His first day ever with me: 3/17/11: http://forums.avianavenue.com/feathered-photos-fairway/45590-fluffy-plucker-monty-mickaboo-foster.html
In case you don’t remember: http://forums.avianavenue.com/feathered-photos-fairway/50638-montys-feather-progress-new-pics-6-5-11-a-3.html
And his gorgeous TODAY! (Note the stunning blue wing feathers):
Doesn’t he look stunning?
My bird room is constantly changing, and recently I decided to create 2 birds from our one. We have added Monty to the flock, and with 2 big birds in the same room I was constantly worried for injury for one of my little ones. For both safety and the happiness of my birds, we decided to divide up our “littles” and our big boys into 2 separate rooms. We’ve notice a big difference in the attitude of the big guys and the littles are safer by themselves. Here is what we used to have, and tomorrow or later this week I’ll post pictures of the bird rooms to the “bird room” page. 🙂
Okay, so I haven’t posted a whole photo of my bird room. I constantly change it around and update things so this post will probably become a page…anyway, here’s what my bird room looks like right now…today! Last updated April 23, 2011.
Left wall:
Center wall, left to right: Skittles, Monkey, Twinkie, Cupcake:
Right wall is windows, with a window perch for Cupcake (and whoever else when she’s locked up)
Back wall:
And up closes of the cages:
Twinkie’s cage
Paris the Greenie’s cage:
Cupcake the Goffin’s cage:
Skittles the Lovebird’s cage:
Monkey the Green Cheek’s cage:
I do have all of my feathered kids sorted by numbers based on when I got them. Isn’t that silly? Because fid 1 and fid 2 are less “interactive” than my other birds (meaning they cause less mischief) they often get passed over in terms of photographs or blog posts. Not today!
Skittles did bond to Mom, which caused me to throw a temper tantrum (oh, the gleeful age of prepubescent-ness). One year later, I had saved enough money to buy fid 2 (hands off, Mom!). Twinkie then entered the picture. Mom calls Twinkie “boring” and a “humpty dumpty bird” but I call her the sweetest birdie in da whole wide world! Twinkie has NEVER ever bitten and she enjoys cheerios and long naps on her turtle, which was sadly left behind when we moved out. 😦 Recently we’ve been working hard to make sure that she doesn’t become a couch potato birdie. I keep her clipped because she constantly needs rescuing, but she can still get across a room well!
I am not doing so well with updating my page, probably because I spend more time taking care of my birds and taking pictures of them than I do typing things up for all to read. Things are going very well here, and my birds are being spoiled to the utmost. Cage upgrades are in progress for several of the fids, particularly Monkey, Jazz, and Skittles. I won a gift certificate (or 2) to my favorite online bird store, and I spent a pretty penny over there. I also have been working hard on making sure everyone is on the best diet possible. I decided to try sprouting again, and it was a hit, especially with the big guys!
Monty has been a challenge in more ways than one. He’s bonded to my husband and has gotten kind of assertive/aggressive when it comes to me and how I handle him. It is quite hard to read him sometimes for lack of feathers. I’ve been bitten a few times but we’re working towards getting him happy. We (hubby and I) have been wondering how Monty will hold up to the stress of possible deployments if Sean is his chosen person. We’re using teamwork to make managing his diet more successful.
Monkey and Jazz are both settling in wonderfully. They are amazing little boys and while they don’t quite get along with others, they are definitely enjoying the new life they have here. Both are very sweet and cuddly, and both love head itches.
Bailey and Jessie, my fosters, are on a trial separation in different cages thanks to Mickaboo’s openness in trying new things. Bailey and I are working on step up sessions using a stick and a towel.
Who is next? Oh, Cupcake! Well, according to the first DNA test she is actually a he. However, I did request that they re-run the test in case there was an error; I’m hoping there was and it winds up being a girl. Regardless, the name sticks. 🙂 S/he had a breakthrough today – she opened up her wings and enjoyed her first bath! I’m so VERY proud! She’s been here a while now and doesn’t like baths or showers and today she really got into it.
Skittles and my darling Twinkess are doing quite well. Twinkie has put on some weight and so we’re working on getting her to fly more in order to counteract her couch-potatoeness. Skittles, on the other hand, is a shredding queen. While she’s showing no inclination to nest, she’s ripping up every single piece of paper she can get her little beak on.
The most recent news is that we have separated the big guys from the little ones and made 2 bird rooms. We just did this in hopes that it will allow the big guys to settle down some and will allow the little ones more freedom.
That’s all for today folks! Oh, and for the nasty comment I didn’t approve…I know that adopting birds is a commitment, thank you. It is not something I take lightly at all. Bottom line my birds’ best interests are what is in my heart and that is what matters. If you knew me you would understand that.
Never in my life had I planned on owning an eclectus parrot. They’re gorgeous, sexually dimorphic parrots that are native to Australia and the surrounding islands.
Monty came to me in a barrage of emails. I had just joined Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue as a volunteer and was seeking the opportunity to foster my first parrot. I received several emails and offered to foster a Meyer’s, and then and eclectus (Monty) and then finally, a few days later 2 green cheek conures were seeking a new foster home. In a desperate attempt to help whoever I could I offered for all of them over the period of about a month. The Meyers parrot’s owner backed out at the last minute, only to change his mind a few weeks later (he later surrendered). We were having trouble arranging transport for the green cheeks. No one offered to foster Monty (I suppose because he was known to pluck). Sherry, our eclectus coordinator assured me they were fairly mellow birds and if necessary she would find another foster home and I would only be a temporary home.
Well, Monty arrived on March 17 and he was certainly worse for the wear. His last owners ran out of food 2 days before we came to pick him up. I spent 4 hours in the car one way because traffic was terrible, and Sherry did likewise. Eventually we met and did the swap. Poor Monty! His beak was so long he couldn’t preen his feathers properly if he wanted to.
Here’s a video I made, sharing his story for his first few weeks in foster care.
We even made him his own Facebook page to share his story and photos for the world.
Last week we started getting it into our minds to adopt him. I have been so blessed meeting Monty and I’m afraid I just can’t bear to see him go, so we decided to adopt him.
Here’s the video I posted about our choice to adopt. 🙂
And a photo for good measure. You can see how happy he looks and how much he’s filled in.
A few weeks ago (April 5) I brought home another bird. Yes, another! He belonged to my avian vet’s receptionist. She said things just weren’t working out for them, and when I went to visit I personally witnessed him flying to them both in attack mode, multiple times. Well, we brought him home with us, not sure if he’d be “our” bird or be adopted by a friend who adores Paris.
Since Kelly has decided she’s adopting another bird, we’re keeping Monkey. He really likes me, and seems to be getting along okay with the other fids. We went ahead and brought them together in the bird room since he’s been alone for 2 years. We had to do some step up training, and help him get out of the biting he was used to, and we upgraded his cage. Thankfully he was already on a great diet and learned how to drink from a water bottle fairly quickly.
Without further ado, here is Monkey!
Is this shepherd’s hook that I can attach to the new one! It’s awesome!
And her highness demands itchies!
I have a happy bird. Squee. 🙂
Had to try and get them all together….at least the littles!
The big isn’t feeling photogenic today. Here’s one from this weekend:
Featherdust 