Dr. Friedman (Susan) had made three suggestions that I had intended to try out, and did, on Friday, to see if they made any difference in the behaviour of the birds that bite me regularly. First she suggested that I enter the free flight area from what we're calling the safe door, the door from the Cockatoo flights not the door from the kitchen. Second, she suggested that I not carry my folding stool. And third she suggested that I stock up on at least 50 treats and not leave until I had dispensed all of them.
I did take my folding stool, but hid it in my bag of survival gear. And there was no problem with the 50 treats; I always take more than that anyway.
I wore a utility coat that has two large and deep pockets in the front. And before I entered the Refuge, by the "safe" door I filled my pockets with cashews, pine nuts and little squares of whole wheat bread. When I entered the large free-flight area, little Mango attached himself to my shoulder. I couldn't spot either big Mango or Idaho. So, I headed for the kitchen door. I saw Idaho first, coming quickly across the floor toward me. I decided to not run. I crouched down in front of him and when he got close enough I spoke softly and slowly put my hand out toward his head. I was hoping he'd want a head skritch and recognize the movement to give him one. What he did was stop and turn his back to me. He let me give his head a skritch. When he turned back toward me, I stopped the skritching. He turned away; I skritched. We did this for several minutes until I couldn't hold my breath any longer. LOL Then he walked away. No bite. I was so excited.
When I got close to the kitchen door I saw big Mango. He was hanging onto the wire partition. When he saw me coming he headed for the side where there is a pipe down to the floor that he uses to get to the floor. Flush with success with Idaho, I decided to give Mango skritches all the while he was hanging on the wire but stopped as soon as his foot hit the pipe. He stayed on the wire for awhile getting skritches and treats. And he stayed there when I finally stopped too.
Now little Mango was on my shoulder all the time that I was working with Idaho and Mango. Just outside the kitchen door are a number of cages and bird stands with various birds on and in them. Last week I gave some of those birds a spray bath and Mango jumped off my shoulder to a stand to get a bath too. Yesterday, I leaned over for Mango to get off my shoulder to that stand and as soon as he was on that stand I started to spray him. Every time I stopped spraying he flew back to my shoulder. I started saying bath when I leaned toward the stand and when he got off onto the stand I'd spray him. By the time my spray bottle was empty, he was staying on the stand even when I stopped spraying and I was able to switch to the pine nuts and cashews. I was really wishing one of more of the staff had been around to see what I was doing. But noone was. Maybe it's just as well. We'll see if any of this good stuff holds next Friday.
I also got to work with a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo who would hang on the wire partition of an enclosure that I visit every Friday. He/she would bite me if I got too close. That bird loves spray baths too. In return for letting me give him skritches, I'd give him some sprays. Can you tell that by the time I got to this enclosure I was really enjoying myself. Even if I can't get the same results next week, I'll not forget yesterday for a long time.
And all that happened before I washed dishes! Let me tell you I was floating on air. I washed dishes for about three hours before I quit to go visiting the girls. But while I was washing the dishes, various birds were hanging on the wire partition, including Lucy, the Hyacinth Macaw. Oh, how I love that bird. She is so smart and gentle. Suddenly I heard this bass voice say, "hello". It had to be her, but it was hard to believe that this beautiful female bird called Lucy could have that voice.
LOL Anyway, I noticed her hanging upside down from the top of the partition, so I cheered and gave her a pine nut. She got right side up to take it and I went back to the dishes. Again, I noticed her hanging upside down, cheered and gave her a cashew when she was right side up. And that's all it took. We did that off and on for at least an hour. Don't think I was ignoring the other birds. They were getting treats too. I also noticed that when I was at the partition, Bertie could see me from the top of a cage in her enclosure nearby. She was sooooo funny! She danced and shrieked every time she spotted me.
Then I went visiting. First Bertie who had been waiting impatiently for me to get to her for a couple of hours. We had a great visit. There are two birds in her enclosure that I try to give a little extra attention too. One is a small Umbrella who has lost the tip of her upper beak. When I sit on my stool, she comes over, on the floor, sits under the stool and cuddles up to my leg. That's where I give her head skritches. On Friday, she climbed up my pant leg to my knee for her lovin'. The other bird I think is a Military Macaw and he seems old and nervous. He took pine nuts from my hand on Friday, a first. Then I was off to see Babe. Babe looked at me only once when I was in her enclosure and then she waved. She didn't come for lovin'. She didn't come for treats. The handsome fellow that I thought might be her guy, is indeed her guy. The two of them were sitting together and I mean together, touching and preening each other. When one moved the other moved too. I really enjoyed watching the two of them. Did I have my camera with me? Nah But I'll have it with me next week for sure. So, I gave out treats and baths and said goodbye. I don't think Babe even noticed me leave. LOL
I called it a day then and collected Chris to go home. And that Mom, was the best Friday I've had at the Refuge to date. And I'm planning to have more just like it. LOL
Love,
Pat
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