I
had hoped that Blue would find me (and the dogs) sufficient company to
keep him entertained; but it was not to be. Budgies should be active,
busy, noisy — and he was not. He didn’t seem unhappy, exactly; just
not joyful.
So
he has a new companion, whom I am calling Cloud for the moment — but
suggestions are welcome. I did careful introductions, separate cages,
Blue out for visiting through bars each day. Today I left them
together in the big cage while I went out to meet Patia (more about that later) and when I came home, they were kissing.
When
I bought Blue, the pet store clipped one of his wings, but this never
slowed him down for a minute. When I bought Cloud, they clipped both
wings, and s/he (too young to tell) could only hop and glide — this
left Blue with a distinct advantage, and showed me why he may have been
so difficult to train. So, after reading the books I have about
parakeets, I took him back to have his wings clipped, too.
And
now I wish I hadn’t. He seems impaired to me. He loved flying — and I
know it’s risky, and I know he should be trained first — but I’ll not
do it again. My other parakeets never had their wings clipped after the
first time, and neither will these. It means I have to be vigilant
about potential dangers, so I will be.
Yesterday, when I went out to check the feeders, feed the squirrels
and scatter seed on the ground for the siskins and juncos, this little
woodpecker was at the feeder — and allowed me to take photo after photo. Such a beautiful bird.
And this morning, dozens of robins, skittering about on the park
lawn. They look like little formal people, in their gray-brown suits,
with that one, tasteful rebellion of their muted orange vests. And ducks
on the river.
[click photos for larger images]
25 March: look here!
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