We met our new baby Saturday!

[Harlow]

Noblemacaw - just let me know when the time comes and I'll go cuddle your baby! Doesn't take much arm twisting to convince me to go hang out with the birdies on a Saturday. We were the first ones there yesterday and the last ones to go - just love those folks!

Anyhow - our baby grew a ton this past week! Off to a little bit of a rough start, they handed me my baby and then asked me to pet the Green Wing who my Harlequin is "cage mates" with. The Green Wing decided we were the best friends ever and my Harlequin decided I was the worst thing ever. I tried not to cry, asked Dee if the Green Wing was spoken for (maybe yes, maybe no) and sat there wondering if maybe the Green Wing was meant to be ours. Someone else arrived and wanted to hold the GW, as soon as I passed that baby off, my Harlequin was like "OK! Thank you! NOW, let's cuddle and not invite intruders" so I felt terrible for even having the thought of changing my mind. That GW is a sweetie though, told my husband if we happen to have a bunch of extra $ fall into our laps, I know what I'd get!

DNA results should be back Monday or Tuesday - I was talking to my baby and being silly and said "Grind your beak if you're a girl, or make a noise if you're a boy" and almost instantly had beak grinding. A few minutes later I said "Make a noise if you're a girl or grind your beak if you're a boy!" and let's just say the squawk was so loud everyone turned to see what was going on. Then I went through the list of names I was considering (if she was telling the truth and IS female!) and she had no response to any of the "runners up" on the list. The one I'd been just about set on was the one she turned her head to and when I said it again she started chattering at me. This will be a great story to remember if the DNA supports the female thing. Otherwise, birdy and I need to have a talk!

Onto the photos - I'll update this thread weekly with progress shots!

Baby had just been fed so was pretty sleepy!

Once she woke up, she was extremely aware and curious.

We worked on perching..

Looking at each other strangely..

She decided to attempt to perch on my arm. Was frustrated a bit by not figuring out her balance immediately, but with my hand on her back she did really well after a few minutes!

And of course lots of cuddling!

Photos with my good camera right before we left (note to self: use this more, cell phone MUCH LESS)

"Don't I wear my food well??"

Ok, that was a ton of photos, sorry!

 

[Chesphoto]

I love the last photo. Way too cute!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh no....please don't be sorry for posting photos. NEVER be sorry about that. WE LOVE IT!!!!

 

[Blancaej]

Love love love the photos!

 

[calieckies]

awesome photos

 

[Harlow]

Well, the DNA testing came back and the macaw is a male. As someone who had been on the wait list a bit longer wanted only a male, it was mutually agreed on that this baby would go to that family. I had originally said I was open to gender, but truly had my heart set on a female for some reason. While I loved that baby, I realized we didn't have any actual connection as of yet. I was drawn to the baby Green Wing who I played with, but s/he had been reserved by a great lady over the weekend. There are two more Harlequins coming up so we wouldn't have had much of a wait, providing one was a girl but I kept having a nagging feeling that I "missed" with the type of macaw I thought I wanted.

There was another macaw there that I've handled several times and joked with my husband we needed, but he wasn't exactly on-board at first as we're moving next month. He was quick to tell me we didn't need "one more body to move!" and while I agreed and let it go, it's been nagging at me since.

After a great deal of thought (my brain has been a busy, busy place since this all happened Tuesday!) and emailing back and forth with Dee, I've learned that I need to go with my gut more than I do! It's very likely our new baby will actually be coming home on Saturday, with my husband's support and understanding, I'll have one more body to move!

While I could be very sad it didn't work out for that Harlequin to come home with us, I've realized that What's Meant To Be Will Be. And our Macaw is the absolute perfect fit for our family, even if she needs to endure a 23 mile move in a month. I'm pretty sure if there were a dictionary entry for "perfect macaw" you'd see her beautiful face pictured nearby, and am pretty sure she'll treat the half hour drive to the new house as the Best Adventure Ever.

I can't wait to introduce her to you all once she's home! :red:

 

[noblemacaw]

I am sorry things are working out differently but in the end I believe it WILL work out for the best. Dee knows what she is doing. She has unselfishly help guide me in several parrot care situations I was a bit fuzzy on. It was because of her I feel very comfortable with our next flock member being of the amazon species. I have never been an amazon person although I really like them I just never thought I would be the right kind of amazon person to live with one.

Dee also helped me realize that Julio my 9 year old rescue Noble macaw needs a smaller cage than what he is now. I am going for a cage with as near as the same measurements of width and depth that he is in now but need the grate to be higher up than I have in the Deltona. With the help of my local parrot supplier friend I have found a cage I can be happy to buy for Julio. I think he will be feel more secure in this cage. With his limitations of balance the higher grate will give him less of a fall.

Orginally I wanted to adopt another parrot in need. I did have the opportunity to help a member with her needing to place her White Front amazon but I could not get the funds needed quick enough to help her with her amazon. The soonest I could travel with the needed SUV to bring back the amazon's cage was this fall when the hot weather cooled. I could not ask her to wait for me as that was not fair.

I gave up with the idea of adding the third flock member until I went back to work and was able to have the extra funds to save and prepare properly for the new parrot. Slowly I began to think Valentino and Julio were going to be it for me.

With the help of Dee and her willingness to work with my timetable I now can move forward with adding the third and last member of our flock family. With a lot of thought, discussion, research and Dee taking the time to learn about our family and our needs we have decided the Panama amazon will make the best fit for our family. I want to get back into pet therapy work and apparently the Panama is a calm enough parrot to be trained well for this kind of work. Even if the new flock member does not work out for pet therapy this species will make the best fit for us. Dee placed a Panama with a family with an autistic child and it is working out very very well with them.

I don't know if I missed it in your post but which species of macaw is your baby going to be? I am just dying to know.

It WILL work out. I know it will because Dee is so very good with what she does.

 

[calieckies]

Im sorry about your Macaw it was very nice of you to be ok with the other family as they have been waiting. I am sure you will get your Macaw when it is your time. There is another one out there who needs your family.

 

[Harlow]

She's a Green Wing.