Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

[liz]

Lola, who was once alone and only had humans disappeared into the flock when I got her. She does not want touched but wants to touch me. She is the first one to come to me when I go in their room. I have noticed that she is no longer the only one to come to me. She has a following. Jackie who had been loved once is following Lola and wants to bond with me.

I am surprised at how many singles I have. Male and female both want to be single in the flock. I thought they would pair off. I guess they have been watching the Shadow, Tammy and Tommy situation and decided it wasn't worth it. I don't know how long it has been. Time means nothing to me. When my Sweetie died, Shadow stole Tammy from Tommy even though they had been a mated pair for a long time and even nested together on their eggs. I always thought that they bonded for life. Well there is trouble in paradise again with Shadow and Tammy splitting up. Even though Tommy did not take another mate he does not seem interested in getting back together with Tammy. Tammy has been hanging out with Lola and Jackie. This is a very strange and interesting flock. So Cagney and Lacy are my only mated pair. Maggie has stopped trying to get away from her admirer and lets him hang out with her but they are not mated. So there is only one pair in a flock of 14.

Yesterday, for the first time, Myrtle decided to play with tissues. She had always just put holes in the boxes but yesterday she started pulling tissues. She got bored with it though and only pulled about 6.

[liz]

Lola was never handled before I got her and will not allow it now but enjoys getting in my face and chirping. The others have been watching. Jackie has started to hang out with Lola and come with her when coming to me.
Yesterday Jackie leaned out and kissed me. What a surprise. I loved it. Then something else happened that surprised me. Tweet, the only bird left from Jackie's family and has always run from me, stepped up close and sang to me. What a wonderful reward I got. I stood there with 3 little birds standing in a row and showing their affection for me until Tweet finally stopped singing and went on about his birdy business. Jackie had been loved at one time but was then neglected along with her kids when I took in the family of 4. Tweet had no contact with humans other than to watch them from his dirty cage.

[Wolf]

Yay ! I just love reading little stories like this. I just absolutely adore it when my birds do something that serves no purpose other than to say I love you. I know the feeling that it gives you and can only be happy when I read about your birds doing this just for you, it is a wonderful thing.

[liz]

I feel blessed. I guess this shows that respecting the bird brings rewards. They hear me and see me most of the day. I wish I had more time to just be with them.

I coughed at 4:30 am and got an "answer" from one of the cockatiels on the other side of the house.

Rambo quietly climbed my bed spread yesterday and preened my toes nails. He has a foot fetish.

[Randall]

love hearing your stories Liz! sounds like you have a little soap opera going on!

[liz]

love hearing your stories Liz! sounds like you have a little soap opera going on!

It feels like the old TV series "Payton Place". This flock has been breaking the common ideas of what Cockatiels should be.

[liz]

I almost stepped on an egg when I went in the cockatiel room. Somebody left it in the middle of the floor. I think that makes 5 eggs from 14 cockatiels now. None are fertile. The only thing I can think of is that some of these rescues must be young and going through their first hormonal.

My daughter went to NC 3 weeks ago for a 1 week trip. She has a boxer Jake, miniature horse Hinder and large (very large) horse Indiana in my back yard which I have to care for since she is still not here. It takes 1 to 2 hours to care for them in the mornings.

Myrtle gets upset when I am out there that long and will try to make me not go by picking on Rambo. I have so many little cages that came with my rescues. One is not even big enough for one budgie. The door was big enough so I stuffed Rambo in it and hang him on the back deck so Myrtle could not bother him while I was working outside. He has a thing about little cages and let me push him through the door easily and hang him on the back deck to watch me while I was out.
He loved it and now my whole neighbor hood must think their was a kid trapped outdoors. He went through all his parrot calls then started calling hello to any person or creature he saw. I had a morning appointment yesterday for PTSD Group and had to go out early while it was still chilly to care for the animals before I could go. I did not take Rambo out. When I came back in he was trying to get the door open on the little cage. He must have thought that I forgot him and was going to make it easy for me to just get the cage and put him out. He is so funny and makes me laugh every day.

Aunt Betty has finally learned that it is much easier for her to put a portion of her food on their plates than to have them beg and try to steal. I have place setting for them at the our big dining room table to save me some steps at meal time and be able to eat my food while it is still warm.

I made ziti yesterday evening. I separated some of the whole grain pasta for them before I added sauce. They decided that mine looked better than theirs and begged for mine. There must be a little Italian in them. Rambo ate one of mine but Myrtle begged until she got 5 of them.
I have to separate portions of many foods before I add salt and butter. They have become adventurist eaters and are now trying foods that they refused when put in their cages. They love okra and eat the seeds first then the pod.

Rambo is so smart. I was putting groceries away when Rambo started begging. It was a box of crackers. Why does he know that the box has crackers? How can he identify food by smell without seeing it. If I don't eat the broccoli in my Hunan Chicken he can smell the left overs coming in the front door and beg before I can get to the kitchen.

Myrtle is still telling Aunt Betty "oh well" when she does not want to hear what Aunt Betty is trying to tell her. ("Oh well" is how Aunt Betty dismisses me when I am trying to tell her something.")

[Pajarita]

I just love your stories, Liz! They always make my day!

[liz]

Thank you. I keep expecting someone to tell me to stop rattling on.

[Wolf]

NOT ME !! I enjoy your stories and so do my birds.