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Peanut, a very little parrot in central Michigan, has been feeling poorly. Bug doesn't know how much significance this little Greenrump Parrotlet has - he was among the many factors in the decision to bring Bug home instead of continuing my search for a good parakeet breeder.
The internet forum equivalent of well wishes is something called 
, at least in parrot circles. That hardly seems adequate in Peanut's case. This bird is too important for little gif images; I want to send actual medicine!
Here's hoping Peanut is up and flying again soon.
I'm still amazed that his person got got the above photograph. Bug goes by too fast to be photographed.
Editors Note, 9/6/06: Peanut didn't make it. I don't know what this means for the universe but Pamela, Peanut's person, could use your poofs now.
I think it might be time to rebrand the blog. I've struggled with the Why blog? question off and on - burning desire to post cute pictures? share my witty remarks? express outrage? habit?
When I first started this, I had just adopted Little Miss Cuteness (a.k.a. Bug, left) and was an avid reader of the Finster F-log. In the beginning, most of the entries were about Bug. However, there's a major flaw in a blog about Bug - she has a pretty simple life and doesn't say much that's quotable (there are peeps of happiness, peeps of contentedness, peeps of eating euphoria, peeps of irritation, peeps of "yer not skritching the right spot", peeps of "hey, where'd you go?", and peeps of "let me out", there are also some grunts that have similar meanings).
The F-log has bunches of finches and the Master of the Universe (a.k.a. Peanut). I, on the other hand, have political and issue content, the occasional home renovation, and miscellaneous life observations . . and, apparently, and identity crisis. So, out of 192 entries, only 58 of them are about Bug (I didn't count, the script counts entries by category).
So, if Bug Blog doesn't really reflect the blog, what does? Discuss.
This picture: 
of Bug chasing my pen and generally being adorable is the #2 search result for "parrotlet" on Yahoo Image Search. Cool. Her rank isn't moving up at all on the Google image search though. What's up with that? If you search for "parrotlet, Bug", she's all over the place, but that seems like cheating.
Given that this picture: 
is #21 when searching Google for Jen Mueller and there's no chance you'ld get me at all if instead of my name you searched for "woman" or "human", Bug's fame on species search is that much more impressive. Oh well, she's definitely cuter.
This 
photo of Bug won her a gift certificate in a wet bird contest to Greyfeathertoys.com and now we will buy her this: 
Whoa.
It's been so long since Bug made an appearance on the Blog that she wasn't even on the main page anymore -- the injustice -- the indignity -- the outrage.
Well, there's not much going on in Bug's life and too much going on in Mac & Jen's. It is self evident that Bug's people spend way to much time staring at computers and muttering about schoolwork and no where near enough time playing with her. She gets out regularly and wreaks little green havoc wherever she can, but still no blog entries. She might worry that her public misses her (probably not, but you might miss her anyway). This isn't even really a Bug entry, but it will have to tide you over.
Remember Spike II? (little red fish on the left)
Well, Spike's habitat hadn't been looking so sparkely lately. So, back when I did that big fish tank clean (last Friday), I gave Spike's tank a good cleaning too. A couple days later, he got a technology upgrade.
Here's Bug checking it out: 
How long do you think that nice, blue silicone hose is going to last? The bubbles are fascinating too, by the way.
(click on the picture for a zoomed out view if you need more context)
I'm really not sure what's gotten into her today.
She stayed there for quite a while. Occasionally, as my hair failed to hold her 1oz weight, she'd slide down and then have to climb back up. Very strange feeling.
But, at least she's not chewing on the keyboard.
Sorry abou the picture quality. It's difficult to photograph the back of your head without waking up the parrotlet hiding there.
It's back to school time so folks are buying my used books. Bug thinks that paper and tape are very interesting.
The Wiggle-Neck Dance, or regurgitating to the object of ones affection, is a known phenomenon among parrotlet owners.
Bug occasionally regurgitates to people she likes. Tuesday evening, however, she tossed her cookies. That's weird. When she didn't seem right on Wednesday morning, it was off to the vet.
The long and short of the poking, prodding, needles and discussions was that Bug spent three days at the vet's in the little carrier. She got something called a crop wash - bet that was fun.
Several doses of antibiotics and laxatives (to flush things out) later, she's back home with no definitive cause of the vomiting. She doesn't seem worse for wear but is a little clingy.
My next adventure is to reconcile the visa statement. Bug is insured and some of our expenses this week should be covered (phew). Full analysis pending.
Bug has come along on our summer family visiting tour.
Isn't she cute. She travels rather well but not particularly lightly.
In addition to a cage, she has a basket of food and toys. Doubtless she over packed, but she's young yet.
It was quite hot which means that Mac and I had to take turns visiting rest-stops. A few minutes in a closed up car on a mid-July afternoon wouldn't be particularly good for little Miss. Bugness. Other than that, the drive was uneventful.
We subscribe to a CSA, a community-supported agriculture project. Ours Bull Run Farm originally because Leigh delivers in front of the PIRG office. Every week, he brings vegetables. You basically get whatever is in season and Leigh grows a wide variety of stuff. Early in the season, there's greens and herbs and, from July to October, there's lots of squash and peppers. Peppers are easy, but Mac hates squash. I like squash ok and Bug's really into it (especially slivered and offered by hand). How much do you think she can eat?
I think I enjoyed the Ebo movies more than Bug. Ebo is a cockatiel who's favorite phrases include "Good, Ebo", "Ebo", and "Boo". I especially enjoyed the "Ebo Ebo Ebo" song and "Ebo's interview as a presidential candidate". Bug felt the need to lunge at the screen a few times.
Probably not . . . . and when he stops scritching your head, you can go back to preening his leg hairs.
The fun just never stops.
Somewhere on this blog, I've mentioned that I feed Bug something called "pellet cookies". It's basically ground up parrot food, nuts, flour, egg, and juice baked into cookies. Bug loves them but we're all out.
I'm planning to make more tonight but we're also trying something new. It's a prepared birdie bread mix called Pro Grow. It has quite a fan club of parrot owners who think the stuff is much better than pellets. There's a whole big controversy about pellets where some parrot breeders/owners think pellets are terrible and the pellet companies think they are perfect nutrition. I'm not convinced either way.
Pellet companies are out to make money, yes, but several of them were started by vets saddened to see parrots dying of malnutrition, or that's the story anyway. And, a number of the people trashing pellets are pushing their own products, granted, unlike pellets, few alternative products claim to be a complete diet. One guy from England who prefers seed/table food+supplements makes an interesting argument that half the problem is that they do have to be 90% of the diet or the parrot won't get the necessary vitamins and most breeders in the U.S. don't do that. The person who makes Itty Bitty Birdie Bites has a nice list of links trashing pellets here.
My take on it is that Bug eating only pellets would be comparable to me eating only grapenuts (visually, too). I could subsist on grapenuts. I might even get all the recommended daily allowances for the major vitamins. But, I'd be bored silly and would be missing out on nutrients only available from fresh food. However, I do eat a lot of grapenuts, practically a bowl every day. So, Bug gets pellets and fresh food and seeds and sprouts and baked goods . . . . I try to mix it up to keep her flexible.
Back to the Pro-Grow: This stuff is kind of weird. You can't really see from the picture, but it's greenish. That's probably the spirolina.The little red dots are a pellet I added (Can you hear the anti pellet people gasp?) for texture variety. I had intended to make two batches, one with peas and one with strawberries. But, I figured that by the time the peas/strawberries, which start out frozen, get baked for 90 minutes at 350 degrees, get frozen again because it will take Bug six months to eat a whole loaf, and then get re-thawed when I'm ready for it, it's probably not much of a nutritional supplement. Plus, adding a few cups of the fruity pellets was just really easy.
Man, I hope Bug likes it because the smallest package, 2lbs, makes a heck of a lot of birdie bread. I'll keep you posted.
Okay, I had to share this next picture because it happened while I was typing the entry. This morning, I left the bird food sitting onto the china cabinet instead of putting it inside. As I typed a blog entry about bird food, Bug flew over to the china cabinet to investigate. When she couldn't break into the container holding the "Just Fruit", of which she distinctly prefers the small berries, she tried to stare her way into the jar holding the oat groats.
It worked! I opened them up and gave her a few. . . . . . after I took the picture. (Later, I even gave her a berry.) Click on the picture for a close up a Bug.
We knew it was only a matter of time before Bug out-smarted us.
Today she really wanted what Paul was eating . . . . in the kitchen. So, she hopped to a chair and considered her options. Then, she flew under the curtain that we use to separate the kitchen from the dining room.
hmmm.
It's a good thing she's cute. Unfortunately, that's not going to help her as she gives us imploring looks from inside the cage whenever anyone is cooking anything and, with four adults in the house, that can be often.
We haven't been all that careful about putting Bug into her cage when folks do little things in the kitchen, like make tea, as long as someone is watching Bug. Guess that's gotta' change. (BTW- there's always someone watching Bug or she is in her cage.)
On another note, we discovered that the only thing necessary to make this basket interesting (It's been ignored for well over a month.) is to put hundreds of little hole-punch holes in it. Suddenly, not only are the holes interesting, it's got all these cool colorful dangly things (shh - they were there before).
On web sites like Parrot Strut, there are frequent posts about birds reaching hatchday milestones and occasionally photos of parrots in party hats. This raises a number of questions:
Do parrots tell time? They are very in tune to light-dark cycles and seasons but do they perceive an annual calendar.
Can they tell the difference between a new toy and a birthday toy especially since, as far as I can tell, everything around them belongs to them anyway?
Are there even party hats in Bug's size?
Am I a bad birdie slave because I don't think this little green parrotlet needs a party?
What do you think Bug?
'Nuf said.
We had been moving the cage away from the wall, radiator, china cabinet, etc. but, as far as we can tell, these are the Indiana Jones's of the rodent world and they don't let mere 12 inch gaps get between them and their midnight snacks. They like the pellets so much, that they have been avoiding the traps (baited with peanut butter and birdseed) in the kitchen.
The problem (besides the "eww, that's not sanitary" factor) is they keep Bug up at night. She's very cranky if she doesn't get a full nights sleep.
While I read Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and The Motorcycle just like most 10 year olds and have qualms with the brutality of spring traps, the mouse crossed the line.
So, the other night I carefully locked all of the doors to the cage, covered it, and surrounded it with mousetraps. Tom said it was birdie-Alcatraz. One mouse down, ? to go.
It's spring. She's a year old next week. Tom lets her chew on his hair and pets her through the cage bars. He's really cool and is the current object of Bug's infatuation.
All I get is snarky teenage parrotlet. "Go away, Mom. You're so embarassing."
This is Tom. He's one of our housemates. Until very recently, he was evil. That seems to have changed. Let's take a closer look.
Guess he's not so evil afterall.
Oh that "never the two shall meet" . . .
His name is Spike II (We already had a betta named Spike but it is a good name and I wasn't feeling particularly creative the day a got Spike II.) Bug is very interested in his tank. Spike is very interested in Bug. When she wanders around his tank, he struts his stuff and flairs his fins. This is as close as they should ever get.
Doesn't really need words but aren't they cute?
Bug has many toys. Unfortunately, I think some of her toys are mine. 
We had a conflict over this pen 
which bug felt should be shaken to bits and I felt should be used to make macro-economics notes.
And when she wasn't satisfied being cute on the play stand
I did something I do every few days . . . I made her more toys.
In the wild, parrots would spend a lot of time foraging for food. In my house, Bug's food is served in stainless steel dishes so I make her foraging toys to spice things up.
Under Bug's watchful eye, 
I put a few sunflower seeds in a treat cup, covered them with pistachio shells (washed and dried, of course). I put a few hot peppers in another, and covered them with scraps of paper. Then, I put a nutraberries treat in a third cup.
Then I hid the treats under strips of paper (tape on the back, out of the way of beak). Ta DAH! A toy with food inside!
But then . . . the mail came with a package of food and toys from Choppers Toys!
The jelly bracelet (w/almonds) and cellophane balls are clearly a hit. (We also got a big bag of sunflower seeds but I hid that.)
I stay home two days during the week to "study". Bug likes to distract me. This is how I cope - I turn the dining room table into an obstacle course/parrotlet playground to keep her occupied (sort of).
Objects from left to right.
Still, Jen's head is a pretty good place to be.
Every
once in a while, I use the fabulous invention, ebay,
to get rid of stuff I'm no longer using - but then I have to ship it.
Wrapping packages involves bubble wrap, brown paper bags, crinkly paper, and packing tape. After about a half our of "helping" this morning, poor little Bug was so over stimulated that she needed to go back to her cage for a little time out.
Sitting on my knee chewing on my reading material is much more relaxing.
And a really good thing I didn't know that before I went for my run or I never would have left the house.
This is the mid-atlantic; we don't do 18°. It was 60° a couple of days ago! I'm whining . . . . . . and I really don't have much to whine about.
1.) Share Jen's muesli! 
Which she will graciously put in your own bowl to keep you out of hers. It's still better from her bowl so don't hesitate to nip a few bites from there if you can.
2.) Fly up and wipe your beak on Jen's shoulder. 
That's why it's there right?
3.) Fly madly around the room until Jen interprets your not-so-subtle request for a bath. 
The shoulder doesn't really get the beak clean after all.
4.) Fly back to Jen's head. 
5.) Check out what's in here? 
7.) Test how hard it might be to chew through the bag of nutraberries. 
8.) Do a happy dance complete with happy chirps when the magazine, travel guides, and newspaper conspire to construct a handy Bug-sized cave on the dining room table.
9.) Celebrate with some kale-on-the-cob! 
10.) Re-fortified, go conquer the bubble wrap in the living room! 
Perhaps not every election this fall went your way . . . . . While voting for Bug won't solve all our problems, Bug could win a year's supply of Beak Appetit (cook & serve parrot food). I can't imagine what that means since she goes through it so slowly but any extra will be passed along to her friends at the Phoenix Landing rescue.
Not only that, you can procrastinate at work and Vote Bug! every 24 hours.
Anyway, who can resist this face?
Vote Bug!
Granted, the whole routine has been off. We drove to CT then to NH (where we left her in a motel while we drove around some more - don't ask) then back to CT and then back to DC - but she had her people almost 24 hours a day. Then we came home and I did three 14-hour days at school. I don't go in on Friday or Saturday.
Allegedly, I'm writing a paper but Bug has been zipping around the room from cage to head to play stand to head to travel cage to head to cage, etc. She chewed through a zip lock bag in order to get a pellet cookie that is exactly like the one in her dish in the cage and dumped a container of seed off the table.
Here she is desperately trying to pick up this small container of sunflower seeds.
Bug only eats about 1/2 of a teaspoon of seed per day. Contrary to still popular belief, parrots shouldn't eat a diet of mostly seed. The rest of Bug's food is parrotlet pellets (and cookies made of pellets, nuts, eggs & baby food carrots), fresh vegetables, cooked grains & beans, and sprouted beans & seeds (apparently sprouting makes it ok).
What Bug gets in the mornings is mostly low fat high carbohydrate millet seeds - what she's after now is sunflower.
I've heard a theory that seed for birds is a bit like crack for people. I don't know but what would you do this for?
Bug is very entertaining but can be quite the distraction.
Out of curiosity, I weighed the little container on my gram scale. It weighed 13 grams. Bug weighs 29 grams. Imagine hanging from a bar by your feet (ok, it would have to be knees for people) to pick up a container that is as big as you and is nearly half your weight . . . . with your teeth.
Somewhere around here, I opened up the container and gave her a couple.
Apparently, mind control is a power of parrotlets.
At least she's not being velcro-bird.
She's getting really good. She stopped flying into walls (she never hit them hard. It was kind of like a novice rollerbladers who don't know how to stop so dives into the grass instead). She can now change directions in mid-air and adjust her altitude (for a while she could only go up) and land on most objects in the house. She's also started to develop quite a lot of speed and has discovered that heads make great landing strips. She's not confident in coming down (from curtain rods or the molding above windows/doors) just yet. That's the skill that many clipped birds who escape with a couple of flight feathers don't have. They only know how to fly up.
I'm enjoying flighted bird and may be willing to adjust (and train housemates) to keep her flighted. We have sturdy screens on all the windows and the front door and hung a curtain between the kitchen and dining room. She doesn't go outside unless she's in a sturdy carrier or cage (we've had carriers fall apart or bottoms fall off - luckily never outside) but that would be true whether or not she was flighted.
I've gotten in the habit of being very aware of both the door and the location of the bird while she's out of her cage. I've put her cage in a spot where she shouldn't be able to get through the front door during a normal entrance/exit of a 
housemate and I don't leave her out unattended. If she's sitting on me when someone goes in or out, I usually put my hand in front of her to divert her attention and block her takeoff. Right now we're upstairs in the office behind a closed door so my housemate can move boxes in and out. Most flighted bird escapes I've heard of happened as the favorite person walks out/toward the door and the bird follows so that's my biggest concern. I always put her in the cage (not just on it) before answering the door.
Unfortunately since she's developed so much mobility independence, she's become "velcro-bird" and doesn't want to play alone on her cage anytime I'm in sight. I'm hoping this wears off and I praise her liberally for staying on her play stand/cage. She just spent ten minutes in the travel cage (door open) but I think I'm about to experience bird-head again.
hair-do à la Bug
I'm trying to do homework this morning (can you tell that I'm trying hard?), and Bug has been very distracting. I finally moved her play stand in front of the windows so she can look out but she was being very clingy. I think the problem was Yo Yo Ma's rather dissonant cello solo. As soon as forwarded the cd to the next song, she started playing happily.
Dancing Bird - ok, stretching bird; but it's a fun shot.
to me except as the day I gave up chocolate.
I'm not sure why I did it except that I've been thinking about it for a while . . . how I respond to it in an addictive manner . . . how it messes with my digestion when I over eat it . . . how I crave it when I don't.
I've made an exception for fudgesicles and hot cocoa.
I gave up coffee same way over a year ago, just gave it up one day. I tried a cup of coffee one morning a couple months later and got a rapid heart-beat and the sweats - haven't tried it again.
I'm going to re-evaluate after a month.
The other big one is that I'm a disaster about routines. Daily toothbrushing is about as much routine as I can handle. I can't even remember to take vitamins.
And the third one is that my schedule changes constantly. I'm a student and this semester I'm gone for 8-14 hours a day 4 days a week and mostly home the other 3. She seems to understand that because she doesn't put up a fuss when I leave on school days. On weekends, she gets much more protesty when I leave the room.
Bug is really good about new food. If it doesn't look right, she'll yell at me. But, once it's obvious that I'm not taking it back, she eats it. As long as it's in her bowl, it must be food right?
New objects and new rooms are a different story. Objects can induce panic really easily and new rooms make for a really clingy bird. She lives in the diningroom with a complete view of the living room. Still, the livingroom is just barely ok. The kitchen and the front hall are terrifying and don't get her started on the upstairs. She doesn't even know that there's a basement (our bedroom is down there.)
Bug's first trip will be Thanksgiving. It occured to me that I should get her used to her travel cage and I didn't know how long that would take so I brought it downstairs today. I have have two of three her favorite toys so I don't have to move them back and forth between the travel cage and regular cage. She got all excited when I started messing with the duplicate tent so I held her close to the travel cage. I then held her inside. She jumped right off my hand and played in the cage all afternoon. Ultimately, I had to coax her out with food so I could go out for the evening.
Bug lured me over to play ball today and I got it on "film."
click here to watch the movie
Look where a few flight feathers can get you.
Bug is going through her first major molt where she'll replace most of her feathers. Once they're done growing in, there is no blood or nerves in the feathers so it is possible to cut them shorter then they would naturally be. In my opinion, either too many of Bugs feathers were cut, they were cut before she learned to fly, or they were cut too short. She was falling like a little stone when she should have been gliding to a controlled landing. I'm letting them grow back a bit so she can learn some control and flying skills before trimming them back again to limit her lift.
She doesn't really have the flying thing down yet so we are treated to a couple of daily out-of-control flights into the wall behind the potted plants or to a random spot in the middle of the living room. She doesn't have much speed yet either so I don't think she'll hurt herself and she's getting better fast. Tonight's flight to the top of the china cabinet was one of the better controlled flights so far.
About wing-trimming:
Wing trimming can be highly controversial and discussions about it can be very emotionally charged. It is considered the norm in the U.S. most vets and breeders recommend it for safety. However, it is not normal for bird owners in Europe and an considered barbaric by some bird owners. I don't want to get too much into the pros & cons right now but Pamela Clark has a really good article about attitudes toward wing trimming here.
The diagram of the wing is from exoticpetvet.net. Click on the photo to see the full article about wing trimming.
Replaced Bug's tent today after I watched one side of the perch drop down and the tent suddenly get more lopsided. Whops.
She chews on the point where the tent meets the perch and had nearly chewed right through. Luckily a couple of weeks ago, I bought some spares.
I tied a thin strip of leather from one side of the perch, up on the outside of the tent through the grommet, and back down to the other side of the perch. Should hold a little longer than the fleece alone. Plus, the leather is fun to chew too. 
I always thought parrotlets would have been prey species in the Amazon, but, Bug seems to think she's a predator -- or at least that carrot is better when you sneak up (or down) on it.
Bug's latest thing is playing ball. I have these to cat toys on top of her cage - the little wiffle balls with bells in them. She ignored them on the old cage but has recently discovered them. I bat a ball around the top of the cage
She likes the game so much that she will hang of the edge of her cage as if she wants to be picked up . . . and then when I come over and offer her a finger, she runs over and stands next to the ball. I take then hint. It's a very fun game.
Bug had been avoiding the new-cage playtop. But the other day, desperate for a bath, an unsuspecting Bug found that her bathtub (with her riding along) had been moved to the play top. "Whoa." And so begins the first chapter of Post-Bath Adventure Bird.
"How does one get down from here?"
"Ok, now we're getting somewhere . . . If I just reach a little more . . . . nope, didn't work."
"Oops. Gotta preen. Maybe no one will notice how I couldn't reach and the problem will solve itself?:
You'll be pleased to know that after arranging her feathers, Bug figured out how to get down from the new-cage playtop and, more importantly, how to get back up again without riding the bathtub.
Bug has lots of toys but helping Jen with homework is very fun.
This looks interesting. Whopps, she took that . . . but oooh, paper scraps!
Things that are Evil - Volume 2
Bug's
guide to scary household objects and a few not so scary things.
More things that are Evil:
The Fenix #001- Bug's Advice: Under no circumstances should even the tastiest millet seed be eaten from the Fenix #001. ) A hunger strike may be required to convince your person of the dangers this (illegid) food dish poses to and to get her to scour the internet and consult customer service representatives to find replacement dishes to fit into the feed holders of the (very expensive) new cage that came with the Fenix #001.
Additional tip: Ensure future success. Reward your person's efforts by immediately accepting food from the replacement dishes even if it is served in the suspicious feed holders of the new cage.
It's challenging to take pictures of Bug. When I get out the camera, it makes a noise so Bug drops what she's doing and comes to investigate. How many shots of Bug sitting at the entry way to her cage looking at that funny shinny thing are truly interesting? I'm guessing: not many.
Here is a mediocre picture of Bug with some of her favorite things:
Well the mirror "went away" on Sunday night - not as tramatic as I feared. Bug recognized it's absense immediately but seems to be dealing with it fine.
So, Bug has a little mirror in her cage and I think she may be becoming too attached to it.
For the last couple of days, she's been "feeding" the mirror. She carries the larger seeds over to the mirror and props them up on the little wire (it's stainless) and eats them against the mirror. For the most part, she's eating the seeds herself but she appears to be trying to feed her reflection.
Snatching the mirror out seems mean but the more I think about it, the more I think that the mirror has to go. Bug is 3 months old and there are a couple other behaviors that may be precursers to nesting. She's gotten really agressive about her cage (not abnormal in 'lets) and she really likes to chew on and arrange her cage cover when she sits on the outside of the cage.
It's also possible that I'm hypersensative because we lost a 'tiel to complications of chronic egg laying and that I should not worry about this.
Possible plan of action: She's going to a bird sitter's this weekend. She'll ride over in her carrier. The mirror could "disappear" on the way over or on the way back. Hmm.
So, I bought a mini food chopper. It quickly shreds enough Bug veggies for about 3 days (which is about how long they last anyway). It makes the vegetables much smaller and a little wetter (or was that the grapes) which makes it stick to Bug's face much more - oh, so cute.
Right now, Bug gets a spoonful of vegetables mixed with a half scoop of pellets and a half scoop of seeds twice a day along with all day access dry pellets. I think it's still too much food. She'll eat the pellets (even dry) if I offer them too her out of the cage and certainly pulverizes the moist ones in her food dish but I can't tell if she's eating them.
(Just so you know, I decided years ago I never wanted a dog because they're too much trouble.)
Well, Bug officially weighs in at 26 grams - less than one ounce.
The vet explained that they can't do all the tests that they would do on a larger parrot because they would require most of the bird's blood - she's a little bugger. They take a little blood for tests with no alternatives and then take toenail clippings and poop samples for the rest. Fun, fun, fun. With any luck, we won't have to go back for another year.
Things that are Evil - Volume 1
Bug's
guide to scary household objects and a few not so scary things.
Things that are Evil:
The Measurex 29.6 - Bug's Advice: If The Measurex
29.6 gets too near the cage or, heaven forbid, enters the cage,
mad flapping usually makes it go away. If flapping alone doesn't
take care of it, fall off your perch.
Curtains - Bug's Advice: One afternoon of looking
freaked out on top of your cage should get these tied back for you.
The Portable Telephone - Bug's Advice: The
Portable Telephone makes harmless noises throughout the day. Don't
worry about that. It is only dangerous if it comes near you. Luckily,
hiding in Jen's hair provides sufficient protection from The
Portable Telephone.
The 3001T Scale - Bug's Advice: If The 3001T
ever comes in view, your only option is panic. Fly the other way
without hesitation, even if you end up in the potted plant on the
windowsill. The 3001T Scale is less dangerous when it's covered
by a towel.
Things that aren't really as bad as you'd think:
Jen's Very Boisterous Husband - Bug's Advice:
Jen's Very Boisterous Husband makes a lot of noise and frequently
crashes into the room singing but if you can overlook that, you'll
find he knows how to give head scratches.
Things that might be evil but we don't know yet:
The Bathtub and the Stuffed Parrot- Bug's Advice:
I'll tell you when I decide what to do about these. In the mean
time, drink from the bathtub quickly but do not bathe and eye the
stuffed parrot suspiciously.
So what does your bird think is Evil?
Jen's note: I posted this same list in another
a couple of online forums. If you are coming over forum Flight
Feathers or Parrotalk
you may have seen this. We have a well bird vet appointment
on Saturday so, I'm sure there will be a volume two.
Reach . . reach a little more . . . get a firm grip . . . . give it a good shake . . . and hang on tight with beak and a foot.
If necessary, follow with the "you forgot to turn off the flash again" stare. 
Technology, it just gives you more ways to avoid working. :)
). She's much more explorative, playful, and just plain bold. 
but also biting both of us when we pick her up off or from within her cage
. And, as long as we respect
her bedtime routine of doing laps around the cage until she settles into her swing
for the night (or letting the room darken gradually), we can cover the cage almost
completely.
. According to the breeder, she was eating seeds, Zupreem & Roudybush pellets,
fresh fruits & vegetables, and spray millet. No evidence of that kind of variety
so far though. Since she was one of three in the clutch, I supposed that it's
possible that she was the one eating all the seeds and leaving the health food
to her brother & sister.
, but I don't think she's eating the pellets.
. And finally, she is starting to exert her own will.
and this morning she bit me for putting my hand in her cage
, which I'm interpreting as her thinking the cage belongs to her. That's
true, but we'll have to come to some sort of compromise on me servicing
the food cups in her cage.
Wet bird just makes it better. 
