Lettuce Spray

The budgies really enjoy their showers.  The get sprayed with a regular spray bottle filled with water (with the the words written on it in marker "Water Only" to prevent anything such as, heaven forbid, a cleaning solution being put into this bottle).  For their showers, they are placed on top of the cage, and lately we have been giving them lettuce on top of the cage at that time.  The budgies like hopping in and out of the spray, and when the lettuce is there, they like to do belly flops onto the wet lettuce, getting their tummies wet.  They also like nibbling the wet lettuce.  When they are totally damp, they'll walk out of the spray and we know shower time is over.  Extensive grooming takes place thereafter, lasting as long as an hour as they seem to take each long feather (from wings and tail) into their beaks and pull and stroke it through their beak many times, leading to smooth, shiny, clean feathers.  They also fluff the smaller feathers on the body up many times.  It's very cute.

(thanks to M. for the title "Lettuce Spray").

More Shower Action!

Shower Time

The budgies really love their showers, which they get a couple times a week, ideally. It is hilarious to see how they try to press themselves against the cage sides to maximize water exposure. They let themselves get totally bedraggled! Boo, Mia, and Magoo are the most enthusiastic about it. Perhaps this is because they are younger? I tried bowls with water in them (and sticks to allow easy climbing in and out) but these were not used at all. I once held Boo near running water in the sink (apparently some budgies really like this) but she was not interested.

Thanks to our readers, especially those who are leaving comments! It really keeps me motivated to post!

Happy Boo's Day-Tuesday February 5th!

Whether you were enormously productive, or, completely irresponsible over the last seven days, another week has rolled by, and once again, it is BOOS-DAY!

To conitinue in the spirit of MGs remark about the budgies looking as if they are snorkling (see Parrots in the Land of Oz Jan 30th entry) (Thanksf or comment, MG!) we thought we would address budgies and water, including, Boo-ish approaches to this subject.

As MG has noted, budgies do love water. I haven't yet observed our budgies bathing in water, even though pools have been made available to them in the past. However, when a spray bottle is used to spray into the cage, the budgies get very excited. Some, especially Boo, press their little under-bellies up against the edge of the cage in order to get their lower bodies completely drenched. Most of the budgies sit and jump in the spray bottle mist for a while, then retire to a less wet part of the cage. They also like licking water off of the wire of the cage and off of any greens that are there. Boo does not limit herself when it comes to water, however! Boo sits in the water until her feathers are completely damp, even to the point where she can't move very gracefully. Often, she will let herself get so wet, she'll fall off the perch. Now THAT is a love of water!