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macawdreams
Forum Admin
610 Posts |
 Posted - 03/05/2006 : 03:30:40
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Hi everybirdie,
I'm putting together yet another page for our website and this one is simply titled, "Spring Time is Bird Time" I am looking for ideas now.
Do you have a favorite spring ritual with your birds? Do you do anything special such as buy new toys? Is spring your fav' season?
Do you have trouble with the time change?
Please post some ideas and or questions or concerns here and I'll put them on our website!
By the way, SPRING time IS my favorite time of the year! It's the season that I have the MOST fun with the birds.
Angie R.
Macaw Dreams Site Owner
"The future of Macaws starts here"
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Toy
Top Gold Member
USA
390 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 15:56:02
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Spring, to us who live in the cold climates, is the time we look forward to the warmer temps & sunshine. In the northeast we only get 30% sun compared to the rest of the country. We can go for weeks over winter with no sun here. It's very depressing. Spring means the return of our wild birds, the greening of the grass & trees. I love to hear the House Finches singing & watch for the return of the Purple Martins. We've had a small nesting colony for the last 4-5 years now. Each year is different in how many we end up with. They are a pure wonder to watch & study. They are so dedicated to their chicks. One year a Momma ended up with a broken leg. She never gave up feeding her 3 chicks. When they were almost ready to fledge she went over the rainbow bridge. The father & the rest of the colony made sure they were taken care of. Martins are one species who will raise each others chicks.
Spring is also the time the Hummingbirds return. Here we only have the Ruby Throat. Last year JaJaBinks got dive bombed a few times by hummers who felt she was sitting too close to their feeder, LOL. They are amazing to watch & you can actually develop a rapport with them.
About mid April we put the Purple Martin house up, the hummingbird feeders & the aviary for our birds. It's also wing clipping time, so we can take the birds outside with us as the days grow warmer. They also look forward to spring. I know they sense the changing of the seasons as they seem to come more to life the closer it gets.
My birds don't seem to have trouble with the time change. Like us it takes them a few days & they've adapted.
Wing clipping is the first thing you should make sure of so your bird can't fly away. An aviary is the best money you can ever spent. I know they can & are expensive, but the are well worth it for the safety of your birds. Ours just love spending all day outside. In the aviary they are protected from prey like hawks.
JaJaBinks likes to help me with yard work. She gets to ride on the handles of the wheelbarrow.
Toy
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. |
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Gpsyps
Top Gold Member
USA
308 Posts |
 Posted - 03/06/2006 : 10:18:34
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We absolutely love spring. It allows so much more outdoor interaction with the fids (weather permitting - which right now stinks!). Anyhow we have our favorite Sunday Starbucks stop and Home Depot Shopping. They get to run many more errands with us. Including outdoor gardening and some weekend travels.
Natalie & Girls |
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macawdreams
Forum Admin
610 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2006 : 02:00:40
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Such great replies! I already got them ready for our website. Members, please share your favorite Spring Time stories too!!!
Angie R.
Macaw Dreams Site Owner
"The future of Macaws starts here" |
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Mweek82
Starting Member
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 07:59:26
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Angie-
I write articles for BirdTimes and just authored one about socializing your companion parrot. Would you mind if I used your example of having "play-dates" with other friends' birds in the article? I have fully credited it to you and also to the website.
Thanks!
Mweek82@yahoo.com
~Find your truth, and live it.
Melissa
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macawdreams
Forum Admin
610 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2006 : 00:47:03
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Oh Melissa,
I would be honored. Macawdreams is a HUGE fans of Bird Times so please post the link to your article so we can all read it!
Angie R.
Macaw Dreams Site Owner
"The future of Macaws starts here" |
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Rhonda
Top Gold Member
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2006 : 15:25:50
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Hi all,
Well it's felt like spring for quite a while in Florida to me and I'm so excited to be able to put the birds outside on their playgyms and they just love it. Sometimes so much that I have a hard time getting them to want to come in to eat. I'm really excited for the birds because we are starting the garage bird room this week and I can't wait for the little monkeys to have a room to have a blast and work off some of that young energy. I'm trying to come up with a good color for their bird room that will be soothing and pleasant to them when they are in there. There is great lighting and I wanted to do some tropical murals on the walls so do you think a light blue would be the best to go with? So it will look like sky back drop when I get the murals done. oh hmmmm We are totally remodeling our house and I'm just about brain dead on picking colors, textures, tiles, cabinets, counter tops, bathrooms etc so I'm hoping I cover all bases with the macaws playroom in the garage. So that's what I'm excited about for spring for my 2 macaws and then of course the other fids will get use of it too. I'm hoping it will help with my Eclectus' plucking.....ohhhh what a hard thing to stop. She just grows them in and jerks them out and dashes my hopes. I'm feeding her that MAD diet and she loves it but hasn't put feathers on her for good. Anyway I got off topic I'm sorry......I hope to have a playroom soon for spring!
Rhonda and Fids |
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Toy
Top Gold Member
USA
390 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2006 : 05:29:07
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Rhonda have you had your Ekkie to the vet? I'm just wondering if it could be staph infection. Esther's G2 was nipping off or yanking out all her feathers too & it ended up being staph.
I'd go with the light blue & work from there. Just use nature's colors & you'll be fine.
Toy
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. |
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luvsmyfids
Top Gold Member
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 21:13:15
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I both love and dread the spring time. Love it because I can finally open up the house and air it out. The wild birds are outside in the pines making nests and soon the babies will be there too.
I can start to take my birds outside on their harnesses and let them get some real sunshine. I can take their cages outside and really give them a real scrubbing.
I dread it because its when my DYH zon starts to get hormonal and will draw blood because hes so frustrated. I have had my children tell me to get rid of him because hes going to hurt me bad but I wouldnt get rid of my children because they acted up, so I just learn to be more aware of his hormonal behaviors.
The best thing though is planting my herbal, flower, and veggie gardens!!
Laurie
Magick is found everywhere and in everything. |
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macawdreams
Forum Admin
610 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2006 : 00:49:18
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Laurie,
How is he getting to you to draw blood? Is it when you ask him to step-up or when you're putting him back in his cage? If this is a repeated problem, for which it sounds, we may be able to help make things a little better for you and your family.
Angie R.
Macaw Dreams Site Owner
"The future of Macaws starts here" |
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sandy3038
Gold Member
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2006 : 08:45:28
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I too am from the Northeast and absolutely love the arrival of Spring! We really can't complain this year since we had a pretty mild Winter, but the longer days and nice bright sunshine are a welcome returning friend. My guys love the longer days and warmth of the sun. I work, so winter months mean not much daylight time out of the cage for them. They get an hour or so in the morning but by the time I get home, it is almost sundown so most of their out time during the week is in evenings when it is dark. They have window perches and just love the longer days of sunshine so they can actually enjoy looking out and basking in the sun. We also have a screen house on the back deck. Once warm weather hits, they get to spend some time in the screen house on their jungle gyms and they just love that. My caiques just love giving all the outside birds a hard time for coming in their yard...LOL!
Owned by: Moko the BGM, Jake and Little One BHCs, Indie the Great Billed Parrot, Nikki the Hahn's, Smokey the CAG, 6 Tiels, 4 Budgies, Zeke the Maine Coon Cat, and Rascal the Munchkin Cat.
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luvsmyfids
Top Gold Member
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2006 : 06:01:17
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Hi Angie, found it!! LOL
I can very rarely if ever pick my DYH zon up with my hand or arm when hes hormonal. Thor is such a great bird, will be 17 years old in July, and has been such a sweet guy...Well that is until his hormones start acting up.
No reaching in the cage or he grabs me, no trying to pick him up, or her bites me, unless I use a perch to do it. Then the other side is that he will sit on my shoulder and groom me. Preen my hair, coo in my ears, tell me he loves me. I melt.
But try to touch him...nope, its not happening unless I want to walk around with bandages on. When the hormonal state is over with, he goes back to his normal self. Which with a zon can be dicey anyway.
Last year he bit me so hard that his beak went to the bone. My husband was freaking out, Thor was screaming at me, "OMG OMG YOU bit ME, you Bit me mom, omg". Im in tears, trying not to laugh at his rantings and finally had my husband put him back in his cage.
Funny thing is, he never bites my husband the way he bites me, but he never preens my husband or whispers sweet nothings to him either.
Talk about multiple personality. LOL
Laurie
Magick is found everywhere and in everything. |
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macawdreams
Forum Admin
610 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2006 : 02:10:01
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Hi Laurie,
Actually, it sounds like you're already doing a really good job. You're using proper management to work around this stage while being empathetic to Thor's moods. Too many people give up when they have challenges like this but you have a great attitude! I think you can help a lot of people in similar situations Laurie.
And you certainly aren't alone in dealing with hormones. Toy has challenges with her Cockatoo and she also works around it.
I have challenges with my Eclectus, Scarlet. When Scarlet gets hormonal I don't go near her sleeping cage without a perch/stick. She would tear my hand off.  LOL. I can put her in her sleeping cage but when I go to take her out I better use the perch.
There are times when she will also attempt to bite me while she's playing on her tree. I work around this by pushing her tree back toward the wall so I stay clear of it as I walk by. If not, she would reach out and try and nail me. lol
I saw Noelle's Cockatoo, Aspen, when I was in AZ visiting her. OMG talk about hormones! Aspen plays outside and will attack and chase you if he gets down on the ground. The only way Noelle can handle him is with a towel. She doesn't even give it second thought ... she just works around Aspen's hormonal stages. It's odd because he is after the dog! (photo below) She doesn't want to hurt the dog but to CUDDLE with him. Aspen has a bond with the dog and the dog's crate. He would climb inside the crate and gently preen the dog and fall asleep with him too. But if someone walks by... YIKES... he will charge. LOL
Noelle doesn't worry, she grabs a towel and tosses it over him whenever she needs to move him. I've never seen her let her guard down and she warns people who enter her yard so no one ever gets hurt.
So, you're not alone. Keep up the good work. Here's Aspen with Noelle's dog:
Angie R.
Macaw Dreams Site Owner
"The future of Macaws starts here" |
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Katie and Stanleys Mom
Top Gold Member
USA
62 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2006 : 21:05:18
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OK!!!! That is the cutest thing I have ever seen!!!! What a romance!!!!!!
Love and Scritches, Deanna
Contented wife of 25 years to Mark and Stay at home/homeschooling Mom to
Stella (B&G)
Stanley (DYHA)
Katie (CAG)
Tequila (OWA)
Iris (PBP)
Mouse and Maizy (the wonder Chihuahuas)
Nugget, Neville and Sophie (The poodle pack)and 4 human children: Andrea 22, Jimmy 18, Baxter 15, and Molly 7. |
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macawdreams
Forum Admin
610 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2006 : 01:23:31
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Deanna,
I forgot to share this story with you. Had I not seen it myself I probably wouldn't believe it. As I said, Aspen has a history of being in love with dogs. Not just any dog, it has to be a brown dog. It's odd but true.
Anyway, during my visit I was sitting right next to the crate in the picture. The crate faces Noelle's backyard where there is a lot of action and birds playing every place you look. :) The dog and Aspen were just hanging out in the crate when the dog must have heard something and stood up sort of crying and barking.
I leaned over and was about to calm him when I saw and heard Aspen appear to whisper something near his ear. I couldn't understand Aspen, it was sort of that Cockatoo soft ramble. It only lasted a few seconds and all of a sudden the dog got quiet and layed back down.
A few minutes later the dog started crying and barking again. I looked over and once again Aspen whispered in his ear and once again the dog just layed back down. It sent a chill up my arm! I ran to get Noelle but she wasn't surprised. I'm telling you, those two have some sort of a close relationship that we will never understand. :) It's pretty amazing!
Angie R.
Macaw Dreams Site Owner
"The future of Macaws starts here" |
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Spring Ideas???
