JawzX
New member
so, it was a hot, hot day here in Vermont, and Ms. Prissy Beak decided se would take a real bath in her pie plate today, instead of just wading as she usually does -on a side nte, aren't Alexandrines "renowned" for being water lovers? The evidence on line certainly seems to suggest thats the case... I may have the world's only bath-averse Alexandrine!-
in any case she was getting in to it petty well, fluffing and spreading her tail and scratching her head with wet feet, so I pulled out the mister to really soak her down, which she seeme to enjoy while it was happening... Fluffing, tail spreading, turning circles, the whole deal. She's usually a little sullen after her baths, and today was no exception, after a few shakes to remove the majority of the water she climbed into he cage and sat on her favorite perch with a slightly petulant look to air dry, with no preening until she was full dry. (though a great deal of effort was put into the post-dry preen)
later in the afternoon it got even hotter and she was lifting her wings away from her body, panting a little and generally looking warm - I know I was sweatting like a pig! (i had removed the air conditioner from the window only last week, figuring the hottest of the days were over for the year, Murphy at work!) so I figured she might be more ammenable to a cooling shower than she usually is.. We've been working on introducing the shower as fun-wet-bird-time without much success... So as I was getting ready to leave for work ( I work second shift, 4 to midnight) I brought Ms. Beak into the bathroom with me and ran a luke-warm shower.
She seemed pretty ok with being in the shower with me, and even semed to be enjoying the stray splashes while sitting on my shoulder... So I pushed the issue, had her step up onto my hand and moved her under the running water. Seeing the look on her beaky face turn from surprise to anger was both amusing and a little disturbing. She's not much of a talker but she is VERY communicative, and this was obviously NOT FUN. Uh oh!
I quickly placed her outside of the shower on her mobile perch and finished my own washing. When I exited the shower I received the stink-eye of all stink-eyes and a move to step her up was met with a little beak to the fingers (gentle as always), clearly she was having NONE OF IT. She sat and watched me dry off with the same angry glare and crouch. I figured an apology might be in order as she was still half-wet and sitting defensively on her feet.
"I'm sorry Baby" I told her, "I didn't mean to make you angry, I was just trying to cool you down because you looked so hot and I thought you might enjoy it"
Silence. Glare.
"really, it was meant in good faith! I'm sorry"
Silence. Puff-up. Glare.
"what if I help dry you off?" (hold up towel)
Silence, glance at towel.
(gently dab at the wet half of her back.)
beak to the fingers.
"i'm only trying to help, really, I'm sorry" (annother tentative wipe)
beak is brandished, but not applied
(dab tail and back dry(er))
beak is brandished again, but with less anger and glaring
"see, i'm tying to help, I'm sorry I made you angry" (more gentle dabbing with towel)
Glare subsides, feathers are rustled and puffed, quick preen to the back. "peeep!"
"thank you for forgiving me, Baby" (offer hand for step-up)
Steps up and raises wings, looking pointedly out of the bathroom "peep."
"Ok, maybe another time" (take her back to cage, where preening commences on damp half)
If she doesn't understand what I'm saying, I don't know who does. Birds say the damndest things.
in any case she was getting in to it petty well, fluffing and spreading her tail and scratching her head with wet feet, so I pulled out the mister to really soak her down, which she seeme to enjoy while it was happening... Fluffing, tail spreading, turning circles, the whole deal. She's usually a little sullen after her baths, and today was no exception, after a few shakes to remove the majority of the water she climbed into he cage and sat on her favorite perch with a slightly petulant look to air dry, with no preening until she was full dry. (though a great deal of effort was put into the post-dry preen)
later in the afternoon it got even hotter and she was lifting her wings away from her body, panting a little and generally looking warm - I know I was sweatting like a pig! (i had removed the air conditioner from the window only last week, figuring the hottest of the days were over for the year, Murphy at work!) so I figured she might be more ammenable to a cooling shower than she usually is.. We've been working on introducing the shower as fun-wet-bird-time without much success... So as I was getting ready to leave for work ( I work second shift, 4 to midnight) I brought Ms. Beak into the bathroom with me and ran a luke-warm shower.
She seemed pretty ok with being in the shower with me, and even semed to be enjoying the stray splashes while sitting on my shoulder... So I pushed the issue, had her step up onto my hand and moved her under the running water. Seeing the look on her beaky face turn from surprise to anger was both amusing and a little disturbing. She's not much of a talker but she is VERY communicative, and this was obviously NOT FUN. Uh oh!
I quickly placed her outside of the shower on her mobile perch and finished my own washing. When I exited the shower I received the stink-eye of all stink-eyes and a move to step her up was met with a little beak to the fingers (gentle as always), clearly she was having NONE OF IT. She sat and watched me dry off with the same angry glare and crouch. I figured an apology might be in order as she was still half-wet and sitting defensively on her feet.
"I'm sorry Baby" I told her, "I didn't mean to make you angry, I was just trying to cool you down because you looked so hot and I thought you might enjoy it"
Silence. Glare.
"really, it was meant in good faith! I'm sorry"
Silence. Puff-up. Glare.
"what if I help dry you off?" (hold up towel)
Silence, glance at towel.
(gently dab at the wet half of her back.)
beak to the fingers.
"i'm only trying to help, really, I'm sorry" (annother tentative wipe)
beak is brandished, but not applied
(dab tail and back dry(er))
beak is brandished again, but with less anger and glaring
"see, i'm tying to help, I'm sorry I made you angry" (more gentle dabbing with towel)
Glare subsides, feathers are rustled and puffed, quick preen to the back. "peeep!"
"thank you for forgiving me, Baby" (offer hand for step-up)
Steps up and raises wings, looking pointedly out of the bathroom "peep."
"Ok, maybe another time" (take her back to cage, where preening commences on damp half)
If she doesn't understand what I'm saying, I don't know who does. Birds say the damndest things.
