Holy Smokes!

We are completely onto hand gestures and voice. While Tilly still won't let me touch her, she doesn't freak out when I get too close. Now to teach the kitten that she can't play with them!

Made the right decision!

So I decided to go back to the sight that I used to get my bird info from and I'm more glad than ever that I left. Looking at the comments made then reading through a few more threads I spotted, I'm thinking that they don't have a clue what they are talking about. At least I can't say I'd put much stock in it.

What kind of person that's in an influential position would condone the theft of a very expensive bird?! Or any animal for that matter?! Sad but true, someone posted about the bird her mother stole and many posted bull such as how "normally they are against this sort of thing but in this case..."

No, that's theft. An arrestable offense and the mother should have been arrested. If the bird was worth over the allotted amount, it should have been grand theft, larceny, or whatever.

Then there's clicker training for a bird. I thought it was a good idea until I tried it yesterday with Alfie and Tilly. Poor things are scared to death! I don't have a clicker but one of the kids' toys makes a similar sound. Scared them, the cockatiel, and China really bad. Won't be wasting my money on one of those!

I think I'll be sticking with my present method with a length of dowel (How the frig they got that I hit them with it from my very clear explanation of it's use is way beyond me! Just shows how twisted their reality really is and the extremes they will go to "prove they know it all" *rolls eyes* )

Oh well, just means I'll be updating this more often instead of posting there.

All it does is exaggerate my hand gestures and I've been using hand signals and spoken word more and the dowel less (It just gives them an object to focus on like a clicker with a dog.) so I figure it won't be long and I'll be using only word commands and a few hand gestures soon.

Progress with Tilly

We can't reach the curtain behind the cage so we use a dowel to slide the curtain. It's also used for whenever any of the birds get themselves into a position they can't get out of and we can't reach (The doves are really good at that!)

Tilly has gotten so she comes over as far as she can towards me and "talks" with me. So today for kicks and giggles, I propped it with one end in/on the cage wires close to where she stands and the other by me to see what she would do. When she came over to talk she went on it!

It's not anchored so I held it but she edged closer. She didn't go past half way but she did it! I'm hoping this means she will either step up for me or let me scritch her soon! As always, I'll let her take things at her won pace.

Naturally...

I made the post this morning about Tilly not going on the perch. Within a couple hours I look and she was up on the perch! It has two food dishes with treats in them so she spent the afternoon throwing nuts, seeds and such at me. On purpose.

She finally managed to coax Alfie up with her. Poor guy, he has no gripping strength in his feet so it was a bit tough at first for him to get up. I was very careful when I positioned the perches and it looks like I did ok. I need to move one a little but he still managed.

Tilly is warming up to me!

Alfie likes being scritched but Tilly doesn't like me touching him. If he was in the cage while I scritched him she'd snap at me. Well as time goes by she's getting used to me touching Alfie. She's gotten so she will raise her neck feathers like Alfie for scritching but won't let me quite touch her. Instead, I present the top of my hand and she touches it with her beak the same way Mom's Merlin has to before I can pet him.

This is a huge step considering that I have scars on top of my hand from where she would bite me!

Other than to say that Tilly and my method of training uses a "visual clicker" (for fear that some of the radicals from the board I used to post on may follow this and start some crap) we have found a method that works for her and I. Although, we've been using hand gestures more and more and the visual clicker less and less.

She's got so she likes to "talk" with me. She gets as close to my desk as she can and chirps, tweet, squacks and does other sounds and movements to have conversations. Now Alfie is the one that gets upset. If I include him in our talks he's fine though.

I got them a cage top play perch but it took a while for them to approach it. Tilly will go on the bottom but hasn't ventured up the perches. Alfie likes being on the perch but we have to put him there because he doesn't have a very strong grip with his feet and can't climb up yet.

Tilly will still challenge me for Alpha position at times but she does it less and less. I think she's finally realizing I won't be challenged by a bird.

Alfie flew to me!

Alfie flew to me! Or at least he tried to. I don't think they were allowed out much and didn't get much exercise. When they try flying across the room they have very poor aim and no lift at all.

I'm pretty sure he was aiming for the back of my chair but overshot it. I went over and he hopped right on my arm. I had a long sleeved shirt on so he had an easier time holding. I also noticed his grip was a bit stronger.

He sat with me for about 10 minutes then wanted to go home.

Tilly stepped up!

I'm not sure if she just decided to fly or was spooked but she flew away from the cage and ended up on the floor near my chair. When I first approached to pick her up she flew again. This time landing on the couch.

This time when I approached she extended her foot. I put my arm near expecting to come away missing a chunk of flesh (she's a biter). Instead she stepped up onto my arm for me to take her home.

Grapefruit

Both birds love grapefruit. It's one of the few things Alfie will come out of his cage to get. He will carry it back to his dish and sit there eating it. I don't have to cut it up for them, they seem to do better with wedges anyways.

Tilly likes playing catch!

We've made progress with Tilly!

Up until now if she was out and someone approached, she went right back into the cage. We discovered she likes to play Fetch. She will throw an item and one of the kids or myself will "fetch" it.

This has been a massive step forward for her!

Alfie let me hold him!

I'm so tickled! Alfie let me pet him! Raised his neck feathers for some scritching then started getting on my arm. He couldn't for some reason but tried a couple times so I scooped him up and he nestled in the crook of my arm.

Not sure why but he can grip my fingers just fine and the perch that's almost the same as my arm without problem. He didn't seem to hang on with any strength. I know he has it because he goes upside down on the perches, climbs around the cage and I felt it when he grabbed my finger.

Foolish bird almost fell into my lap (I was sitting) because he wouldn't clamp down with his beak on my finger that he was mouthing when he started sliding on my arm. After that he was content to nestle into my arm/chest and wanted his head cupped in my hand with his beak pressed into my palm while I stroked him and gave neck scritches.

I was also impressed with Tilly. She stood at the door of the cage softly cooing to him and watching. When I put him on the perch outside so he could climb in on his own he went in and she stood between me and him. It was like she was saying that I'd had my visit with him and that was all she'd allow, lol.

Alfie is Anti-Pasta!

LOL, we now know Alfie doesn't like pasta. He just carried the strands of spaghetti I put in and threw them out the door. Not just dropped them, he flung them.

Alfie & Tilly

So I've adopted a pair of Orange Winged Amazon's. They are about 15 years old and as far as I know they've been together that whole time. I don't know their history but they are very timid and were rescues.

They are extremely vocal and Alfie sounds like he is muttering a lot. He will say "Wake up, wake up, wake up..." when he wants attention. He will also ask for peanuts. Tilly is a bit more quite as far as words go but she will imitate beeps (example, when dialing the phone) and other noises.

They both are extremely gentle with taking food from my hand and many times Tilly will take something and give it to Alfie then take her own if he's not sure of a new treat. Although they share a cage, they each have their own feed dish and won't eat out of the others. But they will share a water dish.

Well, tonight we were having a rice dish and Alfie goes "Wake up, wake up, wake up! Want breakfast!"

After laughing so hard I had tears I went and got them some of their rice and he was happy.