The Amazonian Times

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The Amazonian Times

This is intended to be the running commentary of my 3 Amazons.

Bingo a Yellow Nape Amazon.
He was my second parrot bought in 1986. I was told he was 1 year old when I bought him but he went through puberty less than a year after I got him So all I can say for sure is he is at least 33 years old.

Luna is a Green Cheek Amazon AKA Mexican Red headed Amazon.
I adopted her 1 year ago in December 2017 From a member of the parrot forum. Her History is unknown and unknowable. She was found on a sidewalk in/near San Diego Picked up and nursed back to health. The person who rescued her tried over a month to find the original owner but no one came forward. She could say “Hello” and “Parrot” when I got her and she has added “such a cute parrot”, “such a parrot” and “pretty bird”.

Merlin is also a Green Cheek Amazon.
I bought Merlin 3 weeks ago today at a bird fair from a breeder. He is less than 1 year old about 8 months old ATM. Because he is so new to the family and so young there is not much to say about him yet. His wings were clipped buy the breeder so he can’t fly. He has not talked yet but he is imitating some of Luna’s noises already.

That’s it for the introduction.
My next post will include some pictures and an update on how Luna & Merlin are getting along.

 

[SailBoat]

Life with Three Amazons! Now this is going to be fun!
Looking forward to the trip. Hmmm, going to need popcorn and Rum.

 

[Laurasea]

Yes will be fun to read,! Of Co pictures are worth a thousand words!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

It just hit me..three Amazons,the Amigo's and their parents/siblings..then there is Ms Bella..Holy #%^& Wes! I'd love to be a fly on the wall at your place on a Sunday morning LOL.
All I can say is...AWESOME!



Jim

 

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Bingo has been going through a fairly major molt.
He has been losing some tail feathers, flight feathers and medium feathers that I don’t know exactly where they came from.
Guess he is getting ready for the breeding season (poor guy).

He had his beak out of joint from me bringing home Merlin. He would not come step up and come out of his cage for me for a little over a week.
Every morning I would try to coax him out to sit with me but he would give me this look. It’s a little bit like “you got to be kidding” and “forget about it”:58:.

All is forgiven now and he is back to his cuddly self (until the hormones kick in later next month). I snapped this selfie a few days ago. He looks a bit scruffy cuz of his molt (unfortunately I don’t have that excuse for looking scruffy).
Bingo snuggeling 11-1-18 by wes mcfaden, on Flickr
Luna & Merlin.
I really thought Luna would take to another GCA like a duck to water
.
She is not so crazy about the company just yet. They are in separate cages but I let them out at the same time so they can have some (closely supervised interaction).
Merlin wants to get closer but is I think nervous about the reaction he’s been getting from Luna. The fact that Merlin can’t fly due to clipped wings puts him at a disadvantage and he knows it.

When they are out together, I have noticed there is a lot of shake/fluffing up of both birds. I am not sure what this is for. Is it for intimidation? Is it showing off? IDK. They both do it at about the same time. There is also a certain amount of wing lifting, stretching their wings in the vertical direction.

One other thing I did not count on or realize. Luna has become somewhat bonded to me. It did not show in ways that I would have expected. She won’t let me touch her. She wont step up to my hand (unless she is in a location she can’t easily get out of).
Luna does call to me. It’s a bit hard to describe or explain. She makes a clear and loud wolf whistle that I return and it’s in some way different than a normal whistle. I always try to return the call wherever I am in the house.

There has been one side benefit from having Merlin in the house. Bingo is now free to play with his toys without having Luna scream at him making him stop what he is doing.
Luna is on the left and Merlin in on right.
20181028_074137 by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

 

[texsize]

It just hit me..three Amazons,the Amigo's and their parents/siblings..then there is Ms Bella..Holy #%^& Wes! I'd love to be a fly on the wall at your place on a Sunday morning LOL.
All I can say is...AWESOME!



Jim

It can be noisy that's fer sure. Even at a quiet time if I start talking on the phone....it really get them worked up.

I have come up with a title for a Cockatiel thread but there is not much to say most of the time.

Bella is worth a bunch of threads. She is just so funny and smart. It's a rare week she doesn't come out with some new thing to say.
"Bella, don't be so Bingo"
"what's going on?"
and I think she said "red butt S**t":04:

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Great photo's of all three 'zons Wes..sounds like Ms Bella is doing what Greys do best...being cute




Jim

 

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Second edition

I have decided that the Amazonian Times won’t be exclusively about my Amazons and should include my other Fids as well. So, I will start out with Bella my CAG.

It’s just about her 2nd anniversary of her adoption/rescue. I got her near the end of November 2 years ago.

She may be going into a hormonal phase or possibly entering puberty (as I don’t know for sure her age). Bella has been highly interested in the kitchen cupboard. When I go in to fix coffee and open the cupboard she is peering in and trying to climb down my arm wanting to climb in. From what I have read this is typical behavior for them when they are looking for a nesting location.

I have been trying to get some of the stuff she says on video but have had limited success. One of the funniest things she does is “leave messages” for the answering machine. What she does is mumble a bunch of gibberish with the occasional word here and there and then end with the “beep” of the answering machine. I did however get a recording of her imitation of a soda can being opened.

[ame="https://youtu.be/SJHg2Pqg5TA"]soda can - YouTube[/ame]

I also got a cute photo of her one day when I was eating a few Tootsie Rolls. She flew down to me (something she does very rarely) picked up a Tootsie Roll and went to town with it.

She did not eat any of it (or I would have taken it away without stopping for a photo) but tore it apart in bite size pieces (what a mess).

the tootsie roll by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

Bingo.

One main thing of note about Bingo.
His sinus issue is coming back. Last year in winter I noticed a nasal discharge of clear fluid. His breathing sounded like it had bubbles in it (best way I can describe it). I took him to the CAV 2/3 times about this but nothing was resolved and the medication given had little to no effect on the symptoms.
I have not seen any nasal discharge so far but I have been hearing the same noise when he breaths.
Because this is the second year in a row it has happened, I doubt it is an infection. The biggest change (aside from temperature) in the winter is that I have forced air heating and it dry’s the air out. I live in the high desert so the air is dry to begin with.

I am considering buying a large economy sized humidifier for the house in the hope this will help. I bought a small ultrasonic humidifier (at a pharmacy) but it’s not meant to be used in a large room so it was too little/too late so to speak.

This is ending up a rather long post so will stop here….. and leave you all hanging for an update (with pictures) of Luna & Merlin and how things are going with them.

As all professional authors say always leave them wanting more.
Texsize/Wes.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Wes, my house has a humidifier that puts water directly into the heat (my place also has forced hot air/oil fired furnace) and the water line for the humidifier runs off of my electric hot water heater. When it WAS working properly (problem with the float now,it'll over fill and leak) it made a big difference and also kept the dust down.


Ms Bella looks stunning. you'd never know she was such a plucker.

And the three zon's are doing pretty good! Well done Wes,well done!




Jim

 

[SailBoat]

We have a forced air heating system with a digital humidity control unit, which seems to keep the humidity in a tighter range. For the cottage, I purchased a large portable unit that has a capacity near three gallons, which depending on weather can last up to a couple of weeks with it set near 40 percent on the unit and stable on the Weather Station at 44 percent.

The prior home had no humidity system other than cooking and bathing. This home and the cottage system has greatly reduced sinus issue with everyone including the end of dry skin issues. I have become a huge believer in having all of us in a home with a reasonable amount of humidity.

 

[wrench13]

The Amazonian Times​

All the news that is fit to poop on​

Flash - Lead Editor and owner of The Times declares non-Amazon bias, and refutes any charges of specie-ism! Wes McFaden, in an interview with reporter Bella Gray, stated that The Times will continue it's policy of reporting ALL the news on ALL species, and that anything found to the contrary is just a bunch of horsefeathers!

 

[Laurasea]

Funny Wrench! Love the inclusiveness that The Amazon Times now representing! Textsize!

 

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Special Edition.

Luna & Merlin.

The short version is they aren’t getting along with each other. It’s more squabbling than fighting with each other but it is disappointing.

I think Merlin needs to mature more in order for him to be more compatible with Luna. I will continue to take things slowly. Letting them out at the same time to interact or not as they like.

Despite saying I was taking it slow I have put both birds in one cage for 20 min. closely supervised.
This is a picture of the two of them in Bingos cage.

Luna and Merlin in Bingos cage by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

Merlin is doing well on stepping up. He quickly steps up onto a wooden dowel. Stepping up onto a hand/finger he is reluctant but he is getting better.

Merlin has not started talking yet but he is imitating Luna’s noises. Luna talks to him when they are next to each other in their respective cages. She says her long drawn-out “hello” and spreads her tail and wing feathers out.

That’s about it for now. I do have a short video taken at the same time the photo was taken. I can upload it later on if you parrot junkies want to see it.

It’s just I have technical difficulties transferring stuff from my phone to my laptop.
I was tinkering with stuff on Windows 10 that I should have left alone and now when I plug in my phone the PC does not “see” the contents of the memory cards on the phone.


Texsize/Wes

 

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Going to start this post-holiday entry with Bella.

Bella has finally managed to achieve her longtime goal of getting into the cupboard. I know I should not let her do it. I know it's hormone driven nesting behavior.


But she sure does enjoy it and I have got some great pictures from it.


Bella in cupboard 1 by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

Bella in cupboard 2 by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

And as a reminder of how Bella looked 2 years and 1 month ago after I brought her how. I wish I could say I have made more progress but she is more/less stable with her plucking. I doubt she will ever stop completely but I know she is not doing it because of stress just habit at this point.

morning scratches. by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

Will have an update on Luna/Merlin later today with video.
texsize

 

[Laurasea]

Plucking is frustrating!!! Ugh I know!! Pretty funny pics, I'm glad she achieved her naughty goal of cabinet spelunking!! She looks right proud! My Penny was terrified of the other birds when I first got her, running away or biting, and now she has a budgie boyfriend lol, so things can change with Merlin and Luna. I'm a big fan of flock feeding on a big surface for everyone to mingle, has worked well for me.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

My computer desk had "cubby's" that I could store stuff in. Smokey would pick a cubby and throw whatever I had stored in it and make it her place to hang out while I'm on the computer. I guess it's true that Greys like places like that to hang out in.




Jim

 

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Well I meant to get to this yesterday but better late than never.

Luna and Merlin's interaction has gotten worse not better. that's the short version.

Someone posted info about introducing 2 birds to each other and the recommendation I was following was this. "If the birds start lunging at each other separate them right away"

They only interact with each other when out of their cages and on the tree-stand I have set up. At first this was ok. There was only trouble when one bird wanted to be where the other bird was. Now Merlin is getting more....aggressive. He chases after Luna and forces her to fly away. If she fly's and lands on a different part of the tree-stand he chases her. Only if she lands on something else does he leave her alone. Because Merlin can't fly he can't go after her.


There cages are still next to each other separated by 4/5 inches. The had been closer together but I moved Merlin into a larger cage and I have to allow space to open the door's for the food dishes.

Luna will scream at Merlin when he plays with his toys (the same way she would scream at Bingo) and when this happens I cover the side of her cage to block off her view. It never slows down Merlin at play, he completely ignores the noise.

Here is the video I promised. 2 things to keep in mind.
The angle I recorded this from makes it look like the birds are closer together than they really are.
When I record video with my cell the audio level is very low and hard to hear when played back. SO the volume of their chatter is louder than you might think for it to be so easily heard.
[ame="https://youtu.be/x-oPDBzoP7c"]Luna and Merlin talking - YouTube[/ame]



Bingo

Bingo is being his normal self. No sign of hormone's hitting him over the head. I bought a humidifier (box can be seen in video above) and I think it may be helping with his sinus problem he started developing like he did last year.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

When we lived at my house,Amy and BB's houses were on opposite sides of the living room. Here,the are virtually right next to each other. Before,amy would sit on her perch closest to BB's house and do the very irritating mating dance/head bobbing and would NOT leave that side of her house.
My brother has now used tie-wraps to secure and old bath towel to that side of her house to block her view. within days,she learned how to grab a corner of the towel with her beak and be able to pull it so she'd have room to stick her head in and see Beebers Now with about four tie wraps holding the towel,she can't pull it a side. Do you know,that NOW she is trying to chew on the tie wraps to break them so she can pull the corner again! David was like "WOW! that's one smart and determined bird! "



Jim

 

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Something has changed.
For the better.

2 days in a row I had Merlin and Luna out together for an extended period of time (more than 1/2 hour) without conflict.
Today Merlin almost went in to Luna's cage but changed his mind.

Also I have a new toy to use with all my Fids. The Amazons are most interested in it. I have some video and will post in the toy thread soon.
It's a real hoot.:04:

 

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Luna & Merlin progress report.

closer1-18-19 by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

The pair have been getting along better and better all the time. It's slow progress but progress none the less.

My standard routine is to open both cages at the same time and sit back and watch what develops.

At least twice Merlin has climbed into Luna's cage while Luna stayed inside. On one occasion this lasted 2 hours 45 minutes. Merlin spent some of the time playing with the toys in the cage.


Merlin frequently tries to fly to me but his feathers have not grown in yet from the clipping the breeder performed on him. He loves for me to pick him up and then I will sit with him clamped on to my finger (he has quit a grip). He usually makes use of this setting to exercise his wings (a lot) and poop on me (also a lot).