Macaw Adventures 2023

[BrianB]

Brat Bird - aka Baby Bo got herself into a pickle the other day. She broke her harness and went on an adventure. She spent the night high up in a tree and gave her momma an emotional workout. With the help of a friend, she landed back in her momma's arms safe and sound the next day. She acted like nothing happened and she probably planned this all along to see what she could get away with. I'm glad she's home safe and sound, even though she cost me a night of sleep.

Today was my last day of work before vacation. Friday morning we're flying to Hawaii for 10 days. We've been planning this for years and it's finally here. The next two days will be nothing but crazy packing, unpacking, repacking, and trying to make sure I have everything in place so my flock is taken care of while I'm gone. They will really be the least of my worries. I know they will be well taken care of. I'm obsessing over other things - it's been HOT here in Phoenix. What happens if the AC dies while I'm gone? What if we have another water line break while I'm gone? I'm not going to let those things keep me up at night.

The Hyacinth gave me a goodbye gift today. He was curled up on my arm and I was scratching his head. With no warning, he chomped on my finger. When I dropped him on the floor he yelled OUCH! I'm the one with the bleeding finger and the macaw yells OUCH. He's been a brat the last few days, but all of the birds have been on edge. Now that the heat has broken and we're finally getting thunderstorms, everyone is in a mood. Maybe I caught a pin feather while I was scratching him. He stands on my forearm facing out, then leans down and puts his head on my arm at the elbow. I couldn't see his face when it happened so I didn't get any warning. I told him he was very rude and he would miss me while I was gone.

 

[Icey]

I hope you have a fantastic holiday, and try not to worry about your babies too much.
I know. Easier said than done. Lol

 

[Clueless]

Today was my last day of work before vacation. Friday morning we're flying to Hawaii for 10 days. We've been planning this for years and it's finally here.

Hope you're okay over there! Just read about the fires.

 

[BrianB]

We’re safe here in Honolulu. We fly back to L.A. tomorrow then to Phoenix on Monday. We were in Lahaina on Monday the day before the fires. The cruise skipped two stops due to the hurricane. We didn’t hear about it until Wednesday morning when family started texting me.

Every little shop we went to and every person we talked to has lost everything. All the shops, all of the homes, so many people missing, everything is just gone. I’m heartbroken over it. My other half has been having nightmares about it. So sad.

 

[April]

We’re safe here in Honolulu. We fly back to L.A. tomorrow then to Phoenix on Monday. We were in Lahaina on Monday the day before the fires. The cruise skipped two stops due to the hurricane. We didn’t hear about it until Wednesday morning when family started texting me.

Every little shop we went to and every person we talked to has lost everything. All the shops, all of the homes, so many people missing, everything is just gone. I’m heartbroken over it. My other half has been having nightmares about it. So sad.

Thank goodness yall are safe but I'm sorry you've had to experience the devastation and the people being effected by it.

 

[BrianB]

We are home safe and sound. Unpacking from this vacation has been a chore in more ways than one. There was a ton of laundry to do and gifts to separate for people before we ship them off. The emotional baggage is another story. The fire in Lahaina is baggage that will take longer to unpack.

Chewie was very happy to see me when I walked in the door. He looked at me and screamed HHIIIIIIIEEEEEE! as loud as he could. After a few minutes to unload everything I was carrying I had a few minutes to sit with him. He was a bundle of excitement. Christopher was less than thrilled to see me and spread her wings and lunged at me. She's still angry and hormonal. When we're gone she tends to get into mischief so she stays in her cage. Twice during the last trip, she disappeared on the house sitter. She's not overly fond of women so she doesn't want to step up and has to be chased back to her cage with a towel. Too much nonsense so she stayed caged. I'm sure she will hold that against me too. I pulled the baby red-fronted macaw chicks later in the afternoon. One of the hatchlings didn't survive, but we've got 2 fat and happy babies. It didn't take them very long to take to hand feeding. Their mom and dad were waiting at the front of the cage this morning. They are angry with me, but it will fade in a few days and they won't want to kill me on sight. In other news, it looks like Zelda and Zachary may have finally bred. He was guarding the entrance to the nest box, and she was nowhere to be found. Maybe Freya, Enzo, and Bo will have a sibling or two this year. Now I'm off to work. My first day back at the bird store. Here is Chewy all excited to see me after my vacation.

 

[April]

We are home safe and sound. Unpacking from this vacation has been a chore in more ways than one. There was a ton of laundry to do and gifts to separate for people before we ship them off. The emotional baggage is another story. The fire in Lahaina is baggage that will take longer to unpack.

Chewie was very happy to see me when I walked in the door. He looked at me and screamed HHIIIIIIIEEEEEE! as loud as he could. After a few minutes to unload everything I was carrying I had a few minutes to sit with him. He was a bundle of excitement. Christopher was less than thrilled to see me and spread her wings and lunged at me. She's still angry and hormonal. When we're gone she tends to get into mischief so she stays in her cage. Twice during the last trip, she disappeared on the house sitter. She's not overly fond of women so she doesn't want to step up and has to be chased back to her cage with a towel. Too much nonsense so she stayed caged. I'm sure she will hold that against me too. I pulled the baby red-fronted macaw chicks later in the afternoon. One of the hatchlings didn't survive, but we've got 2 fat and happy babies. It didn't take them very long to take to hand feeding. Their mom and dad were waiting at the front of the cage this morning. They are angry with me, but it will fade in a few days and they won't want to kill me on sight. In other news, it looks like Zelda and Zachary may have finally bred. He was guarding the entrance to the nest box, and she was nowhere to be found. Maybe Freya, Enzo, and Bo will have a sibling or two this year. Now I'm off to work. My first day back at the bird store. Here is Chewy all excited to see me after my vacation.

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Glad yall made it home safe! That's so sweet how pleased Chewie was to see you. I can't wait to see pics of the babies so sorry that one didn't survive though

 

[Tyrion]

Glad you made it home safe

 

[BrianB]

Christopher is far more hormonal than I thought. She's been thrashing and bobbing on a toy in her cage and yesterday I removed it and put it on her tree stand. The first picture is her trying to eat me when I tried to take the toy out. It's the green chain behind her. This morning I filled her food and water dishes and pulled a different toy off of her stand to put it in her cage later. When I went out to feed the rest of the macaws, she was gone from her cage and not on the top of her stand. There she was at the bottom of her stand with some shredded paper and her favorite toy. She managed to unhook it and get it down, then shredded some paper around it. Now she is one angry bird because I took the toy away and replaced the paper. I'm thinking this extreme behavior might be from our house sitter. Not intentionally though. She had her macaw with her and he was in the room with Christopher. Chewy and Christopher can't see each other, but the other male in her line of sight may have made it worse. I hope this will pass soon. I want the regular grumpy bird back. This evil version is too much.

 

[April]

Christopher is far more hormonal than I thought. She's been thrashing and bobbing on a toy in her cage and yesterday I removed it and put it on her tree stand. The first picture is her trying to eat me when I tried to take the toy out. It's the green chain behind her. This morning I filled her food and water dishes and pulled a different toy off of her stand to put it in her cage later. When I went out to feed the rest of the macaws, she was gone from her cage and not on the top of her stand. There she was at the bottom of her stand with some shredded paper and her favorite toy. She managed to unhook it and get it down, then shredded some paper around it. Now she is one angry bird because I took the toy away and replaced the paper. I'm thinking this extreme behavior might be from our house sitter. Not intentionally though. She had her macaw with her and he was in the room with Christopher. Chewy and Christopher can't see each other, but the other male in her line of sight may have made it worse. I hope this will pass soon. I want the regular grumpy bird back. This evil version is too much.

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She's so precious but oh so fierce! Hopefully she'll calm down soon.

 

[Icey]

If I took Frankie's favorite toy away he would go crazy too. Hormonal or not lol

 

[SumitaSinh]

In the last photo, she looks so sweet....like a caring, nurturing momma

 

[BrianB]

In the last photo, she looks so sweet....like a caring, nurturing momma

A carnivorous momma that wants to eat her caretaker. She's been moaning and screaming since I took her toy away this morning. At one point she was on top of the cage lunging at me, then she climbed halfway down and kept crawling towards me wherever I went. I pushed her cage away from the wall and together we made a few trips around it until she realized what I was doing. I have managed to get her to step up but then she spreads her wings and leans toward me like that's going to scare me or something. I talk trash to her when she does that so I expect she will start saying it back to me. "Come on you floozy, give it your best shot. I'm not scared of you!"

 

[Dartman]

A carnivorous momma that wants to eat her caretaker. She's been moaning and screaming since I took her toy away this morning. At one point she was on top of the cage lunging at me, then she climbed halfway down and kept crawling towards me wherever I went. I pushed her cage away from the wall and together we made a few trips around it until she realized what I was doing. I have managed to get her to step up but then she spreads her wings and leans toward me like that's going to scare me or something. I talk trash to her when she does that so I expect she will start saying it back to me. "Come on you floozy, give it your best shot. I'm not scared of you!"

Sometimes you just have to take one for the team and see how it works out, carefully. I did that with Lurch a few times and figured I'd end up bit. One time I put my face down close to him because he seemed to be in a different gentle mood. He waddled over and gently touched my nose twice.
Another time he'd ride into the bathroom with me after work on my shoulder but then eventually he'd shriek and pop me in the neck. He lost shoulder privileges and after a while i decided to try letting him ride in with me. I tried to carefully watch what he was doing and see what was attracting his attention. When I turned on the sink faucet he got kinda excited so I put my arm down on the counter. He quickly walked down, jumped on the faucet and started drinking and playing in the water. I did my business and washed up. Eventually I asked him if he was done and he happily ran up my arm.
I never got bit in there again, he just didn't know how to ask nicely, and I had no idea what he wanted. After that he'd ride in nicely, wait for me to ask if he wanted to play, and run down and have his fun.
One of the last pictures I have of him he's sitting on the faucet with happy eyes enjoying hanging out with me and playing.

 

[BrianB]

I was thinking I might see if I can get her in the shower. Maybe having a ball or something to play with in there will keep her entertained for a while and the water will cool her temps a bit.

 

[aooratrix]

Showers often help to "cool" down ardor. There might be a behavioral component of anger/frustration that you were gone.

 

[BrianB]

Showers often help to "cool" down ardor. There might be a behavioral component of anger/frustration that you were gone.

I considered that too. She's never been that fond of me, so I'm used to being the target of her anger. She's been wandering about the house which is pretty unusual for her. Yesterday I heard a noise and went out to investigate. There she was on the floor in front of the sliding glass door that leads to where the breeders are. She stepped up easily and I told her that throwing herself at the first bird she sees is not going to help any. Taking the toy away made a huge difference and I've seen a drop in her overall aggression towards me. There is still some screaming, but it's more random and there isn't any of the moaning she was doing before. I won't be giving her that toy again, or anything like it. We'll be sticking to chewable things instead of hard plastic that she can bob on. The next step is getting her into the shower, but we're going to need her nails done first. They are really sharp and a wet bird with razor-sharp claws is going to be a bad combination

 

[BrianB]

Chewie was my apprentice today. I went down the hall with a bag of things I needed and Chewy had it in his head that I had snacks that I wasn't going to share with him. Even after I told him that there were no snacks to be shared in the bathroom he started to get loud so I brought him in there with me. I put him on the side of the tub with a block of wood that he kept throwing on the floor. When I threw it into the tub he gave me the stink eye. So I'm sitting backward on the lid working on the stuff inside and he keeps trying to crawl into my leg. My hands were filthy so I wasn't going to touch him, but I couldn't let him get to the vanity where he could see himself in the mirror. You know how he gets when he sees another bird near me. I'm not getting bit because he sees his reflection. It took me far longer than it should to fix a leaking toilet, but it's done and he got to spend time with me. If only I could convince him to fix things for me.

Christopher is, well, I don't know how she is today. Most of the day she was in the cage ignoring me. She didn't even posture when I walked by. This afternoon we moved the baby greys from a brooder into a rabbit hutch to give them more room. They started crying because I was late feeding them. When that was finished I turned around and Christopher climbed down the side of the cage and was trying to figure out how to get her feet onto the floor. I think she wants to investigate the babies and see why they are calling out. She hasn't been aggressive, so I'll take that as a baby step. Forward or backward is the question now.

 

[zoo mom]

Well at least you had a cute "apprentice ". Too bad he isn't learning very well

 

[BrianB]

This sucks and I even hate to write about it.

Today I heard that our girl Bo is gone. She turned a year old on August 2nd, and she's gone. Her owner has absolutely no fault in this. She is amazing and did all the right things. For the short time they were together, Bo knew she was loved and gave it back many times over. Despite being warned not to multiple times, someone in the house used the self-cleaning cycle on the oven while she was out.

There is so much I could say, but I'm too heartbroken to say much else.

Please - don't use the self-cleaning cycle on your oven. Your bird will die.