Birds in the Navity?

Joey and Ernie wanted to play the part of the "angels" in the Christmas story this year... Certainly they are able to fly, but I am not so sure about the requirement for "angelic" behaviour! Wicker basket, Hairtie, and stray pieces of paper say, "No Way!"

Drawer Raiders

Ernie: What are those white fluffly things?!?

Joey: Do you think they would be good for chewing?

Ernie: I don't know Joey... first we have to get them out of that bag!

Winter Sunshine

The birds are enjoying one of the rare moments of sunshine available in the Winter. First, it must be a clear morning. Second, it must be just the right time (only a 30 minute time frame in the morning). Third, due to the limited angle of the sunlight, the birds must be held in just the right spot. When all conditions are met, however, it makes for some very happy birds!

Contest Entered!

I entered the ALBS contest - so everyone cross your fingers and toes for me in the hopes that I will win! The winner will be announced Jan 5th. Only four photos were allowed with each submission, so I montaged 3 of my favorite pictures of Joey bathing into this one shot.

Doctor Joe

The night after the first big snow storm in November, Ernie came down sick. He had gorged himself on Broccoli the night before, severly irritating his digestive system. We rushed him to Night Owl for treatment and Ernie spent several days at the hospital recovering. Poor Joey had no idea where Ernie had gone, and was very distressed at his absence. Needless to say, Joey was very pleased with Ernie's return home. Perhaps sensing that his best buddy was still a bit under the weather, Joey spent the next couple of days preening Ernie in all the satisfying spots. It may have been our imagination, but all that preening really seemed to help Ernie feel better! The pictures are all "red" because of the heat light we had shining on the cage - per Doctor MacDonald's instructions, Ernie was kept very warm.

Joey in Flight

As I was taking a picture of Ernie and Joey sitting on my stamps, Joey flew towards me (to get the camera?), and amazingly, the camera snapped this shot at just the right second. Even more awesome, Joey was in focus! I photoshopped out the distracting background elements to make Joey stand out more.

Ernie as a Celestial Object?

I heard some unusual sounds coming from my craft corner, and I was delighted to find Ernie perched on the ornamental candle holder my friend Pokin gave to me in high school.

Lately, I have been reading a book about the constellations of the sky and the ancient stories associated with those constellations. Seeing Ernie amoungst the Sun, Moon, and Stars starting to make me think... my birds need a constellation! Ernie's likeness would make a great celestial object.

What's Missing?

Two birds...

Two heads, two beaks, two eyes, two tummies...

But only three feet?!

My Birds Are Escape Artists!

There must be a siren, audible only to lovebirds, which calls to Ernie and Joey from the entrance hallway. Although the birds know this space is forbidden, they are always waiting for their chance to escape and explore the hidden wonders just beyond our inner front door. The birds are always watching, and waiting to pounce (err, fly) when given the opportunity.

Now, it should be mentioned that in our entrance hall, there is a staircase that leads to suite upstairs, and at the top of the stairs there is a light, some 12 feet high, hanging from the ceiling. It should also be mentioned that birds particularly relish bright, shiny, objects in high places! When they escape to hallway, it does not take long for the birds to make their way up and onto said light, delightfully out of my reach. At first I employed the "menacing broom" routine to convince my little birds to come down from that golden light. Then I realized I could lure them down with their most favored object of all -- the camera. I had only seconds to snap this photo of Ernie before he noticed the camera and immediately flew down and landed on it. I was then able to promptly carry my little hooligan back inside our suite where he belongs.

Joey's Wing

Just as I clicked the shutter button, Joey streched out his wing
allowing me to capture this lovely shot of his wing feathers.
It's amazing how shiny they are!

Hide and Seek

Joey: I think we should hide over here Ernie.

Ernie: I don't know... maybe we should go down there.

Joey: Look! This will make the perfect hiding spot... she'll never find us.

Ernie: Okay, but move over and make some space for me.

Joey: *chirping laughter* She'll never find us now.

Gotta Get That Itch!

Everybird knows that when the head is Itchy it MUST be scratched. Here, Joey takes a break from his purse explorations to find some relief.

Birds on YouTube!

Now people around the world can enjoy cute video footage of Joey and Ernie. I will have one video at a time directly on this website. Below is a list of all of their videos on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/v/WS_aVk6zPqY

www.youtube.com/v/SekFaPE2iPU

Front Yard Bandits!

Since the acorns began to fall, the front yard has seen plenty of traffic in the way of squirrels and Stellar's Jays. Ernie and Joey seem to be somewhat suspicious about these larger, and noiser (who would have thought it possible) visiters.

The "Tuck"

If you have a bird, then you will know that the "tuck" is the ultimate in cute. You know your birdie loves you when he is willing to go into "tuck" mode while fluffed out and resting on your arm. But a second before this picture, the birds where double "tucked", unfortunately, Darren's taking the picture jostled Ernie out of it for a minute.

Can You Feel the "Love" Tonight?

"And can you feel the love tonight, it is where we are. It's enough for this [feather-ed lovebird] that we got this far. And can you feel the love tonight, how it's laid to rest. It's enough to make [birds and adoring owners] believe the very best."
~ Lyrics by Tim Rice (with a few alterations), Music by Elton John

Cheek your bird!

Soft, warm, and fluffy - Get some some quality "cheeking" time in with your bird today.

No Soup For You!

Recently I suffered the misfortune of having all four of my wisdom teeth removed. For awhile, I found my self existing on a diet of lukewarm liquid mush -- not too hard, not to cold, and definitely not too hot. I should also make two observations about Ernie at this point: 1) he normally has little interest in "people" food (to my distress, as I am always trying to get him to eat his veggies!) and 2) he tends to be extremely over cautious about where he will land (getting this bird into a bathtub can be like pulling teeth! - I hope you caught that). I had consumed one mouthful of my orange/white mush (carrot, onion, miso and tofu in a yellow bowl), when all of the sudden Ernie decided to land IN MY SOUP! He got hip deep before he realized he was sliding into a bog of carrot goo and flew off to his cage to start preening his legs vigorously. Poor Ernie was forced to suffer further dunking in a bowl of clean water to wash off his feathers as he kicked and squirmed like mad. Joey's response to Ernie's bedraggled state: "Oh, I just can't look... ".

Doppleganger Syndrome

Joey and Ernie look so much a like, sometimes I feel like I am seeing double. Where does one bird end and the other begin? Same dark eyes, same buff coloured beaks - thankgoodness for the patch of green on the back of Ernie's head!

Submission to Birdtalk Magazine.

The following is a letter submitted to the "mailbag" at Birdtalk magazine:

In response to your article “Lights, Camera, Action” (December 2006), I am offering a piece of advice for all aspiring avian photographers: allow your camera to chirp like a bird! I created a camera obsession in my two peach-faced lovebirds, Joey and Ernie, by setting my Canon to “pet sounds” mode. Months later, if my birds see the camera, or even hear the familiar whirring of the zoom, they will stop whatever adorable antic they are up to, and immediately fly to the camera and peck at it with curiosity. Sometimes I wonder if Ernie thinks the camera is a very odd looking birdie. Photographing the birds has definitely taken on an air of intrigue and suspense in our household – the camera is first turned on in another room, and then snuck in behind our backs and pulled out at the last possible second. I have included a picture of Ernie sitting atop the camera.

Celina Gatley, British Columbia (Canada)

P.S. I really enjoy reading your delightful magazine, and my lovebirds always appreciate looking at the beautiful centerfolds. Keep up the good work!

It should be noted that while this letter was being written, Joey pecked at the camera several times trying to knock it over. (He is very much into a "I drop it, you pick up. Repeat ad nausem." phase right now). Both birds have since settled down onto my right arm (two inches above wrist) for a quiet afternoon nap as I type out this post. I think they like the gently swaying caused by my typing - Joey is even in the "tuck" position.

African Lovebird Society Writing Contest

The African Lovebird society is hosting a writing contest, and I really want to enter. Hopefully my two little muses will inspire me to write something great. Joey is already helping me select which photos to submit with my entry. The deadline is December 15, 2006.

See: http://www.africanlovebirdsociety.com/pets/pet_contest_2006.html for more information.

Let me know if there is a particular birdie anecdote you think I should incorporate into my entry.

Princess Tiki Up Close

For my mother's approval, a nice close-up shot of her highness, Princess Tiki.

Tiki is a Princess

My mother's budgie, Tiki, is a princess. My father built her a delightful mansion to live in, and she has a marblesque birdbath (not pictured). Princess Tiki has my parents wrapped around her little toe: my mother is trained to mist Tiki for her daily showers, and keeps *both* of her food dishes full; my father makes many different types of whistles to keep Miss Tiki entertained; and until they realized the con, both of my parents were accustomed to carrying her cage right up to her when it was time for her to go back inside. My father has even declared that I am no longer "the baby", but that the princess has usurped my place! Of course, as I write this, their royal highnesses, Prince Ernie and Prince Joey are roosting atop my head, so I really cannot complain.

A Bird and his Shadow

We have all played with our shadows from time to time, particularly when we were children and I was delighted to discover that birds are much the same. Several days ago, when the late afternoon sunlight was pouring into the living room, I found Ernie pecking away at his shadow while perched atop a door. I imagined him thinking to himself, "what is this thing? Why does it move when I move? Is this another birdie?!@". Unfortunately, the somewhat indistinct birdie on the wall was somewhat less alluring than the camera, and he flew over to the camera, before I could get a shot of both Ernie and his shadow.

Birds on Vacation!

The birds' Whistler vacation started with a dazzling drive up the sea to sky highway. They were amazed with the breath taking views of the mountains, ocean, trees and wildlife (including two ravens). The sky was blue, and the sun was bright. It was a great beginning to our labour day long weekend.

Always the bird "psychologist", I noticed that the birds demonstrated an interesting pattern of behaviour while we were in Squamish for a pitstop. Darren needed to fill the car with gas, so he dropped me off at Tim Horten's to get some food. I strapped the bird carrier into my seat (I had been carrying it up until that point), and jumped out of the car. The birds were perfectly fine while Darren was in the car with them. Then when Darren returned from the gas station I got back into the car and Darren decided to go inside to get a frostee from Wendy's. While I was in the car with them, they were also perfectly content. A few minutes later, however, when I left the birds alone in the car (I was throwing my empty soup container out in a garbage can 10 feet away from the car), they immediately starting calling out to me. I have noticed them use the same type of call when they are separated from each in the house (particularly, when they are more nervous about their surroundings) - it is almost as if they are saying to each other "Here I am, where are you?" back and forth. While I was out of sight, I whistled back to comfort them and as soon as they could see me again, they stopped. I suspect Darren and I may be members of the flock!

We continued on our way to Whistler, and Tantalus Lodge welcomed its smallest guests! I had phoned ahead to make sure it would be okay to bring them, and was assured that it would be fine :). The first night we were there, I left the birds in their house, not wanting to expose them to too much change all at once and they settled into their big cage for the night.

The next morning (Saturday), they were allowed some flight time outside of the cage and amused our other guests (Tam and Gram) with their room exploring antics. The top of the picture frames and the dangling light cord were soon graced with a birdie presence. By the end of day, they had also figured out how to land on the large drapery rod.

On Sunday, they continued to explore the main room, and became fascinated with the large mirror over the fireplace. Ernie and Joey took turns hovering in front of it, so as to see the interesting birdie being reflected back at them. I also managed to coax Joey into a bath (of course, from previous posts you will understand how difficult this was) much to the delight of Tam and Gram. Ernie was content with a few splashes.

By Monday, the birds were more comfortable with their new surroundings, and made their way into the back bedroom - exploring the bathroom shower curtain rod, the window curtain rods, and the large bedroom mirror. After we packed up, and checked out, we stopped at Brandywhine falls on the way home. I carried the birds with me in the carrier as we walked to the falls and many of the other visitors were very curious about them. One Asian tourist asked me if they could talk. I replied that lovebirds don't usually learn to talk, but upon further reflection, I believe I was mistaken - lovebirds "talk" all the time, we humans just have to learn how to understand them!! I have included a picture of Joey and Ernie taken a safe distance away from the falls. I propped their carrier up on a large rock in order to take the shot.

Joey and Grace

Whenever Gracie comes over to scrapbook, Curious Joe is very interested in what she is up to.

"Sunday Afternoons"

"Sunday afternoons, nothing much to do... but there's no one I'd rather do nothing with than you" - Cub

"This bird was made for bathing..."

"This bird was made for bathing, and that's just what he'll do,
and one of these days this bird is going to SPLASH all over you!"
(Sung to the tune of these "Boots made for Walking" by Nancy Sinatra).

Little Birds, Big Decisions

Ernie: I just can't decide... tree or flowers?

Joey: I don't know, Ernie... I think she should use the Umbrella stamp - it even has water droplets on it!

Ernie: Good idea Joey, so long as she doesn't use that stamp with the C A T on it! What is she doing with that thing anyway?@?!

A Taste for Fashion? - Part 2

From purses, to closets... Joey really seems to have an inner flair for clothing and accessories!

Fanbird

Joey is my biggest "fan" in life. He is often interested in what I am doing, and will fly over to me (or near me) to have a closer look. On this particular morning I was brushing my hair and getting ready to go out the door and Joey flew over to the fan beside me to watch me.

Shutterbirds

When I first got my Camera, I was delighted to discover it had a "pets" mode, that when set, made my camera chirp. So there I was, pushing away on the buttons, "chirp, chirp, chirp...". Of course, when Ernie heard the camera he was immediately impressed, and it did not take him long to discover that the noise was coming from the silver box-like thing in my hands. Now, Ernie is a very friendly bird, and he delights in meeting other "birds". Within moments, I found Ernie sitting on top of the camera, pecking away at the buttons and singing to it furiously. Okay, maybe pet mode was not such a good idea, I couldn't very well have him flying to the camera every time I wanted to take a picture of him! Unfortunately birds have LONG memories. Pet mode was soon turned off, but Ernie's fascination with the camera lingers on. Now when I want to take a photo of the birds, I turn the camera on in another room, sneak up on them, and snap quickly!




Whatever one birds gets into, the other quickly follows, and Joey has become quite interested in the camera too... as this close up can attest.

Study Buddies

Having been accepted to a Master's Program at Regent College (Master's of Divinity), I know there is a LOT of studying in my future. I recently picked up my textbook for OT foundations (my first class!), and began reading it in the presence of the birds. Shortly thereafter, I discovered not one, but TWO, new birdie obsessions: erasers and pentops. The birds spent *hours* amusing themselves trying to chew on my eraser and pen. When I underlined, birds were on the back half of my pen/pencil... When I highlighted, birds were chewing on the cap.... When I tried to shoo them off, birds were dangling from my pen/pencil or jumping onto my fingers! I am definatley going to have to practise keeping myself focused, but at least I will never be lonely!

A Tisket, A Tasket... Bird in a Basket?

Okay it's not a basket, but a Flower shaped candle holder... but he looks so cute! Both birds are attracted to these pretty glass containers, and on this fine evening Ernie decided to jump in and start preening.

Naughty Gnawing

Where there is something to chew, there's a bird...

Enthusiastic Bather

There's wet, and then there's Joey!

My Little Buddy!

One little bird and a whole lot of cute.

Upside -Down Backwards

Sometimes life requires a different perspective...

Cerulean Rumps

Ernie Loves Toes

Is it because they wiggle? Or the sparkly toe polish? I'm not sure... but Ernie loves to land on my toes and warble away. It is common knowledge that feathers tickle tooties, but it should be added that beaks are very ticklish too. One little wiggle on my part, and Ernie is more than ready to chomp away...

Shower Buddies

One day I was looking for the birds and I thought I heard their chirps resonnating from the bathroom... When they were not atop the bathroom door, I was confused until I discovered them in their new roosting location on the shower curtain. The birds love practicing their interior decorating skills on the liner curtain -- they bit off little bits of plastic from the top edge, giving it a "delightful" deckle edging.

Book Burrowing

It seems that Joey is a scholar -- who knew he was so interested in text books? Well, at least in gnawing on them. Still, it would be nice to have the first Lovebird in history who digested enough of a discrete mathematics, linear algebra, and numerical analysis to become a Mathematician.

Happy Birthday Birdies!

For my birthday Michelle and Tyler gave me a double-decker bird house painted my three favorite colours: green, blue and yellow. It even had Ernie and Joey's names painted on the side. The birds were thrilled and have spent a lot of time trying to smush themselves into the little holes. Joey has made himself a project of trying to make the holes bigger. I think I will get my dad to help him out, lest he get it open just enough to get inside, but not enough to get back out... I don't want him to get stuck!