Willow’s spring thread

[Cottonoid]

Oh my word these two are especially adorable!!!

 

[HeatherG]

I love taking photos with my iPhone. It works so well. And Willow was sooo handsome, posing shyly with his foot and then showing his lovely plumage. I just swapped the “foot” photo with a sleepy foot photo, the other foot photo is under “I wanna hold your beak” thread.

Cleaning after the bath made his cage so nice, too. Now I think I will go on to Jasper’s cage and bath/shower.

 

[HeatherG]

I moved a flexible wood ladder that had bisected Willow’s cage, in order to clean it, and now Willow is stepping up onto a hand towel or a stick.

I’m going to shorten the stick so it’s less bulky, and then I’ll leave it by his cage to step him up out of the cage.

Don’t know why the ladder made the difference, and I’ve gotta put it SOMEWHERE, but not in the middle of his cage, I guess.

 

[HeatherG]

It’s noon on Friday, a dark and stormy day. Willow is on his basket on my lap and crunching his beak. We practiced stepping up onto a stick so W can come out of his cage easier. The stick is not as upsetting as my hand when it appears in his cage.

Willow seems sleepy and I think we’re both ready for a nap. I had been trying to sleep on a nasty box spring for the last couple of months. Man am I sore! A new mattress was delivered this morning and I hauled the old box spring out. So I think we are both going to crash in the middle of the day.

Willow smells so nice after his really good bath yesterday. And he’s so soft and fluffy. I need to finish wiping down both cages today and they will look so shiny and clean. Then I can put out more toys from chewy and bonka bird toys.

 

[HeatherG]

Here’s Willow after stepping up from his cage onto the perch I trimmed today. He will step up onto it without getting quite as upset as if I put my hand in his cage. It takes some fussing and bribes (today, a raisin) but he will step up and we don’t have to struggle.

Willow was about to explode with noise, since Jasper was out on the bird tree in my bedroom. So now he’s on my shoulder; I’m wearing a t-shirt dress and he seems steady and comfortable. He’s walking from shoulder to shoulder and licking my neck. Oops! Now climbing down my arm and onto my hand which he’s licking.

Back to the shoulder. I feel him wag his tail, so he’ll be all right.

 

[HeatherG]

It seems that Willow would much rather be on his basket. I will have to work on this shoulder business.

 

[HeatherG]

My long lasting cold is better, and I’m more active. Consequently, my “quiet” birds are being more loud and squawky.

Willow stepped up perfectly this morning, when he was hungry, but just now he refused to step up on the handheld stick though he’d been scolding me to come get him.

I think if Willow wants “out” maybe he leaves his favorite perch at the top back of his cage and comes to middle or front perch to be picked up via stick? Or still, maybe it’s SOO exciting that I’m by His cage that he has to run back to the favorite perch and look tough.

Quakers are confusing.

Now he is fluffed on his basket on my lap, standing on one foot, crunching his beak. I feel about the same. This was a busy week and I haven’t slept well.

 

[HeatherG]

We had another lovely step up this afternoon and a nice long face to bird snuggle, finally interrupted by noise from a garbage truck next door scaring Willow. I am sure he connected the noise with the disturbing mechanical arm but he started doing the Quaker alarm screech and then flew surprisingly well out of the room.

I didn’t figure it out until I heard the beeps from the truck backing up and then realized what scared him.

For a while I had to pet with BOTH HANDS while Willow snuggled with my nose. Then I was allowed to read on my phone. I am sniffly and headachey today and the nice warm bird against my face felt good.

I found Willow on the hallway floor and carried him back to his cage. Then I had bird time with Jasper, who is now quiet and content.

 

[HeatherG]

Mr W stepped up as nice as could be today and now we are having some Bird Time before my 1:00 zoom meeting.

I was feeling lousy all week and am finally feeling ok today. I have a lot to do in terms of errands. I wonder if I could sneak Willow into the library under my hair? Lucy used to go lots of places with me but sometimes she would make a noise and I’d pretend to sneeze. I don’t know if it worked but we never got thrown out of anywhere.

Willow just pecked my typing finger so I’ve gotta get back to petting bird.

 

[HeatherG]

Today Willow is angry because I didn’t share Nerds candies with him. He’s staring at the box and begrudgingly nibbling some pellets. Which are not brightly colored nor sugary.

Lucky that I didn’t let him taste the candy or he might not eat pellets ever again.

I suppose I could fill the empty box with pellets?

Anyhow, he was getting antsy and I didn’t have any water with me so I put him back in his cage.

Stormypica had a cute video of a budgie bathing in its owners hands under a faucet and I would like to try that with Willow. He got his cage and dresser so wet when he took a bath in his cage. Also we haven’t been outdoors in a long time so I think we will do that this weekend.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow came to live with me on August 10, 2020. That means it is nearly time for a party!

I realized today that I love Willow a lot and I feel a bit guilty…like I am betraying Lucy and her memory. ?

 

[cnyguy]

Lucy will always be with you, in your heart and your thoughts, and nothing will ever replace her. Think of Willow as someone new you've made a part of your life rather than a replacement or substitute for Lucy. Maybe that will help ease your mind and your conscience.

 

[HeatherG]

Today we match!

Delete photo of poster

 

[HeatherG]

I have Willow’s basket balanced on my tummy as I read. He has decided that is close enough and is busily crunching his beak and all fluffed up. Now his eyes are closing…crunch crunch crunch…

I had another biting incident with Jasper yesterday, tried again today and he did ok until I thought “I’ve managed long enough. I should return him to his cage before he bites so we end on a positive note.” And jasper didn’t like going back in his cage and bit me. This time it didn’t really cut but it is still discouraging. I would like to be able to relax with Jasper as I can with Willow.

I hear Jasper making talking noises from his cage so we will try again soon.

A blue puffball is much easier to manage than a grey and green guy with a sharp beak!

 

[HeatherG]

Guess who came out on his own today!

I opened the cage door and shook Willow’s treat jar and he soon came down to the door on the cage front. (While I fed Jasper his half of the fruit.) I asked Willow to step up onto my bare hand and he did.

He just finished the dried mango and is destroying half a nutriberry. Maybe we will go for a walk or sit outside for a bit.

I sent the “matching” photo to Willow’s last owner and a brief note. I wanted her to know he is well (while not being stalky).

She was very happy to hear from us and said that he has all his feathers which means he’s happy. I think Willow looks really good and has become a bit more outgoing! But he has always been a love bug.

 

[HeatherG]

Just now, Willow was eating a tiny piece of dried pineapple while sitting on his basket handle. I asked,”can I have a bite?” and put my mouth near his foot and made munching noises. Willow squawked in anger and finished his pineapple quickly!
I laughed.

Poor Willow!

We also play “got yer beak” using my thumb. I don’t THINK he believes I’m taking his beak but sometimes he gives me a funny look.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow came scrambling out of the cage on his own today! He was on his big manzanita branch and I asked him to step up. He was ok with that.

Willow is having a feather explosion! He is definitely molting! I rescued a few of the prettiest feathers from his cage and got a pinch on the arm for my troubles. He’s dropping clipped wing feathers and long tail feathers daily. I’ve been saving some of the more beautiful ones; I used to make earrings out of them and I’d like to do that again. I have so many feathers saved up over 25 yrs of birds… sometimes it seemed they got chewed by moths, but in the last few years I’ve put a bit of powdered borax in the box with them.

Willow had a shower today and is drying off right now. He looks so sad and bedraggled when he gets out of the shower. We didn’t make it outside to Sun dry, but it’s quite warm in my apartment so he was fine.

No bites from Jasper today or yesterday. But I need to clip his nails. Willow keeps his nails chewed down shortish but Jasper does not and really hates clipping. As a Meyers parrot he’s a bit too big for me to hold in one hand and clip with the other.

I am working to get Willow comfortable handing a little kitty ball because I think we could learn some tricks. I hope. I still don’t have a clicker and I wonder if I need one if my verbal praise (rewards) are quick. He’s learned to potty on paper or in a basket/garbage can just with my praise.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow was out with me a half hour ago, and now he is complaining in his cage that I’m ignoring him. He has a funny singing or talking sound that sounds like “goo goo goo”.

I think Willow would enjoy being ON ME or the basket on my lap most of the time.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow has been with me for TWO YEARS!!

I was singing “happy hatchday!” to him today. Willow is about 9 years old.



We have a package from Chewy that has not been shared out yet. Both boys will get a surprise!

We had fresh sweet corn for lunch and Willow got four kernels of his very own! He is now grooming me, looking for extra corn.

Hatchday photos to come soon!

 

[cnyguy]

Ralph, Scooter and I wish a Happy Hatchday/Gotcha Day to Willow and you.