Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

[Pajarita]

I will. But do try to look at the sky, too, because I change the times depending on how bright or how dark the day is. Right now, I am turning off their lights at 3 pm and will continue to do so until, maybe, the second week in January but, when I do, I will tell you. By the way, I am feeding them breakfast at around 8 am (it's a long night without food).

[liz]

I can do that. I can just feed them ahead of when I turn on their light.

[Pajarita]

Yes, that's exactly what I do. They have enough light coming in through the windows so it's not as if they are in the dark or anything like that...

[liz]

So many things have happened and I have not taken the time to sit down and think so I can post.
But I have to tell you what I just watched Rambo do. He has a cage at one end of the table and Myrtle has a place setting at the other end. Myrtle is not big on nuts but Rambo is. She did not eat the almond I put in with her supper. This morning Rambo saw it and walked down the middle of the table to steal her almond then return to his cage to eat it.

He did that to my Momma because she was not eating her last half of toast. She had given him a piece but he put that down and went after the piece in her plate. He took it back to where he was and put his foot on it while eating the original piece.

[liz]

I had a fasting blood test at 10 am the other day. Then I ran some errands. I knew I would not be able to cook fast enough when I went home so I stopped at a Chinese restaurant. My usual is Hunan Chicken. I don't eat the hard broccoli but remembered Rambo. He likes the Chinese broccoli better than any other way. I rinsed it real good but I know I did not get all the sause off.
When I gave it to him this morning he threw his half walnut down, put his face in it and did not come up for air until it was gone. Now how could I have forgotten that.
They are both doing good except for the noise level. How do you keep your birds calm when someone comes in? They have gotten worse. I have to take my hearing aids out.

No more trouble with eggs in the Cockatiel room. They all seem to be doing fine. Most of them I can't touch but I have to kneel down to put the food tray on the floor. It is so fun having a flock of tiny little chickens come at me all at the same time. Poor Gimpy can't join them so he just squacks while watching them. I don't touch them but they have no qualms about touching me.

I am having leftover dirty rice for breakfast. Myrtle has to have anything I have. I did not get all of the sausage out of her spoon full. I hope it does not make her sick. She might have gotten as much as the size of your pinky nail.

[Pajarita]

You should start buying/preparing frozen food for them so you always have good, healthy food available. I don't know what I would do without it! So much so that my husband got me a freezer (the kind that is upright, like a little fridge) for Christmas because there is never any room in my freezer (and I have one of those large two-door fridges that have a large freezer on the left side) for human food any more

[liz]

My cockatiels or "Birdie Babies" as Myrtle calls them are doing very well. The social ones who want to tell me secrets are getting a few to hang out with them when I go in. Lola is a precious baby and now Lacy and Jackie come with her to tell secrets.

Rambo and Myrtle are another matter all together. They have started screeching together. I can
shut them up by pointing my finger at them but can't maintain the silence. A fly swat works better at a distance but I can't carry the fly swat all the time. They are like children defying their mom.

As soon as I can and I hope not long from now I will screen in the back deck. This summer they can do their screaming outside.

[Pajarita]

I am now turning on the lights at 8:45 am and turning them off at 3:30 -3:45 pm but it depends on the brightness of the day itself.

[liz]

Right now mine are 9 and 4. I will adjust.

Myrtle doesn't always eat her meal right away. Rambo has been running across the dining room table, grabbing something and running back before Myrtle catches him.

They asked for the cabbage, sweet potato and beets from our meal and really put it away. Rambo is eating so much better now that he is with us at meal time.

[liz]

I am now turning on the lights at 8:45 am and turning them off at 3:30 -3:45 pm but it depends on the brightness of the day itself.

Paj, where I am is so much different than NJ for weather. It is bright and sunny before 7 am and does not go to dusk until 6 pm. Does that make a difference?
My body clock wakes me up between 4:30 and 5 am. Since everyone is sleeping I have to be quiet. If I cough in my bedroom the cockatiels on the other side of the house answer. Lola still calls me at 5:30 am but will stop if I don't answer but no matter what time someone will respond at any time in the night when I make a noise. It is amazing how well they can hear.

It is also amazing how well they can smell. When I bring home Hunan Chicken, Rambo starts begging as I come in the door. He wants the broccoli and keeps up the begging until he gets it. I rinse it off but he still gets the spice taste and will eat it right away no matter how much he just ate. Rambo and Myrtle are almost opposites. She does not like it.
A new twist in Rambo's stealing. It is hard to believe but I think Myrtle is leaving her nut so that Rambo will cross the table and steal it. She now watches him from near by and does not defend what should be the best part of her meal.
Another thing: I serve Myrtle first. It should not matter but just like little kids she must feel more important by getting it first. Rambo seems to understand that it helps with her jealousy and never complains.

If I use the word "help" Myrtle will accept and not respond when I pick up Rambo. Such as let me help you or do you need help? I can now do this even if she is on my shoulder. This is fantastic for my ears.

At feeding time Phoenix is now going to Gimpy to eat. He knows I close Gimpy's cage at the evening feeding to keep the rest from going in and seems fine to be closed in all night. I believe that Phoenix understands Gimpy's handicap and is trying to bond and teach him that I am okay. Due to multiple surgeries, I do not bend over very well. Feeding them on the floor means getting on my knees between the feeding tray and Gimpy's cage. Phoenix always touches me in front of Gimpy. This is new that he has such contact all the time so I think it is for Gimpy's benefit. This would sound insane to anyone else but a parrot's human should understand.

All but Flutter and Tweet will tweet to me nose to beak now. I love it. To have the trust of babies who should not trust a human they make me feel blessed. Flutter was well named. Tweet runs behind Jackie when I get close (his mom). It is heart breaking to know that the family of four that I rescued is now down to two.

It is 7 and the cockatiel room is filled with singing. I love it. I really love when they get on the same tune like a Barber Shop cortett. Most of the time they try to out sing each other.

Something is going on with Shadow and Tammy. They are not staying together as a mated pair like they used to. Shadow is now hanging out with the boys. I don't know if Tammy has run him off or if Shadow has a wandering eye. Tommy is not involved in what is going on.

The cockatiels spend more time on the floor now instead of on their tree. I don't know if they are doing this because of Gimpy but I know that they visit him in his cage. One morning I went in and five cockatiels were in his cage but he was not. I found him perched on a platform that is on the outside of a their big cage. I don't know if he flew there or climbed. He usually only leaves his cage when I take the top off to clean it. He will tweet to me from his cage but is still very afraid of my hands.