SHAKE!!
There we go, all seven birds got their own picture thread today!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Miss Léa
She posed nicely this morning, and had no interest in running away or coming for the camera.
That was this morning.
I tried taking some videos of her earlier this afternoon and all she wanted then was my phone.
Right now, she's going around the room, getting to things she shouldn't and making very cute noises when we try to remove her from whatever situation she got herself into. Kinda makes it hard remaining serious towards her...
That was this morning.
I tried taking some videos of her earlier this afternoon and all she wanted then was my phone.
Right now, she's going around the room, getting to things she shouldn't and making very cute noises when we try to remove her from whatever situation she got herself into. Kinda makes it hard remaining serious towards her...
Preening Petey
It's rather difficult to get a picture of Petey preening, let alone a few of them!
On another note, I managed to take pictures of all the birds today, and, as a personal challenge, I will try to get around to having one post for each today. Joey and Petey have been done, Shade, Piper, Zuri, Pixel and Léa are left.
On another note, I managed to take pictures of all the birds today, and, as a personal challenge, I will try to get around to having one post for each today. Joey and Petey have been done, Shade, Piper, Zuri, Pixel and Léa are left.
Friday, August 30, 2013
The Sidewalk Sale is fast approaching!
Yes, that wonderful time where vendors (and members) of Avian Avenue offer sales simultaneously for three consecutive days is just around the corner!
This year, the sale will be held from September 6th to the 8th. Participating vendors have started to be announced and you can see the list (so far) here:
The Official Sidewalk Sale Fall 2013 Thread
Some sales have also started to appear. This year, "Guest Vendors" (Business for whom one of the organizers can vouch for but aren't necessarily members of the forum) have made an appearance.
In the past, I've been known to indulge (I can never really resist a good sale), but I'll try to be a bit more reasonable this year and will most likely only shop with 3 vendors, all of them Canadian (easier for shipping costs and they are toys that my birds all love).
Technically, the sale is for forum members so, if you haven't already done so, come and sign up!
This year, the sale will be held from September 6th to the 8th. Participating vendors have started to be announced and you can see the list (so far) here:
The Official Sidewalk Sale Fall 2013 Thread
Some sales have also started to appear. This year, "Guest Vendors" (Business for whom one of the organizers can vouch for but aren't necessarily members of the forum) have made an appearance.
In the past, I've been known to indulge (I can never really resist a good sale), but I'll try to be a bit more reasonable this year and will most likely only shop with 3 vendors, all of them Canadian (easier for shipping costs and they are toys that my birds all love).
Technically, the sale is for forum members so, if you haven't already done so, come and sign up!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Colours!
Shade showing off a few colours - I like the transition from orange on her chest to yellow under her wings!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Tired Pixel
Very sweet looking -
- and not so sweet looking, more like she's planning something somewhat bad...
- and not so sweet looking, more like she's planning something somewhat bad...
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Why the need for many toys?
Because birds like this one -
- make a "mess" like this daily.
But since a mess means a busy bird, and that a busy bird is generally a happy bird, it's all good!
- make a "mess" like this daily.
But since a mess means a busy bird, and that a busy bird is generally a happy bird, it's all good!
A week-end of toys: Homemade toys!
Here is my last chapter of "A week-end of toys", at least for this week-end (unless I'll be surprised with more bird related toys, which I think is highly doubtful.)
Last week-end I started making some homemade toys; I believe I intended to make more, but things have been busy in other spheres of my life this week and I've just run out of time and had no desire to think about the toys (as I tend to be a little "peculiar" about how they have to have a certain symmetry, which requires some thought.)
All of the toys use pine slats I cut last week-end and wood beads. Some also have some natural wood coins incorporated within them. Most have been strung on cotton rope, and have been made wider as oppose to longer (less chance for long dangly string of ropes for the birds to hurt themselves with) and others were simply made using skewers.
The "rope" toys -
Rope toy #1
This one is a monster, the picture really does NOT do it justice. It is quite large and heavy. It started with four main strands and each strand had an additional two strands. This one is a combo of pine, willow, cottonwood and hardwood beads - and it is meant for Léa.
Rope toy #2
Another toys that started with four strands of rope, which then had an additional two strands leaving each of those strands, however, the pine slats were regularly divided with a hardwood bead, which makes the toys appear a lot less dense and is a lot less heavy. As well, each additional strand starts off with a series of beads, instead of pine slats, which makes it take less horizontal space right from the top. Given the use of thicker cut pine and a larger number or hardwood beads, this one is also destined for Léa's cage.
Rope toy #3
This one started similar to the others above in terms of strands, but this one is meant for smaller beaks - the beads are smaller and very easy to snap, a favourite of the Littles.
Rope toys #4 & #5
These are my "typical" four strands of rope with pine alternated with beads - I've made similar toys on a number of occasions. The easy to snap beads are featured here as well, so these two toys will also be destined to some of the Littles.
Rope toy #6
An entirely new design for me - when I cut pine last week-end, I also got the opportunity to drill holes so for some of the pine slats cut from the 2"x4", I drilled 3 holes, so I could use it as a larger toy base. I have one longer strand of rope, folded in two, going through the middle hole and two smaller single strands going through the holes on either side of that middle hole. This one is mostly made with pine slats, with the occasional bead, and I haven't decided yet who will get it and I might make more so that everyone has one.
The "skewer" toys -
Skewer toys #1 & #2 - the "small" skewers
Very simple designs, either bead-pine slat-bead or a few pine slats, followed by a bead, followed by a few more pine slats. given this will likely only last 3 minutes with Léa, and more likely lasts 15 minutes (at least for the pine slats) with the Littles, I'll let you guess who will get these.
Skewer toys #3 & #4 - the "long" skewers
These are similar to skewer toy #2, only replicated on a longer skewer. Will either be given to the Littles or to Léa.
Skewer toy #5 - Shade's corkscrew skewer
Why Shade? The one with the pink acrylic ball at the end is hers. I filled this up last week and she destroyed it in no time, whereas the others are still working on theirs.
Last week-end I started making some homemade toys; I believe I intended to make more, but things have been busy in other spheres of my life this week and I've just run out of time and had no desire to think about the toys (as I tend to be a little "peculiar" about how they have to have a certain symmetry, which requires some thought.)
All of the toys use pine slats I cut last week-end and wood beads. Some also have some natural wood coins incorporated within them. Most have been strung on cotton rope, and have been made wider as oppose to longer (less chance for long dangly string of ropes for the birds to hurt themselves with) and others were simply made using skewers.
The "rope" toys -
Rope toy #1
This one is a monster, the picture really does NOT do it justice. It is quite large and heavy. It started with four main strands and each strand had an additional two strands. This one is a combo of pine, willow, cottonwood and hardwood beads - and it is meant for Léa.
Rope toy #2
Another toys that started with four strands of rope, which then had an additional two strands leaving each of those strands, however, the pine slats were regularly divided with a hardwood bead, which makes the toys appear a lot less dense and is a lot less heavy. As well, each additional strand starts off with a series of beads, instead of pine slats, which makes it take less horizontal space right from the top. Given the use of thicker cut pine and a larger number or hardwood beads, this one is also destined for Léa's cage.
Rope toy #3
This one started similar to the others above in terms of strands, but this one is meant for smaller beaks - the beads are smaller and very easy to snap, a favourite of the Littles.
Rope toys #4 & #5
These are my "typical" four strands of rope with pine alternated with beads - I've made similar toys on a number of occasions. The easy to snap beads are featured here as well, so these two toys will also be destined to some of the Littles.
Rope toy #6
An entirely new design for me - when I cut pine last week-end, I also got the opportunity to drill holes so for some of the pine slats cut from the 2"x4", I drilled 3 holes, so I could use it as a larger toy base. I have one longer strand of rope, folded in two, going through the middle hole and two smaller single strands going through the holes on either side of that middle hole. This one is mostly made with pine slats, with the occasional bead, and I haven't decided yet who will get it and I might make more so that everyone has one.
The "skewer" toys -
Skewer toys #1 & #2 - the "small" skewers
Very simple designs, either bead-pine slat-bead or a few pine slats, followed by a bead, followed by a few more pine slats. given this will likely only last 3 minutes with Léa, and more likely lasts 15 minutes (at least for the pine slats) with the Littles, I'll let you guess who will get these.
Skewer toys #3 & #4 - the "long" skewers
These are similar to skewer toy #2, only replicated on a longer skewer. Will either be given to the Littles or to Léa.
Skewer toy #5 - Shade's corkscrew skewer
Why Shade? The one with the pink acrylic ball at the end is hers. I filled this up last week and she destroyed it in no time, whereas the others are still working on theirs.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Dangling Léa
I'll start by providing a little context.
Occasionally, Léa will go all "crazy bird" and dangle upside down by one of the strands off the stainless steel twirl toy base we have in the orange room (next to the atom). However, the moment she feels watched, she'll stop and hurry back to the atom in the upright position.
So, knowing this, when Léa went crazy earlier today and, of course, I wanted to try and take pictures, I picked up my camera as quick as I could, turned it on and proceeded to shoot with whatever settings it was on and crossed my fingers something would come out. Given that I had previously took pictures in a room that was a tad darker, I was a bit concerned that pictures would turn out too bright but I was very happy that I happened to have my 30mm lens on (as opposed to the 50mm that had been on for ages), as I had shot toy pictures earlier today.
While the pictures did come out a tad too bright, there were still a few I could use!
And here they are.
"She saw me!"
"Must...get...to...atom"
"Stop taking pictures!"
(Now I had a picture of her reaching the atom that could have been inserted here, but it was too blurry to share)
"You saw nothing!"
Occasionally, Léa will go all "crazy bird" and dangle upside down by one of the strands off the stainless steel twirl toy base we have in the orange room (next to the atom). However, the moment she feels watched, she'll stop and hurry back to the atom in the upright position.
So, knowing this, when Léa went crazy earlier today and, of course, I wanted to try and take pictures, I picked up my camera as quick as I could, turned it on and proceeded to shoot with whatever settings it was on and crossed my fingers something would come out. Given that I had previously took pictures in a room that was a tad darker, I was a bit concerned that pictures would turn out too bright but I was very happy that I happened to have my 30mm lens on (as opposed to the 50mm that had been on for ages), as I had shot toy pictures earlier today.
While the pictures did come out a tad too bright, there were still a few I could use!
And here they are.
"She saw me!"
"Must...get...to...atom"
"Stop taking pictures!"
(Now I had a picture of her reaching the atom that could have been inserted here, but it was too blurry to share)
"You saw nothing!"
A week-end of toys: T4W haul!
Today I received my recent Things for Wings order, hand delivered no less!
Danita recently had a 10% off selected food sale, so I took the opportunity the replenish my dwindling TOPs supply. On the same occasion, I added a few toys to the order, which made it look very similar to my previous T4W order.
A testament to Danita's great customer service, when faced with the obligation to go out of town, she messaged me asking how urgent it was that I receive my food, since the toys I added were to be handmade and she couldn't ship the order until then. Given that I have a certain time thing going against me, I said sooner was better than later. Well, she took some time to make the toys and have them ready before her departure. I later learned she was actually heading to my town and brought my order with her!
This will just get added to the long list of reasons why I am a repeat customer!
Anyways, my (small) order consisted of the following -
10 lbs bag of TOPs (pellets)
4 "Basket of cherries"
These are for the bigger chewers amongst the Littles - the combination of balsa, pine, yucca and other easy to shred materials makes this a favourite amongst the flock.
The "Backwoods Sampler"
This one is for Léa, she had one in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it, I figured it was time to get her another! She is really craving harder woods lately and this will make her happy!
Finally, another big thank you to Danita for the in person delivery (and awesome toys)!
Danita recently had a 10% off selected food sale, so I took the opportunity the replenish my dwindling TOPs supply. On the same occasion, I added a few toys to the order, which made it look very similar to my previous T4W order.
A testament to Danita's great customer service, when faced with the obligation to go out of town, she messaged me asking how urgent it was that I receive my food, since the toys I added were to be handmade and she couldn't ship the order until then. Given that I have a certain time thing going against me, I said sooner was better than later. Well, she took some time to make the toys and have them ready before her departure. I later learned she was actually heading to my town and brought my order with her!
This will just get added to the long list of reasons why I am a repeat customer!
Anyways, my (small) order consisted of the following -
10 lbs bag of TOPs (pellets)
4 "Basket of cherries"
These are for the bigger chewers amongst the Littles - the combination of balsa, pine, yucca and other easy to shred materials makes this a favourite amongst the flock.
The "Backwoods Sampler"
This one is for Léa, she had one in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it, I figured it was time to get her another! She is really craving harder woods lately and this will make her happy!
Finally, another big thank you to Danita for the in person delivery (and awesome toys)!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)