "The Parrot Problem Solver" by Barbara Heidenreich to be an excellent asset. By reading about some of the issues some parrots develop, it opened my eyes to human behavior that seems to feel right in the beginning with a baby but might set the stage for later issues. It gave me the insight to ask questions and think long term. This time of bringing home your wee one is so very special. Enjoy every moment. Congratulations on your little one and thanks for joining us.

Oh Isaac, you handsome prince. He is looking good Stephen. His transformation is coming along at a good pace and he doesn't seem to be doing any damage to his new feathers. Its amazing how quickly he is regrowing his beautiful outerwear. I really appreciate your methodical updates week by week. You can really see the progress. That has to help ease your mind that this was a one-off kind of stress reaction and he is healing on the outside as you are healing on the inside. Hope you are feeling back at the top of your game too.

Your dad's cousin is a treasure. This would be an incredible aviary and will last you forever. Disinfecting and assembling will be a challenge and adventure. You will find just the right spot for it and have happy use from it as you create a living space for a very lucky parrot.

Your loving tribute to Marden will bring peace to the parrots you are able to take in. It will be the place to watch through the forum. Wishing you all the best.

Where there is a will there is a way. Great job on hanging in there and finding a way to get it done.

I had to go back and listen again. It was so much fun hearing my two responding to yours. One time at about 2:09 I heard "Nilah" and I'm pretty sure it was one of your other parrot, it sounded like you but farther away. It sounds like such a vibrant place. I love sharing that moment with your flock.

Nilah is beautiful and agile. Java was really interested when I played the video. Whenever Nilah said "weeee" Java made the raspberry sound. Nilah has the sweetest voice.

Now that Miss Gilbert is happily making big messes every day, I have been trying to find a better way to clean up. The cage lining drawer is pretty big to carry through the house to the trash. If I bring a bag in, I get fluff and papers all over trying to get it into the bag. This little mesh laundry bin was just the ticket. I used four office clips to hold a kitchen bag and it works great to dump the tray and for holding the bag while I sweep and empty the dustpan. It's like having an extra pair of hands. When I am finished, I can fold it flat an store it on the shelf under the cage for the next time.