Apple Branch Bridge

[KimberlyAnn]

I made Emmi this apple branch bridge that goes the length of her cage at the top. (about 3.5 feet) She's not our friend anymore. She's the troll ON the bridge! I think she's claimed the livingroom as her kingdom now and she's not coming down anytime soon. She attacks anyone or any cell phone that comes near her bridge...



My phone almost got it that time! ^^^ Phew! Lol

[KimberlyAnn]

And yay! Today she is FLYING from lower perches to the bridge. So exciting! She's actually practising flying up instead of down!

[janetafloat]

That's great! She's building up her muscles so she'll be Super Flyer when her flight feathers grow in. And love your bridge, isn't it fun making parrot stuff

[KimberlyAnn]

Yes it is! Sundays are usually toy making days. I made a few more with some apple branches my mother gave me from her trees...







I will be getting some Madrone and Manzanita wood from my mom soon. Can't wait! I'm so thankful I have access to clean untreated wood! At least back into the 60's and before that it was just wooded area.

[KimberlyAnn]

Emmi loves the top one with the corn husks. It won't last long! I'm trying to make toys that can be wobbly since I noticed she likes those best!

[Pajarita]

Mmmmm, if I were you I would not put perches so near blinds -they love to chew on them.

Great 'bridge', I am sure she is loving it and yes, vertical flight is the best exercise ever for them! There was a study done where birds were not allowed to fly but made to climb uphill while flapping their wings and they found that this does not utilize 1/10 of the muscle activity they get from flying horizontally so imagine how much better exercise vertical flight would be!

[KimberlyAnn]

Oh lol, I was just holding the toys in front of the blinds to get pictures. There were several ten year old boys in my livingroom yesterday, playing cards and eating snacks so I thought the blinds would be a better backdrop! Lol

I've been trying to get Emmi to fly from my hand to a perch. She's going greater distances now. It makes me think she will crash into things when she does get her flights back in and the extra power that comes with that. She's just doing so well with clipped wings! Just amazing!

[Strawfrawg]

I especially LOVE that toy with the spools and amber-colored beads. Talk about arty. You could hang something like that in your window as a decoration. I much prefer neutral, natural-colored toys and accessories, but of course Marvin has a say in that....

I really like your bridge, too. The slats are far enough apart for Emmi's head not to get stuck...the ones in the pet stores are rarely spaced well enough.

You're lucky to have a good source for free apple branches. I would so buy some from you for toymaking. The ones I have access to are always too uniformly short and straight.

[KimberlyAnn]

I would give them to you for free! If my grandmother would not notice her apple tree getting smaller and smaller. Lol My mom said her tree is now off limits until fall. (damn!) But she did get me these Manzanita branches from our cabin up north.



So excited to wash them and put them together to make a play area! I'm going to use jute instead of metal because they already fit snug and like you, I love the natural look. I will just have my husband build me a rolling table or find one and attach the branches to the top. It will look so much nicer then where we have the cage now. Which is in the middle of our livingroom. Center of our lives! Lol. No one complains about this and 50% can't even see the screen of the tv fully. We should have gotten a bird years ago!

The bridge is the perfect size. She can get through each hole and will climb through them regularly. The toy you like. It's wobbly at the top and I watch her balance herself and she's getting very good at it. She loves pulling out stuff from the two wood bowls too. The corn husk toy is her most favorite. She hangs from it on all sides and chews it to death. She pulls it to one side and lets it BANG on the side of the cage. I'm amazed it still looks like it did when I made it!

[KimberlyAnn]

Oh and excuse the mess lol We are doing some reorganization today.