Yummy spinach

Last night the stalk - today the world! Well, the whole spinach leaf anyway. I ate three this morning - I had a nibble then snatched it from the hand which fed me. When that one was finished I started on the other two thoughtfully placed in my dish.

Tonight when I came in, I had three more spinach leaves in my hand and then nibbled at a piece f tomato. Tomorrow I might consider picking it up too. Bunnies and Chickies, you should try it. Spinach with tomato that is.

In between time, I rip up the newspaper lining the bottom of my cage. Well, if they gave me carpet, I would be more careful, but newspaper, REALLY!

Bibbie

Free at last!

Free at last! No nasty ring round my ankle! Whoopee!

Last week I was taken to the vet in my little cage. I had to stay there quite a while, and after a bit I went to sleep. When I woke up I had a beautiful beak all trimmed, a manicure had been done and that ball and chain thing had gone. Took me a couple of days to work it out, actually. But now – wonderful!

Apparently birds like me are supposed to sleep on one leg with the other folded up. I never did – hurt, or felt awkward. I tried it though, and well really I can recommend it to all my friends. Well worth a try. Stand on one leg and go to sleep! I don’t bother putting my head under my wing – I just sit. It is always warm where I am. It also made it easier for me to hold my food in one hand instead of just having to pick it up with my beak.

Today I found out I like spinach stalk. I was offered the whole thing, so tried the leaf – yuk! But that stalk in Mum’s hand looked tasty so I reached over and took the thing from the other side than Mum expected. Put it in my foot, and had a nice chew. Once the stalk ran out, I dropped the leaf. Mum gave me a new one – but I was full,- in the end to keep her happy, I took it, and threw – yes threw – it on the ground. I can throw, people! With my hand – as well as my beak! Wonderful! I was very pleased with myself so said “Hello Cocky” to Mum and she laughed. Then I got stroked on the top of my head which I love!

After a bit, my radio got turned off, and the light went out. Gee it gets dark fast round here! Faster even than it does when my blanket goes over me when it is cold.

Goodnight, Bibbles

Dinner and manners

I like my new seed – and there is lots of it. I eat the poppy seeds first then move on to the other kinds. I still don’t like anything much other than my seeds and bread (you were right Bert – I have not seen any more donuts, nor bread for about two weeks) but keep finding things on top of my seeds. I have to get them out, and use my beak – and sometimes it gets a bit I can taste. Pear appeared several times yesterday, and was not totally appalling. No hot chocolate has appeared yet.

I never bite people hard. For black dog noses though, I shall maybe make an exception. The other day I used Mum’s finger as a beak hold when I climbed about my transport cage = sanctuary. I was very gentle. Never bite the hand that feeds me is my motto – good sense as well as good manners.

Tomorrow I have to go to the vet and apparently he is going to make me sleep a bit – and he will remodel my beak and cut my toenails. They tell me I won’t know anything about it but I am for sure not looking forward to it anyway. At least for now I am spared the indignity of a jacket – all are agreed it is too hot for me to get dressed. Whew!

Bibbie

Hello to my loyal fans...

Well people, I have not felt it necessary to communicate with you over the last week because what I was doing was just sitting, sizing things up, and doing a spot of exploring when it was safe. That is, when no-one was around.

I slipped up yesterday. I sneaked out of my little cage , climbed my ladder and picked at my seed bell. All fine - but I left a calling card on the ladder. Oh well.. sprung! Last week I came out to explore the big cage. I opened the door of my little cage and sat on the external perch. Angie the dog came and sniffed up at me – I screeched HELP and Mum came and I shot back in to safety. I must always be on the attack with that dog, charge at her with beak open and wings out - screaming.

I now feel better about my new home. I gave in and tried the different seed mix provided, and now love it. I still get bits of the old mix (Mum bought me a new packet of it) and some of the alternate new mix too, but basically I like the one labelled parrot mix best. I got bread, a little bit of it, each night at first but it got smaller and smaller and now I have not seen bread for a week or more. I was given a donut too, just a little, but it was a bit stale so I did not bother with it much. Suits me – the seed tastes much nicer and I think it is making my back grow some nice new white down!

Every day I find some weird thing in my food bowl. I get these things offered from Mum’s hand but I just look at it, then her – and she then puts it in my bowl. That makes me TOUCH it with my beak. The last cherry tomato I had, I left it there for a while, and got a taste of it. Seems like a plot to me! The strawberry tasted quite good but really, I don’t like to get such things on my beak. Sticky!

Paul, my last person, came by last week to see me – I laid my head on his hand and he scratched and tickled me. It was good to see him. I heard him tell Mum I often opened my cage door and came out when I wanted so there’s another secret gone.

I will see if I can organise some more photos of me next week. Maybe even a little movie! I feel like I am becoming a star.

Can I have some donut please?

Hello. This is another photo of me. You might think I look odd, but I just think I'm special. I only miss my feathers when I want to fly. Now how about letting me have a bite of that donut, hmmm?

Oops - caught out!

I was put outside early this morning as “Mum” had to go out. It was quite cold. She tucked me in with a blanket round my inside “safe cage” and then hung bigger ones over the back, side and roof of my big permanent outside cage. (My little cage goes right inside it - it is easy to move me round.) After she had gone, I decided to explore, and had fun. Next thing I knew, she was looking in at me and there I was sitting on the perch outside my little cage. I had been trying to keep it secret, figuring I could get some more sympathy and hand feeding if she thought I was scared to come out. Now my cover is blown!

There is something I am looking forward to doing soon. Angela is a big golden brown dog who lives here. She is very curious about me and sticks her nose up close. A good screech sent her packing at first but now she just stays there. Her whiffling black nose looks interesting – I am planning how best to have a taste.

I am a fusspot

Yes, I'm afraid it is true. I am a very picky eater. Perhaps one day I will expand my horizons, but for now I like what I like and that is that. Do not try and give me different things as I will throw them at you. And do not expect me to eat from a dish... oh no. Why would I eat from your dish when I can eat from your hand, hmmm?

Here is some recent news about me from my new carer:

Bibbie is doing OK, not so scared of Angela and seldom screeches at her these days unless she really gets her nose right up to the cage. Bibbie seems to expect to be hand fed! Something has been nibbling at the seed bells too, not sure if it is a rat, wild birds or Bibbie as usually he is in his little cage. I have checked once or twice and seen him out, but not usually. His little cage sits in his big one outside. I had to bring him in at lunchtime today for fear we would have fried Bibbie. Dad is going to make a nice cage to hang up in the kitchen for winter.

Bibbie likes bread and doughnuts and that is it, it seems! From Paul he nibbled VERY thinly sliced pieces of apple that measured about 4mm square (and about 0.1mm thick) but he rejects that from me. I gave him a freshly picked strawberry which he took from my hand and threw with force onto the floor of his cage. He throws out things I leave in his food dish, and ignores any put separately from it. Things from my hand he might take but then throws down anyway. He will take his favourite seeds if I pick them from the bell thing for him - he is teaching me which seed(s) he likes, and the multitude he does not like by taking and throwing OR just refusing to take it at all.

Some of the things ignored.. cherry tomatoes both red and yellow, slivers of tomato, the top of a red pepper with seeds, grapes, apple, cucumber, zucchini, thistle(which they are all supposed to love) lettuce, other weeds, grass, mint and its flowers, millet, and I am sure there are others that I can't remember - oh yes, green beans chopped up very finely.

Keeping me warm

My new carer is worried that I might catch cold. I say, not likely at the moment... it is really hot here! But she is worried and so she posted a question on Yahoo Answers to see if anyone had a pattern for knitting me a jumper.

No-one does, apparently, but someone had a good idea that I think I might like even more than a jumper. This is what they said:

"I think it would be very hard to keep a sweater on a bird. Your best bet is to wrap your bird in a blanket when you transport it in the cold and while it is sedated. I have seen birds do quite well without body feathers. I am sure you know to keep it out of drafts. I would also have an area in the cage that is sort of boxed in for the bird to go into and snuggle. There are many tents available but also easy to make. Make it just a little larger than the bird so it can go in and have the cloth sides snuggle against the birds sides to keep it warm. I forget the names of these tent things but you will see what I mean."

Thank you Yahoo Answers person. I am looking forward to having one of these tents. :-)

Introducing Bibbie

Hello, I am Bibbie and I am very pleased to meet you.

I am a cockatoo... and I have just moved to a lovely new home where I'm looking forward to having a wonderful new life after the past few years where things weren't so great.

On this blog I am going to tell you all about my fun activities, but to get us started, below is an email my new looker-after companion wrote to introduce me to my new family.

Meet the latest member of the family... Now, don't be rude. Bibbie has feelings!
















I asked the vet if he should have a mirror to chat to, etc - he said be careful, the bird might die of fright!

Bibbie has an incurable viral disease called beak and feather disease, will almost certainly never grow a feather, and will have to wear a jumper to keep warm.

He arrived at my place from Peter and Paul on Monday night. Since then he has scored a big cage, toys, new foods and lots more though he does not seem to be all that pleased at some of it, like a dog Angela nose getting too close.

Tonight some music came on the talk back radio I was listening to - he danced!! Up and down and side to side. I did not prompt it, all his idea,but he had me joining in.

Oh, he could be a she - no easy way of telling with birds even for vets. The absence of an egg does not mean not female especially when it is as unfeathered as this one.