By Angelo
I'm writing to let you know about a great bird I adopted thanks to Richie. Everybody loves Richie. He's really a good person and has a great heart. He told me about Chico, a Yellow Nape Amazon. The lady wanted to give him up for adoption because she couldn't keep him. Richie got us together and we brought Chico home in March of 1999. We just celebrated his 2nd birthday on April 21. We got him a birthday cake and some new toys, he even sang Happy Birthday to himself. Chico is amazing. If you go to the kitchen and get something to eat he will start to yell until you give him a taste of what ever you are eating. Even if it's a cup of water he wants a drink. Chico needs a lot of love and attention which he gets everyday. From the moment he wakes up and says GOOD MORNING. He's even learned Spanish. When my mother visits me and my two boys he's learned to say grandma in Spanish from listening to the kids say "Hi Abuela". He loves to listen to music and watching Yankee baseball games. Chico loves to take showers and sings different songs as he baths. He's learned the lollipop song and how to sneeze the way I sneeze. As well as being a good talker he is also very sentimental. One day we came from school and we didn't greet Chico, he started yelling and when I went to pick him up he hissed and tried to bite me and I told Chico NO and Chico told me NO, then Chico told me "give me kiss", so then I approach Chico and I gave him a kiss then he said I LOVE YOU!!!!!! Like he knew he was wrong but all he wanted was a simple hello when we walked in. He loves the kids, the baby cockatiel and he plays with the two parakeets. Chico gives lots of love and in return we spoil him and he deserves it. I have to thank Richie for Chico he has brought so much joy to me and my family THANK YOU RICH VERY MUCH and THANKS to all the BIRD CLUB MEMBERS!!!! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!! Oh P.S. just wanted to let Richie know that Chico enjoys Arroz con Gandules (yellow rice and beans) as much as you do.
Angelo and Family
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Smelly Story
This story needs a little bit of background info before I begin…My daughter’s mini dachshund, “Doc”, was staying with his “grandmother” for a few weeks while my daughter and son-in-law were working on their house and on vacation. Well, Doc is spoiled rotten and unfortunately tends to be spiteful when not getting his own way. Since he tends to leave smelly packages around, he is exiled to the kitchen (where for some reason known only to him, he is good). Once in a while, though, he manages to “escape”; at which time, he loves to leave one of his “presents” in front of my blue and gold Rowdy’s cage. As soon as he is “captured” again, he is reprimanded soundly; a fact which has obviously not evaded Rowdy’s attention. Now on to my tale…..
July was our wonderful “potluck” dinner meeting (and delicious it was!!) and as usual, I brought Rowdy. He just loves going to bird club meetings and gets very excited when I tell him we are going. Rowdy is normally not noted for keeping his mouth shut (Hummm, sounds like one of my kids…), but this meeting he was unusually quiet; probably due to the fact that there were more people and birds than usual.
On our way home, going down Route 17, he was in the front seat in his travel cage watching the lights and still not saying a word when all of a sudden we came upon the unmistakable odor that “smushed” skunk gives off when it has just been hit. To say that it was overpowering is a complete understatement. All of a sudden, in the loudest voice he could muster, Rowdy screams “WHAT’S THAT???” To which (and I know that you bird people will understand) I answered, "a skunk”. Not having ever experienced this before and having only one reference point in “bad” odors, he screamed…”NO MA, NO!! BAD DOG, BAD, BAD DOG!!!”
Needless to say it took all my self-control to keep from running off of the road while laughing.
On our way home, going down Route 17, he was in the front seat in his travel cage watching the lights and still not saying a word when all of a sudden we came upon the unmistakable odor that “smushed” skunk gives off when it has just been hit. To say that it was overpowering is a complete understatement. All of a sudden, in the loudest voice he could muster, Rowdy screams “WHAT’S THAT???” To which (and I know that you bird people will understand) I answered, "a skunk”. Not having ever experienced this before and having only one reference point in “bad” odors, he screamed…”NO MA, NO!! BAD DOG, BAD, BAD DOG!!!”
Needless to say it took all my self-control to keep from running off of the road while laughing
July was our wonderful “potluck” dinner meeting (and delicious it was!!) and as usual, I brought Rowdy. He just loves going to bird club meetings and gets very excited when I tell him we are going. Rowdy is normally not noted for keeping his mouth shut (Hummm, sounds like one of my kids…), but this meeting he was unusually quiet; probably due to the fact that there were more people and birds than usual.
On our way home, going down Route 17, he was in the front seat in his travel cage watching the lights and still not saying a word when all of a sudden we came upon the unmistakable odor that “smushed” skunk gives off when it has just been hit. To say that it was overpowering is a complete understatement. All of a sudden, in the loudest voice he could muster, Rowdy screams “WHAT’S THAT???” To which (and I know that you bird people will understand) I answered, "a skunk”. Not having ever experienced this before and having only one reference point in “bad” odors, he screamed…”NO MA, NO!! BAD DOG, BAD, BAD DOG!!!”
Needless to say it took all my self-control to keep from running off of the road while laughing.
On our way home, going down Route 17, he was in the front seat in his travel cage watching the lights and still not saying a word when all of a sudden we came upon the unmistakable odor that “smushed” skunk gives off when it has just been hit. To say that it was overpowering is a complete understatement. All of a sudden, in the loudest voice he could muster, Rowdy screams “WHAT’S THAT???” To which (and I know that you bird people will understand) I answered, "a skunk”. Not having ever experienced this before and having only one reference point in “bad” odors, he screamed…”NO MA, NO!! BAD DOG, BAD, BAD DOG!!!”
Needless to say it took all my self-control to keep from running off of the road while laughing
A Cautionary Tale
By Richard "The Schnoz" Chiger
We know their moods and their behaviors. We know what to expect from the way they are acting. We can predict these actions as well as we know the behaviors of our children or spouses. Well, many years ago I learned that Emma, my redoubtable male yellow-naped Amazon parrot with the female name, is not to be toyed with when he gets over-stimulated. I learned through a scar that my daughter, Shannon, has on her chin. When Emma's pupils start to expand and contract, her tail fans out and she starts making a high-pitched, steady sound .. Walk away; don't touch... Emma becomes a different bird and can be formidable. The other day, I was playing with Emma and she showed all the mood symptoms I have just described. I was kissing her on her beak and then reached down to kiss her breast and ... .boy! ... did I get nailed. She reached out for my face with her foot, grabbed it and bit me on the nose. It hurt!!!!!! It brought back the memory of the time that Shannon was lying on the couch with Emma and the same thing happened. Shannon's bite was a lot worse than mine, but I should have paid attention and been aware of what was going to happen. I didn't and got bitten. Emma, for the most part, is truly a wonderful bird. She is friendly, smart, talks great and sings opera. But, Emma's body language is very indicative of how she is feeling and I should have been more observant and consequently, less bloody. I still love her, but then again, I'm crazy.
We know their moods and their behaviors. We know what to expect from the way they are acting. We can predict these actions as well as we know the behaviors of our children or spouses. Well, many years ago I learned that Emma, my redoubtable male yellow-naped Amazon parrot with the female name, is not to be toyed with when he gets over-stimulated. I learned through a scar that my daughter, Shannon, has on her chin. When Emma's pupils start to expand and contract, her tail fans out and she starts making a high-pitched, steady sound .. Walk away; don't touch... Emma becomes a different bird and can be formidable. The other day, I was playing with Emma and she showed all the mood symptoms I have just described. I was kissing her on her beak and then reached down to kiss her breast and ... .boy! ... did I get nailed. She reached out for my face with her foot, grabbed it and bit me on the nose. It hurt!!!!!! It brought back the memory of the time that Shannon was lying on the couch with Emma and the same thing happened. Shannon's bite was a lot worse than mine, but I should have paid attention and been aware of what was going to happen. I didn't and got bitten. Emma, for the most part, is truly a wonderful bird. She is friendly, smart, talks great and sings opera. But, Emma's body language is very indicative of how she is feeling and I should have been more observant and consequently, less bloody. I still love her, but then again, I'm crazy.
A Birdie Moment
By R. A. Chiger, F.R.S.B.
(Fellow of the Royal Society of Befuddlement )
(Fellow of the Royal Society of Befuddlement )
Sometimes, when I am on the computer or reading or just doing anything by myself and I suddenly find myself surrounded by my birds and dogs and cats, I realize what a lucky human I am......(where is the elephant?) Aristophanes followed me upstairs today and into the room with the computer and the cockatiels. He ran after Lola (my dog) as she came into the room and immediately chased her off the bed. The cockatiels were flying all around his head, but that was ok, he just had to be, "The king of the Mountain," when it came to the dog.
Often, knowing that she is around, he will hide under the bed until she walks by, then he will rush out after her and they take turns chasing each other. Aristophanes, for those who don't know, is my scarlet macaw. He has a healthy respect for Sebastian, my great Dane and a pretty good relationship with Maxwell, my older cat. Rosie, the younger cat stays clear of him and each bird has his/her own set of rules by which he/she lives.
I love watching the interaction between that macaw and that dog ( a mixed dachshund) They are like a brother and sister who like to argue. In this case the brother, Aristophanes, always wins. When he comes out of he cage, in the morning, Lola inevitably jumps into it and eats everything he has dropped, including some things I won't mention in the name of good taste (notice the pun).
Watching them play and all the other things, some, unfortunately destructive, that Aristophanes does furthers my own feelings about how awful it is that some birds live out their entire lives in a cage. I cannot leave him loose all the time, as I would love to do. because of the obvious trouble he can get into and the damage he can do to the house.
Unfortunately, nobody gets to see the incredibly sweet and loving side of this macaws behavior, because he gets moody and nasty to other people. He can be the most affectionate and delightful bird in the world when we are alone, just don't allow anyone else, except Jackie, to enter the room. If he can't bite you, he will nab me. I don't understand that part of his personality and I don't generally buy into all the reasons that our "self proclaimed bird experts" give. I can conjecture as well as the next person, but nobody really knows what goes on inside that gorgeous brilliant red little head. I adore that bird, no matter how many times he bites me. Right now, he is hiding under the computer desk as I attempt to type with my Antonio handicap (see my former letters for more explanation). I imagine he is waiting for Lola to come back into the room. I was right; there he goes!
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