Old Photo of Roswell, Snowy and Monty

I found a photograph that was taken only a few days after Roswell and Snowy had been introduced to Monty. Roswell and Snowy still had purple ceres and were about 3 months old here.

They did so much to alleviate Monty's grief after little Eric passed away.

Such a cute photo too, I think you'll agree. :)

It's our chair now

Roswell, Jerry and Monty have claimed my chair as their own. I only hope I am allowed to sit on it occasionally.

They even land on it when I am at my desk.

Look at tiny Monty next to Jerry and Roswell. Jerry is trying to stand as tall as he can, you wouldn't think he was a pet type and Roswell an exhibition bird.

 

Progress of a Blueboy

Blue boy has recently moved in with Roswell and Jerry. He didn't have much to pack but he did bring with him nightly millet rations. He, Jerry and Roswell enjoy sharing these in the evening as a team-bonding experience.

It was decided that Hector and Abbie were being a bit mean to Blueboy, pushing him off the perch and not letting him eat. He was very reluctant to leave but now he enjoys his new digs.

Roswell and Jerry however are a lot kinder, of course there is a little shuffling about to get the best position but in the end they all eat happily side-by-side.

Blueboy is sleeping a lot better too - actually I have no idea whether he'd sleeping but he's calmer and quieter at night. Much less stressed.

Yesterday I witnessed Blueboy sing twice, Very small songs and quite short but it's the first time he has sang since September.

Each morning Lilek tries to bash beaks with a reluctant Blueboy. It's good that other budgies are trying to socialise with him.

A new toy was bitten a bit the other day but Blueboy says it wasn't him. Sometimes I wonder if they realise that I want them to bite these things and play with them or they think that they are being naughty!

What have the budgies been up to?

[caption id="attachment_1854" align="alignleft" width="595" caption="Do you think those budgies in there would like to come out to play?"]
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[caption id="attachment_1855" align="alignleft" width="595" caption="Roswell: Why would you take a photo of me from this angle, you loony?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1856" align="alignleft" width="595" caption="Hector, Do you think I could lay eggs in that compartment below?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1857" align="alignleft" width="510" caption="I was dozing and you woke me just to take a photo?"][/caption]

 

Hot? have a camomile bath..

The budgies have been enjoying camomile tea baths for the past few days. They love to take a sip of the water and then have a wade through it.

Roswell and Jerry like to get particularly soaked, little Roswell puts his face right in it to make sure his beard spots get soaked.

Just the thing to cool down on a 26 degree day.

I use a two litre jug, steep the tea bag in 200ml hot water for two minutes and then top up with lovely cold water. Remove bag of course!

Serve to fiends in see-through glass dishes. Relax and watch them splash about and have fun.

Roswell has a Camomile bath

Every day for the last few months I have put out a dish of water by the side of the Summer Palace. Blueboy usually likes to fly down to it and have a nip first thing in the morning. If I don't put it out he sits and waits in the space until I do.

Yesterday I put camomile tea in it. This was in the blind hope that it would calm the budgies down, they had camomile in their water drinkers too.

Roswell decided that Camomile was just the thing to take a bath in, he must have been waiting for this day!

It was enjoyed with such vigour. Pictures follow of a most soggy Roswell.

Naughty Fiends

We have had a nightmare day today with the budgies. They have not been their usual calm(ish) selves. The day has mostly consisted of Jerry being chased by Snowy. This upsets both Roswell and Monty. Snowy is King Montys bird and he gets very jealous if Snowy shows too much interest in Jerry.

It's strange because Monty doesn't mind Snowy spending time with any of the other birds, only Jerry.

Anyhow, the "Jerry chasing" outbreak has caused Monty to become angry and square up to Jerry, even leaping on him. Monty is scared of no bird, even though he's the smallest one here!

Jerry and Roswell, Monty and Snowy have been put in separate Hagen cages until they calm down. We are on the second round of this now, as the first time I let them out it started all over again!

"Jerry chasing" used to happen often but this is the first time in more than six months we have had an incident.

Fingers crossed that it's not going to be a week long affair like it has in the past.

Shhhhwing!

Roswell, Snowy, Monty and Jerry having a lovely swing together :)

Amazing that they stayed on long enough for me to capture the moment!

Customised piccy of the fiends

Look at this photo my friend from a budgie forum made for me. Isn't it brilliant?

Thank you Zohie!

New Toy

The fiends have been getting to grips with their new toy. It's a swinging perch with eight places on it for them to land. They seem to like using it to preen eachother on, especially Monty and Snowy in the evenings.

I'll look up at about 8.30pm to see Snowy on the lower part and Monty above preening his head. It's very cute to watch.

Here are some photos of them enjoying the new toy having a swing-a-ling.

Also see Dumpling below, still obsessed with my feet. Just when I thought he had grown out of it!

Roswell in this weeks Cage and Aviary Birds

Roswell has managed to get himself in the paper!

My beautiful Grey boy is on page 6 of this weeks cage and aviary birds looking suitably handsome in the Readers Gallery section of the publication.

Hopefully the fame will not go to his pretty feathered head. :)

Where's Monty?

I can't find him anywhere!

Oh....

There he is!

Easter Shennanigans

Monty has been getting very high today, no not in that way - he's been perching in the highest places possible to show that he is still the boss of the house.

Roswell has been putting on his cute puppy dog face every time I point the camera in his direction so it was only fair that I take some photos of him and post at least one to the blog.

I put out a pot of stuff for the budgies to forage through - some apple sticks, millet and some crackers. Not sure that they ate anything but the millet to be honest but at least it gives them something to do!

Snowy had his favourite vegetable today - carrot - I think he just likes smearing it all over his beak and face.

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Musical Day

Earlier on when "Do you love me" (my sister reliably informs me that this song features in Dirty Dancing [or Dirty Dancer as my dad used
to call it] and took this opportunity to try and force me to watch it with Monty - pah) came on the radio Monty suddenly flew over to me enthusiastically and started dancing up and down my arm.

Then Jerry did his rendition of "It's raining men" with Roswell on backing vocals - whilst asleep!

Right now Blueboy is "Pinging" the bars along to "Mama Mia" by Abba.

My budgies have weird musical tastes.

OUCH - Dumpling just bit my leg, he's singing to my ankle and biting to try to get my attention. He always tries to get my full attention when I am typing, especially blog posts for some reason. Does he know I am writing my budgie blog and think I have not mentioned him enough?

Anyway the fiends had lots of millet today and made their usual mess, most of which I have swept up ready for them to make some more.

Oh dear, Jerry and Roswell are trying to have "guy-time" (not THAT sort!) and Custard doesn't like it so she's flapping at Jerry to make him go away. She's got her way as usual and has followed Roswell to the seed-pots for some dinner.

Some vids from earlier:

Who da Pretty Boyz?

It's a nice morning for admiring yourself in the mirror don't you think?

Little budgies enjoy a splash about

Here are some photos of the budgies bathing and splashing about. Snowy seems to like a relaxing bathe on his own with only a yellow Ducky for company where as with the others it's a bit of a free-for-all. Roswell and Jerry did chivalrously let Custard bate fist which is most unlike them. Custard has really come out of her shell since she got here - at first she was frightened to go near the other budgies but now she wants to be a part of everything - especially where Roswell and Jerry are concerned. She even has girly chats with Snowy sometimes. :)

Happy Valentines day!

Today I have made the birds a lovely egg, broccoli, Dill and carrot heart shaped food plate thingy for dinner. So far they are a bit scared of it and only Monty has ventured over to have a look.

They're tired and moulty so I thought I would mix up something special for them - there is more in the fridge for tomorrow - I am sure they'll be over soon to sample it!

It's been a bit of a crap day today - if you go on over to my personal blog (http://mariannemarlow.wordpress.com) you can read all about it.

For now here are some pics!

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Roswell pipped to the post in Budgie of the new year competition!

Lovely hunky Roswell came second in the "New Years Best Budgie Competition" judged by Breeder Barrie Shutt here: http://www.budgerigars.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?34336-New-Years-Best-Budgie-Competition/page33

Thank you Barrie, we think Roswell is a very beautiful bird.

Congratulations to Icharus who got first place and a lovely Rosette and Ozzie who came third, he really is a striking budgie.

Funny how all the winners were male, they do love to pose.. :)

[caption id="attachment_1192" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="hello beautiful"][/caption]

There aint 'alf been some changes

I have been in hospital for five days and my wonderful husband has been taking care of the gang for me.

He has also come up with some innovative things to make both of our lives easier.

Layout changes

My long suffering husband has had the ingenious idea of using newspaper on top of the tiles on the cages (tucked in at the sides) which is saving no end of time and mess - at the end of each evening I usually clean the tiles which is a painstaking task. Now I just take off the newspaper and throw it away to be replaced in the morning by fresh paper :)

Also Hector and Custard no longer eat in their own cage separate from the other 7, they have been firmly integrated into the group, with the help of one small ramekin for budgie 9 to eat from as we only have 8 seed trough places. We think that the budgie that gets number 9 seed trough is very lucky though cos it holds slightly more!

Social changes

Blue-boy and Hector:

Blue-boy and Hector have become firm friends, they are inseparable, they hang out together all or most of the time. Blu-boy has taken to "pinging" the cage bars with his little beak to get attention. Hhis attention is mostly required from Hector although my husband said he walked past the bird cage late at night to check up on them and he heard a little "ping" then too, Blue-boy was letting him know he knew he was there!

NEWSFLASH: I also saw Blue-boy preening Hectors head earlier today which was really sweet.

Since Blue-Boy and Hector struck up this friendship my husband says that Blue-boy has been sleeping far less and enjoying jolly japes with Hector instead, I am really happy about this as Blue-boy tended to spend a lot of time on his own before.

Custard and Roswell:

Custard has formed an obsession with Roswell, "she" (we're not clear yet as here cere is pink because of the mutation she is, we may never know for sure) follows him around for most of the day "Ooh aren't you big and strong Roswell " she murmurs in her best small lady voice.

Custard along with Monty are our smallest birds and Roswell is the biggest - so opposites really do attract. Luckily it is not al one way as I have seen them bashing beaks and singing together too!

The photos today are going to me a bit rubbish as my batteries have run out and the rechargeables take a about a day for 30 minutes of power - hopefully some decent ones tomorrow!

Monty has been vying for attention, landing on my husbands arm and nipping him and then chasing Jerry away when he tries to land near. Monty does some little spins in the air he's a real agile little budgie.

Lilek was very pleased to see my feet for the first time in 5 days and made light work of "wooing" them, I had to put my shoes on in the end.

Snowy still loves the green ball in the soap dish and last night he was singing to it, chasing it around and biffing it with his beak.

Sky is loud and confident, likes to play with most of the other budgies on a Rota-basis, likes to spread himself around a bit - at the moment he's interrupting Blue-Boy and Hectors nap by trying to engage Hector in a beak to beak!

They are all doing very well, my husband did a great job looking after them in my absence.

I wasnt able to post yesterday but just to let you know it was Roswell and Snowy's first birthday (they're not really one but it's the date that we got them, I think they were 4-6 months old). Paul gave the fiends some millet to chomp on in aid of this momentous occasion, I found the evidence of it on the floor when I returned home. Note to self: Must train fiends to sweep floors.

Thank you Brian for supplying them, they being us much joy.

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Have yourself a Budgie little christmas

The budgies have really been enjoying themselves this christmas. Some relatives came round on the 23rd and their "uncle" played with Lilek and Sky a lot, mostly Lilek. I think that uncle D enjoyed himself more than the budgies did, he even let Lilek stand on his head, Lilek looked very comfortable up there. Uncle D is lucky that Lilek had had made a dropping just a minute earlier!

Their nan and aunties bought them millet, which they obviously LOVE!

We got them a budgie mirror "disco" ball so that they can listen to their favourite tunes and boogie on the dance floor.

We put some small Xmas decorations up behind the budgie screen so that the birdies couldn't nibble any of them but the room still had a slightly festive feel to it.

Today the budgies are tired from all their Xmas feasting so I ran them a relaxing Basil bath. After they had finished splashing about in the water with basil in it, I pegged up the basil on to their climbing frame and playground for them to nibble on. Well you have to cleanse your palate don't you :D

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