A sweet little birdie called Lovejoy 💖

[SailBoat]

Likely that there are several longer /larger wing and/or tail feathers that will show themselves as part of future molts. Also, every time they are wet, they will measure their flight success or failure and begin limiting the amount of wetness. Also, as a very young Parrot, he is likely not producing the full level of flight dust and that will increase as well.

The difference between clipping and not clipping prior to the first major molt can place the clipped Parrot into a more determined mindset. But that is unproven to my knowledge. Likely something that a true Breeder may have noticed, but not shared.

Either way, it is still wondrous to watch their joy of flying!!

Today, I was finishing paying a contractor for work completed this morning when Julio elected to show-off a bit by fly between us, at speed! He has been a part of our family for near eight years and he is still surprising us with all kinds of little things that displays his comfort.

 

[LaManuka]

Likely that there are several longer /larger wing and/or tail feathers that will show themselves as part of future molts. Also, every time they are wet, they will measure their flight success or failure and begin limiting the amount of wetness. Also, as a very young Parrot, he is likely not producing the full level of flight dust and that will increase as well.

The difference between clipping and not clipping prior to the first major molt can place the clipped Parrot into a more determined mindset. But that is unproven to my knowledge. Likely something that a true Breeder may have noticed, but not shared.

Either way, it is still wondrous to watch their joy of flying!!

Today, I was finishing paying a contractor for work completed this morning when Julio elected to show-off a bit by fly between us, at speed! He has been a part of our family for near eight years and he is still surprising us with all kinds of little things that displays his comfort.

I think you are correct in your assessments of feather size and shape changing with future moults, Mr Steven. Your post also reminded me that when i took him in for his wellness check some months ago, his vet identified a curvature in his spine, right at the very end near his tail - that may or not be a factor as well. Val the budgie also has a curved spine though his is MUCH more pronounced. He has always been a bit of a perch potato though, not the best flyer and flies like a brick when he's wet, so I have to be extra cautious with him. I do hope Lovejoy develops the strength required to still gain lift when he's a bit wet, I wouldn't like him to associate the fun of bath time with the not-so-much fun bit of getting locked in his cage until he dries out!

 

[LaManuka]

I’ve been trying all morning to get a shot of what’s left of the green on his head but he’s been very high octane and doesn’t want to sit still!! This is as good as I got, not much left now!

Yeah you little toad, I see you too

 

[onamom]

So cute!!! Love his expression in the second photo. He’s very close to a full red head!

 

[HeatherG]

So cute!!! Love his expression in the second photo. He’s very close to a full red head!

I love the glowing feathers. Very “firebird.”

 

[LaManuka]

So cute!!! Love his expression in the second photo. He’s very close to a full red head!

He's not just red, he's RRRRRREEEEDDDDDDDD!!!!!!! And that look on his little face says "I'm trouble and I know it!!"

 

[saxguy64]

Goodness, he gets cuter by the day! And yeah, ya gotta watch out for those red heads, that's for sure

 

[SailBoat]

It will be interesting if he elects to push all red now, or wait a molt or to set the full head cap in place!! But there is no question, Red has become dominant!! What a looker he has become..

 

[LaManuka]

What a looker he has become..

Mr Boats, he gets his looks from his dad and his lousy attitude from me!!

 

[HeatherG]

Mr Boats, he gets his looks from his dad and his lousy attitude from me!!

He came by it honestly…but which side did the beak come from?

 

[LaManuka]

He came by it honestly…but which side did the beak come from?

Well his dad did used to have a lot of red in his beard - I guess that's about as close to an orange/red beak as we're gonna get!

 

[LaManuka]

Going out to harvest flowers for Lovejoy can sometimes be hazardous to one’s health, the same flowers that are so beloved by other birds are also VERY popular with bees and it can take some effort to remove them sometimes. Then when I bring them home a certain individual doesn’t show a whole lotta gratitude for the risk I’ve taken to get them, but at least somebirdy in this house was appreciative this morning

 

[onamom]

Oh interesting! What kind of flowers do you get for them?

 

[LaManuka]

Oh interesting! What kind of flowers do you get for them?

These are grevillea "Honey Gem" flowers, but he also gets callistemon and eucalypt flowers too. I like Lovejoy to get at them first otherwise the other three will just destroy them because they don’t see them as a food source the way he does.

Happily the natural order of things was restored shortly afterwards however

 

[SailBoat]

No reason to wonder where or why he has those wondrous colors, all the better to blend in with supper.

 

[LaManuka]

No reason to wonder where or why he has those wondrous colors, all the better to blend in with supper.

Yep, that's it exactly. It's amazing how hard it can be to see the smaller species in the trees in the wild when they're such a riot of colour, but they just blend in so well with the flowers and the foliage. Rainbow lorikeets are much easier of course because of their size, and all that screaming gives them away. Lots of pooping too - you can definitely tell which trees the big flocks like to roost in at night!

 

[HeatherG]

Going out to harvest flowers for Lovejoy can sometimes be hazardous to one’s health, the same flowers that are so beloved by other birds are also VERY popular with bees and it can take some effort to remove them sometimes. Then when I bring them home a certain individual doesn’t show a whole lotta gratitude for the risk I’ve taken to get them, but at least somebirdy in this house was appreciative this morning
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That picture is just dreamy. How wonderful that you can get him those flowers and he can enjoy them.

 

[LaManuka]

Sooooooooooo this is what I'm up against when I'm trying to get some housework done. Either he's got his beak in my face, or he's got the zoomies and I have to chase him out of all the unauthorised landing spots, or he's being irresistibly cute and I'd much rather play with him than do the chores. Here he is "helping" me change out the paper towels that line the bottoms of the bird cages. As I said to him, "Birdie, if you wanna help me, don't help me!"

 

[onamom]

So cute! He can come help me do some chores

 

[LaManuka]

So cute! He can come help me do some chores

Oh sure, then you can do what I do, which is sit around playing with him and just watching him being cute, which is why I take FOREVER to get anything done around here! You probably already do that quite a bit with Ona though

Oh and he's just learned to say "peekaboo", and I'm sure I heard him say "little bird" today too - still working on getting THAT on video!