2007 New Year Eve Parrot Outing

Belated Happy New Year to all!

On the last day of 2006, I've been kindly invited by some of my parrots friends for a new year mini outing for both birds and humans!

Due to some limitations, I only brought along Bodhi and Baby.

The birds get to enjoy a very nutritious sprouts mix (more on sprouts in a future post!) while we humans get to enjoy a potluck variety of party food. :)

Here are some photos of the birds chilling out at the gathering.

Bodhi picking up a fight with another parrot...again.

Eleonora cockatoo ( a sub specie of medium sulphur cockatoo)

Amber..."unglam" as Nelson puts it. Mouth filled with sprouts. A greedy lady indeed.

Thats all for now, folks.

Wishing all a fulfilling and meaningful year 2007!!!

Christmas Nuts for the Flock

Seasons greetings!

Not to be left out, we give each of our flock a small christmas present.

From left to right: Tweety's, Tara's, Casper's (of course a guest should have a present as well, isn't it?), Xiao Feng's, Bodhi's and Baby's.

They are nuts in shells in gift wraps which are in season and commercially available in Singapore now.

Baby enjoying her christmas present...a pecan nut!!

Tara enjoying her present...an almond!

Trying to be cheeky, Xiao Feng waving her gift pack for the camera.

Xiao Feng feeling out whats in her gift...an almond!

See Bodhi's fierce enjoyment...

Xiao Feng Stealing Corn and Bathing with Bodhi!

Sometimes we wonder where on earth Xiao Feng got all the large amount of goodies when we purposely limit her favourite food so she will take the rest of her greens.

Now, we know better!

Xiao Feng has been caught red handed stealing corn from her friend, Enzo (a friend's Ducorp cockatoo) while Enzo looks on stoically.

We caught her in the act on film and she is now guilty as charged--of stealing from a visiting guest of her home!!

Talking about bad table manners and hospitality...

We were bathing Bodhi, who is enjoying his weekly bathing bath as usual when we spot a white fluff ball outside the bathroom puffing and dancing to catch our attention.

Its Xiao Feng (the Little Wind) who wish to join in the fun! We are pleasantly surprised because this is the first time Xiao Feng requested for a bath when previously, she dislike bathing!

Bodhi's enthusiasm must have rubbed off on Xiao Feng.

So there you are, two parrots enjoying their bath together, in different ways.

Enjoy the clip. :)

The Two Ts: Tara and Tweety

After the tragic death of Sunny, Tara's bonded buddy, Tara once again fall into solittude and loneliness. She screams more often and tends to be more restless...

Due to a strange twist of fate and unforseen circumstances, a good friend of mine decided to give up his Tweety, Sunny's little sister!!

He has very generously and kindly pass Tweety to me, with the knowledge of what happened to Sunny.

I kindly accepted his offer considering Tara's loneliness and thought to give myself a second chance and opportunity to make-up for the wrong we have done with Sunny.

Both Sunny and Tweety came from the same brood and both of them are yellow Fischer's lovebirds.

Today is the first day Tara meet Tweety and to our pleasant surprise, it is a sisterly love at first sight!

They started preening each other and perching together on the play gym within a minute of their first encounter of each other.

We are so glad things turn out fine!

Below are some photos of how contented both of them are, in each other's company.

Xiao Feng's here to stay!

My first priority is that Xiao Feng will go to a good home after knowing what he's been through. And initially i have doubts about whether I can provide him such a home in consideration that I already have my flock to care for and how needy cockatoos can be.

However, after several weeks of being with us trying to work out his screaming problem and searching for a suitable, trusted friend to adopt him, Xiao Feng seems to have fitted right in to our home. He seems to be contended and confident with my home environment and flock care routine such that he no longer scream intermittenly for long.

So I guess he'll be with me for good!

Too soft hearted and GREEDY to part with him now that we find out what a sweet little cockatoo he is!!

Here's a clip of Xiao Feng playing with some of his toys:

Flock Journal No. 2

Sunny's Tragic Death*
(*Disclaimer: Contain grisly photos. Not for the squeamish)

It was another day. I left for school.
My sis put Sunny back into his cage and tied strings on each cage door (because he has learned to open the cage door).

Baby's back into her cage. All's well. Never did I know of the horror that is to come.

Somehow, Sunny managed to escape from his cage despite the strings my sister use to tie the cage doors.

Somehow, sunny managed to wander into my bird room to look for Tara.

Somehow, Sunny must have flew onto Baby's cage top.

Somehow, Baby the macaw must have been noticed Sunny.

Somehow, Baby is in one of her most rough and playful mood.

Because this is what my sister found when she came back, to our extreme horror:

(Due to feedback by friends that some may find the display of such photos disagreeable, I have hyperlinked the photos instead.
May you look at death in its face and see it with wisdom, dignity and peace.)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Kalden/Sunny0001_9.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Kalden/Sunny0001_10.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Kalden/Sunny0001_8.jpg

Post motem...death by serious injury to the head. We believe Baby must have reached through the cage bar and grab Sunny's head.

The power of baby's beak must have cracked Sunny's skull. Never ever underestimate the power of a macaw's beak.

I am so very heart broken now. Both are my beloved birds.

I can't bring myself to fault Baby because to her, a small bird is just another toy. Just as I wouldn't fault a little girl for strangling a cute canary because she held it too tighly.

I can't bring myself to fault my sister because she even made sure the cage doors of Sunny's cage are tied with rope. Yet Sunny has somehow managed to escape.

Who else can I fault than myself?

I feel so sad now over Sunny's death and Baby's violent deed.

I don't think I have the mental strength or courage to buy another bird anymore ....

Sunny, I'm so sorry for what happened to you!!

So very very sorry....:'(

The only thing we can do for you now is...PRAY.

Buddha bless you!

Om Mani Padme Hum!

Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radze Samud Gate Soha!!

Sunny Personal Diary Entry 1

Sunny's friend: NuNu the Peach-Faced Lovebird

Dan, a friend, recently just bought a normal green Peached-Faced from a breeder friend of mine. Hereby introduce NuNu, the lovebird. NuNu has just recently been weaned before Dan acquired him and Dan brought NuNu over for a first wings clipping.

We make use of this opportunity to bring Sunny into the picture and let them become friends!

Tara's Personal Diary Entry 1

Tara's New Cage

With the sad lost of Manju, we now have an empty three feet cage. Not to left it to waste, especially seeing how desolate the cage look and how the emptiness keep reminding us the loss of Manju, we decided to give it to tara.

This is how the cage looked after refurnishing it with food bowls, natural tree branches and Tara's favourite rope swing.

We have yet to add a concrete and rope perch and ....more toys!

Photos will be served shortly ;)

Flock Journal No. 2

Tara and Sunny Bonding

Tara has always been observed to have a soft spot for lovebirds as friends (*caution: not all parrots behave the same). We therefore recently acquired Sunny in the hope that Tara's quality of life will improve with the presence of a feathered friend. We are gladdened to observe the introduction of Sunny and bonding process has been going well! Tara takes to Sunny like a little brother! Here are two photos, testaments of Tara's sisterly love.

Despite their compatibility, we still continue to house both in different cages for safety reasons. Moreover, the bar spacing for Tara's cage is too wide for Sunny, who can easily slip in and out of Tara's cage at will!

So their daily routine being together playing on the gym or in Tara's cage when there are people to supervise and when no one's at home, Sunny has to go back to his lovebird cage. Both sleep in their respective cages as well.

The introduction of Sunny begins with placing Sunny and his cage adjacent to Tara's cage where they start to get aquainted. After it is observed that both are comfortable with each other with no signs of aggressions or animosity, they are both introducted to each other in neutral space under our direct supervision. Playing together in neutral space without any problems, we proceed to place them together on their cage tops. This further progress to staying in the same cage together with no signs of aggression.

Viola, you have a pair of bonded parrots that is cross-species, cross oceans in homeland!

See how they enjoy each other's company!

Flock Journal No. 1

The Clash of Old and New World Parrots

Bodhi, my resident Amazon parrot just discovered a "new arrival" and enthusiastically went over for a "colourful" welcome. Well, sort of.

In the historical meeting between the New World parrot (i.e. South American Amazon parrot, Bodhi) and the Old (i.e. Indonesian Ducorp Cockatoo, Casper), colours fly and crest rises.

It is the first time I see Bodhi flare his fullest, displaying the striking Amazon colours he has been hidding from us. Beautiful as it can be, it does signify his wish to challenge Casper and show that he is the alpha of the flock, who in return, raised his crest and puff up in defence. I guess its a confrontation of two male egos. =)

Bodhi...is that how you welcome your new friend? tsk tsk

Below are some photos of the episode before they are separated:

Sweet Casper hiss and protest like a baby.

Bodhi continuing to flare and display even after being returned to his abode.

Bodhi singing "Happy Birthday" [Video Clip]

We managed to record Bodhi trying to sing the "Happy Birthday" song.

He's more of a bathroom singer who don't usually sing in front of people. And because he is camera shy and clams up when we focus the camera at him, we turn the camera on Tara, the Jenday conure instead. So all you can hear is his voice singing in the background.

Its not Tara singing!

Bodhi being a nice boy [Video Clip]

Bodhi can be very aggressive at times and give deep, painful, bleeding and nasty bites.

However, like many Amazons with mood swings, he can be mild as well.
Here's one of his sweeter moments.

Baby Playing and Bathing [Video Clip]

Baby playing on her rope boing

These monkeys enjoy swinging...and never seems to get enough play.




Here's her enjoying her bath. Look who peeping around the door and waiting for his turn to bathe next. :)