Growing up and exploring

[LeaKP]

Nigel has been such a good little grey. He's now full-throttle playful! Upside down, throwing toys, whistling, saying his name, and his eyes are starting to turn grey.

Today, for the first time, he laid on his back in my hands totally comfortable without having to hang on. Just laid there playing for the longest time.

I seriously love this bird!

 

[Terry57]

Awww, he sounds like such a sweetheart! You can tell how comfortable he is if he is letting you hold him on his back like that

 

[DRB]

Perjo won't lay in my hands. She does hang upside and try to nip me once in a while when she isn't ready to come out of the cage just yet. When she does that I rest my hands under her back as she tries to right herself. Soon enough she'll be fine with it. She hated baths for the first 5 weeks. Now she loves them. I could give her three a day.

 

[GraciesMom]

That's so awesome! I can certainly remember how great it felt when Gracie was completely relaxed laying on her back in my hands Felt great to know she trusted me.
If she's hanging upside down somewhere & I approach with my hand under her she has no problems lowering herself right into my open hand.

That's exactly how I started getting Gracie comfy .. i'd bring me hand up under her & tell her "let me help", I kept it short at first. She'll also flip upside down and hang from my fingers so instead of righting her I'd bring my hand up and briefly cup her to turn her right side up.. in no time at all she would lay back.

So thrilled both Nigel & Perjo are doing so great.

 

[LeaKP]

Hmm another feat for Nigel today. He allowed me to work on his toenails. I have a small nail filer, not clippers, that rotates; the nail goes into a small opening where the nail is filed gently. Nigel has one nail that is a bit deformed that needs regular attention (grows almost straight back instead of at a normal angle). I didn't have to towel him. I always let him inspect the filer first. He watches me put my fingernails to it and then he touches it with his beak. Today he stood still and let me work on the one deformed nail and then another before he said it was enough. I'll work on the other toes day by day. So happy...

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Nigel has been such a good little grey. He's now full-throttle playful! Upside down, throwing toys, whistling, saying his name, and his eyes are starting to turn grey.

Today, for the first time, he laid on his back in my hands totally comfortable without having to hang on. Just laid there playing for the longest time.

I seriously love this bird!

This post is worthless without pictures!

Unfortunately for me,Smokey didn't allow ANY type of handling..but Amy will lay on her back in my hand,and grasp my forfingers and hang upside down,swinging back and forth,yelling 'zon gibberish..seems to enjoy it lol.

Jim

 

[LeaKP]

Nigel has been such a good little grey. He's now full-throttle playful! Upside down, throwing toys, whistling, saying his name, and his eyes are starting to turn grey.

Today, for the first time, he laid on his back in my hands totally comfortable without having to hang on. Just laid there playing for the longest time.

I seriously love this bird!

This post is worthless without pictures!

Unfortunately for me,Smokey didn't allow ANY type of handling..but Amy will lay on her back in my hand,and grasp my forfingers and hang upside down,swinging back and forth,yelling 'zon gibberish..seems to enjoy it lol.

Jim

You're right! I'm so sorry! I couldn't get a pic of my holding him on his back (hard to do with one hand and everyone is out at the moment) but here he is chilling.

 

[LeaKP]

I'm trying to upload another pic of Nigel. He's getting so big and pretty. His feathers have improved greatly and I think his first molt is on the horizon, and yes, he is pretty amazing!

 

[LeaKP]

Baby Nigel (my little girls name for him) has finally begun climbing around and playing outside of his cage which is good since his cage is awesome. He's still learning how to play inside (yes he has this quirk) but he's doing great during the daytime playing and beginning to explore. It's so fun watching him grow!

 

[Tsali]

Go Baby Nigel. What great accomplishments!

 

[DRB]

Baby Nigel (my little girls name for him) has finally begun climbing around and playing outside of his cage which is good since his cage is awesome. He's still learning how to play inside (yes he has this quirk) but he's doing great during the daytime playing and beginning to explore. It's so fun watching him grow!

The past 3-4 weeks I've started opening Perjo's cage door and walking away, giving her the freedom to come out when and if she wants (I rarely am more than a room away for 30 seconds). She's taken it upon herself to play on and explore every inch of the outside of the cage now. As I type she is playing with my window blinds that I thought were out of reach.

She's handled the increased freedom very well, only two incidents of flying off into another room. She is definitely the queen of the world when she is atop her cage singing away.

 

[LeaKP]

Baby Nigel (my little girls name for him) has finally begun climbing around and playing outside of his cage which is good since his cage is awesome. He's still learning how to play inside (yes he has this quirk) but he's doing great during the daytime playing and beginning to explore. It's so fun watching him grow!

The past 3-4 weeks I've started opening Perjo's cage door and walking away, giving her the freedom to come out when and if she wants (I rarely am more than a room away for 30 seconds). She's taken it upon herself to play on and explore every inch of the outside of the cage now. As I type she is playing with my window blinds that I thought were out of reach.

She's handled the increased freedom very well, only two incidents of flying off into another room. She is definitely the queen of the world when she is atop her cage singing away.

That's so cool. Yes, watch your blinds. My foster grey, Iago, liked to take chomps out of our blinds!

Nigel likes his cage more and more - he used to fly off constantly but we're finding him enjoying his house which makes me happy. I'm having a stand built for him now - I'm sure it will be viewed as the monster for months but eventually he will gather courage to explore it.

Funny, eclectic, smart, beautiful birds!

 

[LeaKP]

Laughing so hard. Nigel is pretty brave as far as baby greys go. He loves to explore, roam the house with me. But today when I gave him purple grapes, he fled to the opposite side of the cage....whoever knew purple grapes were so frightening! Haha.he has eaten them before too.

 

[DRB]

I picked up a box of small colored Dixie cups to play and train with, you'd think these 2oz cups were 5 gallon buckets the way Perjo reacts to them. Maybe next month we'll be able to use them as aids. LOL.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Laughing so hard. Nigel is pretty brave as far as baby greys go. He loves to explore, roam the house with me. But today when I gave him purple grapes, he fled to the opposite side of the cage....whoever knew purple grapes were so frightening! Haha.he has eaten them before too.

Funny with the grapes lol. Smokey would FLING red grapes as far as she could,but would eat GREEN grapes til they came out her....
And Amy...she is just the opposite lol.


Jim

 

[LeaKP]

This week's news is big!!!!

Nigel has begun eating birdie bread with gusto and playing and destroying cardboard boxes! He's been very slow to learn how to play so when I saw him yesterday tearing into the box I placed on his play stand, I was really happy. He then proceeded to "kill" the padlock I have to put on the door to his cage.

Another not necessary but good development: I've taught all my birds to poo in the cage or in certain places. Nigel has caught on! He's now progressing to moving over to his stand to poo and then coming back to me. Once his flight feathers grow back (breeder clipped him terribly but at least he fledged before the clip) I'll work with him to fly back and forth.

The intelligence and emotions of these birds never cease to amaze me.

 

[DRB]

Agreed, it's a never ending treasure trove of surprise and education and fulfillment.

Perjo has picked up two knew whistles this weekend, we have a 6-7 whistle language in which we fully understand and communicate.

And I think she muffled "hello" a few days ago while trying to vocalize something else. She might not have intended to say "hello" but it was hello. Very exciting.

 

[LeaKP]

So Nigel is officially a grey! He has begun making soup with his food and water! He's loving the boing and playing all over our laps in the evening. He especially loves hanging upside down. All the while he is so sweet and stops just to cuddle up and be a sweet fluff bucket. Have to share this pic...