More Shower Action!

Budgies Eating Grass

While this may not be the most thrilling video to our gentle readers, the budgies are very happy, herein. That is because spring has sprung! And along with spring, have come some early seeding grasses. It is a welcome treat and a change from the cilantro they have had all winter (although admittedly, cilantro is beloved when it comes to budgies and greens and the all time favorite, EUCALYPTUS from C and B, RULES). Pulling the seeds out of their grassy envelopes is good exercise, too, I think.

It is important when getting grasses from suburban yards to:
-avoid yards that look great. They probably use chemicals. Safer to go for grasses from a yard that is unkempt.
-wash the grasses in case any chemicals, or car related schmutz might be on them (dog pee, also a potential contaminant, is probably just gross, but not dangerous).

Chicago is Like Lasagna is Like Our Aviary

K is visiting Chicago. She realized that Chicago has a river, streets, bridges, more streets, then buildings, layered on top of each other, before the buildings start shooting up into the sky, is something like our aviary.  That is, there are perches at many different levels, food at several different levels, and lots of criss-crossing. It reminds me of how you make lasagna.

Twins

It is really adorable (to us) how much Boo and Magoo look alike. Of course from the genetics standpoint, it is not surprising, since, Mary ann is PERFECT Lutino (technically, hypomelanic) and Sutcliffe is of the blue variety. So the two babies demonstrate the phenomenon of regression towards the mean of any phenotype over several generations.

While it would have been fun to have a more rare mutation rather than wild type, I suppose, I love our wild type twins. They remind me so much of the wonderful wild budgies flocking in a large group in the Parrots of Oz.

Sometimes it is hard to tell these twins apart. But Boo has darker markings in the black tips of his feathers and other dark markings, and Magoo is more greyish in these areas.

I'd like to breed them some more and even do some breeding, er, experiments, but human daddy (J) says "No". Always practical. Sigh.

Mia the Lovely and Untame

Mia is a lovely bird. She is from a budgie bin, and was in a tiny cage full of "rare budgies". There is really no such thing as a rare budgie, she is simply a budgie that is unusual looking. We don't know yet if Mia is female or male. She seems rather young and it may be too soon to tell. She is not terribly picked on, other than a bit by Boo, who is a bit stroppy because she is 1.so adored 2. so fearless and 3. a teenager. The others tolerate, and sometimes (especially, Magoo and Sutcliffe) even like her. Because the male, and possible male like her, we are guessing she is a She.

Perhaps it is inbreeding, or perhaps, life in a budgie bin, but, Mia, like Lola, is a very skittish bird. She is virtually untame-able, at least so far. By this time, Sutcliffe was eating out of our hands. Not Mia! Any human presence near the cage results in frantic flying, and even falling off a perch. If she is caught, she screams bloody murder, really alarming to the other budgies. But, she is indeed a great beauty.

Mary Ann Exerts Her Will

These pictures are about Mary ann exerting her will. She has always liked picking up the silver food bowl and dropping it back into the holding ring which makes a "clink" sound. Lately, she has taken to tossing it completely out of the ring. We are no longer putting food in that bowl. I wonder if she is trying to find a nesting site? Once we removed that silver bowl, she began emptying another bowl (made from coconut shell and strongly adhered to its post). She does this latter action almost daily now that the silver bowl is gone. Curious behavior, Mary ann. I suggested we put a nest box back in, but practical as always, J said no, five budgies is more than enough.
I have read a number of budgie internet sights that malign female budgies. We have observed at least two (Mary ann and Boo) and probably more (Lola was probably female but so young, ditto for Mia, and re: Magoo, it is hard to say, s/he could go either way at this point). I must say in their defense that female budgies are delightful and each has her own personality. Both our females are more tame then the male(s), although Sutcliffe does pretty well, especially considering he came from the Pet Store "Budgie Bin". Females definitely chew on a lot more sticks. Mary ann can make short work of a clothespin in about a day or so! Perhaps this is part of the nest building instinct. Both Boo and Mary ann are more aggressive towards the other birds from time to time, but as long as they get their space, they do alright (although Boo can be a bit unreasonable about sharing cilantro and sometimes bites her dad's tail for no apparent reason).

Hedgehog Meets Cat (Igel und Katze)

Check out this video from Google!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5224133467918685712&q=igel&hl=en

I can't embed this video, so you'll have to click the link or paste it into your browser...but it is worth the extra step! Anyone who doesn't like this Igel, is just a cranky kitty!

Check this Out (Turn Speakers ON!) by Waverly Films

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!

Budgies are Getting Long Wing Feathers: To Clip or Not to Clip?

To clip or not to clip? That was the subject, in part, of an earlier blog, in part, where I discussed that wing clipping was not cruel, since, for domesticated budgies, it could save their lives as there are many hazards that not flying well could help them avoid (such as, for example, flying into a tray of goo). This was written right after witnessing Magoo's terrible accident.

However, now that I have some distance from the accident, I realize I remain on the fence about this subject. On the internet, there are very strong opinions. Some feel that wing clipping is an essential part of bird ownership and not clipping is as absurd as never getting your kid potty trained. Others find that sentiment enormously offensive, and feel that clipping wings is just plain wrong. Whoah! It just isn't clear what should be done. And, if wing clipping is chosen, the vet says that only the vet should do it (quelle surprise).

On the one hand, clipping wings leads to better safety. On the other hand, birds are evolved to fly. Flying is what birds to, and to clip their wings is to lessen that joy. I'd like to know your views on this subject, so leave comments even if incendiary, on the topic!

Budgies Love Cilantro

Happy Boo's Day to You!!!

Some of you have been industrious, others of you, perhaps, slothful lie-a-beds. Some, to our sorrow, have not been feeling well. Others, and most, we hope, have been doing great! No matter how you have been the last seven days, another week has rolled around and it is once again time to observe
BOOS DAY!
While we don't have a picture handy for Boo's Day this week, we can report that Boo is doing great, but has been rather naughty. This morning she was singing joyfully. However, a few days ago, when a clump of cilantro was served, Boo bit her dear old dad (Sutcliffe) very hard on his wing and pulled it while he was trying to eat! I have never seen another budgie do this, other than Mary ann to Lola. I think Sutcliffe is fine and he can take care of himself, but this was very very bratty. Boo also was nibbling K's nose with affection, but then bit VERY hard! Clearly, she is feeling a bit aggressive, and perhaps, towards those who love her the most. Go ahead, you parents out there, say it (with a sigh):
"TEENAGERS".

Adorable Hedgehog Video (Igel Beim Essen)

We just got an email from Heavenly Hedgehogs (see http://www.heavenlyhedgehogs.com/) who has our hedgehog on reserve: all is in order for an April 20th adoption!

I hope you can all view this adorable video. It has become quite popular in the US as well as Japan and Germany (where it is entitled "Igel Beim Essen").

Bill and Quills?

The big news for next month is that a hedgehog is going to join our household (fingers crossed).  We had to reserve one as only a few breeders exist in the area.  We are schedule to get the hedgehog on April 20th.  So, the blog may soon be both about Budgies and Hedgehogs.  We would like to ask our gentle readers for thoughts on the name of the blog.  Perhaps Bills and Quills?  Budgies and Hedgies?  Perches and Burrows?  Let us know if you have any good ideas!

I Need You and I Need My Space

Budgie social behavior clearly has defined distances that are acceptable. About one and one half a budgie length is a comfortable distance. Getting closer than less than one budgie length to another bird signifies a "one of us is gonna hafta move" action. This seems to be true horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Who makes whom move helps sort out the pecking order. In the aviary, very little true pecking goes on, as happened in a smaller cage. There is plenty of perch space, food bowls, at several different levels. Sutcliffe and Mary ann stay much closer to each other than this, as a breeding pair. He is always feeding her and hopping to be near her. It is also important not to be directly under anyone else. I suspect that this is for two reasons; 1. if you are right under someone else, you might get crapped on, literally. 2. having something on top means you can be swooped down upon and pinned, not a good thing for a tiny budgie who could serve as food for a larger bird of prey. Hiding in a thicket, though, with loose twigs above seems to be copacetic, once again for fairly obvious reasons--it would be very hard to swoop down and trap a budgie who was in a thicket. Also, climbing into a collection of twigs and pulling at them to tear them apart brings great joy to the budgies. It may help them keep their beaks groomed. Also, it probably is instinctually a good way to forage.

Adopted and Beloved

Mary ann is a wonderful budgie. She is the only one who has been adopted from a shelter; the process for budgie adoption is ridiculous. In order to adopt a budgie from the pound, you need to visit twice, fill out forms, and even have a home inspection. They have set the bar absurdly high. We were about to adopt a budgie instead of getting Mia, but the hassle factor was so great that we gave in and went and bought her from the budgie bin. Couldn't they make the process a bit less of a disincentive for a pet that costs $15-25 at any local pet shop? It would be better for budgies I think, because adoption is better than purchase for most pets.

I suspect that Mary Ann was a beloved pet prior to what must have been an escape from somewhere. We don't know anything about her background so this is speculation. However, she is very tame, accustomed to finger sitting, and is quite beautiful. I can't imagine anyone ever giving her up voluntarily (but you just never know). She came from the Montgomery County animal shelter where there were several other options. I am glad we chose her.

She has been an excellent mother to her two offspring. She became very thin during her two incubations, but it plumping up again. For a while, before Magoo was conceived, she was getting so plump that she could not fly at all, even with full wings, and often fell off the perch. Hopefully the new aviary will afford her enough exercise to stay more fit. She was very unkind to Lola, but, doesn't seem to mind Mia that much, and doesn't seem to mind Boo at all despite Boo's puberty.

While she is not particularly attentive to Sutcliffe, she clearly considers him her "man". He may be overly attentive, feeding her pretty much regularly. She almost never even has to feed herself. We really love Mary ann a lot.

Happy Boo's Day Tuesday March 11th, 2008

Happy Boo's Day! I realize that Boo-blogging and other Budgie-blogging activities have hit a lull...but all is well in budgie-land! In fact, the budgies are very happy living in a flock, and having N+1 feedbowls, N+3 perches, and multiple perch levels. While perch preference seems to convey status (that is, the bird with status seems to get to eat and stand where she wants), it is not always the highest perch. Mary ann remains top bird, but, due to her girth which is maintained by an ever attentive Sutcliffe, Boo is the more active second in command, chasing other birds away from where she wants to be. She is into puberty at full tilt, with a brown crinkly cere. Boo remains adorable and affectionate. Yes, she is the favorite. Is it so wrong to have a favorite?

Sutcliffe Enjoys Fatherhood

Sutcliffe is truly the pater familias. He seems to enjoy time with Magoo, Boo, and of course his beloved, Mary Ann. He occasionally shoos Mia, but not in a hostile way. Boo can get cranky with him, from time to time, but what teenage daughter doesn't get cranky with dear old dad? Mary ann remains his main interest. He spends most of the time feeding her, or himself. I think that if it weren't for Sutcliffe's care in the "hospital cage" after the accident, Magoo would not have lived. I'm very proud of him.

We're BACK!

After a long hiatus (we even skipped Boo's day this week!) we are back posting on the budgie blog. We thought no one was reading it as no comments have been forthcoming. However, an ecouraging email came (thanks C!) motivating us to resume.

The new cage has perches at many levels. It seems that the budgies like to space themselves relatively evenly throughout the cage most of the time. Harmony largely prevails. A great joy was brought to all when a ball that was labeled as "toy", made of wicker, was purchased, filled with cilantro, and put in the cage. In a day and a half, the entire top of the ball was destroyed. Even after the cilantro was all eaten, shredding the toy seemed to be a lot of fun for all. I think I will make some toys out of straw from the craft store, wrapped around seeds. The budgies seem to take great pleasure in shredding things that have some food associated with them.

Female Bonding-Happy Boo's Day! Tuesday February 19, 2008

Happy Boo's Day to You! Happy Boo's Day to Yoooooooo!

Yes, it's Boo's Day again. Here are Boo and Mary Ann, who are getting along well. In fact everyone seems to be getting along these days in the new, big cage. Its not easy to see in this photo, but Boo has a crinkley cere, which is brownish pink. He is decidedly a she, as discussed before. Why is it so hard for me to get my mind around this? Boo is still happy and having a blast being Boo. Yesterday, she had a good time nibbling my nose; I sniffed her back in return. It was a bonding experience.

Life in a Cage?

Does a caged budgie feel sad? Or yearn for "Freedom"? Of course, we have no way of knowing. These budgies were born and raised in captivity, so perhaps they don't, or perhaps, not as much as a wild budgie would. However, I often wonder if their instinct to fly, when frustrated, feels a bit badly. We can't let them be free; its too dangerous. Perhaps, metaphorically speaking, some of our own limitations exist to help us and even protect us, although we cannot see it in that way ourselves?

Birds Sleeping

As you can see, the budgies like to sleep in this posture at night. Its kind of cute, and also, at the same time, a bit odd!

Happy Boo's Day-Tuesday February 11, 2008

Can it be? Another perfectly good week has gone by, much of it squandered on activities other than blogging, and now its Boo's day again?

All five budgies are doing well in the new cage. The perch order is variable. Sometimes, Boo just needs a bit of space and climbs to the top of the rungs (as seen here). Could this be because she is now going through puberty, and needs more time alone? Is she a broody teenager? Or testing her limits? Climbing up to the very top of the rungs, and hanging with tail down, wings folded, head straight, is how all five sleep at night these days. However, the rest of the time, they all seem to enjoy many different perches and food bowls (perches are many, and food bowls are "n+1"). On lower rungs, the inhabitants vary; sometimes Sutcliffe and Mia, Mia and Magoo, or Sutcliffe and Mary ann. There are almost always two birds on the bottom perches, but never Boo. We have seen almost no fighting all week. So, the cage seems to be copacetic. All the eucalyptus (the last of which was used in this cage set up) has been eaten, shredded, or trampled with joy except for a few twigs which still give much pleasure to the budgies, who like to hop on them, and let them bounce up and down a bit.

We note that some of our regular readers are also missing, some for known reasons: R due to extensive travel and hard work, and C, due to flu. Good wishes for happy flying and rapid fleeing of flu!!

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!

Parrots in the Land of Oz! (Thanks M!)

You have GOT to check out this website, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/parrotsinoz/ about a PBS show, "Parrots in the Land of Oz". It has great video clips from the show. For example, it explains that the lovely violet "Elizabeth Taylor spots" which I so admire are seen by a special photoreceptor. Apparently, budgies are able to see ultraviolet. If you check it out, you will also learn more about wild budgies and other parrot behavior. You can even buy the show, which sadly we missed Sun PM when it was on television. (So of course, we just ordered it as a DVD-its backordered).
Thanks M for this wonderful link! I know the flock will enjoy seeing the video once it arrives.

Magoo Chin Feathers Grow Back

As you can see from this picture, the fuzzy white down that grew back in a couple of days after the accident has fallen out from Magoo's chin. Now, s/he has new growth of body feathers-short and hard, rounded on the end, and green. It's rather cute, and also, a bit hideous at the same time. Magoo still has the remnant of goo on his/her forehead, as you can see. Trying to remove this didn't seem necessary, and we expect it to just fall off during molting. S/he also still has the white downy "temporary" feathers on the chest. Magoo seems respectful of Boo, and deferential, but is willing to fight Sutcliffe for perches and greens. Boo gladly will push Sutcliffe away from any desired perch or treat. Those two babies are not respectful enough of their dear old dad who has treated them so well!

Happy Boo's-Day! Tuesday, Jan 29th, 2008-Boo and her Nemesis

Have spent the last seven days productively? Or completely squandered them?
Either way, another week has passed and it is once again Boo's-Day! (trumpet flourish!)
Boo is pictured here with her nemesis, Mia. Yes, HER. Boo is decidedly a female. It was clear yesterday, when we noted HER cere turning a bit brown and krinkled. That is a classic hallmark of a female budgie. Other feminine traits include gnawing on sticks (although all budgies enjoy this).
And, another interesting Boo-note: When in a cage with Magoo, and Sutcliffe, Boo is the top-perch bird. Perhaps this is just her femininity coming into play? Are females the top perch sitters as a general rule?

Magoo Doing Great!

Magoo is doing great! His neck is still missing a few feathers, and his forehead still has some residual goo on it, but otherwise he seems happy and sassy! Sutcliffe remains the dedicated father.

Feathers

A bona fide avian biologist would scoff at this amateurish blog today which is about different types of feathers we have observed.

• Baby white down: this is apparently fast growing, and must require less complexity to develop. It is the fluffy white down that first appears on a baby budgie, and also, the first to grow after an injury (Magoo sprouted this type in his denuded chest area first, but now is getting regular feathers, as pictured above, from her/his best angle!).
• Chest/head/body medium feathers: these are softer than the wing/tail feathers, shorter, and more round. They are the ones that seem to fall out when budgies fight.
• Wing and tail feathers: long, and in our birds, have stripes in a contrasting color. In the white birds Sutcliffe and Mia, the contrasting stripes are a subtle blue-ish, yellow, or gray. On the greenish birds, these are black. On the Lutino (Mary ann) no stripes are seen. These feathers are stiff, narrow, and could make some very nice quill pens. The tail feathers in particular are especially long and come to a lovely point. Several of the flight feathers also come to a long point in the back, and fold across the back of an unclipped budgie.

Since budgies are considered a member of the tribe of broad-tailed parrots (Platycercini), biologists clearly found the tail feathers impressive.

More about color variations and patterns in future blogs!

Happy Boos Day! January 22, 2008-Pecking Orders

Yes, another week has gone by, and once again is is BOOS-day!

To celebrate Boo's day, we'll talk about Boo's status in the pecking order, how it isn't predictable, and how it might be informative regarding budgie politics generally (warning: they are quite complex). I will list pecking orders from top bird to bottom bird and annote when and how Boo filled these various roles.

1st. Boo was top bird when s/he and Lola were alone together in a cage. In fact, Boo was so aggressive towards Lola, that I was afraid that the latter would never get to feed properly nor sleep comfortably.

2nd. Boo is currently second on the totem pole, with Mia in third place. However, when it was only her/him and Mia in the cage, Boo was decidedly "Bottom Bird". He even rolled on his back in a pathetic way when Mia pecked her/him! This led the vet himself to say "what a submissive little bird!" The order is: Mary ann 1st, Boo second, Mia third. Boo and Mia bicker a lot.

3rd. With both Sutcliffe and Mary ann in the mix, along with Boo, as well as Lola, it was: Mary ann 1st, Sutcliffe second, Boo third (although seemed close: and sometimes Boo seemed tied with Sutcliffe for second), and Lola decidedly coming in last (as always).

Where will Magoo fit into this pecking order? And what might be a good way to research the pecking order with more combinations? I am thinking: try the following combinations:

-Boo with Magoo

-Boo, Magoo, and Sutcliffe

-Boo, Magoo, and Mia

-Mia and Magoo only

-Magoo and Mary ann only

-Magoo, Sutcliffe, and Mary ann

Magoo and Mia only

-Boo, Magoo, Sutcliffe, and Mary ann

-all five (this is the long range goal for the new big cage, in any case!)

All you math and engineering wizards can probably think of a very good way to organize and research this! A matrix for this is welcome.