PortaPerch
New member
- Apr 28, 2012
- 380
- 0
- Parrots
- Chewbaca, F. Galah, h10/10;
Greybeard, M. Congo AG h03/09
Hello, all. I been mostly lurking here for awhile, and have been active in other bird forums. We live in Surf City (Huntington Beach), Calif, about a mile from an ocean of some size.
We have been through the progression of birds over the years: chickens for eggs and as pets, breeding budgies, pet cockatiels, and one umbrella we nurtured for two months.
The big event was finding and buying "Grumpy Girl", a Congo Grey who had gone unsold a year in an excellent bird store. DNA proved Grumpy Girl was a male, who I named Greybeard (after my own aviation consulting business). My wife named him, Dakari, which is supposed to mean happiness in some African language. He responds to both, but has bonded with my wife, and attacks me if I get close. He talks in my voice perfectly. It's fun to hear my half of phone conversations repeated randomly... He is a real pleasure.
Just two weeks after we brought him home, we had to drive 2,000 miles from SoCalif to Illinois to see my wife's dying mother. We had made the trip, both driving, and via airline several times with one or two cockatiels, so it was natural to take Greybeard. He was a great rider, atop his cage most of the time.
We ended up staying in Rockford for two weeks, and then via Lake Superior, Yellowstone, Reno, and then home in the next two weeks. He drew almost as big a crowd as Old Faithful when we were there.
Prior to that trip, I made a four foot long T bar so we could carry him in front of us. We found it much better than shoulder carry, in all ways. No mess, no bitten ear, and the person carrying had him in full view for eye-to-eye communication.
We have continued to develop and improve this portable perch, until we decided it was time to share it, so PortaPerch.com was hatched, and has just now taken flight.
Meanwhile, last year my wife succumbed to the wiles of a young Rose-Breasted 'too at the same bird store. I lost control of her, and we both have regretted it many times. She quickly earned the name, Chewbaca, because she CHEWS everything. After she ate all the buttons off the first tv remote, I suspended the new one from a long spring from the ceiling. Turns out, that's very handy; you always know where it is. Chewbaca has a sense for chewing only the most valuable items. My wife has this funny thing about loyalty and bonding for life, so we keep the 'too. Maybe that's why she's kept me so long.
We take them outside as much as possible, at least partly to save their color vision. I am building a 5x5x8' aviary so they can be safe while we step away briefly, tending stuff. Woman across the street has a new African Serval, Bengal cat hybrid, who would love bird food. One more threat. Half a dozen crows patrol the two acre Gum/Eucalyptus grove just 200 feet away, and there are peregrines and hawks, not to mention cats and coyotes.
There's a good side to fancy birds: wife hadn't fixed me breakfast since our sons were little, until now. I get the excess of what she fixes for our two feathered babies.
PP
We have been through the progression of birds over the years: chickens for eggs and as pets, breeding budgies, pet cockatiels, and one umbrella we nurtured for two months.
The big event was finding and buying "Grumpy Girl", a Congo Grey who had gone unsold a year in an excellent bird store. DNA proved Grumpy Girl was a male, who I named Greybeard (after my own aviation consulting business). My wife named him, Dakari, which is supposed to mean happiness in some African language. He responds to both, but has bonded with my wife, and attacks me if I get close. He talks in my voice perfectly. It's fun to hear my half of phone conversations repeated randomly... He is a real pleasure.
Just two weeks after we brought him home, we had to drive 2,000 miles from SoCalif to Illinois to see my wife's dying mother. We had made the trip, both driving, and via airline several times with one or two cockatiels, so it was natural to take Greybeard. He was a great rider, atop his cage most of the time.
We ended up staying in Rockford for two weeks, and then via Lake Superior, Yellowstone, Reno, and then home in the next two weeks. He drew almost as big a crowd as Old Faithful when we were there.
Prior to that trip, I made a four foot long T bar so we could carry him in front of us. We found it much better than shoulder carry, in all ways. No mess, no bitten ear, and the person carrying had him in full view for eye-to-eye communication.
We have continued to develop and improve this portable perch, until we decided it was time to share it, so PortaPerch.com was hatched, and has just now taken flight.
Meanwhile, last year my wife succumbed to the wiles of a young Rose-Breasted 'too at the same bird store. I lost control of her, and we both have regretted it many times. She quickly earned the name, Chewbaca, because she CHEWS everything. After she ate all the buttons off the first tv remote, I suspended the new one from a long spring from the ceiling. Turns out, that's very handy; you always know where it is. Chewbaca has a sense for chewing only the most valuable items. My wife has this funny thing about loyalty and bonding for life, so we keep the 'too. Maybe that's why she's kept me so long.
We take them outside as much as possible, at least partly to save their color vision. I am building a 5x5x8' aviary so they can be safe while we step away briefly, tending stuff. Woman across the street has a new African Serval, Bengal cat hybrid, who would love bird food. One more threat. Half a dozen crows patrol the two acre Gum/Eucalyptus grove just 200 feet away, and there are peregrines and hawks, not to mention cats and coyotes.
There's a good side to fancy birds: wife hadn't fixed me breakfast since our sons were little, until now. I get the excess of what she fixes for our two feathered babies.
PP
