My life ... with birds

[Graehstone]

The very first bird that I can remember being in our family was a sparrow named Hansi that my mother had found fallen out of its nest and the parents gone for good, we think a cat got them, and she raised it from a naked little thing to the most protective bird I have ever seen in my life. All my dad would have to do is wag his finger at my mom or raise his voice, and she would come flying around the corner with a vengeance and attack him like no tomorrow. Or if she sat on your shoulder and you happened to stick your tongue out at her she would pierce it for you for free.
We never clipped her wings and she was free to leave at any time seeing as how we never made sure that the windows where closed or the door was left wide open when we came and went.
This was in Adelanto California and I was going to the third grade at the time. We also had a few zebra finches that we kept caged.
One day Hansi comes flying into my parents’ bedroom and began picking on my dad’s ear and raising seven kinds of ruckus and flew back out again. This being in the morning and still not wanting to get out of bed he promptly ignored her and went back to sleep.
Not wanting to be daunted in her task at getting as much attention as possible she began the entire routine all over with my mother’s ear, until finally someone gave in and got out of bed and followed her into the other room. There she was sitting on the finches cages screaming up a storm and hopping up and down with her wings just slightly spread.
Looking into the finch cage my mother found one of them hanging by it’s too long toe nails in the side bars of the cage and totally exhausted from trying to keep it’s head up and getting back on the perch.
Hansi had saved a life that day.
This was my first encounter with any sort of bird at all. Hansi eventually did fly off into the wild blue yonder to start her own family I am sure, and she was missed very much.
Skipping ahead many years till about 10 or so years ago, I was living in Germany and outside of my apartment I found a cage containing two Textor weaver birds that someone had just set out into the cold and left.
After searching for the rightful owner to no avail I kept them and tried my best to get them back to health and give them some sort of a good life or at least a semblance of said good life. This was more than I could manage and they passed away a few months later to some sort of illness that I had never heard of before and have since forgotten what exactly it was. The time outside was apparently too much for them, as it was in the dead of winter and we had snow up the … well, you know.
Skipping head to about 7 years ago and now living in the San Diego, California area. Katrin, my now wife, was alone at home and not speaking a word of English, we decided to get her a companion to sweeten her days while I was out at work earning my pennies.
Not wanting any children of her own and my not capable of producing any anymore, we decided to go ahead and get bird that would be with us for many years to come.
Enter BB (that’s short for Bird Brain) the Cockatiel. We got her just barely weaned and Katrin did an exemplary job of raising her into one of the sweetest and cuddliest little birds one could ever hope for. BB lives for two things, food and sex, or should I say snacks and cuddles/scritches. That’s about the extent of our relationship with her, and we are all happy to keep it at that. Besides, what on earth could one possibly want more out of life?
Valentines day 4 years ago, we decided to add yet another bird to our family, and the reason for that would be that BB needed a companion during the day. You see, Katrins’ English had gotten much better, so much so that she was able to get a job at one of the local plant nurseries that had just opened up the hill from us, so she too was gone for at least half of the day and felt bad for leaving BB alone at home.
Answering an ad in the local paper, we drove in the pouring rain and as the lightning flashed in the heavens we were not so sure that this was such a good idea. We still had about 80 miles or so still to go when the weather got from bad to worse, but we pressed on and it was a good thing that we did, otherwise we would be all that much more poor with the blessings in our lives.
Cleo, our little Senegal lady, was just done with her weaning period and ready to come home with her new parronts. And she has been a wonder to behold on a daily basis and that for 4 years now. We would not trade her for any amount of money or sacks of gold.
With the both of us now working, we where in the position to rescue another poor soul several years later that needed a better life. One of our co-workers, we now both worked for an Orchid Nursery, had another cockatiel that never was allowed out of his cage and received only a seed diet and was tormented with a stick by the 8 year old daughter of the house.
Freckles was now another member of our family and the only other guy other than me. It took us many years to gain his trust and towards the end only I was able to do anything at all with him without the fear of losing an eye or bleeding to death from multiple stab wounds. His story, as well as all the others individually, is worth a page or two all of it’s own, suffice it to say he is no longer with us, as his place is now passed what we all so lovingly call the Rainbow bridge.
During our tenure as it were with our birds, we did much researching and even more reading and a great buying of books to enlighten us in the ways of aviculture and general ornithology.
We had always thought that an African Grey would be the one bird for us that would maybe complete our family. My dream bird, and still is to this day, was a Timneh African Grey. There is not one book on the market that I do not own concerning this bird and I even went so far as to offer my help in the local kindergartens and daycare centers to enable me to study up on that particular intelligence level. Let me tell you that this was not easy trying to prove that I was not some sort of pervert, but I did manage to get a basic understanding and found out that I would indeed have my hands full if and when I would get this type of bird.
Time passed and I had enlisted the help of on-line bird boards to help me find my little bird. One day I got a message asking if I would be interested in a Grey and that there was one for free not too terribly far from us. Now free is always a good thing right?
Katrin and I got into the car and off we went, into a future that the both of us could not have come up with in our wildest dreams, and I’ve got some doozies let me tell you.
We met Ruby, whom I lovingly call my little rotisserie chicken because of her lack of plumage, and fell in love immediately.
Ruby deserves a whole chapter if not a book all of her own, there is so much to tell.
Needless to say she has been a great shining light during the days that darkness wants to enter my life. She is so much more than just anther bird to us. She completes us in a very strange way that only bird lovers can maybe understand.

[Graehstone]

Now I was the proud Papa of an African Congo Grey, Yippee!!! Life was great and we were having a blast learning to live with each other. Her plucking and self mutilation had stopped and the rate at which things were growing back was greater than the rate she was removing them, so things were looking up and everyone was just tickled pink at … everything.
On the road for the Orchid nursery I was working for at the time allowed me to meet another member of our family. I was delivering an order to one of the local grocery stores that had plant departments, when I heard chirping from one of the corners of the store. I peeked around the corner and there was in its little cage, a little blue budgie that was just begging to be taken home with me. The price was right and I had a weak moment. $30 for the bird and cage sealed the deal.
Nicky was now bird number 5 and upon arriving at home immediately became attached to Katrin, and still is to this day hers and hers alone. I come anywhere close to the cage or try to interact with her she goes ballistic and attacks me with a vengeance. I love her just to pieces the little terror.
My life and family was growing and becoming that what I had envisioned in my dreams.
There comes a time in every ones life when one has to say good bye to a loved one due to either ill health or … it was just time to go.
The only other “Guy” in the family was Freckles, and one day he looked a little depressed. Not knowing what was wrong as I had not seen or detected anything unusual in any of my birds, I took him to the Vet just in case. It was late in the day and they wanted to run some tests and put him under anesthesia the next day to run some more tests. I left him there overnight.
The next day was the worst day of my life with birds ever. I got the call that we all dread. My Freckles did not come back out of anesthesia. He had passed due to fatty liver disease that is what the tests showed.
We were back down to 4 in my family and were resigned to the fact that we would not have any more than that. We all grew together and fell in love with each other more and more every day as we played and fought and chased each other around the apartment and just generally had a great time with each other. Even the bites taught us all lessons best learned fast and the first time to avoid the same again and again. 99% of all bites were my own darn fault and I wear the scars proudly, but I am not in a hurry to add to them.
I have over the years also had brushes with wild birds that will eventually all get their own story written, if I ever get off of my lazy butt and write them. One such tale I have already shared with most of you one on board or another called “My Magic Moment”, and deals with the Mourning Doves that had decided to nest in my plants in front of my apartment. They successfully raised 4 clutches over the years and are now gone elsewhere.
Then Katrin goes to San Francisco and leaves me alone with the birds for over a week.
I run out of bird food and have to go to the bird store to buy more … I meet Gracie and the rest is history.
The Saga continues … and I can’t wait to see where life will lead us.
God is great and life is good. I have been blessed beyond belief and am humbled daily by the love shown me and the respect I receive from my feathered family.
I hope to live up to the standards they expect and deserve.
So there you have it, my life with birds, albeit the “short” version, but hopefully colorful enough to have caught your interest and peaked your curiosity enough to read it to the end.
Thank you all for being in my life even if it is only on the World Wide Web, you enrich me with every word you write.

[birdyland]

Originally Posted by Graehstone

hopefully colorful enough to have caught your interest and peaked your curiosity enough to read it to the end.

Your stories always are Graeh! Don't ever doubt it....

Thank you for this one, I enjoyed every word.

[The Outlaw]

Me Too! :icon_smil

THE OUTLAW

[Regina U.]

Graeh,

Thank you! Your stories are wonderful. You should write a book!!!! I thank you for if I am having a "bad" day, ( like today), I read your posts and am reminded of what is really important in life...... my husband, my fids, and all of you on this board.

Regina

[smallonion]

Great story made better by your gift of great writing. I agreee with Regina - you should write a book.

[Tiki]

Beautiful story, Graeh!

[Birdmommy]

Originally Posted by birdyland

Your stories always are Graeh! Don't ever doubt it....

Thank you for this one, I enjoyed every word.

Wonderful story, you sound like a great parront, your birdy family is very blessed. Birdmommy :icon_smil

[mrliverani]

Originally Posted by Graehstone

The very first bird that I can remember being in our family was a sparrow named Hansi that my mother had found fallen out of its nest and the parents gone for good, we think a cat got them, and she raised it from a naked little thing to the most protective bird I have ever seen in my life. All my dad would have to do is wag his finger at my mom or raise his voice, and she would come flying around the corner with a vengeance and attack him like no tomorrow. Or if she sat on your shoulder and you happened to stick your tongue out at her she would pierce it for you for free.
We never clipped her wings and she was free to leave at any time seeing as
how we never made sure that the windows where closed or the door was left wide open when we came and went.
This was in Adelanto California and I was going to the third grade at the time. We also had a few zebra finches that we kept caged.
One day Hansi comes flying into my parents’ bedroom and began picking on my dad’s ear and raising seven kinds of ruckus and flew back out again. This being in the morning and still not wanting to get out of bed he promptly ignored her and went back to sleep.
Not wanting to be daunted in her task at getting as much attention as possible she began the entire routine all over with my mother’s ear, until finally someone gave in and got out of bed and followed her into the other room. There she was sitting on the finches cages screaming up a storm and hopping up and down with her wings just slightly spread.
Looking into the finch cage my mother found one of them hanging by it’s too long toe nails in the side bars of the cage and totally exhausted from trying to keep it’s head up and getting back on the perch.
Hansi had saved a life that day.
This was my first encounter with any sort of bird at all. Hansi eventually did fly off into the wild blue yonder to start her own family I am sure, and she was missed very much.
Skipping ahead many years till about 10 or so years ago, I was living in Germany and outside of my apartment I found a cage containing two Textor weaver birds that someone had just set out into the cold and left.
After searching for the rightful owner to no avail I kept them and tried my best to get them back to health and give them some sort of a good life or at least a semblance of said good life. This was more than I could manage and they passed away a few months later to some sort of illness that I had never heard of before and have since forgotten what exactly it was. The time outside was apparently too much for them, as it was in the dead of winter and we had snow up the … well, you know.
Skipping head to about 7 years ago and now living in the San Diego, California area. Katrin, my now wife, was alone at home and not speaking a word of English, we decided to get her a companion to sweeten her days while I was out at work earning my pennies.
Not wanting any children of her own and my not capable of producing any anymore, we decided to go ahead and get bird that would be with us for many years to come.
Enter BB (that’s short for Bird Brain) the Cockatiel. We got her just barely weaned and Katrin did an exemplary job of raising her into one of the sweetest and cuddliest little birds one could ever hope for. BB lives for two things, food and sex, or should I say snacks and cuddles/scritches. That’s about the extent of our relationship with her, and we are all happy to keep it at that. Besides, what on earth could one possibly want more out of life?
Valentines day 4 years ago, we decided to add yet another bird to our family, and the reason for that would be that BB needed a companion during the day. You see, Katrins’ English had gotten much better, so much so that she was able to get a job at one of the local plant nurseries that had just opened up the hill from us, so she too was gone for at least half of the day and felt bad for leaving BB alone at home.
Answering an ad in the local paper, we drove in the pouring rain and as the lightning flashed in the heavens we were not so sure that this was such a good idea. We still had about 80 miles or so still to go when the weather got from bad to worse, but we pressed on and it was a good thing that we did, otherwise we would be all that much more poor with the blessings in our lives.
Cleo, our little Senegal lady, was just done with her weaning period and ready to come home with her new parronts. And she has been a wonder to behold on a daily basis and that for 4 years now. We would not trade her for any amount of money or sacks of gold.
With the both of us now working, we where in the position to rescue another poor soul several years later that needed a better life. One of our co-workers, we now both worked for an Orchid Nursery, had another cockatiel that never was allowed out of his cage and received only a seed diet and was tormented with a stick by the 8 year old daughter of the house.
Freckles was now another member of our family and the only other guy other than me. It took us many years to gain his trust and towards the end only I was able to do anything at all with him without the fear of losing an eye or bleeding to death from multiple stab wounds. His story, as well as all the others individually, is worth a page or two all of it’s own, suffice it to say he is no longer with us, as his place is now passed what we all so lovingly call the Rainbow bridge.
During our tenure as it were with our birds, we did much researching and even more reading and a great buying of books to enlighten us in the ways of aviculture and general ornithology.
We had always thought that an African Grey would be the one bird for us that would maybe complete our family. My dream bird, and still is to this day, was a Timneh African Grey. There is not one book on the market that I do not own concerning this bird and I even went so far as to offer my help in the local kindergartens and daycare centers to enable me to study up on that particular intelligence level. Let me tell you that this was not easy trying to prove that I was not some sort of pervert, but I did manage to get a basic understanding and found out that I would indeed have my hands full if and when I would get this type of bird.
Time passed and I had enlisted the help of on-line bird boards to help me find my little bird. One day I got a message asking if I would be interested in a Grey and that there was one for free not too terribly far from us. Now free is always a good thing right?
Katrin and I got into the car and off we went, into a future that the both of us could not have come up with in our wildest dreams, and I’ve got some doozies let me tell you.
We met Ruby, whom I lovingly call my little rotisserie chicken because of her lack of plumage, and fell in love immediately.
Ruby deserves a whole chapter if not a book all of her own, there is so much to tell.
Needless to say she has been a great shining light during the days that darkness wants to enter my life. She is so much more than just anther bird to us. She completes us in a very strange way that only bird lovers can maybe understand.

Dear Graehstone,

I enjoyed your story very much; I liked its whimsical humour. Mind you, I did feel there was a bit of a rush between love at first sight with a new bird and then hurrying forward to the burial service. Iwould have liked the middle bit to have been a little longer I must say, as a novice in this bizarre world of bird lovers, that I find the posts on this site very warm and appealing. There's a rare charm in bird lovers that I was never aware of before. I myself, of course, am famously charming in my small circle of friends and family.
My 11 year old niece, who has now advanced to ownership of quite a big aviary, introduced me to budgies, and I can say that my life can now be dated, BB and AB, before budgies and after budgies. The biggest surprise to me was that a tiny little bird could actually be interesting, and that when it looked at me, I could see a well defined personality and strong will, in its bright eyes. And, more surprising still, the manifestation of some intelligence. I'm not sure if its intelligence would be on a level with kindergarten kids. One might have to spend quite a bit of time with it, to get the full range of its intelligence, but it certainly makes ME think.
I live in Wollongong, a city of 300,000 people 80kms south of Sydney, Australia and most of you chirruppers seem to be Americans. I do thank the owners of the site for having set up Bird Board. You've been very generous indeed, and I've no doubt are contributing to the happiness of birds as well as to the enlightenment and fun of those who take pleasure in their company. I have also established friendly contact with one of the other members of Bird Board and our email exchanges are a source of interest and joy to me. Keep up the good work.

Mary Rose Liverani