January 2022 POTM Contest!

[Zoruace]

Just for fun

Patches.
I visited him at the refuge every Saturday for a long time before I felt ready to bring him home. He quickly learned my routine, and got super excited when he heard my truck pull into the parking lot. One day, he knew I'd be there, and jumped in the water bowl to make himself extra handsome before I got there. The owner sent me his picture.
View attachment 34167
He came home just five days later

View attachment 34176
This was our first meeting. He decided right then that I was his person, and stopped letting anyone else near him other than the owner until he came home with me.

View attachment 34171
His first night home enjoying his bowl of veggies and fruit.

View attachment 34172
Just a few weeks later, on a warm spring day, we ventured outside. He was so happy and proud being out there in that tree. (No worries, as plucked as he was, he wasn't flighted at all)

Patches sure is beautiful!
Thank you for sharing such amazing pics

 

[Terry57]

Just for fun

Patches.
I visited him at the refuge every Saturday for a long time before I felt ready to bring him home. He quickly learned my routine, and got super excited when he heard my truck pull into the parking lot. One day, he knew I'd be there, and jumped in the water bowl to make himself extra handsome before I got there. The owner sent me his picture.
View attachment 34167
He came home just five days later

View attachment 34176
This was our first meeting. He decided right then that I was his person, and stopped letting anyone else near him other than the owner until he came home with me.

View attachment 34171
His first night home enjoying his bowl of veggies and fruit.

View attachment 34172
Just a few weeks later, on a warm spring day, we ventured outside. He was so happy and proud being out there in that tree. (No worries, as plucked as he was, he wasn't flighted at all)

Oh Dear, Sweet Patches. Seeing the picture with both of you brought tears to my eyes. Your love for each other is so beautifully clear.
That first picture touched me too, the look on his face is so hopeful, yet forlorn. He was waiting patiently for you to come and give him his forever home.
Thank you for adding Patches to this month, so many of us loved him and he will never be forgotten.

 

[Stitchthestitch]

Just for fun.

Most of you know albie now after what.... Nearly 2 years???

This is him the morning after we brought him home. And the second picture is from this evening

He came from a fabulous breeder after I found him being recommended on here after I had been tunerned down by several rescues.

I never thought I'd be a bird person until Albie stole my heart.

I lost my Boston terrier 20th Nov 2018 in a very sudden and upsetting way (he became very ill very suddenly and deteriorated so fast) he was my first pet who was truely mine and he had been with me through hell and back. Loosing him hit me hard.

A few weeks later hubby said we are going to get you a new pet because you need something to look after (I was fussing over hubby so much I think it was annoying him ) I was looking a pups, and found a fabulous poodle breeder, but every time I went to reach out I felt like I was betraying Oliver. So I looked at other pets.

Can't have cats due to living right by a dual carriage way. Can't have rabbits cuz in allergic, could choose reptiles cuz nearest vet was 3 hours away, fish bore me and I find their tanks too much hard work (sorry to any one who keeps fish) so hubby suggested a parrot. It was then I found the eclectus and came across this forum. That's when I made my first mistake. I didn't think about the cage size I could accommodate.

You guys helped me to realise, that as gorgeous as these birds are, I simply didn't have the space for a sutibly sized cage for one. And you all helped me come to the conclusion the green cheek would be a better option for the cage I could accommodate.

I rand The breeder in mid Feb and he held back a clutch for me so I could have pick of several birds. And albie chose me. Out of the 4, he was the most dazzling both in colour and personality. He was priced higher (I told him my budget was around £200 and albie was originally £250, the other birds were between 150 and 180 as they had far less red )but because albie stayed with me, ate from me, preened me, he reduced the price so I could bring him home. Who says all breeders are in it for the money? He certainly wasn't when he knocked 20%off. I am so greatful to you guys,the breeder and my hubby for pointing me in albie's direction because I can't see my life with out him now, and already in our short time together he has helped me through some upsetting and very distressing circumstances.

Yes we've had our ups and downs
but I've gotten better at learning his and albie has gotten better at teaching me his communication and body languages

He is now 2 and we will have our 2nd gotcha day on the 4th March

 

[Terry57]

Just for fun.

Most of you know albie now after what.... Nearly 2 years???

This is him the morning after we brought him home. And the second picture is from this evening

He came from a fabulous breeder after I found him being recommended on here after I had been tunerned down by several rescues.

I never thought I'd be a bird person until Albie stole my heart.

I lost my Boston terrier 20th Nov 2018 in a very sudden and upsetting way (he became very ill very suddenly and deteriorated so fast) he was my first pet who was truely mine and he had been with me through hell and back. Loosing him hit me hard.

A few weeks later hubby said we are going to get you a new pet because you need something to look after (I was fussing over hubby so much I think it was annoying him ) I was looking a pups, and found a fabulous poodle breeder, but every time I went to reach out I felt like I was betraying Oliver. So I looked at other pets.

Can't have cats due to living right by a dual carriage way. Can't have rabbits cuz in allergic, could choose reptiles cuz nearest vet was 3 hours away, fish bore me and I find their tanks too much hard work (sorry to any one who keeps fish) so hubby suggested a parrot. It was then I found the eclectus and came across this forum. That's when I made my first mistake. I didn't think about the cage size I could accommodate.

You guys helped me to realise, that as gorgeous as these birds are, I simply didn't have the space for a sutibly sized cage for one. And you all helped me come to the conclusion the green cheek would be a better option for the cage I could accommodate.

I rand The breeder in mid Feb and he held back a clutch for me so I could have pick of several birds. And albie chose me. Out of the 4, he was the most dazzling both in colour and personality. He was priced higher (I told him my budget was around £200 and albie was originally £250, the other birds were between 150 and 180 as they had far less red )but because albie stayed with me, ate from me, preened me, he reduced the price so I could bring him home. Who says all breeders are in it for the money? He certainly wasn't when he knocked 20%off. I am so greatful to you guys,the breeder and my hubby for pointing me in albie's direction because I can't see my life with out him now, and already in our short time together he has helped me through some upsetting and very distressing circumstances.

Yes we've had our ups and downs
but I've gotten better at learning his and albie has gotten better at teaching me his communication and body languages

He is now 2 and we will have our 2nd gotcha day on the 4th March

I love Albie's story with all my heart. It thrills me that the advice you received from the forum brought you and Albie together. What a fantastic success story!
The breeder deserves a round of applause. They obviously care about where their babies go and they knew you and Albie belonged together.

Thank you so much for sharing this, it's a wonderful reminder of how the forum can make such a difference in people's (and birds) lives.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your pup, when it happens suddenly it is such a gut punch. I'm glad you have Albie in your life to love you and help heal the pain.

 

[Deleted member 42416]

Hi all! I guess my “new beginnings” will add some comic relief…not to mention a whole new context to my HINDsight is 20/20 thread. This was the first day Angelo met Zazu. Zazu was 6 months old and clueless. (He’s the one that doesn’t know….ohhh or PRETENDING not to know he’s being watched.) Angelo was a young lady of 2 years. (At the time Angelo was supposed to have been a DNA sexed male). I suppose this is love at first site? Hate to say it, but kinda looks like my coworkers checking out the UPS guy when he delivers a large…well, y’all get the picture. Anyway, fast forward almost two years and I’m now dealing with the consequences of said “love at first site”: 2 feisty chicks and some deadbeat parents who are still very much in love.

 

[Terry57]

Hi all! I guess my “new beginnings” will add some comic relief…not to mention a whole new context to my HINDsight is 20/20 thread. This was the first day Angelo met Zazu. Zazu was 6 months old and clueless. (He’s the one that doesn’t know….ohhh or PRETENDING not to know he’s being watched.) Angelo was a young lady of 2 years. (At the time Angelo was supposed to have been a DNA sexed male). I suppose this is love at first site? Hate to say it, but kinda looks like my coworkers checking out the UPS guy when he delivers a large…well, y’all get the picture. Anyway, fast forward almost two years and I’m now dealing with the consequences of said “love at first site”: 2 feisty chicks and some deadbeat parents who are still very much in love.

View attachment 34320

This is too funny! Angelo looks quite interested while Zazu is playing hard to get. It's awesome to see the start of a beautiful relationship
I'm so glad they fell in love and I wish you the best of luck with their precious babies.

 

[LaManuka]

Just for fun

Patches.
I visited him at the refuge every Saturday for a long time before I felt ready to bring him home. He quickly learned my routine, and got super excited when he heard my truck pull into the parking lot. One day, he knew I'd be there, and jumped in the water bowl to make himself extra handsome before I got there. The owner sent me his picture.
View attachment 34167
He came home just five days later

View attachment 34176
This was our first meeting. He decided right then that I was his person, and stopped letting anyone else near him other than the owner until he came home with me.

View attachment 34171
His first night home enjoying his bowl of veggies and fruit.

View attachment 34172
Just a few weeks later, on a warm spring day, we ventured outside. He was so happy and proud being out there in that tree. (No worries, as plucked as he was, he wasn't flighted at all)

Jon, the love that you and Patches shared between you simply radiates from every picture that I have ever seen. I'm so sorry that your time together was all too brief and so very bittersweet. But knowing your heart the way I do, I think you would endure it all over again for him, in fact I know that you would. Patches was the luckiest bird in the whole world to have found you, to have loved you, and to have been loved by you, just as Tucker and Baxter are today. All three of them deserve the very best, and they sure as heck got that with you, my friend

 

[Terry57]

There's still time to get your entries in! I want to see more pictures and read more wonderful stories about your birds

 

[Inko-ai]

Official Entry

This is one of the first pictures I took of my budgies, two days after I brought them home. They were very scared, and stuck close together. Even when they were little, they were already very closely bonded, and looked to each other for comfort.
I took things very slowly with them, and earned their trust, bit by bit. After about two weeks, they were eating millet out of my hand, and would even step up. The amount of joy and accomplishment I felt, was absolutely incredible.
It has now been a year since I got them, and they have blossomed into confident, smart, and loving little birds.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

Official Entry

This is one of the first pictures I took of my budgies, two days after I brought them home. They were very scared, and stuck close together. Even when they were little, they were already very closely bonded, and looked to each other for comfort.
I took things very slowly with them, and earned their trust, bit by bit. After about two weeks, they were eating millet out of my hand, and would even step up. The amount of joy and accomplishment I felt, was absolutely incredible.
It has now been a year since I got them, and they have blossomed into confident, smart, and loving little birds.

View attachment 34991

Aww! They're both so cute! Good to know they're so tame now. When's gotcha day?

 

[Terry57]

Official Entry

This is one of the first pictures I took of my budgies, two days after I brought them home. They were very scared, and stuck close together. Even when they were little, they were already very closely bonded, and looked to each other for comfort.
I took things very slowly with them, and earned their trust, bit by bit. After about two weeks, they were eating millet out of my hand, and would even step up. The amount of joy and accomplishment I felt, was absolutely incredible.
It has now been a year since I got them, and they have blossomed into confident, smart, and loving little birds.

View attachment 34991

Sprite & Marshmallow are so beautiful! They do look like they're comforting each other. I love how you took it slow with them, patience and time brings such wonderful rewards. I know that feeling you're talking about when they started eating out of your hands and stepping up...there is no feeling like it in the world.
I love this story so much, it shows what patience and love can do.

 

[Inko-ai]

Aww! They're both so cute! Good to know they're so tame now. When's gotcha day?

Thanks! Their Gotcha day is December 28.

Sprite & Marshmallow are so beautiful! They do look like they're comforting each other. I love how you took it slow with them, patience and time brings such wonderful rewards. I know that feeling you're talking about when they started eating out of your hands and stepping up...there is no feeling like it in the world.
I love this story so much, it shows what patience and love can do.

Thank you very much for your kind words!

 

[StormyPica]

Sprite & Marshmallow are so beautiful! They do look like they're comforting each other. I love how you took it slow with them, patience and time brings such wonderful rewards. I know that feeling you're talking about when they started eating out of your hands and stepping up...there is no feeling like it in the world.
I love this story so much, it shows what patience and love can do.

Yes, I can vouch for that! Stormy took 8 months to tame, and there's no better feeling in the world!

 

[foxgloveparrot]

Yes, I can vouch for that! Stormy took 8 months to tame, and there's no better feeling in the world!

Yup, Jasper took about 10 months! It really is the best feeling!

 

[Terry57]

My Justice was abused in his former home, and came to us absolutely terrified more than 7 years ago. It took months before he stopped panicking when we walked into the room. For a couple of years now he has allowed me to do a one finger scritch on his neck, but only a couple before he has had enough. In the last couple of weeks, he has allowed me to use 3 fingers for his scritch, and will let me do it for several minutes before he has had enough.
Slow progress for sure, but how sweet the victory to watch him take each step at his own pace.

 

[Scott]

Condensed saga of wild-caught Goffins Peanut and Popcorn, adopted in 1988 with intent to breed and expand personal flock. Six years later first of three yearly clutches hatched, however parents were feckless, abandoning each within four to six days. My mom had honor of hand-feeding round the clock including workplace!! Gabby, Abby, Squeaky survived and remain treasured family. Ten years ago, infamous male cockatoo aggression sparked permanent separation of Peanut and Popcorn. He's paired with slightly larger Citron sans next box, she's tamed and living with Abby and Squeaky. So my slightly dysfunctional family of five mimics human relations dynamics!!

Peanut and Popcorn during blissful times!

 

[Terry57]

Condensed saga of wild-caught Goffins Peanut and Popcorn, adopted in 1988 with intent to breed and expand personal flock. Six years later first of three yearly clutches hatched, however parents were feckless, abandoning each within four to six days. My mom had honor of hand-feeding round the clock including workplace!! Gabby, Abby, Squeaky survived and remain treasured family. Ten years ago, infamous male cockatoo aggression sparked permanent separation of Peanut and Popcorn. He's paired with slightly larger Citron sans next box, she's tamed and living with Abby and Squeaky. So my slightly dysfunctional family of five mimics human relations dynamics!!

Peanut and Popcorn during blissful times!
View attachment 35025

Scott, I love the story of your flock! This is a perfect example of breeding ethically. Your Mom was prepared to do what she needed to if she had to intervene , and these babies were being brought into a fantastic home where they would be loved for the rest of their lives.
Both Popcorn and Peanut sound much happier with their new friends

 

[StormyPica]

Just for fun

These are my 2 youngest budgie's backstories, both from semi-traumatic pasts.

Bear in mind they both came from an AMAZING pet shop.

Picasso was not given any personal space from other budgies at the petshop, and I have discovered that she needs personal space from everything, and she gets really stressed if and other human or animal disrespects that. So now I have cue words for when I kiss her, so she can move away if she's uncomfy, and if she wants to be alone she tells me via gentle mouthing. I think a lot of it is trauma from wing clipping, plus she can get really emotionally attached to toys and perches, and other budgies at the pet shop were trying to take her toy. She had no friends. She also really follows a strict routine. Puts herself to sleep at a certian time, even while the other birds are playing, and she needs 2 kisses through the bars of the cage or she can't sleep well. I knew right away when I saw her, she was the one. She's a very cuddly and inquisitive bird!

PS you get a Stormy blur in the back there, what could be better?

Pepper also had no friends. He was shunned by every budgie in the pet shop, wanted so badly to make friends but was chased away and bitten by every single budgie he tried to befriend. I must've watched him for half an hour. Was he being pushy or aggressive? Was he sick? No, nothing other than the fact that he was an outcast. I don't know what could have made them all hate him. His bad spatial awareness? His unusually small feet? I don't know. He spent the first couple days hiding under my nightstand, all day and night, never ate or drank once. It pained me to see that he wasn't even trying to make friends with Picasso (Stormy had flown away at the time), he had just given up, thought no one would ever love him. Then, Stormy came back, and has been so, so patient with him, and finally coaxed him out. He still took a very long time to train, considering he was a older baby, but the teenager at the pet shop almost broke his wing trying to catch him for me. He's recovering, and Stormy does let him sing to him (with much unhappiness), and he LOVES recall even though he misses my hand and goes tumbling towards the ground, only to swoop up shakily at the last moment onto a perch (he has moderate spatial awareness issues, I think he may have an underdeveloped brain in some areas, but have avoided taking him to the vet, because I really don't want to stress him, he already struggles with understanding his surroundings as it is).

Having a disabled bird is a daily struggle, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Sorry, super long post!

 

[Terry57]

Just for fun

These are my 2 youngest budgie's backstories, both from semi-traumatic pasts.

Bear in mind they both came from an AMAZING pet shop.

View attachment 35040Picasso was not given any personal space from other budgies at the petshop, and I have discovered that she needs personal space from everything, and she gets really stressed if and other human or animal disrespects that. So now I have cue words for when I kiss her, so she can move away if she's uncomfy, and if she wants to be alone she tells me via gentle mouthing. I think a lot of it is trauma from wing clipping, plus she can get really emotionally attached to toys and perches, and other budgies at the pet shop were trying to take her toy. She had no friends. She also really follows a strict routine. Puts herself to sleep at a certian time, even while the other birds are playing, and she needs 2 kisses through the bars of the cage or she can't sleep well. I knew right away when I saw her, she was the one. She's a very cuddly and inquisitive bird!

PS you get a Stormy blur in the back there, what could be better?

View attachment 35039Pepper also had no friends. He was shunned by every budgie in the pet shop, wanted so badly to make friends but was chased away and bitten by every single budgie he tried to befriend. I must've watched him for half an hour. Was he being pushy or aggressive? Was he sick? No, nothing other than the fact that he was an outcast. I don't know what could have made them all hate him. His bad spatial awareness? His unusually small feet? I don't know. He spent the first couple days hiding under my nightstand, all day and night, never ate or drank once. It pained me to see that he wasn't even trying to make friends with Picasso (Stormy had flown away at the time), he had just given up, thought no one would ever love him. Then, Stormy came back, and has been so, so patient with him, and finally coaxed him out. He still took a very long time to train, considering he was a older baby, but the teenager at the pet shop almost broke his wing trying to catch him for me. He's recovering, and Stormy does let him sing to him (with much unhappiness), and he LOVES recall even though he misses my hand and goes tumbling towards the ground, only to swoop up shakily at the last moment onto a perch (he has moderate spatial awareness issues, I think he may have an underdeveloped brain in some areas, but have avoided taking him to the vet, because I really don't want to stress him, he already struggles with understanding his surroundings as it is).

Having a disabled bird is a daily struggle, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Sorry, super long post!

What love about your story is how you watched them and figured out exactly what Pepper and Picasso needed to make them feel safe and comfortable enough to be themselves. It sounds like Stormy figured that out as well for Pepper. They are all so beautiful, and I'm so glad they ended up with you.
There is something so special about having a disabled bird, they really pull on your heart strings.
BT, I loved the long post, no need to apologize when you are talking about these beautiful babies of yours

 

[StormyPica]

There is something so special about having a disabled bird, they really pull on your heart strings.

When they're not annoying the heck out of you! I mean come on Pepper, how hard is it to not fall (splayed wings bumping me and all) while doing a normal budgie thing like flying or hanging upside down on a vet wrapped perch?

Just kidding, I love my lil guy and agree with you!

May I add for anyone wondering, Pepper was fully fledged at the normal time, petshop only clipped a few feathers on one wing.