Willow QP is learning to play basketball

[WillowQ]

Some time ago I started teaching Willow not to be afraid of his jingle balls. A few weeks ago I picked a bunch of sunflower seeds out of bird seed mix. I have been using those as treats to reward willow when he picks up a ball, holds it, and drops it into my hand. He’s doing quite well with this and we started it only a couple of weeks ago. Willow now tries to trade his ball for food!

I just ordered a mini basketball hoop, a ring sorting game, and a tiny xylophone from Amazon. I also bought a clicker. I will get these things in about a week and will start by accustoming Willow to the mini basketball hoop first. Then I will teach him to drop the ball through the hoop.

Willow seems more interested in food rewards now that I’m mixing Harrison’s regular with the high maintenance I started him on.

Jasper (Meyers) was watching videos with me and I have been teaching him to give me a kiss on request, also by using a sunflower seed. I might have been afraid to do that a year ago but Jasper has really calmed down.

I’m excited that Willow has picked this up so quick and thinks he should ask for a seed by bringing me his ball.

 

[expressmailtome]

That is great!

 

[Deleted member 57370]

Any pictures of you cutie will do .

Great Job Willow

 

[WillowQ]

It’s hard to take pics AND click a clicker AND give treats…. But I’ll see what I can do. Birds have had a few days off because I’ve had a bad cold.

 

[Emma&pico]

So good he’s caught on that fast I have a baseball hoop but my lovebirds aren’t getting it they pick up ball and just throw it haha

if he does it a video would be amazing

 

[WillowQ]

It IS fun to play fetch with your bird, until you get tired of fetching. If you put the lovebird in a big bowl with his ball, he should be able to throw and fetch for an unlimited amount of time. We allow gives his ball s toss and it rolls back to him down the basket side.

i had a bad cold this week (puffy sinuses) and slept a lot. Yesterday Willow was MAD at me for not playing with him as much as usual. I have a real bite on my hand which I showed him after he inflicted it. He licked it but did not appear too sorry. after I apologized, and after about a half hour of serious crabby, he must have decided I had paid enough and he was nice and cuddly again.

anyhow I’m supposed to get the basketball hoop today and I do have the clicker already. I wish there were a good treat to train him with other than sunflower seeds. He’s getting lots of sunflower seeds when we train; I wonder if tiny pieces of apple would work? Or maybe tiny pieces of nut? I’m guessing half the fun is shelling the sunflower seed.

 

[WillowQ]

This photo goes with this week’s theme.

 

[WillowQ]

We received and assembled the bird basketball hoop last night. Today I showed it to Willow and he thinks it’s scary. The metal stand is really shiny. I’m trying to accustom him to it but he’s still not happy. He’s hiding on my shoulder so my head blocks his view of the Hoop.

Willow is such a nerd sometimes.

I guess we will be interacting in the presence of The Hoop until he decides it’s not scary.
It’s nice having him up on my shoulder for a change. I’ve been getting some Quaker nest protectiveness around the basket lately.

(the new jingle balls are scary, too. Here’s Willow hiding from the expensive new toys.)

 

[Emma&pico]

Hope he comes around soon bless him enjoy the snuggles though

 

[WillowQ]

Who doesn’t enjoy bird snuggles?

 

[WillowQ]

Any pictures of you cutie will do .

Great Job Willow

I may need pics of your colorful flock because I think I’m going to make Quaker parakeet stuffies.

 

[Deleted member 57370]

I may need pics of your colorful flock because I think I’m going to make Quaker parakeet stuffies.

Girl do you know what you are asking?
I would flood your thread with pictures !
What are quaker parrot stuffies?!?!?

 

[WillowQ]

Stuffed animals. Bird stuffed animals. It’s hard to find bird stuffed animals.
I found a book about making more realistic bird stuffies but they only have a macaw pattern. Then I’ve another book that’s more cartoonish but I don’t like that so much.
I would love to have a rainbow flock like you have.

I’m going to measure Willow to get dimensions corrects but he probably won’t like it. I would like to put lace at the neck and will at least see if it looks nice.
I have some felt to try this with but would like to use corduroy or velveteen scraps; velvet if I’m going to bead and embroider them.

 

[Parutti]

Awwww his little face hiding is too cute!

Your stuffie idea sounds amazing!

 

[WillowQ]

Willow is in a much better place this week but I rushed him today near his cage and did get a mild bite.

he got his cuddles after a session with Jasper. Jasper did not want to be in me but did not want Willow on me either. Willow spent at least a half hour snuggling with my nose and right eye. He seemed quite happy.

then I tried to show him a different ball—not the single ball he’s decided is ok—and he ran away raaahk-ing again. I wasn’t sure he’d be able to tell the difference. I guess so!

 

[WillowQ]

Girl do you know what you are asking?
I would flood your thread with pictures !
What are quaker parrot stuffies?!?!?

I NEED realistic photos showing QP color patterns. Found a cheaper source for velvet (wedding discount supplies) and I have patterns that would be ok to modify.

 

[WillowQ]

Girl do you know what you are asking?
I would flood your thread with pictures !
What are quaker parrot stuffies?!?!?

I made a first pattern for Quaker parrot stuffed animals and am going to work it out. Starting with normal green and blue Quakers.

If you really look at a Quaker, there are several different colors: there’s the cream and grey of the face and bib, the light yellow of the tummy, apple green of the hinder parts, lt aqua of the under tail feathers and teal of dorsal tail feathers The back and wing coverts of the Quaker are olive/ leaf green and the primary and secondary flight feathers are dark blue lined with black.

Whew! That’s a lot of colors. Upholstery velour is too expensive but panne velvet (polyester) sold for wedding tablecloths is reasonable. May even get a sample of lizardy grey pleather for the feet. Have some tan leather scraps from cutting up an old leather coat.

That doesn’t even touch those yellow Quakers and white Quakers and the various opalines and greys.

 

[WillowQ]

P.s. tried to get Willow to put the ball in the drinking cup, which was not scary before. Now they’re both scary again.