Fergus and Fiona Diary / Log of training and daily adventures beginning JUNE 2017

[Fergus Mom]

I thought to post this to remember my Fids first days here, and the length of time it has taken for them to progress to different phases of training.

Fergus and Fiona Diary / Daily Log - Training, and adventures!
June 2017 - January 2018
6 12 17 Fergus first day here (His name is Fergus Ricardo Ramon)
6 25 17 Fergus took millet from my hand in cage!
7 2 17 Fergus put one foot on my finger to eat millet in cage
7 4 17 Fergus put TWO feet on finger in cage (for a short minute)
7 6 17 Kelli got Birdie Blue
7 15 17 Fergus got on cuttlebone first time
7 18 17 Fergus flew out of cage for 30 min. (more like flopped around since clipped)
7 19 17 Fergus explored cage acting cute and nutty
7 27 17 Fergus out of cage 2nd time
8 14 17 Fergus hasn't gotten on finger lately is he regressing?
8 19 17 Fergus sat on finger with one foot short time for millet
8 30 17 Fergus on finger for longer time, but still only one foot on!
9 12 17 Fergis here 3 months now
9 27 17 Fergus FLIES!
10 9 17 Fergus said CHEE CHOO three times!- (from song)
10 17 17 Fergus flies again!
10 29 17 Fergus first bath - can't tell if he likes it or not
11 1 17 Fergus flew out and BACK to cage!
11 6 17 Fergus flew out and landed on cage door this time!
11 20 17 Fiona Rose - first day! For first couple of weeks she chewed almost non stop on
feed cup - moved her to living room for a week
11 21 17 Fergus got out to fly and flew behind stove!! I nearly had heart failure.. Opened
drawer in bottom VERY slowly, and he was sitting on back of drawer. Got flashlight, and
when I shone light, he flew out! Flew behind dining curtain, and only because Fi chirped
for him did he answer so I knew where he was. Lonnng scary day! SHUT THAT DOOR!
11 30 17 After Fiona kept chewing I moved her to living room for 9 days, seems like she
is chewing less on food cup now?
12 11 17 Fiona first day out of cage out for 4 hrs at least - bribed her with seed in palm
after she got on Fergus' cage She stepped on finger to eat millet, I put her in her cage
12 13 17 Fiona 2nd day out 1:40 PM UGHHH STILL OUT SIX HOURS!!! 7:46PM
Several times tried to bribe her down with seed in my hand arm got so tired...
Got stepstool, almost got her to perch on hand... nope. Flew higher. Now 8:20PM
9 PM I finally got her down by stickng acrylic perch feeder there! SEVEN AND A HALF
HOURS
12-18-17 Fiona 3rd day out ... 4:45 pm approx. Tried getting her to step on acrylic food
perch several times - no go. Finally at 8:20 pm she stepped on it and began eating, while
I took her down to her cage.
I don't think she has flown very much at all, she seems scared to fly down - even though
at one point on 12-18, she did fly down to floor, but all other attempts were back and forth
from curtain rod to decorative curtain.
Fergus is miraculously playing with his toy with the bell on the end beginning Dec. 2017!
Maybe he is happier with Fiona here?
12-23-17 Fergus and Fiona out first time together... He flew in her cage - been in an hour!
He stayed about 3 hours and finally I coaxed him out (after several tries) by offering the
acrylic perch / feeder. He finally stayed on it so I could move him to his cage.
12-26-17 Fiona out of cage for a bit.. flew to Fergus' cage and hung around, but didn't
notice the door was open, and Ferg didn't come out! Wow. She went back in her cage
when I offered acrylic feeder perch. Good girl!
12 28 17 Fiona went in Fergus cage first time! She had breakfast there.. LOL.
Went in about 12:15 pm, and they are happily playing. Lots of head bobbing by Ferg.
12 30 17 Fiona first night to stay in Fergus' cage all night - she did NOT wish to return to
her cage, so I let her stay and hoped for the best.
12 31 17 Fiona BOTH feet on my finger to eat millet in cage!
Fergus was a bit jealous and grabbed her leg with his beak! He still wouldn't step up with
both feet though, still only one foot on my finger and one on perch!

1 1 18 At bedtime, Fiona decided to get on Fergus' swing! He kept looking up at it, like - I
WANT my perch to go night-night! I stuck my hand in urging Fiona off the swing, and
Fergus hopped on. In the morning, they are in their respective night-night spots, Fiona
on her seed cup roost where she usually sleeps and Fergus on his swing.
I saw Fergus use his foot kinda like a hand today after I opened cage door - like he was
pushing her out to fly! Fiona put both feet on finger today too for millet!
1 5 18 First day for F&F in brand new big cage - they love it. I put 2nd shelf with old cage
up to new cage door - voila, both strolled on in! (Fergus didn't like pencil coming in little
cage (eraser end first), and then went in new cage)
An aside; when Fergus is singing his heart out, if I shut off tv sound with remote - he
immediately is silent. When I turn it back on, he goes back to singing - it's like a REMOTE
CONTROL budgie!!! LMAO
1 9 18 Fiona first time to step on my finger with BOTH feet and stay on til I moved her out
of cage! Fergus 2 x put his foot on her back like he was trying to convince her not to go
on my finger, or pushing her on to it, not sure which!
I got Fi out of cage 2 x on my finger! Yaaaay!
1 13 18 Fiona hopping on my finger every time I offer millet today! At least 3 times. Got
her about 4 inches in front of my face while making kissy noises!
Fergus still not stepping up for millet.. but he sure wants it!
1 14 18 Fergus FINALLY got on my finger with BOTH FEET!!!
Whoa! Only because Fiona was sitting on my finger hogging all the millet treats!
1 17 18 Both on finger with both feet, but seemed short, as they were greedy!
Ditto for next few days..!
1 20 18 First time to step on a stick perch (small tree branch) to eat their millet!
Yaaaay! Maybe if continue, I can put them in small cage on branch if need be!
Continue for 2/3 more days and then try it,,..
1 24 18 I now realize that instead of playing kissy face as I thought (or doing this lock-
beak thing), Fergus is FEEDING Fiona! I guess he is gathering seeds in his crop? And
then dropping them in her mouth! Whoa!
1 25 18 Fiona sat on my finger TWO times for the first time with no millet!
She didn't stay long when she realized no millet, but still!
1 31 18 WOW - Both of them FLEW TO my hand today for afternoon treats! (1:15 PM)!
THREE TIMES! I was trying to lower them to the play shelf with the toys, but they had
other ideas. AND Fergus beaked my nose for first time ever, for a kiss!

LONG TERM GOALS: Get them to perch on stick regularly to transfer to small travel cage so we might go outside on nice days, or if I needed them in small cage for emergency.
Kisses!
Get them comfy on a playstand so they can play with out of cage toys
Get them to eat more veggies and fruits
So far, they are eating a bit of celery tops, carrots and have not touched fruit yet (blueberries or bananas)

 

[Coelle]

This is amazing! It's so neat to see your progress with your two birdies! It's neat to compare it to my progress with Pip and see the similarities! Looking forward to reading more.

 

[TikiMyn]

Love this! It is great for first time parronts to see this I think! Great job!
I wanted to do this with my lovie Fëanor too to remember what my progress was like, I still have most of the big things like first time climbing up my leg, perching on my finger, sleeping on me and so on but I didn’t record it very closely sadly!

 

[finchly]

It is great for first time parronts to see this I think

I agree! Great job with sticking to your training AND for recording it! yay!

I like that you have ongoing goals, too. I need to do something similar.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Thanks @Coelle @TikiMyn @finchly! I had so much fun with their diary, I just had to share! I kept reading how other folks were making so much more progress, but I didn't really care about progress, as much as I cared about trust. I want them to trust me. LucyBird trusted me, but still never trusted me to touch her. I am hoping Fergus and Fiona will even trust me for touching in the future. I did mean to post the days that Fergus flew out and stayed different places for "too long"... but that didn't get recorded somehow. Glad ya'll liked it.

 

[finchly]

Thanks @Coelle @TikiMyn @finchly! I had so much fun with their diary, I just had to share! I kept reading how other folks were making so much more progress, but I didn't really care about progress, as much as I cared about trust. I want them to trust me. LucyBird trusted me, but still never trusted me to touch her. I am hoping Fergus and Fiona will even trust me for touching in the future. I did mean to post the days that Fergus flew out and stayed different places for "too long"... but that didn't get recorded somehow. Glad ya'll liked it.

It’s not a race! And not a contest. Trust is your thing, if you have trust and love you have it all.

 

[faislaq]

I love it. It shows new parronts and reminds the rest of us, that it always takes longer than we think! But it sure is worth it.

 

[vanyasmom]

How clever of you to think to record each event - no matter how big or small. I think you have made WONDERFUL progress. You have had them out and flying for quite some time. I think it is great what you are doing with them both.

Trust is the most important thing in my opinion -- after all without it there is no relationship.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Update to Fergus and Fiona Diary (ended at 1-31-18 in Part 1) Note: Kelli is a friend of mine who also has birds, so I jot things down to remember for her as well.

Part 2: February 2018 to September 2018

1 31 18 Kelli got new big cage for Birdie Blue !
2 1 18 Both flew to my hands for millet treats several times!
2 2 18 Kelli went to pet store for 2nd budgie, but they only had 4 at PetSmart, and
those were in quarantine until Sunday 2 4 18
2 2 18 Fiona SEEMS to be eating her veggies 7 - 8 PM! (Unless she's throwing them to
the bottom, I can't tell). (Carrots, cooked and raw, celery tops)
Today for treats, they both got on my hand, and I was able to sit down in computer
chair. They both seem nervous when I begin moving while they're on my hands, but
it's progress. One usually flies back to the cage.
2 3 18 Fergus pooped on my wrist first time while eating millet on my arm!
Does that mean he's comfortable enough to poop while sitting on my arm, or does that
just mean that birds poop? LOL
2 4 18 Kelli went to Petsmart and got Yoki - we think she's a female. (Yoki = it rained in
Hopi language)
2 6 18 Bath time today, and I think they might be expressing pleasure.. though I'm not
certain! Fergus sang a LOT after the bath! Fiona is still having her first molt.
2 8 18 Put small cage at door to large - only Fi got in
2 9 18 I put small cage at door in afternoon again - this time BOTH got in (maybe 20 to
30 min. it took) and we were able to sit on porch in sun for 30 min. or so... Fi was so
excited she was sticking her head in water dish and taking little bath... splashing it out
and getting her head all wet, she looked so funny with her wet head feathers! Fergus
was doing it too, to lesser extent. They went back in big cage pretty easily.
2 11 18 They both got in small cage and we went out on porch in sun, but... Fiona got real nervous when Fergus tried to play 'piggy back' again... Maybe the sunlight is too much of a stimulus for Fergus in the close quarters!
3 13 18 Kelli got Muddy (approx. 1 year old)
3 25 18 Fiona has been landing and perching on windowsill for awhile now... Fergus
has tried repeatedly, but can't seem to land there! I put a tension rod there last week,
and today Fergus finally managed to land on the rod/perch! Yaaaay!
4 8 18 Kelli got Junie (8 weeks approx) believes b.d. to be 2 15 18
5 22 18 I think Fiona is molting again - blue feathers everywhere!
Feb. 6th was maybe first molt...
6 10 18 Funny today - After I uncovered the fids in the morning, I see Fergus sitting on
the 'favorite' corner perch, with Fi just to his left on the bungee perch. You could see
wheels turning in his head, as her tailfeather was right in front of his face. He ever so
gently put his beak out to 'bite' the tailfeathers! She jumped, and beaked him back, but
you could tell it had only startled her!
6 28 18 While eating millet today I brought them close to my face as I do sometimes
and Fergus beaked my nose once and my lips once - I GOT A KISS!
6 30 18 I keep trying to get either one of them to step on my finger with no millet
bribe... HA! Fiona today nibbled / kissed my finger from the top of her cage - melted
my heart. It's like she was saying, no, I'm not getting on there since you have no millet,
but I'll kiss it for ya!
7 2 18 Twice this week both Fergus and Fiona have "kissed" me on the face while
eating millet... beaking is the same as kissing, I think!
And Fi has nibbled my fingers from the top of the cage just for grins!
7 25 18 Wow, they sat on my hand a lonnnng time eating millet today. Maybe even 15
to 20 min. I sat at PC and fan was on low. Were they enjoying that fan then?
9 6 18 Trying to get them to understand that my hands want to play with them...
when they fly to top outside of cage, I'll move finger trap toy on top of cage like my hand is playing with it -
Fergus actually came over to other end of toy and was beaking it!
Also trying to put my hand in cage and wiggle like I'm going to touch them, but I don't
touch them.
9 8 18 I've noticed that Fergus is either getting braver, or pranking more with Fi.
She is making this new little noise when he gets close to her while she's eating or resting
and I can only describe it as the sound made when you have one of those plastic
bendy straws and you bend it back and forth... kind of like a quick popping!
Also, he will back up when she does this, and 'whet' his beak on the dowel perch... SO
funny, because it looks like a Bull fixing to charge - Toro, Toro - Ole! LOL Big bad bull!

Not much progress on long term goals yet, but I'm thinking I need a more conducive travel cage than I have now - with a wire top, rather than the plastic top that they cannot land on. Maybe if they feel more comfy climbing on the cage, they would eventually go in. Hoping to buy small cage I saw advertised soon.

LONG TERM GOALS: Get them to perch on stick regularly to transfer to small travel
cage so we might go outside on nice days, or if I needed them in small cage for
emergency.
Kisses!
Get them comfy on a playstand so they can play with out of cage toys (now playing on top of cage and toys are there for them on top too)
Get them to eat more veggies and fruits
So far, they are eating a bit of celery tops, carrots and have not touched fruit yet
(blueberries or bananas) They regularly eat fresh spinach.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Update - A GREAT day in the house! (see below)
First, I tried an experiment my friend suggested. She thought if I shut their cage doors and put the travel cage in front of their regular cage, they'd go in. I did not think so, but told her I would try it.
Here are the results:

10-20-18
12:45 PM Shut cage doors after F&F out for Flytime... fed them millet on my hand getting them closer to travel cage at front of big cage in front of bottom door on shelf.
They hopped on travel cage to eat millet lodged in bars... then flew to top of cage...
repeated this with feeding millet from hand, then they flew to top of big cage...
Fiona freaked a bit and flew behind big cage when she found out door wasn't open.
Scared her. 12:55 Opened door again - Fiona on rod at window Fergus crawling around looking puzzled on big cage. both acting pretty crazy... Fergus like he is getting feet stuck on big cage and now both on top over-preening like crazy.. Feel bad for them so opened door! They seem VERY stressed, poor things. 1:00 pm Fergus crawled back in big cage and went immediately to favorite corner perch. Fiona followed.
I guess this is progress, since they both got on travel cage at least!

11-2-18
WOW! I coaxed them off their cage with white plastic forked perch, then moved while eating millet to travel cage, Fi stepped OFF perch I was holding onto other perch sticking outside of travel cage, then ONTO TRAVEL CAGE top! Pretty soon Fergus flew over and LANDED on travel cage!!! WOWWWW
Now they are both practicing going back and forth from their cage to travel cage eating millet on cage, and landing on forked plastic perch sticking out of the side!
Now practicing flying from curtain rod at window to travel cage too!
WHAT A BREAKTHROUGH!

 

[Fergus Mom]

Oh... I meant to add, this travel cage is covered with.... you guessed it... MILLET!

 

[Fergus Mom]

Wow! Both 11-4-18 and today, 11-5-18 (Monday), Fergus and Fiona have flown right back to the travel cage and back and forth from there to their regular cage like they've been doing it all their lives! Magic Millet, I tell ya! Hopefully, if this keeps up and they do this on a regular basis, I will put the outside side perch closer to the travel cage door, and use the millet like stepping stones INto the cage. Okay F&F, the goal is to get IN the cage, but this is progress getting comfortable with flying and landing on the thing!

 

[Fergus Mom]

UPDATES May 1, 2019

10 5 18 thru 10 8 18 All company (nephews & BIL) would come in for Flytime and F&F showed off like crazy. Most got to feed them millet, Randy and Craig and Joe, anyhow. At night I'd bring them in the living room sometimes so they could enjoy the fun too.
10 11 18 Carol and Cathy came for my birthday and I brought out F&F to have a bit of fun. They seemed to enjoy it.
Fiona got her foot stuck in the set of hanging balls with slots this morning that they loved drinking water off and I twisted the ball a bit and her foot released, thank God. Scared me to death. I had just read about a budgie with a broken leg that morning! The toy balls were quickly retired!
10 20 18 Sat. Experiment trying what Kelli suggested:
12:45 PM Shut cage doors after F&F out for Flytime... fed them millet on my hand getting them closer to travel cage at front of big cage in front of bottom door on shelf.
They hopped on travel cage to eat millet lodged in bars... then flew to top of cage...
repeated this with feeding millet from hand, then they flew to top of big cage...
Fiona freaked a bit and flew behind big cage when she found out door wasn't open.
Scared her. 12:55 Opened door again - Fiona on rod at window Fergus crawling around looking puzzled on big cage. both acting pretty crazy... Fergus like he is getting feet stuck on big cage and now both on top over-preening like crazy.. Feel bad for them so opened door! They seem VERY stressed, poor things. 1:00 pm Fergus crawled back in big cage and went immediately to favorite corner perch. Fiona followed.
I guess this is progress, since they both got ON travel cage at least!
11 2 18
WOW! I coaxed them off their cge with plastic forked perch, then moved while eating millet to yellow travel cage, Fi stepped OFF perch onto other perch, then ONTO TRAVEL CAGE! Pretty soon Fergus flew over and LANDED on travel cage!!! WOWWWW
Now they are both practicing going back and forth from their cage to travel cage eating millet on cage, and landing on forked plastic perch sticking out of the side!
Now practicing flying from curtain rod at window to travel cage too!
WHAT A BREAKTHROUGH!
11 3 18 Again - they hopped on the travel cage while I was feeding millet, but did not fly back to it once they got off.
12 4 18 WTH? After exploring top of yellow travel cage for a bit, Fiona and Ferg flew to window perch. I noticed they stayed there quite a while, with me coming and going to bthroom, etc. Fiona was leaning over and looked like she had her vent pressed against the glass! (Does the cold window feel good?) Finally I got worried, they had been on the metal perch for sooo long!
Maybe 30-40 minutes. I offered millet, they both took some from my hands but didn't want to step up on my finger. I finally was pushing finger against their body to get them to step up (individually), and Fiona finally did, so I put her back in cage. Then Fergus did, and flew to cage. Strange. Lot of poop on the sill.... was Fiona constipated? It was like Fi was in a trance or something. She's in cage now preening away.
12 4 18 Fiona singing away to Scotland the Brave now 3 pm

Jan 2019 After hospitalization for asthma, Kelli moved all birds out to the dining area the first week of the 2019 year. It has been amost a year (March) since Mud first came. Then Juni in April.
Now the first week of Feb. Kel moved the budgies back to her room, and tiels still in dining area.
2 5 19 Fiona hopped in dog food bowl on top of cage to eat millet in there - FIRST TIME EVER!
2 11 19 I can now tell when Fiona wants a REAL bath or just to lick her toy on the side of the cage. If she wants water ON her, she will put her feet on the toy as if to climb it! She loves those baths.
2 12 19 Got to thinking about this (Feb 11 post) in more depth last night, and thinking how dad gum amazing it is for these wee budgie creatures to be communicating with humans so well... Since Texas weather fluctuates so much from cold to warm, back and forth ad nauseum, they don't often get baths in winter...
Today, I'll be a monkey's uncle if Fiona not only beaked the toy that I spray water on, she ALSO rang the dang bell on the mirror hanging next to the 'bath toy'. I told her I knew what she wanted, but unfortunately it was colder today, and we'd have to wait for a warmer time for her to get a good bath!
Boy are they smart!
March 2019 Got the new HEAVY travel cage (Midwest Poquito Avian Adventures) (approx. $65. Walmart) and set it up (with help, thank God), FINALLY on 4 10 19 they are getting on the door of it, swung out to meet the windowsill perch for easy access. The door has millet clipped all over the center where they can step on it and eat. And a little disc flat perch now too. I saw them today 4 12 19 both on the door, and Fergus even stepped onto the TOP of this cage when I kept moving my hands over that way while they were on my finger eating millet! YAAAAAAY - PROGRESS! Will we make it out to the porch before mosquito season hits? Maybe... may be this fall if not... ugh! Patience... patience!
Mid April - they are both FINALLY getting on new travel cage fairly regularly and I keep moving millet around and put new 8" wooden perch on door... keep opening door flush with window perch and they eat the millet.
4 22 19 Fergus Living Room Adventure! He came flying in while I was on love seat about 4 PM...!
We didn't get up til 3 PM so this was their morning...
Flew several laps around room then landed on high shelf. 2nd time flying he landed on lampshade like disoriented... I tried getting him down off shelf with millet thinking he was scared. He sat awhile and started singing! Fiona and he contact called for about 20 min. with Fiona flying around in bedroom like she missed him. Got her to eat off my hand during this time, then was feeding Fergus millet on high shelf in LR. He finally jumped on my hand about 30 min. later and we walked into bedroom. He acted like he was SO proud of himself!
Post about travel cage to AA
OLD travel cage vs. NEW travel cage | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
4 26 19 All week I have been battling ants getting in their food. Have I said how much I hate those ants? So far, I have taken the food out quite often and blown hulls out and smushed the ants while they crawl on their dishes. I guess they are drawn to the pellets in their seed. It has occurred to me to put 4 bowls under each wheel of the cage stand with water in the bowls, and maybe a bit of dish soap. I wonder if creating a moat would work.
4 30 19 No ants today - hopefully they have decided NOT to get in my babies cage.
5 1 19 Posting photos in AA in their diary/journal of them on top of the new travel cage today!
BOTH of them got on top to eat millet, then they both got brave enough to get on the rope perch across it, and on the handle perch too! Fiona is chewing on the end of it as I type this! SO exciting!
Fergus and Fiona Diary / Log of training and daily adventures beginning JUNE 2017 | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Fergus Mom]

It appears Fergus has something to say in the last photo

 

[Fergus Mom]

Fiona warning Fergus to GETAWAYFROMMYVEGGIES!
Doesn't she sound like a squeaky old gate?

 

[finchly]

She sounds exactly like when Mickey yells the same thing at Murphy! Bossy girls.

 

[Fergus Mom]

She sounds exactly like when Mickey yells the same thing at Murphy! Bossy girls.

Gives new meaning to 'mad as an old wet hen', doesn't it?

 

[finchly]

Gives new meaning to 'mad as an old wet hen', doesn't it?

Why, yes it does!

It’s so fun to go back and read this. I can’t believe it’s been 3years!

 

[Fergus Mom]

MAY 2019 TO MAY 2020 - FERGUS AND FIONA DIARY CONTINUED

5 10 19 FERGUS IS IN IN IN THE TRAVEL CAGE AT THE VERY EDGE BY THE DOOR SITTING ON THE ROUND TOY PERCH EATING MILLET I THINK CLAMPED BEHIND IT!!! 1 PM
FIONA IS SITTING ON THE WOOD PERCH ON THE DOOR TRYING TO WORK UP HER NERVE I THINK
I think Fergus took a nap there! Now 1:30 and Fiona wanted to explore where Fergus was sitting, so flew there, and he flew to their cage. She then flew to theirs shortly after... just wanted to kick him off!

5 12 19 Mother's Day - They are BOTH sitting INSIDE THE TRAVEL CAGE!
Fiona is on the little round rope perch just inside the door, and Fergus is on the BIG rope perch!!!
(I clamped the millet (2) near both of those perches hoping for JUST this outcome!!!
Happy Mother's Day to me!!!

5 12 19 It has been a solid month now since Fi's cere has turned brown. (4 12 19) Wow.

5 24 19 Fiona's cere is STILL brown. Wow. Today, she decided to mess with me when I stuck my finger out (with no millet in other hand), and I always say - Wanna sit on Mama's finger? She HOPPED ON my finger for a split second, and then hopped back on the door, went to top of cage and sat there like she was having a great laugh. HA! She is surely still my Naughty Girl!

6 2 19 Fiona is on the OTHER side of the travel cage! At the food dish eating the millet clamped by it - Fergus is on water dish as perch! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
They stayed in travel cage for quite a while and I SAW Fiona eating seed from the dish!!! OMGosh!

6 6 19 Rayana got Sunni - Kelli thinks male cockatiel heavy pied... i think Lutino pied...?

6 18 19 BIG day for Fergus and Fiona. Took them to the living room and let them free fly. Both came out of the cage to get on top, and once Fergus even flew to the top shelf by bedroom door! When Fiona saw this, she tried it too, but didn't stick the landing! So she flew right back to the cage, followed by Fergus, since I think he felt sorry for her LOL! GREAT job all.

8 22 19 Fiona is SO immersed each day in her cuttlebone, for about the past 2 weeks now. She has also inserted a couple of veggies into the water bowl. (one broccoli, one carrot)... I hope she isn't getting ready to lay, but I am wondering if this might be the case.
I believe she is molting as well. There is a strange little 3rd feather under her regular tailfeathers and I have not noticed this before! Checked internet to see if 'too much' cuttlebone could be a problem
and JL Cribber says: She is not ingesting it all. I'll bet there's a good pile of it underneath? It's also a great chew toy with a certain texture the bird likes.
Cuttlebone is a very low grade of calcium. I can't imagine how much cuttlebone a budgie would need to eat ( especially a hen) before it was dangerous. It's not a supplement. It's a bone.
He is right - there is a huge pile of it in the cuttlebone holder!

9 9 19 Kelli sent me pics of Sunni's broken bleeding feather. She applied gentle pressure while others went to get corn starch from the store. Then it had pretty much stopped bleeding by the time they got back from the store. I don't know if they pulled the feather before or after they returned with the starch.

9 12 19 Sunni still appears okay, and no more broken feathers thank God!

9 12 19 Well, I set up the BRAND NEW travel cage (I can't even keep track of how many they have had now), and I am fairly happy with this one - last night niece and I put it together. It is MUCH lighter weight than the former Avian Adventures one, even though flimsier, I hope it will do the trick. Niece reinforced the bottom where the bars meet the base with some twist ties, as those "F" clips that came with it were not designed to be on the cage when it is in the stand. Ridiculous designing, but happy with the Yaheetech cage so far. Wonder how long it will take them to get in THIS one?!!!

9 13 19 WOW!!! It's a miracle. I set up travel cage with doors facing their reg cage and Fiona hopped in after crawling around it first for flytime, and then she crawled around on the outside and to reg cage outside... then jumped in to see seed in food perch at top door of travel cage! Then she scattered the cuttlebone dust all over the cage that was in the holder. Then Fergus got curious and hopped in after peeking head to look at seed in feeder of travel cage! I'm AMAZED, this is the first time they have ever accepted something this quickly!!!
We'll see how it goes tomorrow!

9 14 19 WOW - I left travel cage in place by window where old one used to be. They flew right to it like they did with the old one! I think soon I will close the doors on it when they are in and roll them to the living room to sit in front of the windows!

9 15 19 About 2 pm - they went in travel cage and I shut the doors for the first time and rolled them in the living room, and turned on the radio for them. They are chirping away now! I didn't think they would ever go from the travel cage back to the regular one, but they did after about an hour or so.

9 27 19 They went in their new big travel cage again today, and I rolled them into the living room in front of the window with the sunny view. They had good baths, and enjoyed them! Later, we found out we were having company that evening, so they stayed in living room until around midnight, enjoying listening to music and us talking.
I was pretty tired after company left, so rolled them back to bedroom, and turned on the little light by them, opened their travel cage and placed in front of open doors to regular cage. I told them it was time for 'night night'... go in their cage. I let them be about 5 minutes, and they still had not gone back... Stood and tried to talk them into it at this point. Raked back of fingernail across regular cage like when Fergus used to be out for flytime when I first got him and he couldn't find his cage. I said - Go home for night night so Mommy can sing Twinkle Twinkle to you. THEY DID IT! Fergus went first, tentatively climbing from the top of the door to round rope swing in reg cage!!! Then Fiona followed Fergus! OH my gosh, I praised them so much, clapping and saying how GREAT this was! SO proud of those babies! I cannot believe they actually did this like they knew what I was talking about!!

10 7 19 WE GOT TO THE PORCH today!!! Wow, what a fun thing. When I realized I was still being bitten by mosquitoes we came in. Then we had company, so Fergus and Fiona were in living room, and when I rolled them to bedroom after dark I told them to get in the big cage. They didn't, for quite a long time, and I quit paying attention. The phone rang about an hour later, and while I was TRYING to talk while they were making such noise the person mentioned it, I don't think I've heard them THAT loud! I then realized they were BOTH in their regular cage, and I think they wanted me to praise them - as soon as I DID clap and praise while I put phone down and praise them, they didn't say another word or interrupt again!!!! Haaaaaaaa!
OH OH OH - AND, while they were in the living room earlier in the day, I was going to shut the travel cage door and Fiona was on the perch where the feeder on the door would knock her off if I closed the door... figuring she would move if I went to touch her stomach, I attempted it, and I GOT IN THREE OR FOUR PETS on that wee tummy with her looking wide eyed like - "WHAT IS MOMMY DOING"??? before she turned and jumped to a different perch!

10 30 19 I believe the little buggers actually ate some pasta today with their veggies!
While in living room this week Fiona flew at bath/spray bottle again! SO cute!

SEPTEMBER 2019 At some point, I noticed that Fiona's cere is white again... no trace of blue. Her cere stayed brown from at least 4 12 19 until the end of May. I did not notice when it turned to white again!

11 20 19 HAPPY 2ND BIRDDAY FIONA ROSE!
Your birdday video:

Your birdday AA post: Happy 2nd Birdday Fiona Rose!

4 24 20 WOW - Fergus actually FLEW to my hand for millet today! So impressive... from about 20 inches away!
Try again in future. Fiona refused. She WANTED to, but just couldn't quite bring herself to do it LOL

5 1 20 BOTH of them actually FLEW to my hand for millet today (about 2 feet!) GOOD going birdies!
Fiona missed one time, and tried again right away.
Did this again an hour later - so they did it TWO times today!

 

[JoJo&Loki]

She sounds exactly like when Mickey yells the same thing at Murphy! Bossy girls.

That’s a VERY familiar sound here too

I love reading all your entries, what a great idea writing everything down so you can look back on all the good times

And great job Fergus and Fi flying to mommy’s hand to get that millet!