A social Dumpling

Dumpling has been socialising and playing with Roswell. They happily ran back and forth on the perch, played kissy-face and bashed beaks for about five minutes this morning.

Big step for Dumpling (aka Lilek) because he's not the most sociable or tolerant budgie, when we first got him he used to chitter and raise his beak at the other birds if they so much as got within a whisker of him.

Dumpling currently thinks he's a human, we're hoping that this is a step towards the self-realisation that he is in fact a cute feathery little bird and not a large scary human.

Here are the two boys mucking around.

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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Second stage of turning our front room into an aviary is complete

Well we're not really turning it into an aviary but it sometimes feels like it. With nine little feathery fiends flying about, it is sometimes easy to forget you're inside!

We have completed work on the second budgie window screen, so now we can open two windows in the front room in the hot weather to get some air-flow going. It was 25 degrees today so we have finished it just in time as I don't think the weather will be cold for quite a while now.

The budgies were intrigued with all of the noise we made, hammering away at staples into the wood and twanging the aviary wire. At one point I looked up to see nine feathery little faces peering down at me.

We were slightly short of wire mesh (at the right length), so had to be inventive and I weaved some together on a lower part of one of the windows, you can inspect my handywork below, no budgies is getting through that!

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It's a lovely sunny warm day today, so I need to make sure the budgies little feathery selves remain cool.  I put out some glass dishes on top of the Summer Palace, filled with water.  There is also a purple trough filled with water inside the cage.

Hector took great delight in dousing himself in water as soon as he saw it.  Snowy and Blueboy both had a look but decided it was best to leave Hector to his bath-time fun, very wise of them I think you will agree.

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I decided to update the "Let me introduce you to my four feathered fiends" page because, well there are now nine and it's been a while since there were only four, so it only seems fair to include the other five.  I wouldn't want to be accused of favouring one bird over another, no that would not be right!

For the updated page on Monty, Snowy, Roswell, Jerry, Sky, Blueboy, Lilek, Hector and Custard click here:  http://featheredfiends.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/let-me-introduce-you-to-my-four-feathered-fiends/

[caption id="attachment_1435" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Nine Naughty birds chomping away"][/caption]

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Gimme millet demands Roswell

So I did and he ate it all up. He's a lot heavier than little King Monty, I had to hold my arm out for 10 minutes while Roswell picked away at it.

Can I get him to step on my hand when there is no delicious treat involved though - the answer is a firm NO!

Oh well he's still very cute and it's nice to have him trust me enough to sit on my hand and eat millet :)

All the birdies had bath-time and Parsley earlier. I put lots of parsley in some clear glass dishes and most of the budgies had a massive dunk in the water. Dumpling waded through several times and then delighted in soaking us through by flying over us again and again!

After bath-time I rinsed and then clipped the parsley to ladders and a mug tree so that they could chew on it for a while.

I left them out a blue food dish with water and some plastic balls in it in case they fancied anther dip though, it's a rather warm day today and I don't want them getting overheated, poor little birdies.

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:

NO Don't go out again!

I have been out three times already today - once to the Post Office, then to Mudchute Train Station and then to see the Doctor, each time I got squawked at by Dumpling for leaving. He even tries to climb into my shoe as I am putting it on and flaps his wings at the Velcro as I pull it together.

When I got back from the third trip he had decided that I wasn't allowed to go out again and attached himself firmly to my foot, determined not to let me move!

He is one determined little blighter isn't he!

Who da Pretty Boyz?

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

Cornfest!

Just gave the birds some corn, they are madly picking away at it, Monty went completely nuts and his eyes went to tiny pin-points :)

They seem to love the corn more than millet. I don't give them it too often because it's really messy and makes all of their feathers sticky -
not to mention I am going to have to scrub the tiles on top of their cage later on but that's no big problem.

Blue-boy and Hector get comfy new perches

A very kind person on the budgerigars.co.uk forum made me some new perches for Blueboy and Hectors cage as they had those horrible plastic ridges ones and none of the other long wooden natural perches that I have fit in their cage - I have two Hagen Visions and one Ferplast-a-like cage and they are a totally different length, width and everything, and some of the bars are veritcal.

I gave the wrong measurements for the perches and so they were too long (oops) so my husband kindly shortened them for me yesterday and we put them in the Blue budgies cage. Blueboy was first to try the perches out and they got his enthusiastic nod of approval.

The great thing about them compared to the rope perch I had temporarily put in as their bedtime roosting place is that they are long enough for Blueboy to run up and down pinging the bars at night-time as he does -
ordering me to cover him and Hector so that they can go to sleep (or whatever little budgies do when they are covered at night, who really knows?)

Here are some photos of Blueboy exploring the cage and also a video of Blueboy and Hector saying good morning to eachother and then flying off!







 

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and a Monty shall sit down with a Dumpling

The budgies were very quiet this morning, usually Sky will wake me at 7.15am on the dot singing and squawking to himself very loudly until I get up and uncover them all.  No noise at all this morning, I was wondering if the budgies had packed their nap sacks (millet and a piece of carrot each) and left to seek their fortunes. I walked into the front room to find my husband taking a photo of something in Monty, Snowy, Sky and Dumplings cage, all worried I asked him what he was doing. Nothing sinister had happened to the budgies thankfully, he had uncovered them to find that Monty was sitting on the shelf where Dumpling roosts next to his keys, quite happily side by side. Usually Dumpling would chase off any other bird that got near his keys as he's very possessive of them and of his shelf! Here is the photo he took, and one I zoomed in on so that you can see Monty and Dumpling clearer :)

They came...

Well what else would nine feathery fiends get up to on a Sunny Monday afternoon?

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Hectorious the Glorious singing, watch out for Dumpling making a quick guest appearance..



A very naughty Dumpling getting in my face.. he is like this all day long you know, never lets up!

Sunny Basil day (and some not so good photos from my mobile phone)

My Camera is in use by an other today so I used my mobile phone to get some quick snaps of the birdies - well tried to, they're not the best at keeping still and I don't have a very steady hand (must be all the coffee .. oops)

What a beautiful day it is, birds have had a bath and some basil and maybe if they're good (!) might get millet later - I like to give them a millet day at least once a week.

Look how wonderful Hectors plumage looks even with my rubbish phone taking the pics, he is a handsome budgie. Naughty as well but aren't they all?

Bought some cage clips from Riversway Online (http://www.riverswayonline.co.uk/) and they arrived today - only 39p each, I am very pleased with them and only ordered them yesterday morning. Put in another order for some cuttlefish holders, salad racks (yes I didn't even realise there was such a thing for a bird cage!) and 3 tiny finger draws!

I love receiving stuff in the post (especially for the budgies, even if they're not as excited about it as me) and I am sure it's going to be great quality!

Gotta go, Lilek keeps biting my hands as I type and I need to wash up!

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Just the two of us, you and I

It's good to have a budgie buddy.

Blueboy and Hector are very cute together, they preen, feed and take care of each other. Budgies are sociable little fellows being flock creatures and enjoy each others company immensely.

Right now they are chasing one and another around the budgie playground, Blueboy stops to give a budgie "high five Kissy-face" to Hector now and again and then they are on their merry way.

All day is play-time o clock with these two.

I'm just a girl

What a lovely sunny bright day it is today, and HOT (22 degrees Celcius ... in April!) I am so glad (and I am sure that the birds are too) that we made the Window Screen last summer so that we can fully open a window and let the breeze and and allow some air to circulate. We need to make one for the other front room window so that we can have the full experience!

I am sprouting some seeds for the budgies - Alfalfa Sprouts, so that they can have something tasty and nutritious to eat. It'll take a couple of days but it's worth it and costs next to nothing!

The husband kindly put the budgie play-ground structure back together for me (well for the budgies really) today so I took advantage of this by pegging Basil to it for them and they enjoyed this a lot. Especially Snowy as he did what he always does, climbs up, nibbles on the stalks and throws the leaves to the floor!

Had to put a huge pink water bottle in Budgingham Palace as the little blue one kept leaking and soaking the newspaper, I am sure that this had absolutely nothing to do with the budgies penchant for climbing all over it and biting it. So far the pink monstrosity hasn't leaked so fingers and wings crossed that it stays that way.

The birds had a very sleepy afternoon after their Basil Munch but they are now in full evening song - today's song of choice on Kerrang is "I'm just a girl" by No Doubt!

Monty seems to particularly like the lyric "Oh I've had it up to here" :)

Photos..

Yesterday Blueboy and Jerry decided to have a swim race in the Basil bath, it all got very heated and competitive!

 

[caption id="attachment_1457" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Look Monty I am winning!"][/caption]

 

 

 

Then Sky and Dumpling started riffling through a hand-bag someone had left on the sofa.  "Quick, nick her keys" thought Dumpling!

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1455" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="What is in there Dumpling?"][/caption]

 

 

 

Snowy decided to have a run around on the top of the TV and nibble, not sure he liked what he found though.

 

[caption id="attachment_1458" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="This Cherry doesn't taste right"][/caption]

 

 

Both Roswell and Monty landed on the lamp next to me, I think they like it because it is colourful.  Roswell thought he could get away from Custard for a few minutes but she landed right next to him!

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1456" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="I just can't get away from Custard"][/caption]

 

 

 

[caption id="attachment_1459" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Come on Snowy you chicken"][/caption]

 

 

I can't believe it, they are all whistling away to "you're the one that I want" that has just started blaring out full blast on the radio (on Heart) I am now going to have to leave it a full 3 minutes before I switch it off because the birds love it.  Travolta, I am coming for you - how dare you put me through this!

Even Monty is in full song, I really though he only liked rock music but it turns out even he can get lost in the moment when with his flock of loonies.

An amazing thing happened today - Lilek actually let Sky preen him.  It might not sound all that fantastic as budgies preen eachother right?

Wrong, when we first got Lilek he used to lower his head and chitter at any other bird that came near him. He's also fan his tail feathers and make a bite gesture with his beak, terrifying them into backing off and flying away!

Sky has been very persistent in following Lilek around and trying really hard to make friends with him, he's been rejected so many times it must make Lilek letting him preen him even for a few seconds really worthwhile.  Lilek really enjoyed it too he was turning his head to get all the best bits done!

Hopefully this is a small step in convincing Lilek that he is in fact a budgie and not a human as he believes.

Here is a photo of the moment in question  - it's not all that good as I didn't want to disturb them but I think it captures it well.

 

[caption id="attachment_1452" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Are you going anywhere nice for your holidays this year Dumpling?"][/caption]

 

 

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CHEEEEEEEESEEEE!! - per ping (Hector and Blue-boy Pose for the camera)

Why are you still taking photos?

Runaround! (Monty, Snowy, Custard and Roswell chasing each other)

and then they bathed....

The littlest King Monty bathing in a Ramekin while Jerry watches

I am flipping soaked (Roswell takes a dip, closely guarded by Custard)

Can't you see we're bathing and want some privacy? (Jerry, Custard and Roswell tell me to bugger off)

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A not so moulty Jerry

Jerry is looking a lot better now, last week he looked really spiky and moulty it was horrendous and now he's looking all feathery and lovely again.

The poor little boy had pin feathers all over his bonce, we were seriously thinking about grabbing him and preening him ourselves as Roswell was obviously neglecting to do this for him - well Custard wouldn't let him.

Here are photos from a week ago and today - judge for yourself.

Lots of photos and a millet day!

Got a lot of photos of the birds to show :)

Roswell has been posing for the camera as he's a very photogenic budgie, must be the "show bird" in him!

Dumpling has been going to his favourite corner demanding head scratches from me.

The budgies had a massive millet feast yesterday in the Summer Palace, I like to treat them with a millet day now and again and they really enjoy it. I got a great photo of them all in (and on!) the summer palace, see if you can spot and name all nine!

Little Custard is still following Roswell around and flapping at poor Jerry whenever he gets near to his old buddy. Jerry still manages to occasionally feed and preen Roswell much to Custards annoyance!

My King Monty is doing his best to show all the other birds that he is the boss by flapping around them, staring at them and generally running rings around them and us!

Quite often I will hear him call to me, turn round to look at him and he'll fly off, he does it so often that I get neck ache, little b*gger. He also landed on my head yesterday - you'll be trying to have a serious conversation or concentrate on something and he'll suddenly flap past you and jump on your bonce :)