5 years ago

It's that time again! New year means a new round of "gotcha days" and "hatchdays"!

And the first celebration is Zuri's "gotcha day" - and it's a big one! Today marks 5 years since he joined the family. Somehow, it doesn't quite feel like it has been that long.

I think the one thing that has really struck me about Zuri these past few months is how much more cuddly he's become. He used to be quite content to do his own thing, play with whatever was at his disposition, but lately, he wants more than to be around us, he wants to be on me or close enough so that I can scratch his head. His favoured perching spot is now the top of my head. I guess that is leaps and bounds from where we started; yes, he liked me rather quickly (compared to other humans), but he was still a nervous bird for some time after he first came to live with us. He's much more confident now.

He'll be turning 7 later this year, which is really a weird though as it feels like it was yesterday that I brought this "not quite two year old bird" home. And because it's been five years, here is the first picture of us together, taken on his first day home with us.

31:365 - Joey

First month is over, 11 more to go. It also means it's the end of easy to figure out numbering on the pictures!

30:365 - What's up?

Not the sharpest picture ever, but I quite like it and it was my favourite out of the handful I got from Pixel before she started moving away from the camera.

29:365 - Hi!

No theme this week, just pictures as we go.

28:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Joey

Love those little orange feathers!

From a) to b)...

Let's start with a Cape parrot on an atom - an atom she doesn't want to be on.

What happens?

She jumps/flies off.

What happens next?

Well she lands on your arm. Great, right?

No. Not when she's in a "mood" - you can see the glint in her eyes - and what she really wants is your fingers, hence why mine are mostly tucked in (except for my poor thumb).

Putting her down anywhere other than where she wants to be results in this starting over again.

27:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Petey

With slightly less yellow on his head than Zuri.

Hiding

Or at least, trying to hide his identity...

Unfortunately, his orange belly gives him away, unless he thought it was bending in with the wall!

Orange juice thief

What? If it's here for all to get to, surely you mean to share right?

So good!

She got to it before I could even take a sip - and she wasn't coming off the glass either!

26:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Zuri

Lovely splotch of yellow on his head!

A tired Piper

Adorable little guy!

I was born in '04!

A very clear picture of Pixel's band, showcasing her year of birth. And it just hit me that she'll be turning 10 later this year!

Accessorizing floofy

Where does it fit better?

 A little to the side, towards the back of my head?

Or front and center?

25:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Shade

One of the few pictures where she wasn't looking up at me.

24:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Pixel

More cooperative than Piper, but a less than Léa. I only got a handful of pictures that would apply to what I was going for.

23:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Piper

After compliant Léa, I had squirmy Piper, which proved to be the most difficult out of all the birds to take a proper "top of head" picture.

22:365 - "Top of head" week ~ Léa

Edit since orginally posted:

I first posted this without text - I really wanted the picture to go up yesterday and was too tired to think of anything. But this morning, I figured I should point out that Léa was the one who complied the most with my original idea. She showed me the top of her head nicely. The others....well they had a tendency to look up at the camera, which made it a little more difficult.

"Top of head" week

This week, for the 365 days of parrot pictures, I decided to go with a theme, "Top of head". While the pictures didn't quite turn out like I imagined at first, I'm going with it anyways. Why take pictures of the top of their heads? Why not?....365 pictures is a lot, creativity gets challenged so any (reasonable to execute) theme is welcomed!

21:365 - Cute

20:365 - Dainty

Another picture that is a little on the soft side, but it's also my favourite from Pixel's photo shoot. In fact, this was the first picture I took and although I took about 10, none of the others I liked quite like this one.

19:365 - Angelic

I was at a loss for a title so I asked the Boy - he used the word angelic because of the light reflecting on the top of her head. Since she also looks sweet, I figured why not use it!

Can I help you?

Can I help you?

Léa and her reflection

What is that I see....

There is something on the other side...

Oh hi there!

Mom, there's another bird just like me on the other side of the window!

Shade

Was looking through earlier pictures from the project, those that "didn't make the cut", and since I quite liked this one, I figured I'd post it. The calm and poised demeanour "screams" Shade - it's simply her. So no fancy blog post title either.

Looking outside

Some alternates from last week's "parrot on window sill" shoot for the 365 parrots project.

What was that?!?

The snowplow was a terrifyingly noisy thing.

Curious about the world outside...

Captivated by something, likely his own reflection.

18:365 - The look

A little soft, but it was my favourite picture out of the lot, because of her pose and expression. A little mischievous glint, but also looking very happy.

17:365 - Lookin' down

This should have been posted yesterday, but I've had a crazy week where I essentially lost track of time after Monday (Tuesday was Thursday and Wednesday to Friday I kept thinking was Friday - very confusing) and I just needed to take a break yesterday.

16:365 - Profile

15:365 - Lookin' up

That's what he did the whole time I took pictures - but he seemed to be happy to pose that way!

14:365 - Silly!

I love how silly Zuri looks in this picture! It's not the sharpest, but it was definitively my favourite of the pictures of him I took on this photo shoot!

This is the end of the week of windowsill birds. Obviously, I took them all on the same day, either Saturday or Sunday two week-ends ago. And it worked out incredibly well, as I was sick during the following week, for a few days, and probably would not have felt up to taking pictures daily. I was still under the weather this past week-end so didn't take any pictures for the upcoming week...and I guess we'll see how that plays out. I'll try to take tomorrow's picture tonight, and that might be it for the moment (and try to continue to take the picture of the next bird the day before for this week, at least until this week-end where I might have more time to do a larger photo shoot.)

13:365 - Not impressed

She wasn't too enamored with the idea of posing there...and she showed it. She has the same expression in all the pictures I took, which were only few in numbers.

12:365 - Joey

11:365 - I know I'm adorable!

Léa was the most comfortable on the window sill and although she did look outside from time to time, she spent most of it posing for the camera!

10:365 - Close-up

He kept walking towards me. I think any closer than this and my camera was unable to focus.

9:365 - Look, I can stretch my neck!

She was looking for a spot to fly to, not being thrilled with what was going outside (snow removal = loud trucks).

8:365 - Where am I?

This week, for the 365 parrot project, I will feature birds on the window sill. Why? Because I feel like it and past experience have yielded nice pictures.

7:365 - Itchy Pixel

Why won't anyone scratch my head?

She seems to have been quite itchy lately; I have found a few pin feathers here and there, but nothing like I've seen in the past in a very large molt.

First week of 365 over!

6:365 - Petey

Looking happy!

Flipped Léa

Mmm...yummy toes!

What?! You are taking pictures?! While I'm in this undignified position?!

There is no escaping that way....

1...2...3...PULL UP!!!

That last picture cracks me up. I did offer my arm to her so she could flip herself up more easily.