Life in the flock starts about 5:30 am, when I get up for work. The cockatiels are still asleep, since it is dark, and Froggy (YCM) is still too relaxed to be coaxed out his cage. But Kenya (CAG) starts his "whoop whoop" greeting the minute the bedroom door opens. He comes out for about 10-20 minutes of cuddling, at the end of which Froggy, who has figured out that he is missing out on something, is ready to wake up.
Froggy comes out for his morning wrestle, during which he starts by whispering sweet nothings to me and is soon yelling, "HI FROGGY!" and "OH BOY!" as he turns somersaults around my finger. His happy calls wake up the cockatiels, who up until now have been doing their best to ignore all the activity and catch just a few more minutes of sleep.
Beaujolais starts his serenade to the morning, and that puts an end to any dreams of sleep the other cockatiels might be having. Fume hops over to her Booda Bush (on the door of the aviary) and patiently waits for me to let her out. When I open the door to the aviary, Fume hops out onto me, then works her way up under my chin. Beau and Chenin are the next two to come out. Both wait for me to pick them up and set them on top of the aviary. Merlot and Chablis are home-bodies, and won't come out unless I reach in and "escort" each one. Once out, though, Merlot is usually the first to fly to the kitchen cupboards, a favourite "hang-out." She is followed by Chablis and Beau. Chenin, who is too chubby to fly, sits on the aviary door and flaps her wings desperately, waiting for me to get her and carry her to the kitchen. Fume wants nothing to do with it all, and she catches a few more z's cupped in my hand.
Meanwhile, Froggy and Kenya are up on their cages, playing with their toys or snacking on seed (which they only get when they are out of their cages).
Taking advantage of this "quiet" time, I clean the two big cages and the aviary, changing cage paper, food, and water and fixing all the toys the cockatiels have disassembled. Then I make birdie breakfasts for everyone. The big birds get 15-bean mix, fresh and cooked veggies, rice, pasta, Zupreem biscuits, and egg biscuits. The little birds get a soup mix (peas, lentils, rice, and pasta), fresh veggies, and hard-boiled egg yolk mixed with cottage cheese.
These simple tasks are usually interrupted by cockatiels who decide they want attention. Beau needs a few minutes to sing to me, and Chenin wants her head scratches. Merlot occasionally decides to be a velcro-bird, and where she goes, Chablis goes. Fume usually sits on me the entire time, hopping off only to check out particularly enticing tidbits, then climbing back up onto my shoulder.
Everyone goes back in their cage for breakfast, I get ready for work, and then I leave for the day.
Upon my return, the cockatiels are usually asleep and not interested in coming out. (Any attempt at taking them out is usually greeted by complaints and hisses.) I take the big birds out and bring them into the bedroom, where they have an elaborate play area, complete with a cave, Booda arches and ladders. I give them a fruit cocktail (a mix of various fruits, including grapes, berries, melon, apple, oranges, banana, etc. and some sharp cheddar cheese) and a dish of fruit juice. There we spend a couple of hours, watching t.v, checking email, playing, cuddling, or just napping. :) Often, they will get their baths/blow dry at this time. At about 7:00 pm, they are getting cranky and they go back to their own beds. Each of them gets a pine nut and a little time to settle in, and then they go to sleep for the night. I am usually not far behind. :)
The weekends are fun, because everybirdy gets to come out more often and stay out much longer than on weekdays. :)
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Last revised 5/22/97