While I was sleeping

Last night I decided to go to sleep with both cage doors open. I shut off the lights and figured both birds would stay where they were and head to sleep. My room was pitch black - and after a few minutes I hear little footsteps from Allegra's cage. I wait a few more minutes before turning my lamp on... To my surprise, she went right into Charlie's cage and was laying right up against him! He didn't seem to mind at all - in fact.. I let them be and when I woke up at 6:30am they were still next to each other!! It was adorable :)
I do not really want them getting into the habit of sleeping together but I figure on weekends while I'm home it'll be a nice treat for them!

Weigh in

I bought a scale about a year ago - when I first brought Allegra home. I told myself I was going to weigh the birds at least every month - but I will be honest with you, it's more like every three months. Both birds seem to stay around the same - although in the last year, Allegra has gained about 7 grams....lol she is the tiniest little thing, but she has the biggest appetite. I see her hyperness definitely keeps the weight off - wish she would get a little chubbier!

Here are their weigh ins tonight:

Charlie, weighing in at 157 grams! ::applauds:: he is always around 160


Allegra weighing in at 106 grams ::booooo:: lol she was always around 99 grams when I brought her home. I would like her to get around 130 grams.

cuddle time

I love when they are like this :) they preened each other for about an hour - Charlie is in the middle of molting so my bed was full of his feathers. He's been doing well though, not too moody and I've been helping him get rid of his little spikey feathers that he cannot reach.

a simple walk on the beach...or so i thought...

I put the fids in their leashes and decided to take a walk on the beach, just like i do every summer with them. The weather was perfect, it was after dinner and the sun was just starting to go down.






The only terrible part to this short story is...I came home after my walk. Took my work out pants off and my t-shirt..took a shower, went to bed. Woke up the next morning, showered again before work - and noticed a tick on me. At the time, I did not realize this was a tick, so i ripped it off my skin and then saw little legs. I never got a tick before but we do have a lot of deer around so I know to be careful. Anyway, it's been enough time to know that the tick bite was okay, it wasn't on me long enough to cause any damage (lyme disease). I will have to make sure the birds are clean after my walks as well now!

Updates: Allegra's Flight

It's been a while! Hope everyone is well. I had a nice, long memorial day weekend - but it does feel good to be back at work too.
I have some pretty fantastic news: Allegra is now a flighted parrot. I decided about two-three months ago that I wasn't going to clip Allegra after her first molt. Well, I haven't and she has all but two feathers on each wing. She looks absolutely beautiful when they're spread, and when those two feathers grow in she will be ready for a photo shoot :) She really has been doing very well with her new flight. I have not flight trained her, but she has been cooperating very well when I do work with her a little.
When I'm home in my room, I close all my window blinds, and I cover any thing that Allegra can get into trouble with (my keyboard, my video game controllers, tv remotes, and plugs. I let her out and she enjoys flying around the space of my room. She will fly to me wherever I am, and if I am laying in my bed, she will fly to the top of my computer, the top of my tv, etc. but she will always fly back to her cage soon after. She has yet to poop anywhere that she lands, she usually flies back to her cage to do that (which I haven't even taught her, she just does it).
I haven't had any problems with her being flighted, so I am thinking of letting Charlie grow his wings in as well. I am worried with some things, like the mirrors in my room, or her getting outside of my room - but I am very cautious to always leave the door closed and everyone in my family knows to knock before entering my room.
I will post some good videos of Allegra flying around my room very soon, but for now here is a stupid quick one lol.


Thanks for visiting.

Regurgitating Parrots

Charlie and Allegra always get in the mood to barf on each other. Last night, I decided to quick record them while they were performing some affection towards each other.

Easter

Easter came early for me - Charlie and Allegra were very interested in the basket! I think this means I will have to get them a little something something for the upcoming holiday :)

Hug!

Charlie giving Allegra a hug. hahah I had to post this photo!

Rangers

Yes, sorry - this post is not parrot related but.....

The New York Rangers have made the playoffs!!!!
We went to the final home game (vs. NJ Devils)
and it was insane!! Had such a great weekend.
We are hoping to get some tickets to the playoff
games - but prices seem ridiculous. Maybe my
honey will still surprise me though :)

Review of Pak O Bird

Three words to describe my view on the Pak O bird:

I
Love
It!

I took both fids out yesterday afternoon in the stroller. They loved it, they had so much fun walking with my boyfriend and I. A couple of the reactions from people were funny, but we didn't get to see many people since it is not beach season near my house yet. Once the nice weather comes, it will be a hit to see what people have to say.
One woman said "what is in that thing, a dog??" I said no, parrots - and her jaw dropped. She started cracking up and said "that is great!!!"
Another two girls passed us on bicycles and as they rode by, the birds squawked. Both girls gave us a double take and literally said "oh my god!"

I really look forward to some more nice days! :)

p0p cOrn!

Photos of Charlie enjoying some butterless popcorn :)

Surprise! Pak-O-Bird

I am SO excited for this blog! I have been wanting a Pak-o-Bird for a really long time and it finally was delivered last week. For those of you who have never heard of these - here is a blurb from the website:
"Pak-o-Birds are the most innovative light-weight carriers for travel with pet birds in comfort and safety. They come in three standard sizes and many custom designs. For leisure walking, as a mobile home for short stay in friend's house or hotels, Pak-o-Birds make it all possible. They can be carried as a front pouch, backpack, shoulder bag or in a stroller for one or more birds. Let's include your feathery friends in the next trip!"
--

Ever since I got Charlie and Allegra, I've always been interested in buying travel cages. I have a few so far (including little ones from petco) just to bring them to the vet in. I also sometimes decide to bring the birds to work and always wanted a somewhat nice size travel carrier for them to be able to spend a day in. I came across the pak-o-bird thru the bird magazine, Bird Talk. After researching it on it's website (celltei pak o bird) I saw the price and was a little taken back about making the purchase. I read a ton and ton of reviews, checked out many pictures on people's blogs who own it, and just decided that it was the right move for me.
I enjoy taking the birds on walks, especially out on the beach in my backyard, and I also would like to be able to bring them along on little day trips (on the ferry, on our boat, to the city, etc). The pak-o-bird is perfect for those activities. Although the weather is not warm enough to take them out, I have been leaving the pak-o-bird around my room and letting them get used to it. The other day I put the birds both in it to see how they'd react and both of them took to it quite well.


This backpack is made very, very well. Honestly, it is made better than I anticipated it to be. Every little detail on the pak is made for better quality and better safety for the birds. It has covers for every side of the backpack (incase your birds are frightened) - but the covers are able to roll up. It even has slots on the back of it to hook your car seatbelt thru! You can wear the backpack on your back, or on your front. The straps also remove and they supply a shoulder strap for you, to carry like a bag. The bottom is made of a plastic material which is easy to remove and easy to wash. The perch is made of dragon wood and the cups are a decent size for food and water. They also supply a spot which holds a water bottle.

The more I blog about this product, the more I feel like a person trying to sell it. I'm not - I'm just very impressed by how it is made and I look forward to using it in a few weeks (then you will have my real, experienced review of it).

--

Ok, now here is my FAVORITE part about the pak-o-bird. Not only is it a backpack, but I also bought the foldable stroller to go with it. This stroller is specially made for this product and I thought it would be such a great idea to purchase as well. Since we have this little town on the water near my house, it is a lot easier to walk around and push them compared to walk around with them on my back. This town has boardwalks all over, and many people bring their kids and pets with them to walk around with. I cannot wait to see people's reactions to me pushing around my parrots. It may seem a bit nerdy but I am going to be one proud mama! hah.
--

Details:
I bought the Medium sized pak-o-bird in Gold (the other color choice was olive green). I bought the stainless steel mesh which I think is a total must (although it can get expensive). The stainless steel mesh is good because the birds cannot bite thru it and the pak won't get wrecked. I got the pak 13 inches wide (you can get 15 inches wide for a bit more money). Although the website says conures would fit well in a size small, I know Charlie's tail is quite long and I was worried about him not having room for it. I spent a total of $330ish dollars (if you search the website they offer all different kinds of coupons - I used the military coupon because my boyfriend/one day husband is in the Air Force which gave us $50.00 off). I am extremely happy with the decisions I have made for this pak, and so far I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has the extra cash for it.

Here are some additional photos:

new vids of the birds

Camera Fun

Took a few shots with them today..

Shower

Today was not a lazy day. The weather was nice enough to bring the bottom grates of the cages outside and wash them - along with some of their toys and their wooden perches. My dad cleaned them all (he LOVES to do it! haha) and I cleaned the rest of the cages with poop-off wipes, etc. They are spotless! Also spent 80$ on a huge bag of zupreem colored pellets and some treats.
After a morning of cleaning and my little trip to Petco, I jumped in the shower and brought them along. When I got out of the shower, I put the water pressure on low and put them both on this little bench that I have in there. They had a ball - especially Charlie. He was jumping and fluttering all around with his wings open. Allegra just sat in the corner but as soon as I put her back to the top of her cage she dived into her water bowl. I grabbed my camera because wet bird pics are always the best.

Gave my little pumpkin a very rad mohawk:






And some dry photos:




preening: they look like headless twins!

Rabbit Air

WOW!!! Ordered this bad boy 2 days ago and I got home from work to find it waiting on my door step! Can't believe how quickly it was delivered. Anyway, I hooked the air purifier up tonight. Obviously it's too soon to give my opinion about it but I can tell you that it was VERY easy to set up and it is VERY quiet! Two really great pro's right there. It read that my air quality was bad (it showed in the orangey zone (red is worst, then orange, then light green) - Light green is where you want to be. I am keeping the purifier on Auto for now. Can't wait to see if I wake up with no allergy symptoms in the morning! Here is what it looks like:

Air!!

So, my parrots are both living in my room. Until I move out of my parent's house and into my own - this is where they will stay. I have noticed that I've been waking up with some allergy symptoms (itchy throat, itchy ears) and this has been happening since I moved them both onto the same side of my room. I realize that air purifiers are important - not only for my breathing but also for the actual birds.
Since they make so many different kinds I never knew which to buy. I'd go through pages and pages of reviews but they were usually always split 50/50. Like many bird owners - in the magazine bird talk - I've seen ad after ad about Rabbit Air Purifiers. The price is always a little scary which I think makes people back away real fast- but I've always been interested in this purifier for some reason.
After seeing Natacha's blog (poiworld) and her review of the rabbit air, I was pushed to buy it as well. I ordered it today (in pearl white) and used a coupon code from bird talk magazine (code: FPABT20) which gave I think 10$ off - spent about $330 with free shipping for purchases over 300$. I chose the BioGS-SPA-421A
Once the purifier comes in and I get some good use out of it, I will also submit my view to a new post. :)
Have a great day!!

New Toy

Whoa!! It has been a while.

For Valentine's day I bought my babies a new toy. The owner of theparrotforum now has a line of toys he makes. (you can see all his toys here:parrotwizard toys - they have cute St. Patty's day ones!) I decided to buy one since it was all cute with hearts and looked like a good chew toy for my babes. Well -- it was a great success and everything was shipped so quickly. I look forward to getting some more toys in the future! Here are some lovely pics below of the birds on the first day of showing them their new chew toy.

below: charlie and allegra, scared of their new toy.

New Setup

I always had the birds in my room, across from each other. I got all new furniture in my room on Saturday (new bed, desk and dresser) and I decided to switch around the bird cages so that they were next to each other. I probably should've always did this from the beginning, to keep their mess in one area but hey, it's not too late. I moved them next to each other tonight and it seems to be working at well. They have been out - climbing onto each others cage - and they are being so quiet! Here is a before and after - i'm crossing my fingers that this new way works out!
Before:


After:

Calendar

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I did - hence why I haven't been able to blog in a while! - plus I am leaving for Disney World (Florida) for the first time in my life in 11 days! Been quite busy getting my summer clothes out and making sure I will have everything I need. At age 23, I can tell you my excitement level about going is probably equivalent to a 5 year olds.

Anyway, I have some big news. I came across a site (conure community) and decided to send in some pics for a calendar that they do every year. It is non-profit and I thought it would be fun to see my actual babies get in. To my surprise, my night in shining armor (Charlie) made it on the COVER... on the friggen cover!!! Many people sent in pictures so I was very shocked to find out about this. Each calendar is 20$ and they have sold quite a bit! Allegra made it into the calendar as well for April (her hatch month) and Charlie is in his hatch month, November.
Wait, wait I am still not done - another picture of them together is featured in the month of October. I can truly say that I feel like the most proud mother there is! Please see the calendar pics below!

cover:


april:


october:


november:


This I thought was very cool, each birds face gets placed on their specific hatch day (like below):