Thank you so much for the update! Wonderful progress all around. You can say it all you like, but I hate to break it to you... you're well on your way to becoming a "bird person", and it's a beautiful thing. 
Progress and Questions for M
- Thread starter K.C.
- Start date
- Aug 21, 2010
- 32,673
- 9,797
- Parrots
- Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /
RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Lovely update, may I suggest any degree of wing clipping be outsourced. Not for matters of competence, rather isolating yourself from negative association.
Lunging generally an expression of bluffing - until M literally desires to escalate. I suspect you and K pretty much isolated from his worst instincts.
Lunging generally an expression of bluffing - until M literally desires to escalate. I suspect you and K pretty much isolated from his worst instincts.
- Thread Starter
- Thread starter
- #43
I normally don't update this quickly, but we've had some big happenings! M flew like a pro just after my last post. He's majestic in flight, and we love it, but.... If he was here full-time, we'd let him keep his flight ability; but for anyone following his story--you get it. As it is, K has been acclimating M to a tether for outside. Well, after he flew, we had nice weather, we were all working in the yard, and he was watching jealously from his gym by the patio door. Kaylynn decided to "grab the bull by the horns;" i.e., she clipped his tether on before he could overthink it, then walked straight outside. Once he was outside, he was too interested in everything else to worry with the tether. The only time she's clipped it on since is to go outside, so he seems to have figured out the tether means outside, and there's no more chewing on it! Yay! That is such a big milestone!
Sadly, we are still going to have his wings clipped soon, because if bio-dad doesn't let M stay with her for some reason between her visits to him, M might fly off in the scary situations he gets put in when he's not under K's control. So, he's getting ready to have nubbins again, instead of magnificent wings shading green, to royal blue, to purple.
He randomly started yelling, "Bubba!" this afternoon. Lol, that's my youngest's nickname. He also mimicked my laughter last night.
He has figured out our big guard dog on the property is very useful. When the dog alerts, he rushes to the window and looks around to see if anything exciting is happening. His nosiness is hilarious.
We have taken in the last of my Dad's chickens, a hen named Bones. M and Bones seem undisturbed by each other. M enjoys watching her. Not so if a vulture, eagle, or hawk flies over--both hunker down.
This evening I am busy with paperwork at the table, M has already demanded to be included, circled the chairs for a while, hopped on the table, stole paper to shred, and tried to sneak into food he didn't need--it was Bubba's burger and fries, so no, he didn't need it at all. And, like a child, he walked straight past a healthy bowl of fruit to try to get the burger. Brat.
Maybe someday soon, I'll get to post that bio-dad is tired of ownership. It may never happen, but for now, M spends the majority of his time here anyway.
I'm going to try to post some pics of his first tethered outing in the sun in my photo album.
Sadly, we are still going to have his wings clipped soon, because if bio-dad doesn't let M stay with her for some reason between her visits to him, M might fly off in the scary situations he gets put in when he's not under K's control. So, he's getting ready to have nubbins again, instead of magnificent wings shading green, to royal blue, to purple.
He randomly started yelling, "Bubba!" this afternoon. Lol, that's my youngest's nickname. He also mimicked my laughter last night.
He has figured out our big guard dog on the property is very useful. When the dog alerts, he rushes to the window and looks around to see if anything exciting is happening. His nosiness is hilarious.
We have taken in the last of my Dad's chickens, a hen named Bones. M and Bones seem undisturbed by each other. M enjoys watching her. Not so if a vulture, eagle, or hawk flies over--both hunker down.
This evening I am busy with paperwork at the table, M has already demanded to be included, circled the chairs for a while, hopped on the table, stole paper to shred, and tried to sneak into food he didn't need--it was Bubba's burger and fries, so no, he didn't need it at all. And, like a child, he walked straight past a healthy bowl of fruit to try to get the burger. Brat.
Maybe someday soon, I'll get to post that bio-dad is tired of ownership. It may never happen, but for now, M spends the majority of his time here anyway.
I'm going to try to post some pics of his first tethered outing in the sun in my photo album.
- Aug 21, 2010
- 32,673
- 9,797
- Parrots
- Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /
RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Macaws indeed majestic in flight! Sadly need to clip without guilt as safety comes first!! They really are like 3 year olds, perhaps a bit more advanced in some aspects!!
