Petey's First Flight
Jul. 3rd, 2008 02:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smile_n_cuddleWhen we first got Petey--a year ago last week--his wing feathers were chewed, and what wasn't chewed, was clipped too short to be any good. He tended to fall like a rock. A year later, he no longer chews any of his feathers, and they are starting to grow out.
In other news, Petey has been a bit more confident lately so I brought him out into the livingroom and gave him his own basket to play on. Tuesday night he lasted about 20 minutes, which is impressive for him. (Usually after 5 minutes he starts looking panicky) Then last night I was in taking a bubble bath in the bathroom next to the bird room. I guess he was feeling brave (and missing out on being in the livingroom) so he actually came out of the bird room looking for me! LOL!
Silly little 'too boy. :)
One more little update on him... Today we got out at 2 for the holiday. I got home and brought him into the bedroom with Sophia and I. He ran over, dug his head into my neck, and let me cuddle him for ten solid minutes. He'll be a cuddlebug yet!!
I call Sophia my heart on my shoulder--she's on me so much that she's almost like a part of me, and I love her so dearly. I've always felt kind of bad because Petey's "the rescued bird," the "damaged goods" we are trying to heal... but his affection is fleeting at best, and mostly he avoids us.
More and more lately, though, he's coming out of his shell, and starting to show just how much he loves us. He is such a gentleman as he preens Sophia--so gently and tenderly. He preens me too, just gentle little touches with his beak. (Sophia's like a bull in a tea shop--all CHOMP.)
Anyway... I should get working on some other stuff, but I do love my little feathered babies. :)
One of Petey's favorite games is "jump." I taught Soph to fly on command accidentally by always saying "Jump!" and wiggling my fingers for her to come. One day on the patio I was doing this with Soph when Petey climbed onto the back of the chair and leapt on command onto my hand. He was sooooo proud of himself! He bobbed up and down like a little basketball, crest up.
That became his veryvery favoritest game in the whole world OMG and if we don't play it at least for five jumps every night he is beside himself.
Monday night he was wandering on the patio when Soph and I started playing. Her wings are growing out again and so I was having her fly farther and father distances (2-5 feet) on command. My little bugaboo boy scrambled his little butt up the chair and bobbed in delight.
I stepped about 1 foot away from him--the usual jumping distance--and he jumped. To test his new flight feathers, for the next jump, I stepped another foot back. He couldn't just jump this distance--he'd have to use his wings. He bobbed excitedly but hesitantly, and paced, then finally spread his little wings and flew.
He was soooo adorable when he took that flight! The only way I can describe his wings flapping is to analogize it to doggy-paddling. He fluttered them so quickly and nervously, like a nervous swimmer, not with the long, confident strokes.
And when he landed, well, I have never, ever seen him so happy. He spread his wings, raised his crest, and bobbed on my hand so very proud of himself. He kept doing this for like two full minutes! LOL!
We played for about 10 minutes total--stretching the distance a bit. I trained him to leap from one chair to the next, to me, to the first chair--in a circle. Finally he was feeling worn out--flapping is hard work you know! So we called it a day.
That became his veryvery favoritest game in the whole world OMG and if we don't play it at least for five jumps every night he is beside himself.
Monday night he was wandering on the patio when Soph and I started playing. Her wings are growing out again and so I was having her fly farther and father distances (2-5 feet) on command. My little bugaboo boy scrambled his little butt up the chair and bobbed in delight.
I stepped about 1 foot away from him--the usual jumping distance--and he jumped. To test his new flight feathers, for the next jump, I stepped another foot back. He couldn't just jump this distance--he'd have to use his wings. He bobbed excitedly but hesitantly, and paced, then finally spread his little wings and flew.
He was soooo adorable when he took that flight! The only way I can describe his wings flapping is to analogize it to doggy-paddling. He fluttered them so quickly and nervously, like a nervous swimmer, not with the long, confident strokes.
And when he landed, well, I have never, ever seen him so happy. He spread his wings, raised his crest, and bobbed on my hand so very proud of himself. He kept doing this for like two full minutes! LOL!
We played for about 10 minutes total--stretching the distance a bit. I trained him to leap from one chair to the next, to me, to the first chair--in a circle. Finally he was feeling worn out--flapping is hard work you know! So we called it a day.
In other news, Petey has been a bit more confident lately so I brought him out into the livingroom and gave him his own basket to play on. Tuesday night he lasted about 20 minutes, which is impressive for him. (Usually after 5 minutes he starts looking panicky) Then last night I was in taking a bubble bath in the bathroom next to the bird room. I guess he was feeling brave (and missing out on being in the livingroom) so he actually came out of the bird room looking for me! LOL!
Silly little 'too boy. :)
One more little update on him... Today we got out at 2 for the holiday. I got home and brought him into the bedroom with Sophia and I. He ran over, dug his head into my neck, and let me cuddle him for ten solid minutes. He'll be a cuddlebug yet!!
I call Sophia my heart on my shoulder--she's on me so much that she's almost like a part of me, and I love her so dearly. I've always felt kind of bad because Petey's "the rescued bird," the "damaged goods" we are trying to heal... but his affection is fleeting at best, and mostly he avoids us.
More and more lately, though, he's coming out of his shell, and starting to show just how much he loves us. He is such a gentleman as he preens Sophia--so gently and tenderly. He preens me too, just gentle little touches with his beak. (Sophia's like a bull in a tea shop--all CHOMP.)
Anyway... I should get working on some other stuff, but I do love my little feathered babies. :)
