Grey Fun

[Nychsa]

Does your Grey tell you that you're having a bad hair day?? Apparently mine does! I work at home sometimes and when I am engrossed in my writing, I don't notice the escalation of the preening going on behind my head until it gets quite loud! Today I was writting away, and Bella flew over to me, sat behind my head on the couch and began to preen me - that's ok, we do this. But then I had some phone calls in between and when I'm on the phone she has to add her two, three, four cents and then some. But then she started to preen me rather furiously, and I kept writing and then I think she took offense to the swirl in the back of my head or something! But all of a sudden she was preening me with a vengence and growling the way she does with her toys!!

 

I don't think I've ever had a parrot tell me I'm having a bad hair day! :woohoo:

[Hannah_Rae]

These are great stories.

 

My first Grey, Rockelle (23 years old when I fostered her) was a real practical joker. She would watch my step mom put something in the microwave and then wait till she left the room and beep just like the microwave. When my step mom would return to the microwave, Rockelle would laugh hysterically. My step mom didn't think it was very funny, but I did.

 

She would also carry on telephone conversations whenever the phone rang. My favorite ended in "I don't want any!" Click

[Nychsa]

Hannah_Rae wrote:

These are great stories.

 

My first Grey, Rockelle (23 years old when I fostered her) was a real practical joker. She would watch my step mom put something in the microwave and then wait till she left the room and beep just like the microwave. When my step mom would return to the microwave, Rockelle would laugh hysterically. My step mom didn't think it was very funny, but I did.

 

She would also carry on telephone conversations whenever the phone rang. My favorite ended in "I don't want any!" Click

 

LOL See I thought they had a wicked sense of humor! Bella loves to horse around - she sits with me in the evening and I grab her and hold her way high up and then bring her down fast on to my lap on to her back and tickle her belly, I swear if she could giggle like a little kid she would, she grabs my thumbs with her talons and pulls herself up real fast and scrambles to tuck her head under my chin. After a few minutes she starts nibbling on my fingers to do it all over again - just like a little kid! :woohoo:

[Talon]

Such cute stories! Keep them coming! I get such enjoyment reading them. Thanks everyone for sharing.

[Nychsa]

I've decided Bella is like having a two year old around! While Jiggy is totally content foraging around on his playtop, taking a snooze, playing with his toys, Ms. Bella is interested in EVERYTHING! Trying to keep her out of trouble is becoming a full time job :woohoo:

 

Today, I took them both into the shower with me. Bella has a ritual afterwards where she sits with me at the cosmetic table and talks to herself in my make up mirror. Ah... but while I was busy trying to find something in my purse the little imp got hold of the shiney, flashy lipstick tube! I thought 'ah, she can't get that open' :ohmy: Doh! She sure did get it open, within seconds! I had visions of Bella smeared full of lipstick and raced over to get it away from her. We ened up in one heck of a tug-of-war, where that little imp actually growled at me for trying to get that away from her! I finally had to let her have the top and was able to take the lipstick part away.

 

Just like a kid! Have you had some close calls like this? I thought they're suppose to be so shy about new things/toys???? She's interested in every thing around here, particularly the stuff she's not suppose to have

 

Cheers!

Terri

[Christina]

That is funny about Bella. Finnigan and I have reached a mutual understanding regarding the make-up drawer...I have an extra tube of mascara that she can have (top on tightly) whle I use my tube. No lipstick (she can get the top off too, don't ask me how I know that!). She has a little basket that she sits on the handle and she swings around on it like a jungle gym. I tickle her under her wings and blow raspberries on her belly and she squeals and carries on. Once she let go just as I stepped back so she could take a little break and she fell into the bottom of the basket (its lined with fluff and newspaper on top of that, so it was a safe) she stood up and looked at me like "why didn't you catch me?"! Completely offended that I didn't catch her.

[Nychsa]

OH my Christina!!!! That is a riot! Are they brilliant or what! You need to share some more of what she's saying - I love hearing grey stories ;

 

Bella is only 8 months old, but she startles me with the things she says - it's usually always a sentance of sorts. I've concluded she must be watching our interactions around here and is putting it all together. Dream, my female greyhound walked away from her food this evening, and I asked Dream if she was done and Bella pipped in "I don't like it - blech blech!!!" That nearly sat me right down on my tush! I busted out laughing and when I laugh now she copies my laugh. I'm assuming she picked that up from either my partner or I who always fuss about the dogs being so picky with their food. What a riot!!

 

Well do share some more! It sounds like your girl is quite a character.

 

Cheers!

Terri

[Hannah_Rae]

One of the most interesting things about Rockelle is that she had lived through many hurricanes, including the devastating hurricane Andrew back in the 90's. Every once in a while, when things were quiet, she would sit on her perch and sway back and forth and make wind noises clear as day.

 

Although it was funny, it struck me just how much these birds understand.

 

Within the first two days of bringing her into our home she learned my name and would use it to call me often. My dad was an animal rehabilitator for the humane society at this point, and we were hand feeding 3 baby mocking birds at the time. One afternoon I was feeding the babies when Rockelle wanted my attention.

"Hannah!!!" She yelled

"What Rockelle?"

"Come ere! Come ere!" She called to me

"I can't come 'ere. I'm feeding the babies!"

"COME HERE NOW!!!" She screamed.

So I went over to her perch and she cocked her head and said so sweetly "Hi!"

This went on for the whole feeding. Each time with a different response...she eventually requested grapes, and that seemed to keep her content. No wonder I fell in love.

[Nychsa]

Awww Hannah! Sounds like she just wanted you to be with her You're new baby is coming home in what - two days or so? I'm sure you'll have some fun stories to share about your baby!

 

Cheers!

Terri

[judygram]

These are all good stories and it shows how amazing these creatures really are, keep em coming!!!:laugh:

[Hannah_Rae]

Yup, countdown: 2 days. YAY!!!

[judygram]

I know you can hardly wait but it is almost here and then we will hear all the stories of your new adventure.

[Woody6]

Nychsa that is absolutely hallarious! Goes to show we must be very careful as to what we say around our grays.

[Nychsa]

Woody6 wrote:

Nychsa that is absolutely hallarious! Goes to show we must be very careful as to what we say around our grays.

 

Oh my gosh Woody, she's like a tape recorder! She's only 8 months old, but the breeders told me when I got her that she was already very babbly at 4 months and was trying really hard to make words. She still "calibrates" her phrases sometimes, particularly if different people are over and they have different tones of voice. Yikes!!! She starts calibrating at the top of her lungs it can sometimes make your blood freeze! She has this new screech that sounds like something that should be in a horror movie :woohoo: And then in between she talks away, repeating everything she heard during the day. I like how she just joins in on coversations. I ask the greyhounds if they want to go potty and Bella exclaims "I don't know!!!!!" and she puts such an emphasis on the know it makes me wonder if I sound like such a drama queen :huh:

[Woody6]

That is so funny Nychsa. My greys still just whistle a lot of tunes (like the Marine Corps tune) and such. They mumble too but because I am hearing impaired I cannot tell if they are trying to form words. I look forward to the day they start talking and I'm in trouble because then I'll realize all the words I say that I don't realize I'm saying around them. My husband says I am a drama queen around the birds. I talk to them in an excited voice most times and I always tell them where I'm going when I leave. It will crack me up to hear them reply like another grey did to another owner on this thread.

[Nychsa]

Woody6 wrote:

That is so funny Nychsa. My greys still just whistle a lot of tunes (like the Marine Corps tune) and such. They mumble too but because I am hearing impaired I cannot tell if they are trying to form words. I look forward to the day they start talking and I'm in trouble because then I'll realize all the words I say that I don't realize I'm saying around them. My husband says I am a drama queen around the birds. I talk to them in an excited voice most times and I always tell them where I'm going when I leave. It will crack me up to hear them reply like another grey did to another owner on this thread.

 

Aaaah, you have a boy and a girl. Are they breeders? The Marine Corp tune? LOL that's funny! Do you have a "Devil Dog" in the family?

 

Bella jabbers now when ever I'm on the phone. I didn't really rezlize it until last week I kept having to hold my ear shut in order to hear the other person on the line. It was a banker trying to sell me a loan LOL and he said "sounds like you're busy, I can call you back later?" and I had to laugh so hard, I told him that was my parrot! I looked over there, and there she was on her perch, just yapping away, heaven knows what she was saying it was just jibberish, but she was going on, and on, and on! Her little cheeks puffing out when she jabbers, and in between she'd say "woof, woof, woof" or something like that LOL! Ever since then I realized when ever i'm on the phone, she starts yapping away, non-stop!

[Woody6]

No, my birds are not breeders. We have a devil dog in the family...(my husband). It was very important to him to teach them the tune. It is funny to hear you say Bella jabbers away. A great way to get away from those pesty callers.

[Nychsa]

Woody6 wrote:

No, my birds are not breeders. We have a devil dog in the family...(my husband). It was very important to him to teach them the tune. It is funny to hear you say Bella jabbers away. A great way to get away from those pesty callers.

 

Aaaah - please tell the "Devil Dog" Semper Fi :cheer: I can imagine it was important to teach them that tune LOL! Come to think of it - I'm wondering if I should teach Bella "Anchors Away" :woohoo: (I'm a Navy vet :cheer: )

 

Re: the callers - I had to get her one of those baby telephones, but she broke it after a couple of weeks. Maybe I should let her talk to the callers LOL!

Cheers!

Terri

[Nychsa]

Well, I don't think I'm going to nominate Bella to the Mensa just yet She has this wonderful plam next to her cage, which she likes to climb around on and just sit on. However, she also enjoys chewing on the wood. I usually catch her and shoo her away and she squaks at me and scampers away. The minute I turn my back - she's back at it! :angry: In the mean time she's felled two nice long branches with one or two quick snaps of the beak But poetic justice prevailed! She was sitting on a edge of a branch and started knawing the branch off right out from underneath her :woohoo: !! Before I could shoo her away, she snapped the branch off and she went tumbling down with it! :blink: She's not quite ready for the Mensa - nope!

 

(ok, I admit I did grin just a tiny bit - she's gotten quite proficient at knawing at record speed to get some chomps in before I shoo her away, and well, in her hurry, I guess she didn't realize she was pulling the branch out right from underneath her :woohoo: )

[Lyric]

Hi everyone-

Terri, Bella sounds so adorable and like such a character. I bet she will make your life even longer for having so much laughter in it.

My TAG isn't talking yet- I think he's a very slow bloomer at 17 months old. Maybe he will never talk but his antics always crack me up. He makes lots of whistles, clicks and kissy noises. Whenever I get on the phone he whistles tunes with a vibratto effect. It's quite hilarious and I wonder if he ever does talk what he'll have to say? Yesterday my boyfriend was playing video games and cussing at the screen- I told him sure enough Lyric will learn a curse word for his first word and be cussing at me whenever he doesn't like something. Ah well, we'll see. I love him whether he talks or not but it would be very exciting to me.

[Nychsa]

Ok - time to revive this thread tonight :laugh:

 

Where is the camera when you need one!!!! Bella has taken over the couch. She marches around on the back of the couch claiming every inch.

 

Doc, my male greyhound likes to sit at "his" end of the couch and put his needle nose on "his" pillow. So, he puts his front paws up to survey the couch and

 

Bella runs over, leans towards him,

he leans towards her,

her beak touches his nose

and she says "PEAK-A-BOO!!!"

Doc ran off :laugh:

 

I laughed so hard I had stomach cramps!! Where do they come up with this stuff!!!

[Guest smokey]

haha thats really funny cause i got 2 cats that meow to get some one to pet them, now when people leave the room Smokeyh my 1 yr old grey meows & meows louder, his favorite toys are cat toys with bells in them to.

[Nychsa]

smokey wrote:

haha thats really funny cause i got 2 cats that meow to get some one to pet them, now when people leave the room Smokeyh my 1 yr old grey meows & meows louder, his favorite toys are cat toys with bells in them to.

 

Oh my! Smokey sounds like he's heading for an identity crisis!!

[Acappella]

Nychsa, I know all of our birds are characters in their own way, but I'm starting to think Bella and Jiggy need their own show. Call it "Bella and Jiggy, UnRehearsed" with the humans in their proper place, as supporting cast. Does Animal Planet do reality tv?

[goldn1]

Dorian has been coughing since the day we got her two months ago, this last week she kept at it for what seemed like hours, I tried saying other things to her that we've heard her say in order to get her to stop but to no avail. Finally, I said "that's quite a cough you have there" and ignored her. The other night we had turned out the lights and were going to bed and the coughing fit started up again.....in the middle of it she pipes up with "that's quite a cough you have there".....lol.

 

She also says "WHAT?" in my voice, and "Hey!" in my fiance's. She bumped her head on the cage one day just after we got her and said "ouch, sh*t" (in HIS voice, lol).

 

She and Oscar (our new blue crown conure) are alternating time out of the cage and they have now taken to seeing how long each other can stay out so the other won't get their turn.

 

Sunday Oscar was out of his cage, had been for a while, I was working on my computer 5 feet away, but not watching really closely. I turned around to see if he was back inside yet and was surprised to see him sitting on top of Dorian's cage pretty as you please. She did not raise a ruckus at all, but was giving him quite the evil eye. I don't know how long he had been up there but he was NOT happy about getting off!

 

These two are keeping us in stitches and Dorian is an expert at getting our attention by mumbling...she says new things just clearly enough for us to know it's words but not clearly enough for us to understand and then we spend the next half hour trying to get her to say it again while she sits there silent as a statue....lol. She's got us very well trained! hehe:silly: