Move to Texas-Budgie Pics!

Finally-the card reader and internet are set up and we can share some of the pictures of the budgies moving to Texas in a prius.  K had worried a great deal in advance; she even feared they might suffer health problems on the trip (or even die?!).  (Yes, K is a worry wart.)  To the contrary, the budgies loved the the trip as far as we could tell!  They particularly liked singing along to the radio (with a preference for Toby Keith songs, and also weird Celtic music, apparently.  This preference is based on the fact that when this music played, they all sang and chirped).  They also quite liked the grasses we cut from roadside weed fields.  The one time they involuted, was in KY (the state, not the jelly) where the scary "Nikko" the cat was living!

Why Pets? Why Cute?

In yesterdays coments, carl said...
I think that the more interesting question is why humans have pets at all. Other species don't in the wild -- I've heard of captive chimps having dolls or pets, but that must be an awfully artificial environment for them.

Maybe we started out by joining packs of dogs to help us hunt, and then transferred our loyalty to wider circles of species.

I think this is an interesting question, and answer.  It is clear that people have used animals to help them hunt (dogs helped hunt, hence bonded with men, who were traditionally hunters) or protect what is gathered (cats protected grains from rodents, hence bonded with women).  i am sure the feminists in the group (of which I consider myself one) may find these generalizations offensive, but, they are interesting and worthy of discussion, I hope.  Other animals have been useful as foods themselves (rabbits, goats) or to produce food (once again goats, or cows who produce milk).  That said, I think that we have a natural affinity and affection for animals which extends beyond their usefulness.  Could it be the amazement that our instinct of fear is overcome with trust and affection trans-species?

While cute overload is horribly anthropomorphic, as I have said before, it still is an excellent collection of animal pictures of all types.  One category of pictures, called "interspecies snorgling", (yes, saccharine, I realize) has a lot of pictures of animals "bonding" in unexpected ways.  And an earlier blog here reported a monkey and pigeon who had formed a special bond.  We don't understand these traits in ourselves, but I am not convinced that other animals don't also have them to a degree.  

MIddle Aged Childless Women and Pets

I realize that I (K) am nuts about the budgies. Even I have perspective that this is a little weird; weirder than being obsessed with a dog or cat, even. However, I also get great pleasure from the budgies. It is a cliche to say that this is biological; childless woman, middle aged, blah blah blah. Why fight it? I can't WAIT till we move (in about a year) to a house we own, so I can get a hedgehog.

Singing

the fact that parrots are noisy, and can learn to talk, is well known. Since moving to Texas, the budgies are singing a lot more. Sutcliffe has always been a singer, and I attributed this to his male sex. However, all three budgies are singing, very much. I wonder what this signifies?

Budgies FINALLY featured in Cuteoverload.com!

I was so happy to see a budgie photo on cute overload.  Yes, cute overload is anthropomorphic, often to the point of being irritating, there are all kinds of made up words which strike me as a mixture of baby talk and psuedo french-like phrases, and worst of all, it rarely has bird pictures.  I do not recall it ever having a budgie shown (and I visit it almost everyday).  "What?" The gentle reader may well ask.  You bash it and then say you visit it daily?".  Well, yes.  I can intellectually distance myself from it, but I must admit, those adorable, sweet, lovable, and amazingly cute pictures really brighten my day.  Even if I can't relate to all the captions and comments.  I can't paste the picture on blogger for you to admire, but it is worth visiting at the above link.

My biggest regret is that, because I am at a new job and don't dare go to "blogger" while at work, I wasn't able to add comments on the day that this budgie post was posted; which could have brought more budgie fans to this blogsite!

In Budgie Heaven, it's all about the fresh Grass Seed

The texas flock has been greatly enjoying the grasses that I have found growing in the green patches in this urban area near our townhouse (near Medical Center). A very good resource for identifying grasses is: TEXNAT, Texas Natural Resource Center Plant Identification site (geared largely towards which ones are good for grazing cattle, not budgies). My impression is that Houston has swamplands, Louisiana style, to the east, Prairies to the north, marshes to the south, and a bit of desert starting to the west. Rhodes Grass, Hooded Windmill Grass, Bermuda Grass, are among the grasses I have found and fed the budgies. In fact, if I come home from work where I pass through a grassy area named (by me “snake alley”, though none of these eponymous creatures have been sighted there, as it is probably, simply just too damn hot for them too), anyway, if I come home and don’t bring grasses with seeds, they act petulant (squawk, peck at each other, and hop about staring at me with expectation). I would love to find some Barnyard grass, Canada wildrye, or Plains lovegrass, and especially, RAT TAIL SMUT GRASS for them. Those look as if budgies would find them very delicious. There is even some Texas bluegrass; but as a native Kentuckian, I think this is where I would draw the line.

While we were on vacation, we asked a neighbor to feed the budgies. She let her preschoolers feed the budgies ALL the food for the week in about a day and a half; they had so much fun pouring seed out into the bowls (and then the floor of the cage). But, she reassured me, they gave the budgies grasses. Well, she must not know much about birds, or pets, because they just threw grass LEAVES in the cage. Boo went into a serious molt, and we really thought Mary ann was going to make a “celestial final flight”. Her usual voluptuousness was gone, and she was very thin, and had a lot of missing feathers, especially on her head. I am happy to report that with regular seeds/pellets (Eggcite brand) and grasses (WITH SEEDS) from the urban prarie, Mary ann has all her feathers again, is looking back to her usual zaftig self, and Boo has gosy and complete feathers.

When choosing grasses, (note neighbor, this means WITH seeds!), its best to choose them from a non-maintained, non -manicured lawn, as that is less likely to have chemicals such as "chem lawn" treatments, which can poison budgies (or other animals including children, btw). Avoid creosote (telephone poles), also toxic. And wash them, especially if from near a roadway.

M and M (Magoo and Mia)

Good news from the adoptive family. They are enjoying Mia and Magoo (M and M). Magoo has been doing very well with finger sitting. Mia has stopped acting neurotic, and when Magoo is finger sitting, he calls her with a little "chiRRRPP". That, I think, is pretty cute. They didn't rename Magoo "Ringo" so I will call this famiy "the Ringo's" to honor them with a good bird name. Anyway, the Ringo's have been very patient with M and M and working regularly with them. I certainly hope Mia will make progress and not discourage the wondeful Ringos.

The Budgieman

Apparently he is a beloved Busker around London (often seen near the Tate Gallery). His budgies are awfully cute. It makes me wish I had more time to spend working with mine.

Update Mia and Magoo Thrive

We have heard an update from the Adoptive Family (AF) regarding Mia and Magoo (M and M).  Apparently Magoo is doing very well with finger sitting.  Also, amazingly, Mia will sometimes sit on a finger, and perhaps is more likely to do so when Magoo beckons her with a chhiirrrPPP.  That is amazing for timid little Mia!  I am not sure if Magoo is now Ringo, or not-will check on that.  The AF is clearly working regularly with M and M, and it seems to be paying off.  There is an adorable dachshund in the family, who seems a bit excited about the new additions.  But being intelligent, as dachshunds are, he has learned to not bark at them (which in turn got them rather flustered).  This is all very good news.  Whether or not the budgies stay part of the new family may depend a bit on the dachshunds adaption to them.  I was under the impression that dogs and budgies tended to get along well, but of course every dog, and every budgie is different.

Budgies in Texas-Update

The budgies seem to have calmed completely since the move.  They are a bit less active, but that is probably because they are in a darker place than before (the summer palace was quite bright, being basically outdoors).  I have not heard yet from Magoo (Ringo?) and Mia but will let everyone know if I hear anything from the wonderful family who adopted them.  

While walking to work (an urban walk) I (K) pass through a grassy area which I have called "snake alley" although none of the eponymous creatures have yet been seen there.  I have been picking grass seed stalks from there on the way home, and the budgies are clearly thrilled with these.   Sutcliffe is not as aggressive about getting these as the females are, even though I make an effort to distribute these evenly so all can enjoy.

All three seem to have fully recovered from the bad episode of negligent babysitting that occurred while we were out of town (the family caring for the budgies poured all of the food for the week into the food bowls in a single day, and then just threw pieces of grass into the cage after that.  The budgies lost a lot of feathers, especially Mary ann on the top of her head and Sutcliffe around the eyes.  Boo went into a serious molt.  Fortunately Magoo and Mia were spared, possibly because they are the youngest).

Moving Highlights

Sorry to all our gentle blog readers (yes, both of you) for this long hiatus.  However, the move caused some delays in getting online to blog!  

The budgies did well during the packing up phase, mainly because of their location in the "summer palace".  However, a bittersweet moment (for the human flock) occurred when Mia and Magoo were adopted.  The good news is, that we now have a new family which has joined the human flock, especially, several girls who seem very well suited to budgie ownership.  I haven't heard yet if they are enjoying the budgies, but I certainly hope so.  If they don't like the budgies, we offered to take them back.  It was a no risk adoption.  I was rather sad at first to see them go, especially Magoo, who hatched in our house only just this last winter, but I know he will be happy.  He may even be renamed Ringo!

The drive and the stay near Nikko the cat (the latter of whom resides in Louisville) went well, but deserves longer posts in the future.  Pictures will also soon be posted from the trip.   The budgies were very quiet around Nikko, probably instinctually.  In the Prius, while driving, however, they seemed joyous and sang and chirped the entire way, especially if country music was playing, or classical.

Good News

As you can see here, this blog entry celebrates Mia and Magoo. They are definitely a "pair" and an adoptive family has been found, at least temoporarily, here in the greater suburban Washington DC area. It is a family I know, as I work with the mom and the dad in the family. They have several daughters, who are interested in having their own pets. I hope they really have fun with Mia and Magoo! I set up their cage today, and will set up another cage for the remaining three as well. The aviary will be moved, empty, with the moving van to Texas. I have purchased food, litter, and a book and magazine to help the girls learn about budgies. I am so excited that these wonderful birds will have a good home and be a part of the lives of young people.

Weathering, Feathering, and Grassicles

We had a huge storm yesterday, with severe thunderstorms, and winds up to 70mph! Several tornadoes were spotted in the area. I was too afraid to go outside (and I am NOT agoraphobic by any means!) I don't know how high the wind was on the screened in porch where the budgie summer palace is, but, there were many branches and even a few trees down, and, the budgies were soaking wet as was the entire screened porch. They seemed a bit freaked out, but fine.

This morning as a special treat I put some very special large "feed grasses" in their case, in very large bunches to reward them for budgie bravery. The caveat; these were still frozen kernels, as I have been storing them in the freezer for special occasions. Boo and Sutcliffe ate them with joy, but the others took a few bites and then stood to the side, with the usual aversive budgie behavior which is typical when they encounter something new. I'll serve them new, frozen Grassicles tomorrow, and see if they come around to liking them, as they often do for other newly introduced foods.

The Summer Palace is Wintery

The budgies seem to be greatly enjoying the summer palace, but last night it was down to about 50 degrees Farhenheit and tonight, even down to 45. I hope they do ok! They have been covered with blankets. Interestingly, they have not climbed up to their usual sleeping postures (as high as possible, hanging by their beaks and holding on with their toes on the vertical cage bars below). Tonight, they are sitting in a "traditional" posture, on perches, in the middle portion of the cage, and with heads tucked under wings. Could this be a much warmer way to sleep? I feel rather anxious letting them sleep outdoors in this weather, but am going to allow it. I certainly hope this is the right decision.

Budgies Move to Summer Palace

Spring has sprung, and according to the Farmer's Almanac and NOAA, the last risk of frost passed May 16th and so the budgies have moved to their summer residence. Their winter palace is the basement, in front of the window, which is nice, indeed. However, the budgie summer palace is truly grand. Sorry there isn't a picture, but I can't find the point and shoot and Mary ann chewed through the webcam cable as many of our gentle readers know.

The summer palace is actually still in the same aviary cage, but, it is moved up to the screened in porch. They get plenty of indirect sunlight and a corner of direct sunlight. They get fresh air on three sides, and have one side facing the wall. So, they get the UV that they love (because they can see in the UV range). I note that Mia is particularly lovely in the sunlight, with a pale, delicate yellow undertone and very lovely blue markings (once again, no pic). They interact with the other birds by chirping loudly and of course generally, hopping and flying around. The budgies really like the eucalyptus, and it seems to be where they sit when it is a bit cooler (it was only 64 today). They still sleep by crawling up the side of the cage and hanging from their bills at night (more on their sleeping positions to follow).

What do you Get if you Cross a Budgie with a Hedgehog?

A platypus!

Eucalyptus Has Come!

Eucalyptus has arrived! C found a tree down at his place of work (sunny California) and very kindly and generously harvested a lot of leaves and twigs for the budgies. Thanks C! That is very kind.

It arrived in a box, some of which was packed in plastic, some not. The Plastic wrapping seems to have been very effective in keeping it quite fresh. the non-plastic wrapped is also good, but a bit drier.

The budgies are ecstatic! I put some in their cage the other night, while they were sleeping. Upon awakening, there it was!

The have been enjoying taking tiny triangular bites out of the leaves, and chewing the stems. Boo in particular likes rubbing against the leaves. Mary ann is quite the stem chewer! And Mia and Sutcliffe are heavy leaf eaters. Of course Magoo is an active particpant as well, mainly by hopping about between the leaves and twigs. I look forward to giving them a shower to see if they enjoy it with the eucalyptus vapors!

Aside: re Budgie sense of Smell: While it is not known (at least in my reading) whether or not budgies have a sense of smell, there is no doubt in my mind that they do. While they may recognize eucalyptus by sight, I am betting that the smell is quite important to them. And, they can also differentiate well between cilantro and parsley, which look alike.

Because of the ways the budgies are reacting to eucalyptus, I am guessing that it has both a nutritional benefit (since they eat it) and a medicinal/grooming benefit (because they like to rub it). Perhaps this is a way to prevent vermin in the wild? Or maybe they just like to perfume their bodies. If I were a budgie perfume vendor, eucalyptus and cilantro would certainly be two fragrances I would sell.

NB:Because of the process of cleaning the house for trying to sell it (prior to the move to Texas), I can't seem to find the camera. Mary ann has chewed through the webcam. Therefore, posts may be sans images until the camera is located.

Oh Where Oh Where Has the Budgie Blog Gone?

Its been a while since the last post-sorry about that!
Its been very busy for the human flock members due to the plan for a move to Texas! Budgies seem unaware of the fact that a long, cross country trip (longitudinally speaking) is ahead of them. A stop in KY (the state, not the jelly) will be a good reprieve, although that stop will have the added complication of a resident CAT. (this will occur around the end of June and will be blogged).

the biggest news: Hedgehog is on HOLD due to the impending move. There is a hedgehog vendor/breeder in the area where we will go, so hopefully at some point we will add the quills to our bills.

In the meantime, we will keep you up to date on the activities of our beloved budgies! All are well and enjoying the longer, sunnier days.

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".