Montys Prize

Monty won Augusts Budgie photo contest with the theme Playful Budgies on the Budgie Tree forum.

Today his prizes arrived all the way from Canada - only took about 6 days too. That's faster than some UK packages have arrived!

He won a "Zanie's Ladder" and "Dino Toy" They're both cute toys with lots of colour and I am sure that when the fiends have stopped being scared of them - and are on better behaviour - they will enjoy them lots!

I am hoping that Abbie chews wood from the ladder rather than some of the other more unsuitable things she has been chewing!

I would really like to get some more of these toys. Marianne needs to win the lottery to keep her fiends in the manner to which they deserve.

Marianne, Toy Destroyer

Yesterday I performed a very hard task. Not tough physically, but mentally. I had to destroy and dismantle some of the fiends toys.

Recently it has come to light through a fellow Budgie Forum Member that the rust on my budgies metal toys is dangerous and can be fatal to the poor little mites. They lick and bite all of their toys, even if you don't always see them do it.

I pulled off all of the cheap metal bells and attachments. It means that their toys are currently mostly plastic and mirrors. But this is a small price to pay for good health.

Also found out that it's impossible to buy stainless steel "Bird-Safe" bells in this country and have had to resort to ordering them from America, expensive but worth it.

This post is dedicated to Mikko the budgie, thank you little guy.

Lilek's progress

Lilek came to us on 10th October 2010. His owner wanted him to be with a flock of budgies because he was lonely and she could not commit to another budgie time-wise.

When he first arrived he was very anti-social with other budgies. This behaviour would take the form of chittering at other budgies and lunging out at them (not biting) when they got close. Lilek would put his head down low, fan his tail and chitter until they moved. This meant another budgie could not even get close to him.

Sky was first to take an interest and started following Lilek round but he would either have angry noises made at him or just get ignored.

Lilek also had a very bad regurgitation habit. I mean compulsively, seriously bad. We wondered how a budgie could regurgitate so much food. He would spit it all out in a controlled manner onto his foot and then eat it back off again. Some of it would fall onto the cage floor, so I was continuously clearing it up and changing the papers.

I changed round the cage, removed perches but then he would just regurgitate onto the cage door and it would go all over out floor. Drove me insane!

Slowly slowly, he has integrated himself into the group. A few months ago, he let Sky preen him, it made me feel really happy that he would let another budgie that close to him.

Now he has actually stopped regurgitating, it's been about three weeks since he stained the perches and floor with seed and vegetables!

He also occasionally mingles with Monty and sits to listen to Jerry and Snowy sing. No chittering at other budgies - only at me when I put my hand in the cage to change food or move something at night!

look how beautiful and white his plumage is!

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.

Incarcerated

The budgies have been so naughty that Monty and Snowy have been incarcerated in Budgingham Palace pending a full enquiry.

It started as the past three mornings have. Snowy chasing Jerry.

Monty tried to fight Jerry and Roswell simultaneously and ended up getting hurt. He and Snowy have been locked up for their own (and the others) protection.

Of course being me, they have lots of things in the cage to keep them entertained. Basil, Millet, Mirrors and toys.

Not exactly borstal.

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.

Jerry says "I'll sing to anything"

Today Jerry has been singing to the wheel at the bottom of the table that the Summer Palace is situated on.

He has a great singing voice. Jerry is probably the best singer of my flock. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in the Pet Shop that we acquired him from, he was housed next to lots of Canaries.

Jerry could be part-canary, he is definitely fluent in the lingo.

[nogallergy]

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!