August 13, 2012 Dear Mom;

I arrived at the refuge on Friday, with my "rubber" shoes, spray bottle, a big bag of pine cones, a smaller one of little squares of Lorne's whole wheat bread and my camera. And when I got inside, I went straight to the kitchen which is where I asked to be put to work. I said I'd still go to the medical room to see and work with the birds after. It's very difficult for me to hold a conversation in the refuge. I take my hearing aids out before I go in; I can hardly afford to see a thousand bucks winging it's way to the top of one of the enclosures like a fellow's baseball cap did a week or so ago. And the noise level is such that I can barely hear anything else. So, I just said that I don't like being bitten and want to get to know the birds better before I allow myself to get distracted with cleaning.  I was told very seriously and gently,  that "parrots bite, Pat". Sigh! That's also when I realized that the staff supervisor had been told  about Mango biting me twice last week, because she immediately told me that Mango had been taken out of the room,  so I didn't need to worry about him biting me. But she put me to work washing dishes in the kitchen as I had requested. Anyone who hates washing dishes ought to wash dishes in this place. Dishes for so many parrots adds up to a lot of dishes. Two and a half hours later, I had washed every dish in sight, dried them and stacked them neatly on a shelf that I cleaned first. I also cleaned the four sinks and the counter and still wasn't happy with the cleanliness of the kitchen. Step by step and little by little I hope to make an impact.

   Then I was off to see Chris and the other birds in the medical room, where I found that Mango had been returned. Anyway, I gave him and everybody else some attention, passed out the bread bits and took some photos. And of course Mango flew at me again...when I had my back to him taking photos. I think he really wants some attention. Next week I'm going to try giving him attention before I do anything else, see if I can fill his attention tank so that I can do something else without him piling on, beak and all. But noone had been in to clean the room yet and I felt really badly about that. I think I could probably spend two or three days a week there and still not be satisfied with what I get done.

   
Bertie's enclosure is in the same larger room that the medical room is in. So, she spots me right away. So, she was next to visit. I tried to make some safe space for my carryall and proceeded to give out the bread treats. Bertie quickly ate hers and came to me for some cuddling. And I thought of Lina right away, because she had mentioned wanting so badly to bury her face in Babe's feathers and cuddle her. And that's exactly what I did with Bertie. Even now I can't get enough of that...although Bertie can. LOL I mentioned trying to find a safe space for my bag. Last week, I think in Bertie's enclosure, while my bag was sitting on the floor...near the front divider, one of the birds on the outside of the enclosure, chewed through the strap. As a matter of fact I've just finished sewing it ready for the next trip. Bertie's enclosure was simply too busy for me to take any photos there.

   Next I was on to Babe's side of the room and there she was, up high in the corner waving, on her own.

Babe

 

 But she made her way down as I approached. Cuddles and treats later, she abandoned me when I brought the spray bottle out. LOL I had a full bottle this time too. This is becoming one of my favourite times, bath time. Even Lucy, the Hyacinth Macaw, got in on bath time spreading her wings on the outside of Babe's enclosure to catch the drops. Wow, what a wing span; she doesn't leave much room for the Sulphur-crested toos to get a bath too. The Amazons are not intimidated though. I had a bit of a breakthrough in Babe's enclosure. There is a pair of Blue & Gold Macaws that have stayed up high whenever I'm there. Even though they want whatever treat I have to offer, we both have to stretch the maximum for them to get the treat from my fingers, not always successfully either. Anyway, on Friday, both birds came down low enough to take the bread from my fingers and gently too. I felt a little satisfaction at that.

   On my way out, I passed out the remaining bread treats in the special needs area. I think they must have moved some of the birds out because it seemed more spacious. But there wasn't anyone around to ask. I was already out the door when I remembered that I wanted to get some photos of the Greys in that area for Guylaine. So, it'll have to be next week.  
 


The photos: The first is Jack, a new bird not only in the medical room but at the sanctuary itself. I don't know his story yet but he's beautiful!

Jack

 The photo of the M2 and Umbrella was taken in the medical room. These two are pals and I was going to take a photo of the two of them preening each other. It was very touching. Anyway, just as I was snapping the photo, Mango did his long-jump to my back and startled these two out of their photogenic pose. LOL

                                                                          Startled
                                                                       
Also, I had three other photos of Jack. But either I cut his head off when I took the photo, or they're too big to get everything in here. One's all you get...this time.

   Just a last comment. After I don't know how many years of using my little camera, I've started reading the instruction manual. Son of a gun, it also takes videos! How about that. I'm still reading, but I can't think of a better place to practice my new "knowledge" than at the Refuge.
More later.

Love,
Pat