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Ripping up the road
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
- Joined
- 4/15/10
- Messages
- 50,753
- Real Name
- Matthew
Our "Mayor of the Avenue" award is presented to a member who exhibits the qualities that distinguish them to be an upstanding credit to the Avenue, a loving, informed, conscientious and caring bird parront and an all around good neighbor.
I am happy to announce that Gribouille is January's Mayor of the Month.
I enjoyed reading your interview, and am sure that everyone else will as well!
1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?
Merlin, male budgie over 4 year old, not tame
Nova, female budgie 1.5 year old, not tame
Pichu, male parrotlet, over 1.5 year old, tame
2. What got you interested in birds?
Watching wild birds outside, and working at a rescue when I was 23. Ended up feeding orphan nestlings and being a bird lady of the hospital
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
My son wanted a dog... but we didn't have room for a dog, so he wanted a falck.. we began to look into small birds and were advised to start with budgies.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
To keep doors and windows closed...
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Probably those little swallows I fed and "taught" to fly at the wildlife hospital. When they were big enough they were moved to a pen outside to adapt to the temperature before they were released. I went there to visit and the youngest flew to me. The staff had never seen anything like that before. Swallows have a special place in my heart
6. Where is your birds main living area?
The cages are in the living room, but Pichu flies to the kitchen when he gets out.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
* Removed all dangerous things, as well as things they could damage.
* Covered the top of the furniture with newspaper, made play areas and a built-in cage so they'd feel secure, I'd safe space and seeds wouldn't fly everywhere.
* Because of Pichu, all plastic bags/wrappings are packed in plastic boxes in my kitchen cabinets now.
* Teflon frying pan is gone.
* I only buy bird friendly plants now
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Except for AA and training Pichu, no.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
Hum... Have a look at my avatar...
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
No, I'm happy with the ones I have, we have a good balanced flock. Adding another one to the lot would only bring chaos. I don't have space not time for one more.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
coming home from work, the birds would already have been out of their cages for a couple of hours if my youngest is home. They say hello when they hear me, I say hello when I come in. Pichu flies to me when I remove my jacket etc.. When I'm done with settling in, we take a cuddle session on the couch before I have to prepare dinner. He eats with us -has his own cup on the table- and Merlin sometimes dares to land and try to eat some food too but that's not so often. In Winter time they go to bed around 19.00, Pichu with 5-6 sunflower seeds as a good night treat, the budgies with a piece of lettuce. They are not tame but mostly go back in their cage when I tell them to for bed time. Pichu sleeps early, Merlin can keep tapping his dish and sing for hours if I watch TV.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
* You can't force a bird into submission the way dogs might.
* They are small, clever personalities, to a level I never knew before I owned one. I
* Some people are scared of birds..
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
* I would have checked Tikki's weight on a regular base from the start. I could have noticed he was sick before it was too late I would also have given them a much healthier diet...
* I would have clicker-trained my first birds, would probably have managed to get them tame then, something we never managed because we got 2 at the same time and Merlin was already an adult, very scared of people. We had been told that both were 8 weeks old...
14. What other hobbies do you have?
* I love to make/build things, my birds have home-made cages, toys and play areas.
* I sing in a group/choir, Merlin got his favorite songs (T.Turner & Queen) from rehearsing with me. * From time to time I feel like writing fanfictions, Pichu loves to sit on my finger then... (not convenient at all...)
15. Anything else you would like to share?
I've lived in Norway for 20 years. I have 2 sons and 2 guinea pigs, 3 birds, so 7 to take care of... I sometimes feel like Snow White!!
I am happy to announce that Gribouille is January's Mayor of the Month.
I enjoyed reading your interview, and am sure that everyone else will as well!
1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?
Merlin, male budgie over 4 year old, not tame
Nova, female budgie 1.5 year old, not tame
Pichu, male parrotlet, over 1.5 year old, tame
2. What got you interested in birds?
Watching wild birds outside, and working at a rescue when I was 23. Ended up feeding orphan nestlings and being a bird lady of the hospital
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
My son wanted a dog... but we didn't have room for a dog, so he wanted a falck.. we began to look into small birds and were advised to start with budgies.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
To keep doors and windows closed...
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Probably those little swallows I fed and "taught" to fly at the wildlife hospital. When they were big enough they were moved to a pen outside to adapt to the temperature before they were released. I went there to visit and the youngest flew to me. The staff had never seen anything like that before. Swallows have a special place in my heart
6. Where is your birds main living area?
The cages are in the living room, but Pichu flies to the kitchen when he gets out.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
* Removed all dangerous things, as well as things they could damage.
* Covered the top of the furniture with newspaper, made play areas and a built-in cage so they'd feel secure, I'd safe space and seeds wouldn't fly everywhere.
* Because of Pichu, all plastic bags/wrappings are packed in plastic boxes in my kitchen cabinets now.
* Teflon frying pan is gone.
* I only buy bird friendly plants now
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Except for AA and training Pichu, no.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
Hum... Have a look at my avatar...
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
No, I'm happy with the ones I have, we have a good balanced flock. Adding another one to the lot would only bring chaos. I don't have space not time for one more.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
coming home from work, the birds would already have been out of their cages for a couple of hours if my youngest is home. They say hello when they hear me, I say hello when I come in. Pichu flies to me when I remove my jacket etc.. When I'm done with settling in, we take a cuddle session on the couch before I have to prepare dinner. He eats with us -has his own cup on the table- and Merlin sometimes dares to land and try to eat some food too but that's not so often. In Winter time they go to bed around 19.00, Pichu with 5-6 sunflower seeds as a good night treat, the budgies with a piece of lettuce. They are not tame but mostly go back in their cage when I tell them to for bed time. Pichu sleeps early, Merlin can keep tapping his dish and sing for hours if I watch TV.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
* You can't force a bird into submission the way dogs might.
* They are small, clever personalities, to a level I never knew before I owned one. I
* Some people are scared of birds..
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
* I would have checked Tikki's weight on a regular base from the start. I could have noticed he was sick before it was too late I would also have given them a much healthier diet...
* I would have clicker-trained my first birds, would probably have managed to get them tame then, something we never managed because we got 2 at the same time and Merlin was already an adult, very scared of people. We had been told that both were 8 weeks old...
14. What other hobbies do you have?
* I love to make/build things, my birds have home-made cages, toys and play areas.
* I sing in a group/choir, Merlin got his favorite songs (T.Turner & Queen) from rehearsing with me. * From time to time I feel like writing fanfictions, Pichu loves to sit on my finger then... (not convenient at all...)
15. Anything else you would like to share?
I've lived in Norway for 20 years. I have 2 sons and 2 guinea pigs, 3 birds, so 7 to take care of... I sometimes feel like Snow White!!