Newspapers

I enjoy reading the morning paper along with my people. I'll look at any page my people happen to be reading, but the comics page is my favorite. I really enjoy hearing my people laugh!

Of course newspapers have many uses besides reading. They are very useful as napkins after you have finished your morning oatmeal. Just chew along the edge of a page and the oatmeal will come off, eventually. Sometimes you have to finish the job by wiping your beak on your person's sleeve. Newspapers are also nice to chew just for fun. I have spent many a happy hour shredding the newspapers that line the bottom of my cage. And last but not least, about the most important use of a newspaper is to catch your droppings that fall to the bottom of your cage. I have heard of people using electronic newspapers but I can't understand how that would work. How would you chew an electronic newspaper? Could you poop on one? So confusing! Anyhow, I find the paper newspapers that arrive at our house very useful. How do you like to use newspapers?

Tea Time

 I just love tea! I love it so much, I can’t even wait for it to be poured into the cup before taking a taste.

I enjoy all kinds of tea. These days, my people have been brewing lots of nettle tea and ginger tea, but we also enjoy other kinds of tea – peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, and bee balm from the garden, as well as black tea and green tea. I find it all quite tasty. What’s my favorite kind of tea, you ask? Why, whatever tea is closest to my beak, of course!

Nests

 I’ve been watching a robin build a nest outside my window. Back and forth, back and forth, she flies, bringing dried grasses which she carefully arranges and forms into a nest shape, then flies off to search for more materials.

Just watching her do all that work is tiring. And why bother, I wonder, when she could just lay her eggs in her extra food dish. I’ve done that several times myself. It’s very convenient and much easier than doing all that nest building. On the other hand, when I look back on it, I have to admit that none of my eggs have ever hatched. Hmmmmmm. . . . .  maybe that robin’s on to something.

Parrot Poetry

 

Spring Rain

by Shadow

Outside the rain is coming down,

Splish-splashing as it hits the ground.

Inside, where I am warm and dry,

From my perch I watch the drops fly by.

The rainfall turns the whole world green.

The prettiest color I’ve ever seen!

Hatch Day

Tomorrow is my hatch day. 

 

It was 26 years ago that I pecked my way out of my egg. And in those 26 years I’ve done so many interesting things. I hatched in 1 state, have lived in 2 others as well as the District of Colombia, and have traveled through many other states as well.  I have made many acquaintances and several dear friends, both human and avian (but not canine or feline!). I have sampled and enjoyed many kinds of food, though of course I have my favorites – walnuts and seed treats. I have fended off all kinds of predators – dog, cats, horses, tall ladders, trucks, scissors, random passersby – to name just a few of the fearsome enemies I have confronted. I have also enjoyed the cultured life, having chewed my way through a variety of books and newspapers and enjoyed many TV shows and movies in the company of my people. All in all, I can say that I have enjoyed an interesting and varied life and I look forward to much more. 

I plan to spend my hatch day quietly in the company of my people and hope they will indulge me with lots of seed treats. How do you like to spend your hatch day?

Beauty Tips

I am, as I frequently remark myself, a “pretty bird!” So I thought I’d share some of my beauty tips with you today.

Preening

I have posted about preening recently, and I can’t emphasize the importance of it enough. If you do nothing else, at least remember to preen your feathers every day. Preening keeps them clean, shiny, and waterproof.

Oatmeal Mask

If you happen to get some oatmeal stuck on your beak while eating breakfast, don’t worry. The oatmeal won’t hurt you and in fact is good for your complexion. When you’re ready to wipe it off, you’ll find that your person’s sleeve is a convenient place for that. Chewing along the edge of the newspaper that your person is reading will also do the trick.

Bathing

Frequent bathing is important for the health and beauty of your feathers. If you give your person a gentle reminder (nip on the ear) while he’s washing the dishes, he’ll fill a frying pan with water for you to bathe in. If there’s no frying pan around, use whatever is available – a saucer, a glass – as long as there’s water in it, you can bathe in it. 

Beauty Sleep

A rested bird is a healthy bird, and a healthy bird is a pretty bird! So make frequent naps a regular part of your daily beauty routine. It doesn’t matter where you nap – on your perch, in your person’s hair, wherever – just as long as you nap often. 

What are some of your favorite beauty tips? Please share them in the comments.

Perches

 Perches are very important to a parrot, as you may imagine. Aside from when we’re flying, which is just a small percentage of the time, perches are where we take our place in the world. The best perch, in my opinion, is on top of your person’s head. One of my people is quite tall, and from the top of his head I get a good view of everything and can keep an eye out for predators. Other parts of your person’s body also make good perches. A shoulder is good for taking trips around the house. A knee makes a nice perch, too.

A foot is good for getting a different view on things.

A laundry rack makes a great perch. Our laundry rack fits my feet quite well, and then there’s all that clean laundry just hanging there, ready for chewing and pooping on. A mug makes a nice perch if you’re in the mood for tea.

There are lots of great perches around the house. What are your favorite perches?

Preen

My feathers may have lost some of their youthful brightness, but they are still beautiful, and it is important to keep them clean. I spend a good part of every day preening. Each and every feather has to be attended to, and I have hundreds of them. It's a lot of work, but I have to keep up my good looks!

Parrot Poetry

 I thought I'd try my claw at writing a triolet. Here it is. I hope you like it!

The Parrot in Old Age

by Shadow

High on my perch is where I safely rest

Contented just to watch the world go by

I fluff the feathers on my wings and chest

High on my perch is where I safely rest

With many years of life I have been blessed

So swiftly have these years of joy flown by

High on my perch is where I safely rest

Contented just to watch the world go by

Parrot Poetry

Evening

by Shadow

In the quiet of the evening,

In the hours before bed,

I feel nice and cozy

Perched upon my person’s head.

I survey all around me

From my fluffy perch on high.

All is as it should be –

Both my people are close by.

I take a little bird snooze

While my people watch their screens.

I’m snug and safe and cozy

As I drift off into dreams.

The Important Things in Life

 

It’s been almost 26 years since I first pecked my way out of my egg. In that time, I’ve had many experiences. I’ve lived in several places and seen many things. People and birds I’ve been close to have come and gone. Now that I have reached my golden years, I have many memories to look back on and many changes to contemplate. My feathers may not have the sheen they once did, I may not be able to fly as well as I did in my youth, but of one thing I am still certain – the importance of snuggling close to the ones you love.

Breakfast

There’s nothing like a bowl of warm oatmeal for breakfast on a chilly winter morning, and a helpful hand to lift the spoon up to your beak!