~~~~~ St. Francis of Assisi ~~~~~
St. Francis loved God and all creatures. His motto was "My God and My All!" His aim in life was to find peace.
Blue Fronts~ Blue fronts are very popular pets and are excellent talkers. They are mostly green with a blue forehead. The throat, cheeks and crowns are yellowish. They have orange eyes, a blackish beak and blackish grey legs. They are about 14 to 15 inches long.
Shamu~ Shamu has a reasonably large vocabulary and is very easy to understand. He is very destructive and will chew up anything he can get his beak on. Shamu was our first Amazon. In 1988 I decided I was going to buy an amazon. I read a little about parrots and started looking. I was very interested in blue fronts at that time I was told a blue front was one of the top four talking birds. Then I saw two blue fronts at the pet store one was peaceful and sweet looking and one had what I call "character". I, of course, wanted the bird with character. So on April 24 1988 we bought our bird, took him home, and named him Shamu. And he has kept us entertained ever since. Blue fronts are fairly expensive so right away you wonder, what if it doesn't talk? But by this time you are hopelessly in love so deep down you know it does't really matter. When we brought him home he used to coo. The pet store had some doves at that time. Everyday at lunch my husband would watch Shamu's playful antics and laugh heartily. So the first thing Shamu learned was a nice hearty laugh.
Then on May 6 1988 he clearly said hello for the first time.
And from then on it was downhill.
I noticed I refer to him as a he but he/she
hasn't been sexed so I don't
really know for sure, but if I had to venture a guess I would say Shamu is
a girl. So why do I say he ??? Who Knows?
Mexican Red Heads ~Also known as Green-cheeked Amazons are fairly good talkers. They are mostly green in color, the cheeks are bright green. Their foreheads are red and they have blue crowns. The beak is pale yellow, the iris is yellow and the legs are gray with a green tint. Mexican redheads are about 13 inches long.
Peppi ~ After I bought Shamu I had to make several trips to the pet store for food, toys and supplies. I had no intention of buying another bird. When I decided to write some notes about Shamu on May 6 1988, the day he said his first word, At the end I made a comment "I have an eye on Peppi." For those of you who don't believe in love at first site I am here to tell you .....it happens ! Peppi was five years old and for sale "as is". He was a biter and a a feather picker. Which means where he should have had beautiful green feathers on his chest and shoulders, all you could see was gray fluff. He paced from one end of the cage to the other with his head down and it appeared as if his shoulders were slumped singing what sounded like some type of opera with four beautilful whistled notes at the end. It was obvious to everyone that Peppi adored me from the start. Peppi is an ill tempered cranky bird, that still today, no one will handle him but me. I had to have him!
Having just purchased a blue front, cage and various supplies I was tapped out. I put Peppi on lay-away. I would go to visit him almost daily He would go nuts while I was there. I later learned that this is when the employees would step outside for a smoke break. The store policy is that no birds leave the store until they are paid for . Peppi was suppose to be bilingal, speaking Spanish and English. One day the owner of the store was approached by a customer who inquired if she knew that one of her birds was cursing in Spanish. So on my next visit she pulled me aside and said she was willing to waive the store policy because she could not have a cursing bird in the store because of her customers as well as the other birds. So that is the day Peppi came home with me. We were in the car going home when I heard a siren and my first reaction was oh good grief, a speeding ticket but to my relief, the siren was coming from Peppi's travel container. (He still makes a siren sound evey time he takes a car trip) Life with Peppi has been full of surprises.
Peppi
is still a moody little bird that adores me, and I adore Peppi.
Cockateils~
Cockateils make excellent pets, especially for someone who is thinking of
getting a bird for the first time. However, I must say, if you are thinking of getting
a bird and you have never had a bird before keep in mind that
Most Cockateils have a gentle dispositon, are
graceful, and have a talent for mimicry. They are easy to care for,
relatively low cost, and easy to train. They will
entertain you with there funny antics for hours. George~ George is a friendly, happy
little bird. He is a great whistler. His previous
owner was a retired military gentleman who whistled around the house
constantly. I love to here a man whistle, it seems you don't here whistling as
much as when we were growing up. It implies a good mood, I think. And George
seems to be in a good mood
most of the time. George is also know as "Georgie Porgie" because he really
likes the girls. His mate, Peaches, died several years ago. I think if we found the right
girl for Georgie, I would let him go live with her. Because I know he would
really have something to whistle about then. Currently
he shares a place with Buzz. One thing George insist upon is equal treatment.
I used to give the Amazons a small plate of dinner, and just treats for the
cockateils. Their favorite treats are corn and popcorn. But George let it be
known
from the beginning, he expected everything the "big birds" got.
Buzz~ Buzz, short for Buzzard was one of the babies
of George and Peaches. He prefers not to be handled much. He shares a cage with George
and is a a good whistler also, but not as good as George. He likes to swing
and when given the opportunity
to get out of the cage on occassion he seems to prefer to stay inside. He is the only bird
I have ever had that did not like
to get out of the cage. George and Buzz have shared the same large cage for a couple of years now. If we
found a girlfriend for George, we would have to get one for Buzz also.
My daughter-in law,Leigh
shared this conversation she overheard last
week in the car.
Beej~age 6 "Look, there goes a flock of birds."
Cockateils are about 13 inches long and usually have a yellow head
with orange ear markings and a grayish crest. The males are slightly brighter and have more yellow on
the head and crest.
Audie~age 3 " Yeah..., they are probably going to Nina's house."
May 23 1998
Thanks for Visiting
Gabby's Nest
