"Chat"

After many months, I can finally have a "conversation" with this thing.

It goes like this: I say "tickle tickle tickle" in the most idiotic voice that I can come up with, then he considers me for a second (sideways, of course), and replies "tickle, tickle, tickle!", complete with a little wing lift.

I hope it is as exciting for him as it is for me. 

Bird Skype Take II

Skype with Bird, Ottawa to Doha.

Found Object

Bird not so convinced by the new housemate-birdsitter Ben, who sent us this photo today from Doha:

© Ben B.

Found Object #65432B : Scaredy bird. Green. Mixed media (feathers, beak stuff, loud tweets)

Gravity with gravity

Parrot does not understand gravity. Whenever he drops something, he runs to the edge of wherever to give it a good sideways look, a look with gravity. You know, that look that needs the spinning of the whole body, the exact opposite of casual peripheral vision. So he does this for about a minute and a half, in a way that would suggest that he has never seen something go straight down before, as he "looks at gravity", as we say. God knows what goes on inside his adorable head. Now, I tie all his toys to the edge of the cage with string so that they do not fall so far and I stop losing them, and the looks only last a few seconds.

Bird Skype Take I

Skype with Bird. Chittagong to Doha.

Hatch-day!

Happy Hatch-day Parrolis! 

Across the Persian Gulf,

the Indian Ocean

and the Bay of Bengal,

we are still flock.

all hail this awesome creature! 

Falcons, not fans

I am going to start an anti-stupidity campaign called "Falcons, not Fans". I am tired of reading forum entries about parrotlets that fly into working fans and get injured, or die instantly. People: do not have fans if you have birds. I am not sure birds are supposed to die by fan anyway. I think they are supposed to fly into the horizon escorted by a great white falcon made of clouds and fireflies, yes, a benevolent turuk makto of sorts.

It is funny, because when you tell people you have a parrot, the first thing they ask is "how long does he live"? Forever, I hope - how long will you live? So many people that should fly at speed into a working fan...