Upbeat - news

[ChristaNL]

Today was a :41:- moment.


Sunny was being an absolute unmannered not-so-lady.
(Yesterday she shed al lot of small feathers while getting scritches- so maybe this time she is truely molting? It is raining undamaged blue and yellow ones - verry pretty.)


Anyway- she hit me with her beak when I asked her to step up, and threatened to chomp down om me several times after that.
(I walked away a couple of times and ignored her of course- that is the fun thing about having more than 1 parrot -> just move on to the one that IS behaving itself, double profit: the culprit is succesfully ignored and also sees how the 'good example' gets all the nice positive attention.)
So Appie and I almost made it to the bathroom before she threw a tantrum, finally decided to "Hello?" us and earn a ride.

After that she was more than motivated to play nice - and could not wait to get into the bathroom and have a shower!!


I have told you guys before that splashing under/ next to the shower is the only place she wil voluntarily move her wings even slightly-


today she did half an upstroke!!!
REPEATEDLY


She stretched both her wings as far a the poorer one could go- and almost if she tried to fling the water up and away.
There was some real strengt in there as well, almost a propper beating wing.

And she was having a blast!




I could cry / burst for joy.
(got her some more alternative meds and they seem to work, and the warm weather probably helps too)

It is a babystep eh babyflap, but I really had to share with you.


SO HAPPY!

 

[TiredOldMan]

I do the same. If one is acting out I give attention to the other one.

 

[TiredOldMan]

I am also glad to hear Sunny is getting better.

 

[ChristaNL]

I am also glad to hear Sunny is getting better.

Thank you

It's a two steps forward, one/two/three backwards journey with her.


Wing seems to settle down- not really healing but getting somewhat in that general direction, she crashes on it (again), wing is a no-touch area again, back to square one, swelling goes down, still no touch and defensive/panic biting but wanting to play... and today this little gem!


Is this typical macaw?
Or "just Sunny"?

(I come from a world of african greys - it really is a different planet!)
Lots and lots of "drama" the highs and lows are a-ma-zing!
Never a dull moment!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Much wisdom here!

If the Rb isn't being nice, I will try moving on to his rival, and vice versa.

Heads, up boyz!

 

[ChristaNL]

Today a lot of yellow feathers came down and since it is really warm here ...another shower. I did not bring the greys- so it was not as much fun.
(Water splashing off an african parrot is far better bathingwater than the stuff straight from the taps or bouncing of a human ... )
But I got a few half-hearted flaps and some bonding time (she loves to have her beak brushed for some reason - so she has her own soft toothbrush for that ).


The evening cuddles were amazing in that she gave me her wings in my hand. :07:
(She only once handed me her sore wing before, but never both one after another)
So we are back to massages, light movements (passive and assisted) and I carefully tried some resistance exercises to build more muscles (only the wingopening part of course, real flapping gets on the menu when she lets me know she's ready to do them).
After that she let her wings down- (another first! :40: ) so she looked like a broody hen and got a TON of scritches all over her head and nek.

(This from a parrot who's default wingsetting was as high and tight as they would go. If she was a human she would have had the tops of the shoulders all the way up behind the ears and a pulled in neck.)


The new meds seem to be working (or she is just healing naturally/ or both).


Of course her day was not complete without sneakingly making a few extra holes in my last good skirt (don't wear your good clothes around her! ) so she is chilling and I am fixing... (well I should do some mending but the greys decided they want more scritches too ...)
If this is the price for progress ... come and get it!

 

[ChristaNL]

Still warm here (yup this global/local warming thingy is getting really popular) so a lot of bathing going on.

She is still not being nice btw; one moment she'll be a trusting cute macaw and without any issues or hesitation will step-up and join me, and a few minutes later she'll be hanging of the side of the cage taking a swipe at me as I pass her by.

Weird being!!

New development:
after getting soaked through and through she usually talks up a storm (and do *not* interrupt her/ do not talk back... she is rehearsing thank you very much, so be quiet plze)
but
I cut some fresh willow last friday and instead of ignoring it for months like she did the last batch -> she is gnawing away! \o/

She actually seems to taste the bark and enjoy it.
(like the greys do with cardboard -treat it like chewing-gum)

Happy!

 

[ChristaNL]

Melting macaw?

Not sure if the heat had something to do with it - it was ridulously warm here the past few days, for the Netherlands anyway
but we finally made it past the 100 degrees-mark \o/
(no, not thermometer-wise, Fahrenheit or Celcius)
just something the goniometer would tell you.

Her wristjoint ( https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/birds/inside-wing/ ) especially is a stiff and painfull mess and could not unfold more than 40 degrees when she came in.
The first bit -because she was just tense, in pain and her muscles were all cramped and knotted- was easy, so in a few weeks she was at 90 degrees -> unfolding a wing halfway-ish, the other joints were more pliable and forgiving.

(like having a pocket-knife stuck halfway opening up, nice but useless)

Last week she let me touch and even manipulate the little 'thumbfeather' for the first time ever --before that she always pulled it away, squealing in pain and sometimes even lunging at my fingers.

A few days ago we were doing something quite unrelated, but I decided to take a quick peek at how far she could stretch without any preperation, prestretches etc. and because she was frollicking around like a puppy was at first not exactly sure which wing I was holding.
*So* delighted to find that she not only got past the 90 degrees she'd been sort of stuck on for months now, she went up and by the looks of it over the 100!
So ... progress is still an option (and happening) \o/



Partytime!:music:
(again. We have many parties since she joined us.)
Cold drinks (hot if you prefer ) for everyone!

 

[ChristaNL]

Laughing my socks of today:

after giving me a complete and utter fright yesterday by falling of the table (again!! ) and turning it into a complete bloodbath by splitting one of her stumps (formerly known as tailfeather) she is on a double dose of painrelief'meds' and it paid off!

Today she was furiously playing, first with a small pastic bottle and later with one of those hard plastic balls with many holes and a smaller one inside (palmsized toy) and she completely rolled over!

She has never done a complete roll-over before by herself!
(she has been practising for months while grabbing my finger and levering herself over to her side and back and biting me because .... well ... reasons; mostly because then there is some weight on her painfull wings and if something hurts her it must be my fault, right? )

Anyway- there she was - lying flat on her back, both feet and beak busy with the toy and not a care in the world \o/
Manipulating the ball for all it was worth (and probably more), grabbing, twisting and swinging it about.
Marvelous sight!

Of course then came the dreaded moment of "wanting to turn back to the right side up" so I already steeled myself to be helpfull (and get bitten) once again.
(Yup, sometimes I am so noble it makes my hair hurt - evil grinnnn)
but she pushed off with both her wings and her head and got herself keel down, head up.
Of course then is was my fault her wings were (once again) painfull - but who cares: SHE DID IT!!


:40: she played upside down
:40: she got herself in that position and back again
:40: she used her wings for leverage (succesfully)


babysteps, babysteps ... I could not be prouder or happier
(is that even english? I don't care right now)

 

[ChristaNL]

This thread is starting to sound like of of those "all my days are filled with nothing but sunshine and rainbows" which of course is complete male cows manure.
My pinkyfinger is missing some skin because she misjudged between grabbing a toy midplay and my hand, my other forearm looks like Count Dracula had a go at it (she fell from the table playing and I caught her as much as she caught me) etc.etc. - but stating that ... its all minor.

Anyway- everytime I am "Oh I have to post about this, otherwise I will forget about it later" she does something just as amazing (or even more).


So... it's saterday (8:40 AM), already very warm (in house temp: 27,5 / aka 81.5 Fahrenheit) and we are told it will be getting near (human) bodytemperatures today.
Sunny has been playing with her plastic bottle (80%), stealing my tea and ripping up tissues for almost two hours :40: (most of it non-stop action)!

Is this really the same bird who sat there dazed and panting after just 5 minutes of tossing that same bottle around?
(only half a year ago)


There are actually some slight wingmovements (sideways) :40: when she throws herself offbalance \o/ \o/ \o/ -that really is a first, she usually clenches them tight to her body as to minimize the hurt.


(With her missing tail she ends up sitting on her butt a lot too, but that's okay, as long as she starts using those wings again! Losing that tailfeather unfortunately cost her a lot of her newfound balance, but it might be benificial too.)


Anyway- after she was burying shreds of tissues under the foot of the monitor and almost topling it when retrieveing... I decided she had enough fun for now and it was high time to eat and chill a bit.
Before I could say or do anything she gave *me* the "step up" command
(LOL)
(Yes, they read intention in humans very, very well)

Double fun, because the one time she really threatens (an sometimes follows through with a lunge and a chomp down) outside her cage is when I want her to stop playing and leave the finely shredded mess etc. she is having so much fun with.

(I have been working on that by calling "time out"s - picking her up/ letting her step up, place her on nearby perch and give her a pinenut or a cool-down drink and after a few minutes - with lots of praise of course- let her resume whatever she was doing.
Somehow she made the connection it is not all bad to be interrupted and that being defensive/agressive about it got her absolutely nowhere, where coorporation made her feel better: she got her rewards and -sometimes- even more fun.)

Big relief because she gets *so* focussed that she is about to overheat- she has to stop and pant away for a very long time.


I think this is the first time she gave me a clear (vocal) command in context - the greys order me about all the time of course - and I did not know she already could say that!.
So much better than her usual "you are going in the wrong direction"*chomp* or "hey, you are moving too slow"*chomp* or "hey, I bumped my tail against something"*chomp*
--those are getting quite tedious, so I hope we will pass that stage soon!
(of course she gets reprimanded at every chomp, but still, old habits die hard ... )
.

 

[bigfellasdad]

(Yes, they read intention in humans very, very well)

Yes, this amazes me so much, even Kelly has started to realise this too. For instance, if im having a beer or two, Enzo can burp at exactly the same time i do. She knows if im going out or staying in before i reach for my shoes or keys etc, 'bye'....



When you say, offer her wing, what do you mean please? Enzo when getting scritches will sometimes raise a wing a little and I usually ignore it or sometimes try and extend her wing feathers a little, i dont know what it means to be honest.


I also get commands thrown at me, 'Dad, come here!' or 'Dad, can you come here for a minute please?', it never gets tired...



Sounds like things are going really well for you all, so well done

 

[ChristaNL]

Thank you!



Well, you've probably seen how a macaw will just plunk her head against a human (some lovely photoos of that on the forum, I have none ...yet... )
and you know when they really put a foot on your finger or hand before they step up (or not) and mean it?
The no-stress, just trust "here is my foot".

Well, she does that with her wings sometimes - I had my hand near her body and was thinking about another round of massage/ streching or maybe see if she wants to move them with me... and she just turned around and put her wing there! *plunk*


Its that level of trust that makes you instantly go very quiet and humble inside.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Ok i understand now thanks. Enzo must be doing something different with her wing. Id love to interact with a macaw and get to know them, they sound fabulous. Enzo(CAG) wont put her foot or wing on me at all, she will lift her foot if she wants me to pick her up/step up though. She will also use her beak and pull or push my fingers/hand depending on what attention she wants. As far as cuddles go, yep she will drop her beak onto my upper arm and sit on me as she would nesting eggs, or simply just push her head into my chest and lean into me, this means she wants cuddles or a long scritch session. total trust indeed, you can see it in the eyes.

 

[ChristaNL]

....and here we go again (if I am going overboard with this- just tell me!)

This morning in the shower she did the half-flap again, she has been perch-potato/ bathsponge the last few days, so it was nice to see her more active.
There was a lot of stepping up and down and semi-flapping going on.
(half open wing flapping, only from the perch-height to a little bit above her back)
Babysteps again, but wonderfull none the less.

She has been *a lot* more active playing lately - so I tried if she could do without the meds yet ...
the answer was "no" - I have a beautifull fresh hole in my skin to prove that.
Today she decided to try pinching and tweaking (and breaking) my skin instead of just launching the enterhook in my arm.

"Variation is the spice of life" (do I have a literary parrot here? NOW I am scared! )

Hindsight tells me she was probably trying to communicate she was feeling antsy - but daft humans etc. ....
(It really takes such a long time to train humans I completely understand that some parrots really don't want to bother anymore.)


So glad I have been reading up on Birdman666's posts and now know I am not the only one whose macaw has a supersenstive tailarea.
It comes with the species apparently.
So...desensitizing the tail is back on the menu as the main course (well one of them anyway).
And maybe no more holes/ defensive/displacement-biting in the future.


Anyway- she is back in her cage again... because *I* need a time-out.
(I know, not fair!) Rethinking my little mistakes etc. (and yes, I admit, feeling a bit sorry for myself - it happens once in a while it's been a crazy day anyway. )
and while I was pondering on how to get her wings to the next stage with both of us intact...


:40: she decided to perform A WINGSTRETCH on her perch!!!!!!
WITH HER PAINFULL WING
something she has been avoiding like the plague since... well a long loooong time!
(The first time since we met at least.)


I know .... nothing special: every parrot does them regularly- but right now: I am almost crying!
This is major!

She is doing this all by herself and for herself, no rewards, no prompting, no manipulating;


............ just a parrot moving her wing ...............


.

 

[TiredOldMan]

I for one am far from tired of hearing your and Sunnys trials, tribulations, and successes

Keep 'em coming.

 

[bigfellasdad]

yep keep them coming, reading with interest and wishing you all well. She is definitely gaining in confidence it seems, also if a bird is not in full health it is going to tend to defend itself as much as possible id imagine, but could be wrong

 

[ChristaNL]

Well another small, small celebration.

She finally seems to be getting the hang of pressurebiting! :40:
(not her fault, I am not the best teacher in the world -- we both work with what we've got )

Since I am somewhat daft (in her eyes anyway?) she really explained it to me: slo-wly and care-fully.
I am not kidding!
Yesterday she was playing (she always demands I clear the table for her ) and everytime she grabbed my finger or hand she did so in almost slow motion and made a point of biting down with an extra extra light pressure.
All the while looking me straight in the eye "did you see that?!" - "how am I doing?"

(usually she focuses more on what's in her beak, or the toys, not me)

... that or she is being a complete and utter cutie:
I have a serious cold/ light flue atm (and only 0.something degrees below a fever)
so she could be extra nice because of that ...

I don't care (gift horses etc.) -she is being extra carefull with me!
I feel honoured.

(and slightly like I've been run over by a truck, several times -> but thats the virus, not the parrot)

-

She is also more into taking hold of finger/ piece of skin and pulling it towards her if she wants attention, to step down of her perch or wants to go anywhere else and she needs a ride
... so much more fun -- opposed to her old method of just lunging and slamming that grappling hook in my arm or hand.
Grinn, she is once again copying the CAGs (Appie uses this technique if she feels neglected) -- and I am glad!

 

[ChristaNL]

just a silly thing - I'd like to make a note of.

After the appearence of The Egg
(18-8-2018, or 8-18-2018 as you would say it in your part of the world)
things went on as usual.

Once again: no she cannot do without her meds yet-
I missed a day because of chaos and had to pay the price.

Today she was in the shower with me and Appie. No flapping/playing but she kept stepping up again and again to sit full in the spray, beak parked against my shoulder as usual.
At one point she relaxed so completely one of her feet slipped of my arm. :52:
Not sure if she fell asleep or not. (Could not see.)


She is fiercely competative with the greys about the aviator ... something about the greys earning "her" snacks ?
So even after getting in full panickmode after she ran into it and got stuck and I had a difficult few moments in trying to get it of her
(she was even falling over and grabbing it /and my fingers, autch!/ with her beak and feet)
- she just went immediately back to it and stuck her head in the loop again. :40:

She always reminds me of those crazy gulls in "finding Nemo"
*mine* *mine* *mine*


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6XT7FDSdn8"]Finding Nemo Clip: "Seagulls, Mine! Mine! Mine!" - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ChristaNL]

socializing?

LOL, today my more parrot-timid friend came over ... and not only handled Japie (spontaniously - that was a first! Maybe he'll turn into a parrotperson yet ) but also was okay with Sunny coming out of her cage and even tried to play (keeping his fingers away of course - he is cautious, not crazy).

Grinn it's amazing how she dwarfs the greys in peoples minds.
No more "whoa look at those beaks, are they safe?!" when the supersized version is in the cage next door ...
(yup, they get caged when visitors arrive/ not everyone is comfortable with them flying around etc.)



Anyway- after clamouring for her share of attention she sat on my lap being kind of nervous again (she had not seen him for a few weeks), but sort of relaxed after a short while and very carefully came out a bit closer to gnaw on a cardboard-tube (we both held it for her, alternating) and even got to accept the throwing-toy from him several times and during that play actually sit between us on the couch for a bit at the time (she kept running back to my lap, and that is okay to -> plenty of reassurance to go around here).

After blowing off steam she was okay with some wingmanipulation.
(Back on my lap of course)

Lately she has taken to pulll both of her wings up (like a sharks back-fin) and half spread them upwards in a stretchy move.
(synchronized movements are difficult for her- one wing has been so much less mobile than the other she has completely lost coordination there)
Of course I will try to help her to get them al the way there (eventually).
But she is like a toddler now in "I want to do this myself!" , she tries and tries and I think it is great!
The more active she is with her wings the better!
She also went along with the wings low and stretch them as far as you like- and she could show off her progress that way. It was great.

I could even show him her little thumb-feather moving independently again (he is really into airplanes, so there was a lot of comparing going on) - those joints are getting so much more mobile, it is amazing!


:07:
I am very gratefull for this one from Arika
(thank you WakaWaka!! http://www.parrotforums.com/incredi...ird-lovers/72470-arika-s-world-beginning.html )


[ame="https://youtu.be/FM0_YL25j3o"]SlowMo Wings 13 weeks old - YouTube[/ame]


this gives me a good insight in how far Sunny still has to go if she wants to reach full mobility.
(I constantly feel so inadequate & unsure / even after reading up on a *lot* of wingrelated studies etc.etc. I still am not very competent at the whole wing-rehab. - always secondguessing myself and looking for a beter way.)
(seen from above) She makes a sort of stretched out \_/\ O/\_/ shape a.t.m.; going for ____O____ eventually of course (full stretch) if her joints can/will allow it.


Her losing her tail (again) might be a good thing for her wing-use...
she is really putting them into play when I transport her on my hands/ wrist/arms for extra balance.
I still suspect she must have been able to fly at some point in her life- she shows all the signs of having some (more than just instinctual) faith in her wings.

So she will not sit like a stiff, stuffed bird anymore- with her wings clasped as tight and close to her body as they could possibly be (and almost topple over because of it) - right now she goes in a semi-crouch, wings partly spread out and down. (You see baby-birds sitting a lot almost like this.)

All she needs now is a surfboard and a few good waves... if you get the picture

 

[ChristaNL]

I finally start to understand men when they roll their eyes and sigh * Women!!*

Sunny is being ..what is the right word ....fickle ?

Sunday she casually murdered my computerscreen,
Monday she did great at the aviator-minutes (finally slowing down a tiny bit) and talked up a storm.

Yesterday she acted a huge part of the day like she really hated me-
it got to the point where she was hacking into me every opportunity she had and even tried a bonecrush (autch- that one still hurts) around my forearm and I had to park her on the floor 3 times in a row and shunn, not just for her own good but also because... well I was about losing it.
(yup- still on the walk of shame about that one. :08: I should be able to handle this better.)

Today... she almost had a reboot or something.
For the first time ever she made huge progress with the aviator (a good thing because she is also tearing it apart rapidly between sessions).
She actually active singled out the smaller loop herself, and held her head still in place -> (snacking of course) for 2 or 3 nuts munchtime :40: instead of grabbing a cedarnut and back-pedal as fast as she possibly can, almost leaving trackmarks on the tabletop and sometimes a beaktrack in my hand.
I did not believe my eyes!
So she did it again (those dumb humans alsways need a *lot* of explaining) - loop way past her eyes, almost past her entire head (she freaks out about anything weird touching shoulders- with her wingissues who wouldn't ?) and being chill about it.
Stepping !! back like she was completely in controll of everything.
"I got this" :40:

After that of course she needed to blow of steam- so playtime! (By herself) And cuddles after.


She is shedding the smaller feathers again- so maybe that would account for some of the crankynes?
The weather turned from ridiculously warm to not so comfy (chilly) anymore- so I think the birds might start to regrow some (winter)down as well.

After/ in beween cuddles a bit of wingwork of course.
...we overshot bedtime... so I got some snacks out (pieces of nice ripe prune) to get Appie back in the cage first (she is the easy one) - and Sunny decided all of a sudden that prune was safe and good to eat as well.:40:


Then the stupid human forgot Sunny has "dont take food away from me" issues - and decided to bring the piece of prune and macaw to the cage at the same time ...
(its what I do with Appie: give her the snack and put her back // I forgot Sunny wants another approach)
and started by picking up the piece of fruit (she just started eating) first.
well .... Sunny was *not* amused but... no bitefest!!
There was some strubbeling, but she accepted that I held the fruit for her, and after 1 misfire actually did a wonderfull step-up! So She and the fruit (the prune, doh) got to the cage in one piece.:40:
Another miracle!


First the nice day, then the aviator and now... no more food-fighting ?!
(outside the cage at least)
I still do not believe this! :07: