Posted by NateW on Wed, 04/05/2006 - 01:43
I can't believe how long it's been since I wrote a journal entry. There came a time - around the holidays I think - when I realized I was spread too thin and needed to just focus on a couple of things: Tangent, Phoebe, my job, and my girlfriend. I'm starting to feel more on-top-of-things again so hopefully I'll have more time and energy to spend here again.
Tangent needs much more attention than I had bargained for. He is so much fun, though... he has more energy and enthusiasm than I thought I pionus could have! He'll do anything for a safflower seed if I can just show him what I want, so it took no time at all to teach him to fly to a target stick, fetch, fly to me on cue, fly to different perches on cue, etc. He mimics a bit - mostly just whistles so far - but I don't have treats handy often enough so he's only learned wolf-whistles, "come here" (which he picked up when I was calling Phoebe to me), and a songbird-like whistle that my girlfriend taught him.
Tangent bullies Phoebe around a little more than I'd like, and I haven't got any good ideas for solving that problem. He doesn't stalk her or chase her or pick fights or anything like that, but if she's on a perch and he wants to go there, he does and she leaves.
Tangent took a long time to wean - it was only about two months ago that I completely stopped feeding him formula. But he's eating a variety of solid foods now, and finding new foods all the time. I'm hoping that he will inspire Pheoebe to expand her diet some, but that hasn't happened yet.
I haven't been doing any flying in big buildings since last Fall, but I do have a line on an empty building and will be trying to get something going again. I miss that, I'm sure Pheobe does too, and I can't wait to see Tangent really cut loose in a bit empty building.
I've had Tangent out for a few walks around the neighborhood in a harness, and usually after a few minutes of shock at the newness of the outdoors he mellows out and seems to enjoy it. I keep feeding him safflower seeds the whole time to keep the outdoor excursions as positive as possible. Bicyclists and other birds still scare him quite a bit though... he'll need a bunch more desensitization before I think about letting him fly outdoors. I'm starting to look into aviary supplies again and hope to have my deck enclosed within a couple months or so - I'm sure that would do Phoebe and Tangent a world of good.
Tangent needs much more attention than I had bargained for. He is so much fun, though... he has more energy and enthusiasm than I thought I pionus could have! He'll do anything for a safflower seed if I can just show him what I want, so it took no time at all to teach him to fly to a target stick, fetch, fly to me on cue, fly to different perches on cue, etc. He mimics a bit - mostly just whistles so far - but I don't have treats handy often enough so he's only learned wolf-whistles, "come here" (which he picked up when I was calling Phoebe to me), and a songbird-like whistle that my girlfriend taught him.
Tangent bullies Phoebe around a little more than I'd like, and I haven't got any good ideas for solving that problem. He doesn't stalk her or chase her or pick fights or anything like that, but if she's on a perch and he wants to go there, he does and she leaves.
Tangent took a long time to wean - it was only about two months ago that I completely stopped feeding him formula. But he's eating a variety of solid foods now, and finding new foods all the time. I'm hoping that he will inspire Pheoebe to expand her diet some, but that hasn't happened yet.
I haven't been doing any flying in big buildings since last Fall, but I do have a line on an empty building and will be trying to get something going again. I miss that, I'm sure Pheobe does too, and I can't wait to see Tangent really cut loose in a bit empty building.
I've had Tangent out for a few walks around the neighborhood in a harness, and usually after a few minutes of shock at the newness of the outdoors he mellows out and seems to enjoy it. I keep feeding him safflower seeds the whole time to keep the outdoor excursions as positive as possible. Bicyclists and other birds still scare him quite a bit though... he'll need a bunch more desensitization before I think about letting him fly outdoors. I'm starting to look into aviary supplies again and hope to have my deck enclosed within a couple months or so - I'm sure that would do Phoebe and Tangent a world of good.