Budgie-Bird

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Ludwig Van Budgie-Bird	Amadeus Bat-Budgie	Wolfgang Razorbeak

There had been no Cos Lettuce, so I bought an Iceberg Lettuce; it beign a firm Lettuce. I did wonder as to whether they would appreciate it, as Wolfgang & Amadeus had never had Iceberg, and Ludwig, not since he had been with me, in mid 2001. At 9.25am today I gave it to them. They were quickly upon it. After all, it looks like Lettuce! And they all quite happily devoured it.

Mid-Morning. Ludwig was just stretching himself, especially his head & neck, when, with neither warning nor apparent reason, Amadeus rain along her perch towards him, leaned down and bit him on the foot. He gave a small shriek, and quickly siddled away from her along his perch. Then he flew from perch to perch to the other end of his cage, taking care to keep some distance from Amadeus.

Wolfie had pulled mirror the rest of the way to that limiting bar on the cage roof, by the time I had arrived home.

Wolfie had pulled mirror just over halfway to that limiting bar on the cage roof, by the time I had arrived home.

I came home to find that in the case of each swing furthest from the wall, of each of the three Budgies, one arm was dislodged. Is this a conspiracy?

Also I have noticed, with Wolfgang's Biting Rings, that there are two sustantial bites cutting in to the lower purple ring. This is at his head height, when he is on the long perch. These bites are deep enough, that, if they were in the same place, rather than a centimetre apart, they would have cut through the ring completely. Wolfie takes his biting most seriously!

When I arrived home, late afternoon, I soon noticed that Wolfgang had attacked the ladder even though it had been in its normal position. One leg was off the ground. I returned it to its normal position.

Then I noticed that he had once more been at the four mirror side toy; having pulled it from where I had placed it, next to the long edge of the cage furthest from the window, to as close to the closest long perch as he was able to pull it. [See 28th November].

I came home just after midday. On the Budgie's radio, Handel's "Messiah" was playing, via 2MBS-FM. The lyrics were exhorting the audience to rejoice. The Budgie audience certainly were, and I expect they needed no encouragement.

The lettuce was popular. Wolfgang began by leaning through one of his biting rings, to nibble the lettuce leaf. He is prone to the elaborate and unusual.

One has to have watched "Planet Of Evil" - Doctor Who, Tom Baker Era - to understand. It recently had a reprise screening on ABC TV [Australia] from Wednesday 24th to Tuesday 30th November 2004.

Wolfgang still has this eccentric tail feather. It has clearly come out, but is caught in his other tail feathers. It moves about. This evening it was pointing straight up; then shortly later straight down; and now sideways. Wolfie is supposed to pull it out, bu for some reason will not.

Cos Lettuce for The Three Budgies, for the second time this week. Very popular.

Wolfgang has left the four-sided mirror toy, at the point where he pulled it to on the weekend. Around 6.00pm tonight, I saw him intensely looking at his reflection in one of these little mirrors, for about five seconds. He showed neither joy nor fear! It was more curiosity, mixed with a little suspicion. But Wolfie does tend to inscrutability, as to his real feelings.

Middle of the Day: I was dreadfully tired. When I fell asleep the Three Budgies were enjoying Sibelius. When I awoke they were enjoying the Jazz on 2MBS-FM; the radio alarm of the "Ludwig Radio", having come on, on cue at noon.

The enjoyment was quite clear from their demeanour, with both genres. Yet the expression was quite different. With the Sibelius: mostly fairly quiet warbling, whilst intensely listening with head cocked. With the Jazz: a raucous accompanying chatter, with much head bobbing and leaping about the perches.

Also, I noticed that, while I was asleep, Wolfgang had been attacking the "four mirror sided toy". It had been pulled along the wire it is hung on, from close to the long side of the cage furthest from the window, where I had placed it, to as close to the nearest long perch as he could move it. Now it rests next to a cross wire.

His motivation: it is there! He is a small feathered control freak, if ever there was one.

4.52pm - Amadeus Bat-Budgie has, at rather frequent intervals today, engaged in rapid cage end to cage end flights, alighting at one perch to immediately take off and land at another! And all this accompanied by an enthusiastic vocal display, albeit not too loud, nor too shrill, to gain a shooshing from me. Indeed, I have been encouraging her with words: "Good Amadeus! You fly!" This is, of course, equivalent to my encouragement to Wolfgang: "Good Wolfie! You Bite!" or "Good Wolfgang! You Bite!" And no, I feel absolutely no embarassment in saying this; nor would I have felt it, even if there were human observers present. Ludwig, Amadeus, Wolfgang & Myself are a Family, and we should communicate.

~6.00pm - Wolfgang's ladder, in its new position from yesterday, was slightly moved, in that its base was shifted sideways. Following a decision I had come to last night, I carefully took hold of the ladder, but with my hand still outside the cage, and manouvred it slowly, until it was were it had started, before its repositioning across the long perches on 13th November, 2004. That is, hanging on a cross-bar, between the ends of the two long perches, at the short side of his cage which is furthest from the wall.

10.50pm - I switched off the light with the usual warning: "Light. Light. Light." During the second "Light", Ludwig let out a rather elongated note of complaint, a sort of: "Oo-w-oo". This was in a rather pained tone.

And this whinge, even though the music was continuing on 2MBS-FM, as it has all day for them. Budgies' Opera Night was Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo", which I am seeing early next month, in a production by Pinchgut Opera. Must buy the ticket!

But to be fair to Ludwig, he no longer complains of the light being switched off every night, as was his habit until recently. Now he only complains one night in two, if there is music playing. If no music, it is a complaint without fail.

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10.10pm - Wolfgang has one tail feather which sticks out at nearly a right angle, although it moves & is never exactly in the same position. So, on a whim, I carried his cage over to the large mirror so he could see. Whether he took any notice of this feather is a moot point. But he did his usual practice of one eye on me and the other on the mirror. When he can see my reflection as well, it does not seem to stress him. But he does take intense interest in the mirror image.

Then I serviced Wolfgang's cage. On a whim, I hung his ladder high on the cage wall, which is furthest from the room wall, with the base of the ladder resting on the long perch, which is furthest from the window.

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10.02pm - I was webposting this page, when my old PC froze completely. So I had to switch it off. Getting it to restart is so erratic, that it was 10.50pm before it was up and running once more. And more has happened, Budgiewise.

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The ladder, I put back into position late last night. The hard working Wolfgang had pushed it off on to the cage floor, by the time I had arrived home. I am sure that it takes a considerable effort from him. Also I am convinced, that he feels very self satisfied when he has knocked it down; a heady mix of power & control; what every rebel needs.

Late Afternoon: The ladder is unchanged in its position from yesterday. Wolfgang has surprised me.

Late Evening: I went for a long walk, to relieve stress & to get my head in order. Wolfie took the opportunity to relieve his stress too, it seems. For when I returned, the ladder was flat on the floor!

I expected that Wolfie would have knocked the ladder to the ground, while I was at work. But he merely shifted it sideways.

That the "Three Budgies" become very noisy, when Jazz is playing on the radio, is not unexceptional. That they should be equally so late this afternoon, for the Christian Choral Works on 2MBS-FM, is for me at least, rather more surprising.

Early it was Mozart, but then in mid-morning it changed to De Falla, which they are less used to. I noticed that Ludwig also changed position with this musical alteration, from right ear towards the music, to left ear towards the music.

The right ear means friendly or the familiar. The left ear means unfriendly or the unusual. Ludwig's body language still showed happpiness, so it was the unusual.

I was almost in shock when I arrived home. Wolfgang's ladder was in place, where I had put it. It is not that he had not the time, as I was suffering a long work day. Perhaps it is even psychological warfare on his part!

Late last night Wolfgang went into a panic. This was only him, as Amadeus & Ludwig just watched him from their fixed positions. He took to the end of the short uneven perch, which is farthest form the cages of the other two. And he was still there this morning. Something had freaked him, which the other two did not see. Possibly, he saw his reflection in my convex mirror, which is at the very far end of the room.

When I arrived home, Wolfgang had managed to push the ladder off the perches and on to floor of the cage. This was what I had expected! I left it there for an hour or two, before I returned it to its place, lying flat across the two long perches. He studiously did no touch it. However, I am certain that when he is sure I am away for some time [i.e. work, although he knows not that!] he will once more attempt to push it onto the floor.

At ~5.40pm, 2MBS-FM were playing Mozart's First Flute Concerto. Three little birds were happily warbling along with the solo. The prettiest & most determined warbler was Wolfgang. This, despite the fact that his eyes kept closing, as he threatened to nod off in the late afternoon warmth.

When I came home, I had expected to see the ladder on the floor of Wolfie's cage [see yesterday]. But no! He obviously had attacked it! How could he resist? But it is now lodged vertically across the two long perches. The foot of the ladder is hooked against the long perch closest to the other Budgies' cages. The opposite side of the hanging end of the ladder is simply resting against the other long perch. And the ladder is very close to a 180º rotation, from the way I had laid it flat. I will leave it thus.

~10.00pm - I cleaned the cages, giving the Three Budgies fresh water and topping up their seed. Amadeus, as I busied myself with her cage, spent the whole time attempting to hide from me, behind the "three connected balls on a wire", each of which are green & purple in colour. Not very convincing, but I played along with it. It was much as I imagine my Father's story of "Custard Guts And The Skinny Sapling".

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Earlier today, I noticed when I got home, that Wolfgang had managed to push the ladder [see yesterday, bottom paragraph] on to the floor of the cage, where it was lying flat. When put my hand in the cage to pick it up, he went in to his minor drama queen mode, but I ignored him and just put it back, exactly as before. Then I said his name a few times soothingly.

Knocking this ladder down is his way of show his rebelliousness, his toughness & his intellect - which I am sure is the way he sees it.

The hanging four sided mirror, he just ignored, as far as I could see, but neither did it seem to bother him by its reflective existence.

~10.00am - I held Wolfgang's cage in front of the large mirror, so that he could see my image together with his own. I told him repeatedly that it was "Wolfgang" in the mirror, but I could not point, as I held the cage in both arms.

While he was silent, Wolfgang did not see stressed. His wings were resting normally against his torso, and his body movements seemed essentially relaxed as he mostly danced back and forth along the perch. Most of the time, as he danced, preened & stretched, he had his left eye on me and his right on the mirror. This means that he could see both the real me and the mirror image simultaneously. In my mind, I am essentially convinced that he does recognise that the mirror image shows him as he is seen by others.

I call this education - "The Sims-Wolfgang Method". The problem is establishing a scientific proof, which is readily reproducable. This is complicated by a Budgie's nearly 360º vision. Also, the "cross on the forehead method", which is so beloved by Primate researchers, has the problem that a Budgie's head is even much more touch sensitive than a Human head. They would not have to look in the mirror, as they could feel the cross. A lot of this self-reognition research has the problem that the reseachers used a Human-specific proof, rather than thinking things out properly.

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On a different bent, I also rearranged Wolfgang's cage a little. The small four sided toy, with each side mirrored, and a bell hanging from its base, I hung in the corner which is farthest from the wall & also farthest from Ludwig's & Amadeus' cages. Previously, it was on the floor in that corner, so as to not to stress him unduly. I decided that he could cope with it now, and so far he seems unbothered, although he does not go near it.

His ladder had for many months now, been hooked on the middle of the side of his cage, which is parallel to but farthest from the wall, with the ladder's base on the cage floor. Now I placed it lying between the two long perches, touching each at either end. Initially he avoided and/or ignored it.

~5.00pm - Again I showed Wolfgang the small mirror, as below. He definitely did not look comfortable. Once more he was silent. This time he also had his wings held just fractionlly away from his torso, which is a clear sign with Wolfgang that he has become a little stressed. So this session only lasted a minute or so.

~6.00pm - I put the small mirror in front of Wolfgang. Pointing at him and then at his image as I said "Wolfgang" each time. I did not continue very long, as he seemed a bit unconfortable.

The delay since the last time, given below, was longer than I expected, due to my problems with severe hayfever.

This evening I educated Wolfgang again with the small mirror several times; but I did not use the large mirror. I will give him a break; then in a week or two continue the education.

In the morning and early afternoon, I educated Wolfgang again with the small mirror several times; then with both my and his refections in the large mirror. It makes him a little tired, but he does not seem seriously stressed.

At ~8.30am, I started to seriously teach Wolfgang the concept of "self", as it is defined by those mirror loving Animal Psychologists.

Firstly, I showed him a small mirror and repeated this following procedure many times. I pointed at him and said "Wolfgang", then at his reflection and said "Wolfgang".

Then not long after, I carried his cage across to the mirror on my hatstand, so he could see my reflection with his reflection. As I was holding the cage, I could not point. But I talked to him, telling him it was his reflection beside mine. At one point, I could see he was clearly looking pointedly at me with his left eye wide open, which means his right eye was fixed on the reflections in the mirror. At other times, he was carefully watching his reflection while he moved: putting one foot on the side of the cage, or hopping on a perch, or dancing up and down one of the long perches.

Next I took Wolfgang & cage, back to where he is normally positioned beside the others. I let him him some hours peace, before repeating both steps in the early afternoon, and again in the early evening.

[1] At no point did he call to his reflection, or make any vocalisation at all. He did not, except at first, show fear of his reflection.

[2] However, he showed signs of some nervousness. He took intense interest in his reflection. Also, he slept much more in the evening than usual, and he did look tired. - This suggests that his brain had been working hard trying to understand this phenomenon.

I will persist with this education of Wolfgang Razorbeak. A challenge is good for him.

Baroque CDs. There was Dall'abaco, then Von Biber. At 9.08pm, the latter CD ended. After but a few seconds, there was a "happy request note" from Ludwig. So I put on the second Von Biber CD. Music maketh the Budgie!

6.10pm. I heard this small metallic noise repeated in quick succession. Curious to find out what caused it, I arose and checked out Wolfgang's cage. There are two small gates for putting food/water dishes in to the cage. He was lifting up the one closest to the wall, then letting it drop down, and repeat. Sometimes it was just a small lift, but othertimes it was lifted right to the top. It was something he did because he could, it amused him, and it showed me how clever he was. But sometimes these cage doors stick and stay up. So, if this happened when I was away, and he curiously went through, and then the gate dropped, he would be trapped outside, away from his food. And he does panic when he is out of the cage, as I know from the time he escaped, just before his last beak trim. So I tied each of these little gates shut. He will have to find some other way to impress me.

Late Evening - As I said good-night to the Budgies, I noticed that Amadeus' old swing had one arm off the wire. I tried to put it back, but as Amadeus was insistently on the now unswingable swing, I could not manage it. Finally she got off the swing and on to the perch. This enabled me to put the swing back with no trouble. She is not the world's lightest Budgie.

Early - 2MBS-FM was playing, softly. There was this classical music with flute. Wolfgang overcame his reticence in the half-light to warble softly & lyrically. Ludwig gave a little shriek of delight. Amadeus remained rather more reticent.

I switched the light off at about 11.30pm. As always, I gave warning to the Budgies with "Light, Light, Light." Ludwig put in his note of complaint on the second "Light"; while the room was still well bathed in electric radiance.

Morning - Wolfgang has spent all but the whole morning, testing me to see how much "loudness" of expression he can get away with. Be that as it may, he at least has continued to bite his cuttlefish a great deal. Whenever I see him do it, I encourage him with: "Good Wolfie. Bite. Bite." He usually gives me a somewhat curious look, but then does go back to attacking the cuttlefish around the edges. It is getting rather smaller. Or he may dance along and back one of his two long perches for a while, before siddling up to the cuttlefish and giving it some good strong nips.

~9.00pm - There was this squabble between Ludwig & Amadeus. Well, Ludwig was making "annoyed" noises, with what looked like beak air pecks in her direction. So I came up to them and said quietly said: "Ludwig". What, of course, I do not know, is if this bad temper of Ludwig's was a reaction to something Amadeus had done. So, essentially, I gave them both the benefit of the doubt, as I had a quite incomplete story.

10.00pm. - Ludwig & Amadeus both asleep, on close by perches in the cage of each. Indeed, they are both leaning against the adjoining cage wires, so they are all but touching. So whatever it was that caused the tension before, has passed. For the moment, that is!

Late Evening - A rather heated squabble between Ludwig & Amadeus. They seemed on good terms, and then something blows, and usually I have not seen what initiated the conflict. They are much like young children.

5.00pm - The Three Budgies are finally quieting down to a passable volume. I have just passed through an hour or two of them trying to be as noisy as possible. And they were only eating millet and normal seeds, not the "original canary seed".

Early morning, before dawn, extra dark through the blanket of storm-clouds: Amadeus was still doing her trick of leaning against the string of three balls as she slept. As I have said before, she is merely perched beside them and touching them with her body; for if she leant her weight against them, she would surely push them away and fall. It is an elaborate game or phantasy of hers. Budgies are inventive creatures, whose minds need creative outlets.

9.40pm - I put the "new radio" on ABC Classic FM, after an evening without music, except as background on Television & DVD. It proved to be the start of a programme of Pipe Organ works, mostly by J.S. Bach & Buxtehude. Ludwig has signalled his approval with some periodic excited shrieks!

Earlier, in the afternoon, I opened the well sound-proofed balcony door to let the three Vegans hear the full force of the rain; but as to what they thought of this I am not quite sure, as they were in inscrutable avian phase.

~10.58pm. Same senario as yesterday! The music continued, but I signalled the light was to be switched off, with the usual warning: "Light. Light. Light." Except this time, there was no complaint by Ludwig until the light actually died, but then his response was immediate, and with a double note of complaint!

~9.50pm. The music continued, but I signalled the light was to be switched off, with the usual warning: "Light. Light. Light." But before the light had even disappeared, Ludwig had already put in his note of complaint!

1.30pm. -"Gardening Australia" on ABC TV has in its title sequence, music which includes within it, an additional elaboration which is intended to represent the chirping of a little Bird. My three little Birds seem to take it for that! It is placed at a certain point in the title tune, which is essentially a twice repeated refrain, used in both the opening and closing titles. However, while the "bird call" occurs twice in the opening titles, it occurs only once in the closing titles, even though the second "point" is there. It is just that it is not used for the "bird call". But today, as I sat watching the television with the Budgies behind me, I heard the second bird call added to that vacant point. And it was a perfect imitation! Initially I was undecided as to whether it was Wolfgang or Ludwig, but after quick consideration of what I had heard, I decided that the direction had indicated that this was Ludwig Van Budgie-Bird. He is a clever bird indeed!

3.05pm - Wolfgang has done it again! Exactly the same as he did twice yesterday. This is hardly a recurring accident; but surely very much intentional on his part!

8.45am & again at ~1pm - Wolfgang started shreiking rather too loudly. When I turned towards him, I noticed that his older swing had lost the hold its inside arm should have on the relevant cage top wire. This was clearly Wolfgang's doing. And the whole episode on both occasions, is surely a little power game by Wolfgang's.

For about a fortnight now, Amadeus has been often moving to the wall side of her cage, to sleep with her head against the chain of three plastic balls in a vertical row on a chain.

3.40pm - Wolfgang just now climbed through that top blue "biting" ring; this time with great ease. I take this to mean that he has definitely recovered his fine form!

4.42pm - Wolfgang I have just seen biting his cuttlefish for the first time since his beak trimming. So I encouraged him. This action may have been to try to get my attention, as I had just put Ludwig between the speakers for a replay of track ten of CD3 of Pinchgut Opera's live recording of "Semele". This is the wonderful & highly amusing soprana aria sung by Semele herself: "Myself I Shall Adore". This is beautifully sung by Anna Ryberg, with brilliant exuberance!! And this whilst she flounced energentically around the stage, which included even rolling extravagantly over the sofas!!

For nearly a fortnight I have, whenever I have seen Wolfgang biting things, most especially the cuttlefish, encouraged him to "Bite". He has responded, presumably as he wishes to impress me and be on my good side. To them, I must seem to be a Jehovah figure, loving and caring it is conceded, but also large, powerful & rather terrifying. One whose laying down of the Law must seem, often at times, mysterious & unknowable for them.

Still, Wolfgang must have his beak trimmed. So I phoned at 4.30pm today, and booked an appointment at Cremorne Veterinary Hospital for 9.30am, for this operation which he has no fondness for.

Amadeus trick of the last fortnight is to sit on a perch, next to the three balls linkd on a chain, and pretend to lean against them. While she certainly has her torso in contact with them, she cannot be leaning, for even under a Budgie's slight weight they would surely be pushed away from her.

Early morning. Ludwig was all ruffled feathers again. So I put the fan heater on him, as I did yesterday. He looked very pleased. Then I put it on Wolfgang. A mistake! He went into a minor panic, flying back and forth the width of his cage, landing on the cage wall at each side. So I quickly put it back on to Ludwig. But now Amadeus, in the cage behind his cage, went into a panic, flying back and forth, the length of her cage. This put Ludwig into a panic, for the simple reason that Amadeus was in a panic! He kept dropping to the floor, flying up to a perch, then to the floor again, and so on. Interesting it is, that each Budgie here has his or her own especial method of showing panic! So I took the fan heater away and turned it off. However, about two minutes later, I switched it back on and put the warm breeze on Ludwig. He sat there in the warmth, loking very pleased. Amadeus had settled down behind her main cylindrical feeder, and caused no fuss this time.

Early morning. Ludwig looked cold, with his feathers all ruffled and his body hunched. So I turned the fan heater on and gave him warm breeze for about a minute. He looked a little surprised, but very pleased.

Midnight. I had fallen asleep unexpectedly, with the light on. The music had switched off about 8.30pm. It was on a two hour radio alarm. Seeing the light still on, I naturally arose and switched the light off, before returning to bed. The sudden darkness was met by Ludwig, with two short sharp notes of complaint, in quick succession!

8.00pm to 10.30pm - The Budgies seemed very happy with this evening's performances of Mozart's Piano Concertos, from the Sydney Piano Competition. This was broadcast live on ABC Classic FM. They heard it from a pocket radio which I placed on top of the blanket which sits on the roofs of their cages. The blanket is there to keep them warm in the winter.

4.30pm. - Wolfgang climbed through the uppermost of the chain of rings, which is blue in colour. These rings hang down from the roof, just in front of his old swing, which is at the northern end of his cage. before I witnessed this Houdini act, I would have not thought that it was possible for him. Twice he had to back out and I was confirmed that he would become stuck. But he persisted and was through on the third attempt, by an act of quite impresive contortion.

He was well aware that I was watching when he began the attempt, and I am sure that it was done to impress me. Well, I was impressed!

Wolfgang and I have been getting on much better in the last few weeks. I have taken the time to talk to him, and he likewise. However, his beak must be trimmed very soon, and this could very well make him most suspicious of me. Quite naturally so, too, from his point of view.

This afternoon, they became rather noisy; which I suppose for a Budgie, equals very happy. Fortunately, the noise of the vegans gets confined to the unit, so that it is only me who "suffers".

8.30pm. - Just as I was saying goodnight to the Vegans, Ludwig emitted a sharp "KAK-KAK-KAK-KAK" of annoyance. The reason, I soon realised, was that when he was turning around on his swing, he got his tail caught in the wires of the cage wall. It must have hurt a bit.

Early morning, pre-dawn. I had been wandering about in the quiet darkness for some minutes. Finally Ludwig uttered a single slightly plaintive note, which means: "please put some music on". So I did.

Wolfgang had chosen to roost on a lower perch, not the swing, the previous night. The morning saw him still in the same place. Yet he may have moved and returned.

8.05am. I saw Wolfgang drink today. He is the usual light drinking Budgie, such that I rarely see him imbibing. This time at least, he made a dramtic effort of it. He flew from the perch to the side of the cage, landing on the vertical wires, head facing downwards. Then he slid down the wires until his beak touched the water, with the distance travelled being several of his body lengths. With hardly a hesitation, he took a single sip, and then instantly flew back to the perch.

9.00pm. The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is playing Purcell via CD. Ludwig is clearly listening, although he has his back to the music and is facing towards the window. When Sara Macliver's voice started, Ludwig suddenly turned around on his perch, as quickly as he can do, and faced the direction of the music, with a body language of intense listening.

Ludwig is much happier. it seems it is the cold, as he is quite elderly at 7+ years of age. The blanket does trap the heat, not as effectively as on a bed with the warmed air trapped, but it still has a noticeable effect.

Ludwig seemed excessively happy to see me when I came home. He also looked rather uncomfortable; either ill or suffering from the cold. So I put a blanket on the top of the three cages, but leaving the sides open. When I first began to do this, Wolfgang went into a panic. So I spent some time reassuring him that it was only on the top & not over the sides, and that it was not punishment, but to keep them warm. - Not that they understand these explanations in detail, but they do understand that my tone of voice is conciliatory. - I think that his agitation was due to his point of view, that he had not been verbally excessive. This is indeed true, as to his warbling volume on the day. My three Budgies become greatly aggrieved if they feel they are falsely accused. ... Budgies are complex enough individuals, with small but very hard working brains. I am not sure if I could cope with children.

In the early mid-morning, I had to cover Wolfgang's cage with a light sheet, top and sides. I hate having to do this. But he was shrieking his head off, in response to some passing Rainbow Lorrikeets, whom he heard but did not see. A lengthy attempt at persuasion on my part was fruitless, as he was determined to be heard at full volume. He feels in his heart of hearts, that this is his right. So it becomes, unfortunately, a battle of wills. Truly he is the James Dean of the Budgie World.

When I came home, I knocked on the table under Wolfgamng's cage. After but a few seconds hesitation, he strained to see my hand. He knows well what it is making the noise, and further that he can not see it, ye this never stops him looking each and every time.

The Budgies had lots of music tonight - Mozart; Mendelssohn; Handel; Schubert; & English Baroque Part Somgs & Alehouse Songs - which they give every impression of having enjoyed.

I was up early before dawn. I glanced at the Budgies, discretely, on the way to the kitchen, and they all seemed to be asleep on their swings. A couple of minutes later, on my return, I checked them again. The only change was that Wolfgang, whilst still on his swing, looked most precarious, as one arm had come off. How this happened, I know not! There was no sound at all. But it would seem an accident, as it was the arm closest the cage wall which had come off. When he does it intentionally it is always the other arm. I put it back, and as I did he climbed down his biting rings and moved to his perch at the other end of his cage.

Fell asleep at ~5pm, with the light on. So it was on all night. When I woke some time before dawn, there were three happy birds. Wolfgang was especially so, happily wharbling to himself in sweet cheerful way.

Late at night I gave the usual warning that the lights were to go out. But while Ludwig & Amadeus were on thir swings already, Wolfgang steadfastly refused to move from his perch. But when I did switch the light off, there was an audible & obviously greatly peeved "Eek Eek Eek Eek Eek", together with noise of clambouring along the cage wall. So I got the torch, as I do for Ludwig, and when I shone it on Wolfie, he had one foot on the swing, and the other still on the cage wall. There he stubbornly froze, and refused to continue while the light was on him. So I briefly turned it away from him and then back, to find him fully on the swing.

Early to mid morning - Concerti by Evaristo Felice Dall'abaco, and Cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. The former performed by Concerto Köln. The later performed by Linde-Consort. Both productions overlayed, with backing vocals by the "Three Budgies".

Ludwig was alert. But both Amadeus & Wolfgang were feigning sleep during Doctor Who [Pertwee Era] "The Claws Of Axos" Episode 3. Were they making some pertinent point re artistic quality? But be that as it may, in both cases, the beak clutching feathers at the back of the neck, was rather spoilt for effect, by a single eye fully open. As I explained to Wolfgang: if you are really asleep, the eyes are shut. And this is regardless of whether the eyelid closes bottom to top, or top to bottom.

The Budgies were given the full Mozartian Magic Flute treatment early this afternoon. This was in the form of a double CD - the Vienna Philharmonic & Vienna State Opera, under the baton of the late Karl Boehm. This was most appreciated, as indicated by body language & verbal comment. Ludwig was especially happy.

12.55am. - I had fallen asleep about 6.30pm last night, with a radio [the Ludwig Radio] on 2MBS-FM, and the light, where the Budgies are, on. This radio is loud enough for Budgie pleasure, but not that loud it would disturb the neighbours. I arose to have some quick sugared sustenance, as a precaution against diabetic hypos. The radio, I left on; but the light I switched off, with the usual warning: "Light. Light. Light." Ludwig gave a note of clear complaint, when the dark instantly descended. This, even though I kept the rule that he invented: I can switch the light off, if the radio is still on.

I was closer to their cages this afternoon, at 1.28pm, when Amadeus wanted her near swing back in place. So it was a shorter & less strident Kak-Kak-Kak, to gain my attention. Once more I put the swing arm back. It is always the same arm which comes off: that which is closest to the wall. It is probably deliberate; & a power game. I may have to do what I did with Wolfgang, and use ties to keep the swing on the roof wire.

6.58pm. Yes, KAK-KAK-KAK again; when I was in the kitchen. I approached her & calmly pointed out to Amadeus, that it is always the same arm of the same swing; such that it has the strong suspicion of being a deliberate action. So I told her I was declining to put in back in place, at this point in time.

7.20pm. I put the swing back in place, for that green parrot of powered flight - to wit, Amadeus!

7.45pm - The Natives are restless tonight - the Budgies, that is. There is something about Alexander of Macedon on ABC TV, with much battle noise coming out of the box. This is together with that hard whistling wind from outside, and a fairly vigorous backing chorus from three beaks.

n.b. Fortune has it, the noise from "The Three Budgies" is only a problem for me, as I am in with them. It does seem to travel far enough to annoy the neighbours.

4.20pm. A loud, prolongued & strident KAK-KAK-KAK rang out. I headed promptly in its direction. It proved to be Amadeus, once more. The arm of the near swing had come off, once more. I put it back, once more.

7.00pm. I was in the kitchen, when I heard this dreadful cacophony: KAK-KAK-KAK, continued at length without break. I went quickly to the Budgie Room to admonish the culprit. I looked first at Wolfgang - the usual suspect - but he was silent. Then I looked at an endlessly noisy Amadeus. One arm of her near swing had come off. So I put it back in place

Around 10.30pm. As I cleaned out her cage - changing floor paper, water, topping up seed - Amadeus was on a perch, sitting right next to a "toy" - three plastic open rib balls attached to one another vertically, with the top one hanging from a hook on a cage roof wire. They are green and purple in colour. I gained the distinct impression that, in placing herself close by them, she was attempting to hide! It would seem improbable, in that she is rather bigger than each of the balls. But each time I looked at her, she would extend her body to her tallest height, and smallest girth, and lean closer to them.

Budgies have this ability to change the shape of their torsos to an unusual degree: hunching up to appear rather globular & hunchbacked; or extending the torso to appear long and thin. No doubt this excellent application in the wilds of the Australian central deserts, but ...

Late afternoon, around 5pm. - I saw Wolfgang, as he climbed past the cuttlefish, on the way up the wall of his cage to his swing, pause briefly to rub his head on the edge of the cuttlefish. This is quite sharp. I know, as I have felt it. This time, he did no harm. But it is precisely this kind of incident, which I suspected as the cause of his last head cut, which did have some bleeding. Wolfgang likes to live dangerously.

Around 7pm, Amadeus engaged in some frenetic flight, cage end to cage end. This was accompanied by a loud buzzing, due to the rapid wing beats. Very noisy!

Late. The light is off. All I did was pick up the Little Budgie Radio, to move it from near to Wolfgang, to near to my bed. But he flew in to a panic, flying madly about, and it took some twenty seconds for me to calm him. Probably he had been asleep, such that the movement, close by to him, of a large object [to wit, me] had caused an automatic response. Amadeus & Ludwig remained fixed on their respective perches; for once, utterly ignoring the chance to copy another Budgie; fast asleep, or silently, movelessly in observant mode.

I was, when I arrived home from Bondi Junction, running to a low blood sugar. While I had noticed that the three Budgies were all happily noisy, I was too occupied with getting sugar in to my insides, to wonder why. This being done, I had time to notice the cause. The radio, set on 2MBS-FM, was playing Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which is a favourite of theirs, as of mine. It was in the quieting of the close of the 3rd Movement, which soon continued on to crescendos of the choral part. It was performed by the London Classical Players, the Schütz Choir of London, plus various soloists. Roger Norrington conducted.

I came back from the Mozart Concert, with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, to find that there had been a panic when I was out. Ludwig had his old swing with one arm off the wire, plus the ground feeder knocked over. Wolfgang had his old swing with one arm off. Amadeus had her old swing with one arm off, plus her new swing had one arm on the wrong wire. This last means that the arm was off the wire, that she had tried to put it back in place, but could not get it on the right wire.

The last also shows that the panic had occurred some time before my return, probably at least half an hour. What caused the Budgie brain chaos? Possibly it was the video recorder. I had set it, but it ran out before the timing was up. This caused it to rewind to the start, and then come partially out of the machine, which occurs with some moderate noise. As they were in dark with only a night light, it may have been enough to panic these skittish creatures.

Early Evening - It suddenly dawned on me that Wolfgang is on his cross perch, sitting behind his cuttlefish, so as to hide himself from Amadeus & Ludwig. Wolfie is an inventive rebel.

A little later, while I was working on my corrspondence chess games, he initially showed great attentiveness, whenever I moved a pen or a gamesheet. But when I brought the chessboard & pieces on to the table, he went to sleep! The Caro-Kann is not to his liking, I suspect. No doubt he prefers sharp gambit play!

Mid-Evening - In an idle moment I began, whilst Wolfgang was on his new perch, turning his "biting rings" first anti-clockwise, then clockwise, by turning the bell to which they are attached, that sits above the cage. This caught his attention; very much so.

Wolfgang had his beak trimmed today, with the appointment at the Cremorne Veterinary Hospital at 9.15am.

First I had to get him into the carry cage. Initially he tried to flee, but he knows this is no long term solution. So very quickly he turned from flight to fight. He sunk his beak into my finger with all his might. It hurt, albeit he did not break my skin. I minded not. It made his transfer to the carry cage easy for me .

The nature of my new place is, that the stairs are in light, from the skylight on the third floor where I live, but then plunge to dark, even during hours of broad daylight, as one descends the stairs to the second floor. Then when one turns the corner to the first floor, daylight appears again, this time from the front door. Wolfgang shuddered a bit when we plunged in to darkness, and he was glad to see light again. Darkness is the perennial fear for Budgies.

The walk to the bus stop is only about two blocks, some four minutes, and was painless enough. The bus trip to the city bothered him a little, as far as his body language showed. I held him up to see the view at times, but was careful, as rushing traffic seemed to bother him. Then we were across the road, and almost immediately along the wharf and on to the ferry. Naturally, we went inside, and not on the deck!

The ferry journey, he appeared to enjoy. Ferries have a pleasant easy motion, and there is all that water, plus the tree covered headlands. Sydney Inner Harbour is one of the quietest sea surfaces anywhere. It did not disappoint today. During the trip, I held his cage up to give him a better view. Wolfie looked about, and listened, even calling to the Gulls. He was not to know that they can not be trusted! His only fright had been, while we were still moored at the Quay Wharf, when a pigeon flying near the edge of his vision, had startled him a little.

The bus up the ridge to Cremorne Junction, he liked better than the the other bus trip, as there were many Rainbow Lorrikeets calling from the trees of that suburb. When the travel was slow, I held him up to see the trees & houses. The bus stop is close to the Vets; a mere short stroll.

I think he may have recognised the place. But, while he was unwilling to come out of the cage, as one would expect, there is not much he could do to avoid this indignity. Louise, the Vet, caught him quite easily, calmed him by holding him covered in a small towel. Then the trimming began, with his body held firmly but gently. A small pair of sturdy snips were used for the operation. At first he was quiet, in some degree of understandable shock, as with the two previous trimmings. But after a few minutes, he began to call very loudly and persistently in complaint. I heard from behind the door, inside the hospital, the following conversation: "What is that noise?" A pause. "It's just a bird".

This time, after his release back to the carry cage, Wolfgang did not shiver at all. There was some bleeding from the corner of his beak, which was staunched. But the dried blood, on his face and down the front of his neck, made him look, as Louise said, "as if he had been in a fight". That does indeed seem in character. She said it was best to let it disappear naturally, as swabbing it may start the bleeding again. This decision was fine by me. Probably with Wolfie as well. In case there was more problem with bleeding, I left him in the hospital while I voted in the North Sydney Council elections. When I returned after twenty minutes, he was alright. So now, the return.

First we waited at the bus stop, for some ten minutes. I recited poetry from memory, so he would take it as my conversation with him. It really was, actually. Although the words meant naught to him, I gave an intonation of quiet friendliness to my speech.

The bus trip was similar on return, to that out. Rainbow Lorrikeets were in voice. I held him up for the view, at where we used to live. My impression was that he recognised the scenery, which includes a distinctive rock face. He had seen it for two years & two months, out of the front window.

The Cremorne Point Wharf seemed to Wolfie's liking. Interesting people, water, rocks and trees, but no sudden movements to make him feel threatened. He gives the impression that he enjoys the variety of colours and light and shapes, as long he senses no risk. The ferry, was as before. All that blue and green, which I held him up to see. Safely inside the cabin, of course.

The walk along the Quay Wharf, through the turnstyles, under the railway lines and across the road to the bus stop, he took in his stride, despite there being far more people now, than on the trip out. Anyway, I did the actual walking. He also coped well with the sharp turns of the bus ride back.

The return bus stop is differently placed from the out, and it is a short walk, hardly half a block, to the building. I put the light on in the hallway, so he was in light the whole way up the three flights. He was much more relaxed this time.

I put the carry cage next to his cage, door to door, both gates up. He wanted to go in, as his nervous racing up and down the perch showed. I though that the perches being higher than the door, could be the problem. So, while he took off to climb across the front of the cage wires, I carefully pushed up one end of one perch in the carry cage, so that the other end gently dropped to the floor of the cage. Then I did this to the other. He soon came down from the the wire, and had to drop to the floor. He now looked straight through the open space to his cage. A mere hesitation! Then he was through. I left the cages together for some minutes, but he showed no interest in returning to the carry cage. Space & familiarity is everything.

When I arose at 7.14am, I noticed that while Ludwig & Amadeus were on their perches, both close by swings were moving dramatically. This indicates that both had just left their swings. It seems that they saw me get up, and they got up. Budgies are great joiners.

I arrived home at ~3.45pm, to find that one arm of Wolfgang's new swing had been off its wire, as has been happening every time that I am out. It is always the arm nearest his closest long perch and I know that he must be responsible. I put it back in place, and went into the kitchen. Five minutes later I came out to see Wolfgang applying his beak to the base of the said arm, giving it repeated pulls until it came off. My response was to take two twists and tie each arm to the wire, such that the swing still moves but, he can not dislodge it.

I would say that his repeated dislodging of this swing was not due to any dislike of it, but was rather attention getting; or to try to prove his power over me; or because he thinks he is clever doing it; or perhaps all three.

After my visit to my dentist, Andre Hariman in Chatswood, I went to K-Mart in Chatswood & bought two red Budgie swings, as a presents to Amadeus & Wolfgang. I put Amadeus' swing in place at ~1.30pm. Her first response was fear, although she well knows what a swing is. It was some three hours before I saw her finally on it. About this time, I gave Wolfgang his swing, but he took even longer, some four hours before he would use it.

Ludwig is not as conversant with swings, so I decided to delay any second swing for him.

The Budgies have finally gone back out of the kitchen. They are on the floor of the sitting room half of the living area, close to the French Louvres and the wall with the neighbouring building, which is a backpackers hostel. They are happier, for they now have an external view, in addition to the music.

Just before the great move of many things to my new residence began, I rushed inside and relocated the Budgies to the kitchen benches, to keep them out of harm's way.

Today I moved the Budgies from Cremorne to my new place at Rushcutters Bay. Helen and I travelled on the seats, her in the front, me in the back, while the feathered ones travelled in the boot of the station wagon taxi. This was fine, except Ludwig's cage started moving and I had to hold it to keep it still. Things was not helped by Ludwig continually moving from swing, to cage wall, to perch, and so on. Amadeus and Wolfgang chose to stay put, the former on perch and the latter on swing.

On arrival, they went on the floor in the empty residence, against the inside wall of the bedroom half of the living area. It is near a electricity sockets for radio and night light.

I have noticed that Wolfgang has finally decided, as a general policy & not an occasional sop, not to go out of his way to irritate me, by shrieking in reply to the Rainbow Lorrikeets. I know he has this inner angst over many matters, and I understand that he feels a need to assert his independence and character; and to scream on occasion. But on such questions as these, Human-Budgie communication, as well as Budgie-Human communication, works much less than perfectly. While so much does get communicated betwen us, this should not camouflage that the fact that so much can not be.

Wolfgang has developed an interesting way to try to placate me. If he shrieks to the Rainbow Lorrikeets, and I warn him not to be loud, he then switches to the Budgie immitation of my cheerful "Hello", which he repats several times.

Late Afternoon: Wolfgang was being determined in his right to imitate Rainbow Lorrikeets & other local birds of infamous volume, although fortunately, being but a Budgie, he gets nowhere near their cresendos! I disagreed. And eventually I won this battle of wills, with a mix of admonishment and persuasion. When we were finally reconcilled, Ludwig indicate his pleaure in this, by raising his head feathers. Ludwig is a peace loving creature.

Wolfgang's Beak Trim - He needs this to be done, as he has an undershot beak. At 3.50pm, I managed to get him into the travel cage. This was made easier, as after initially tying to flee, he soon stood and fought, biting my right hand with all his might. It did not break or even mark my skin, but I certainly felt it. With his beak sunk in with all his might, I was able to cover him gently with my left hand and manouvre him into the travel cage. Then I put him between the speakers of my stereo, which he enjoys.

At 4.40pm, we left, saying a temporary goodbye to Amadeus & Ludwig. I walked around the corner into Florence Street, where we caught the 225 bus to Cremorne Junction, to the Animal Hospital in Spofforth Street. There his beak was trimmed efficiently. He went in to some stress shortly after, but generally coped well. We then walked home, although I did almost all the walking.

At home, I put the travel cage next to his cage, with both doors up, so that he could travel through at his leisure. He would not. He clearly wanted to, kept running along the perches, and climbing the adjoining cage wall. But he could not make himself go through the open gate. I suspect that this was because this same gate had been the way he had been human-handled through. Eventually, around 6pm, I slowly rotated the travel cage, making the open gate higher, and the perches unlevel. This prompted him to go through finally! [I fear that I am like that too. Unless forced, I am transfixed by inertia!].

6.08pm - Amadeus rubbed her head against the cage wires, next to Ludwig. Probably she wanted her head feathers tongue kissed. Ludwig was preening himself, and did not appear to notice. So she bit hime on the wing, not enough to draw blood or even bruise, but enough to hurt. He was greatly offended, and told her so, with an angry little outburst of "song". But they were friendly again about ten minutes later.

Early this morning I noticed that Wolfgang had, during the night, knocked one arm of his swing from its horizontal cage wire, & one limb of his ladder from its vertical cage wire. It seems he had been spooked during the night and had taken to the air in the semi-darkness. Normally this wakes me, but it did not. Amadeus, interestingly, was on her low perch.

I usually leave open, the vertical blind which faces the front balcony, as Ludwig likes to watch the night traffic. But this could be the problem, as perhaps a fruitbat's silhouette was seen by them, causing the panic amongst the younger generation. Ludwig, however, was still on his swing, seemingly unperturbed.

10.00am - The Scene: Wolfgang is warbling. Amadeus is warbling, positioned on a perch right next to Ludwig's cage. Ludwig is next to Amadeus, but he is asleep, beak on his back, turned on his left side. Amadeus seems to be chatting to the somnabulant Ludwig; who slumbers on. Then Amadeus gives Ludwig a peck on the side, on his right wing. This wakes him up.

So I put on some music for the first time, at 10.03am. The radio had been on talk, low volume, for hours, with NewsRadio and then Radio National. The music: Mozart, the "Clarinet Concerto", to be followed by his "Flute & Harp Concerto"; and finally "A Little Night Music"; all on the one CD.

~4.30pm - I am a bit slow! I just realised that the cheerful two tone call that the three Budgies use, is a copy of my "Hello" to them, on coming home.

~7.15pm - I changed the paper, seed & water. Ludwig was reasonably relaxed; but Wolfgang went into the same "fear" reaction as yesterday; while Amadeus had a lesser reaction. I spent some time talking to Wolfgang then, and through the afternoon, trying to relax him. Again, I suspect that he knows his beak is lengthening and remembers what happened to him, on 19th August last year, when it was last long.

~4.45pm - I had moved Wolfgang's cage, as I always do, when I changed the paper, the water, and topped up or changed seed dishes. But today he was more than usually frantic, and was showing real signs of stress - his wings were partly out from his body, with a slight shiver; while he was persistently opening and closing his beak, but with no sound emitted, and it was not chewing. Then I noticed that Amadeus showed similar but less dramatice symptoms. Ludwig was just slightly ruffled.

The extra problem here, may have been since I had been moving furniture & such, for a thorough vacuuming, etcetera. This was over an hour or so. Also, Wolfgang may realise that his undershot beak's growth, may mean that he is to go for a beak trimming shortly. Understandably, this he hates. And I am sure he remembers it! His more than even usual diligence in biting things, may possibly be relate to this.

Be that as it may, I talked quietly to them, especially to Wolfgang. I put on a fan heater on cool blow, as it is a hot humid afternoon. Also, I began returning things to the room, to make it for familiar.

5.22pm - The cool zephyr from the fan is appreciated anyway. I just turned it off, to receive, after a brief hesitation, a note of complaint from Ludwig. But it will have to come off soon, as I am going to the opera tonight - Mozart's "The Magic Flute". For the benefit of the Budgies, as well as myself, I have this afternoon played a double CD of this opera, by the Vienna Philharmonic & the Vienna Sate Opera [conducted by the late Karl Bohm].

"Musical Renegrades - CD1" and then Sebastian Hardie - "Four Moments" - played, I tackled some correspondence chess games. I heard periodic excited little shrieks from Ludwig. At 9.04pm I heard some brief flapping and turned around immediately. Ludwig was on the perch, but his swing was swinging, although it soon slowed to a stop. He must have become so excited due to the music, that he got on the swing, only to almost immediately leave it again. Perhaps excitement overcame fear, but then fear overcame excitement!

If a Budgie saw a Budgie flying to a Fair, would a Budgie know a Budgie, other than He or She, were there ??

The Budgie-Bird Foibles Page 2004