Sunday Bath

I just put the two big birds to bed and am sitting here, drying off. Miss Shelby, our Bare-eyed cockatoo decided she was ready for a bath right before bedtime and we both got soaked ;>)

I have learned to always give my birds a choice; this empowers them to control their environment (something we all strive to do) and is a fantastic trust-building tool for all concerned. When I open the bird's cage, I ask them to step up and if they don't want to do so (extraordinarily rare occurence for my guys), they don't have to. If the house was burning down and I HAD to get them out, I would get them out and it would not affect our relationship of trust since we have such a strong foundation.

Well, bathing has never been on my birds' list of favorite things to do, so I have had to get creative to make bathing a positive experience and something they would choose to do. I have noticed that for about the last year, Shelby likes to drink water out of my cup. Of course, I let her; this has led to her occasioanlly dunking her head in the cup and getting her crest wet. Shelby responds well to drama, so I praise her enthusiastucally to reinforce this behavior. Her head dunking has become more frequent and more pronounced, now accompanied by wing flapping and bowing to the water. Shelby has progressed to the point where she will dunk her head into any container of water I am carrying.

Tonight I wanted to see how far she would go, so I got a medium sized mixing bowl, filled it with lukewarm water and went to get my Shelby-girl. I was holding the bowl against my chest and Shelby was on my shoulder. She was a but hesitant at first, then, with some encouragement from me, she began dunking. This time, Shelbs went all out! She was flinging water all over herself and me and the kithcen, then running up to my shoulder and flapping her wings over my head. I am laughing like a fool and she is saying "Peek-a-boo" and "Hi baby" while dunking, flipping and flapping. You haven't lived until you've taken a bath with a Bare-eyed!

We both had a great time and it was good, clean fun ;>)

Birdie Day

This afternoon I saw three different parrots. The first one was a green-cheeked conure for a behavioral consultation. Then I saw a Congo African Grey parrot and a black lory for wellness exams. I have been working hard this past year to build up the bird side of my practice and I am finally beginning to see some results.



I enjoy working with these little "aliens" so much. The principles of medicine are the same for avian and mammalian patients, but those species differences sometimes throw me for a loop. The anatomy and physiology necessary for flight make for some amazing challenges. I don't know if it is the thrill of learning something new or the wonder of handling something as wild and free as a bird. I absolutely love to learn-the more I learn the more I find I don't know! And parrots have been only one generation in captivity; dogs and cats have been domesticated for centuries. I am learning more patience and calm to handle these "flighty" creatures ;>)



The attraction of flight and the freedom it signifies is something that attracts many of us to birds. The beautiful coloration and intelligence of parrots make them particularly intriguing companions. I love to work with birds and watch their interaction with me and with their people and I enjoy teaching my clients how to better care for their birds.



I associate birds with the spiritual. The only animal representation we have for God is that of the white dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent His Spirit to strengthen and uplift us during our time on earth. As I get older, I find I pray and rely upon the Holy Spirit to help me keep the faith and to grow in my love for God. Maybe the Spirit gave me this love for birds so that I will always have a visual confirmation of His everlasting Presence within me...

Nighty-Night

It has been a relaxing day off-only one meeting and a couple of calls from the clinic, a good visit with my BFF, Shirley and another with Mom and my brother, Dave. Then I got to spend the rest of the day communing with cockatoos at home.

The birds have been jazzed up this week; my husband, Ray, is on vacation and is staying home catching up with his "honey-do" list. Merlin and Shelby, the 'toos, are "Daddy" birds and want to be with Ray 24/7. They would love to be surgically implanted on his body: the very definition of a "cockatoma" I heard a speaker describe at a an avian medicine conference several years ago. So the birds are in cockatoo heaven with "Daddy" spending more time at home.

This afternoon, Ray left to run a couple of errands and so we had some "Mommy" time. There is nothing more calming than cuddling with a cockatoo! They can be sooooo sweet and whisper little endearments to you when you snuggle with them ;>) Merlin, the Moluccan, sits on my right arm and lays his head against my chest, whistling softly, and saying "Pretty bird, pretty bird" in a sweet little voice. Shelby, the Bare-eyed, sits on my right shoulder and rubs her cheek against mine, making little kissy noises. Aaaahhhhh, my blood pressure drops, I close my eyes, a smile on my face, now, I'm in heaven.......thank you, Lord, for cockatoos!

Talking on the Phone

Merlin, Moluccan cockatoo, and Shelby, Bare-eyed cockatoo, just finished a long conversation with one of their friends. Yep, you read that right, the birds were doing the all the talking, not me ;>) Oh, I do have to dial the phone. They've certainly tried, but those buttons are just too darned irresistable to keep from chewing!

One of my friends from church, ten-year old Amanda, periodically asks me to have Shelby call her. Now, Shelby being the quintessential female, loves talking on the phone. She prefers to gossip with her girlfriends. Shelby's only six and not really interested in the boys yet.

So Shelby calls Amanda; Amanda's older brother answered the phone and Shelby was strangely tongue-tied. Not a peep out of her until he said good-bye, then she gave him a flurry of kisses. I guess I had better start watching her around the boys! When Amanda got on the line, Shelby started chittering and chatting up a storm; poor Amanda could hardly get a word in, but I DID hear a lot of giggling. You know how silly girls can be!

Well, Mr. Merlin perked up when he heard that and busted right into their conversation; as the older brother, he tries to annoy Shelby at every opportunity. Merlin began whistling, kissing and cooing at Amanda and just went on and on. My jaw dropped, because Merlin usually does not deign to speak on the lowly telephone. Merlin is nearly sixteen, so I guess I will have to start watching HIM now;>)

After a few minutes, Shelby decided it was her turn again and the scene deteriorated from there. I had to tell Amanda they would have to call her back, so I could hang up the phone. Lots of screaming and crying and arguing ensued, and after a brief tussle, I wrestled the phone away from them. I had to put them to bed early and suspend their phone privileges for a week.

It is sooooo hard being a parront these days!