Ash is finally here!

I picked her up Friday afternoon
She had been on a long trip - Grafton to Sydney to Melbourne in two planes!
She was a little scared when I collected her, obviously, but as soon as I got her home into a quiet place, she was feeling a little happier.

I wasn't quite sure how she'd take to me - whether she'd be crying all day, bossy, meek, anything! Remember, this is a bird who has never met me before!

But no, she didn't want to walk out of her travel box, she wanted to be lifted out by hand. As soon as she was on my hand she lowered her head for scritches - so I obliged. Then she went into her cage for some quiet time, water and food after the long trip. She kind of sat there for a little while, probably thinking "where the heck am I?" before launching into her food.

The breeder had her on a diet of seed and nuts, with a little fresh food. I wanted to transfer her to wholemeal pasta, beans, so i mixed a bit of that in with her seed. WELL! did she dig in! I was expecting her to eat all the seed, and ignore anything else, but she tried a bit of everything and loved her beans!

By the second day, she was already out and about the bird room, playing, demanding cuddles, ripping up foraging toys, and just generally doing everything I had hoped she would do once she had fully settled in in a few weeks! I only have a few photos so far, but we're going outside in a harness today, so I'll try to get some good photos then

OMG what a pretty bird . I would so love to own one like that. Grats she is a gem

Ash is STUNNING! And VERY BIG. Sounds like her breeder did a great job preparing her for her new home, and I couldn't imagine a better person for this girl to live with. Will she eventually be going to work with you or staying at home during the day?

I can't help but notice what looks like a painting of some harpy eagles there in the background. What does she think of that in her area?

Beautiful! Wow, Ash is so majestic looking even as a baby . As April mentioned, you are the perfect person to have one!

Congratulations on finally getting Ash home! I'm so glad that she's already everything you were hoping for.

As April said, it sounds like her breeder did a phenomenal job of socializing her for you. I look forward to seeing how she continues to blossom and flourish in your care.

Keep those pics coming!

Ash is incredibly gorgeous! What a stunning bird, and as others have said, she seems to have been superbly raised and socialized! So happy for you!!

I'm very pleased with how the breeder raised her - she's absolutely bomb-proof!
She's not scared of loud sounds, the neighbourhood dogs, big objects - anything! The only thing she didn't like at first was the kettle, which she's already gotten used to

She's at home with me for a month, until her quarantine period is over, then she'll be moving into her nice big flight aviary at work
I'll be living on-site soon though, so she'll still technically be with me

Wow so stunning!! those sparkles in her feathers are beautiful. Also it's great to have another melbournean in the forum.

WOW!!! She's incredible in every way and absolutely stunning! Congratulations! You two are going to have wonderful adventures together.

Oh my gosh. She is super gorgeous! I'm so glad to hear she's settled into her new home nicely.

OMMMMMMG!!!! She's absolutely beautiful!!!! When can I babysit??? Lol

Woohoo! Now that is one queenly-looking birdie! I'm so glad she's healthy and happy and made herself at home so quickly for you. You do realise we'll be needing lots of pictures as time goes by? This is one uniquely beautiful girl and her friends, Barney, Madge and Dominic send their very best regards. XXX

Welcome home, Ash! :smile015: I readily admit, my heart rate goes up a bit each time I see pictures of your magnificent girl.

She is so gorgeous! I know it's already been said, but it bears repeating... Again and again and again! Beautiful!

Gorgeous! And such a big beak. I love her name as well. Good luck with her and keep us updated!

Stunning and majestic are just some of the words that come to mind. Congrats on your new bff, here's hoping for MANY happy years together

Thank you everyone for your kind words ^_^

She's settling in very nicely - we went to the park yesterday! Hopefully I'll get some nice photos soon to share

One thing I've noticed is - she really doesn't understand the concept of holding things with her foot! I'm sure she'll get the hang of it eventually but it's kind of funny watching her try to eat a nut without dropping any, without holding it

WOW! A very photogenic sweet heart! What is her size,compared to a U or M2?? Makes lil Jonesy look like a sparrow lol.


Jim

Gorgeous bird! Congrats!

A few new photos from our trip to the park today




She isn't a very confident flier yet, so we're practicing