60:365 - Straight on

He's obsessed with perching on my computer screen if Shade is on me or if I would happen to be scratching Piper's,Joey's and/or Pixel's head(s). 'Cause there's no way I would be allowed to scratched someone else's head if he's not getting his scratched too..

Joey also likes Léa's Lola's Toy!

..or at least he really likes the seagrass part!

Léa loves her Lola's Toy!

Lola's Toy

Day 59 alternate - Squat Hello!

59:365 - 100!

This is the 100th blog post for 2012!

As for the picture, for a while I thought I was going to be stuck with a picture of Joey preening as all he did for a good 5 minutes while I had the camera in his face was preen. Luckily, he decided that playing might be a good thing to do as well!

The Guest

He's been here since Sunday.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had been gone to Germany for a week - well I went with my mother but she's staying there for an extra two weeks. While I was there, Nemo was being cared for by my father, but he and Nemo aren't really friends, as Nemo likes to see him as a chew toy, so I when I came back, he came here until my mom returns.

He likes me quite a bit but I'm afraid he sees the Boy, specially his hands, the same way he sees my father - like a chew toy. So Nemo hangs with me most of the time. He likes his head scratches and he likes to give kisses..to me. The Boy, he likes to scare and will do an evil laugh (which I do find quite funny although I try not to encourage him).

His eyes are quite expressive.

It's been 6 months!

I was looking through old posts I made when I first got Léa (for no specific reason other than wanting to look back), and it hit me - today is the 6th month mark, day for day, since I first brought her home (August 27).

And then I stumbled on a thread with pictures I made back to celebrate her 1st month with us. She has changed so much within those 5 months!

From this -





...to this!

58:365 - Up close & personal

I really like this picture of Shade.

However, I messed up. The list of which bird gets its picture taken when was done this week-end. And all day today I was convinced bird #2 this week was Shade. So I didn't bother looking at the list and just took my picture.

Obviously, it turns out it wasn't her "turn". It was supposed to be Joey. But honestly, I'm happy I went with Shade. I'm not sure if it's the weather today, but the Red bellies have been particularly "trying" today...mind you, the Meyer's aren't far behind. Misbehaving little birds - and when you say that have been more rambunctious than the young ball of energy that is Léa, you know there is a problem.

Anyways, I'll probably just shift the list down and take Joey's picture tomorrow and then follow the order as it was set, skipping over Shade when her name actually comes up.

57:365 - Luck of the draw

Today was the start of a new week for the pictures in this project and while Piper had the last picture of last week, turns out that he was randomly selected to start this new week.

I noticed yesterday that his lower mandible was slightly overgrown on the left side and a visit to the vet to rectify this will be in order. Not entirely surprising since he has suffered in the past an injury to the right side of his beak; while he was lucky that it did end up healing well, my vet did say that we should keep an eye on his beak since it was quite possible there would be some long term effects.

In any case, he was also due for his yearly check-up so might as well take care of it all in one go!

56:365

Piper has a tendency to barber his feathers a bit during the winter. I do use a humidifier and I do mist him for humidity, but I guess he still finds it a bit dry. Vet did rule out any other problems and he leaves his feathers alone the rest of the year.

A Colourful Surprise

During my absence, many coral feathers have started to show. Her head and wings are getting more colourful!

Her right side -


Her left side -


Front shot -


Lastly, with an unexpected floofy -

A warm welcome back

So I'm back.

The Boy took over the 365 project for a week since I had to go to Germany for family related issues. I just came back and am exhausted but couldn't resist going to greet the birds the moment my boots were off. And I think they were quite happy to see me; Zuri was bobbing away, Shade leaned in for a nice head scratched and did her excited eye pin, Piper was running around making sure I paid attention to him, Pixel and Joey, like Shade, were pinning their eyes in excitement and were "talking" to me (I even got a "Wooo" from Pixel) and Léa was making noises and running around like Piper trying to get my attention. Only Petey didn't seem to thrilled with my return.

I have some catching up to do it seems!

55:365 - The Petey Way of Eating

"The Boy" here. As you can see from the picture above Petey likes to do this odd thing. Instead of standing on the bowl he will stand on the perch beside the bowl and stretch his neck out to reach the food. He seems happy doing it though. This will most likely be my last post. Things should be business as usual starting tomorrow.

54:365 - Zuri

"The Boy" here. I have always really liked the band of yellow against the grey on the Meyers' heads. I find it interesting the between different birds, Petey, Zuri, others that I have seen, that band of yellow always seems to be unique to the bird.

A Piper Story

"The Boy" here. Piper is a very smart bird. He has figured out that if he stands on the track pad of my laptop it is difficult for me to use the laptop and I have to pay attention to him. Even if I move him just next to the track pad and scratch his head he will move back onto the track pad so that he know I am paying full attention to him.

So the other day it was business as usual and Piper was on my track pad getting a head scratch and Joey came and landed next to Piper. I took the hand that was scratching Piper and used it to scratch Joey for a little bit. I had every intention to go back to scratching Piper. Piper didn't see it that way though. He looks up at me and gives me a look. Then he backs up over my keyboard and poos there! It all seemed very deliberate to me.

As I was typing this post Piper came and I had to move him a few times in order to finish typing!

53:365 - Léa in Flight

"The Boy" here. Admittedly not the best shot. I have been experimenting with the best settings to be able to capture the birds in flight. I really like how this one shows her wingspan. I think it is going to take quite a bit more experimenting to get it right. Getting the focus right is the hardest part.

52:365 - Joey ... Thinking!

"The Boy" here. Not much to say about Joey. He has been his usual rambunctious self.

51:365 - Pixel In A Bowl

"The Boy" here. It was Pixel's turn to have her picture taken today. She was really not into it. Not only would she turn her back to me, she flew away a few times. I eventually got the shot above. I always find it very cute when the birds sit in a bowl like this.

50:365 - Typical Shade Pose

"The Boy" here. Shade didn't really feel like posing for pictures today. Most of the shots I have of her are of her back. I was lucky to get this one those with her head just a little cocked to one side as she likes to do.

49:365 - Petey, Up Close and Personal

"The Boy" here. So far so good with me and the birds. I figured I would write about each bird as I post a picture of them. I think Petey is enjoying have just me around. He has been doing one thing though that he doesn't normally do. He has decided that flying to the kitchen and landing at the top of the cabinets is a fun thing to do.

48:365 - Mr. Cutie

So I decided to take today's picture in the end. But starting tomorrow, it'll be the Boy's turn. He might also chose to blog along with the pictures, so don't be surprised if he does.

47:365 - Thinking

A nice pose, although I just realized that I now have a picture of Zuri with his foot up twice in a row.

I haven't decided if I'm going to take tomorrow's picture or not, but for sure, from Saturday to next Friday, the Boy will be taking the pictures. Which is a welcome change since I think I need a little break from it.

46:365 - Ready for takeoff

Nearly forgot to upload the picture tonight!

Léa, you are 9 months old today!

Another month has passed - it's hard to believe that in 3 months time you'll be a year old!

I've been pondering what to write this month. For starters, I don't recall any major scare on your behalf so that was good. And while you still go on the floor from time to time, you seem to have moved on from being obsessed about being down there as much as you could - thank you.

You still love taking your shower and if it was up to you, I think you'd have one everyday.

Your weight is back at a level that makes me happy and although you weren't a fan of sprouts when I first brought you home, this past month you seem to have changed your idea about them, for the better. You are still a bit difficult when it comes to veggies, but all in due time. At least you gobble sweet potato out very readily when it's warmed up for you.

Let's talk about you colours..

Now, you don't have that solid band of coral on your head yet, but it's definitively grown since last month, particularly on your left side where the coral seems to have come in enough to be very visible at all times.



Your grey bib has also come in quite a bit - in fact, it's looking quite full and grey now.


Close-up of the bib

In fact, your whole head is well on it's way to being fully grey - there is still a tiny spot of baby green at the very back of your head, but given how many grey pins you have growing back there, I doubt it'll last for much longer. The contrast between your light grey head and green body is very nice, well at least I find!



As for the coral on your wings, I think they'll be soon nicely speckled with coral.
The two feathers (side by side) on your right side and the three feathers on the left are now nicely showing -



- but there is something more. You have more coral pins growing on your "shoulders". Now these feathers like to play hide-and-seek right now, only showing occasionally for the time being, so they were hard to capture.

You have one on your right "shoulder" (that I know of anyway) -



- and you have two on your left side, although I only managed to capture one in photo.



However, that is not the only change on your wings. I have noticed that around that "shoulder" area as well, you have started to molt out some of your baby green feathers and they have been growing back darker, in an almost emerald green colour. They are gorgeous and I can imagine the stronger contrast they'll create with your grey head and whatever coral will be showing. Those are kinda hard to take pictures of, but I do think they show up on the following pictures.


Right side


Left side

So the physical changes have been subtle this past month but it seems like you are gearing up for more bigger ones to come. As always, it's very interesting to watch you grow up, specially when you surprise me with the apparition of a new feather or when you start showing off a new sound or uttering a new word!

To finish, a few more pictures of you being kooky and fun!


Monkey bird


Shaking her head


Scratching her head and being very coy about it!

One last picture, a total accident. You were taking off as I was taking the picture. Your head is a little cut off but I like it all the same!

45:365 - 9 months

More to come later.