Budgie-Bird

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Ludwig Van Budgie-Bird	Amadeus Bat-Budgie	Wolfgang Razorbeak

Over the last four or five days, I have spent much time trying to persuade Valkyrie not to twang the wires of her cage with her beak, and Amadeus not to bite small pieces off her large plastic feeder. Limited success. They humour me to an extent, but I sense that they are just trying to outlast me. Both try to do their proscibed activity quietly, so I do not hear. But this does not last, as the whole point is making a lot of noise! My concern is that either may swallow something not good for them. For many weeks now I have tolerated Valkyrie's frantic paper shreading, as I noted that she did not swallow it.

When I arrived home I noticed that the postion of Valkyrie's swing had changed. The inside arm was hooked on a different wire, so that the swing hung on an oblique angle. No doubt she had unhooked the arm, and then managed to put it back. This was also a habit of the young Amadeus. Anyway I corrected the swing while I told Valkyrie she is a good Bird.

Valkyrie, I notice, is being much more careful with her swing, and is even allowing it to stay on both arms. Partly this is since she wants to have a swing to keep up with the others, but mostly since she loves being on the swing.

Valkyrie knocked her swing down to the floor some time during the day. So I spent some time repeated the following formula, while gesturing to each swing in question: Ludwig's swing. Amaseus' swing. Wolfgang's swing. Where's Valkyrie's swing?" After a while she began glancing at her swing on the floor when I asked the question.

There was Jazz playing early evening, between 7.00pm & 8.00pm. I know that Ludwig was enjoying this, as he was on his swing furthest from the window, and he was making it swing gently back & forth.

Amadeus is continung to chew on the side of her large feeder. I noticed that bits of plastic are missing, so I remove the feeder from hr cage in the morning., leaving it atop her cage & only returning it to its normal place in the mid afternoon. This seemed to have the disired effect. I can tell when she is chewing it as it makes a loud noise. perhaps ahe is trying to match Valkyrie's moise of twanging her cage wires.

Amadeus has started chewing on the side of her large feeder. I am tying to strongly disuade her.

Wolfgang, about 4.30pm, was making this rapid staccato noise, which sounded like the noise a Noisy Miner makes, when it is threatening another creature. I imagined this was from Wolfgang's long term memory, but when I opened the balcony door I heard that exact same vocalisation. On the roof of the next door building, a half grown Indian Myna was begging an adult for food. Budgies' hearing is much better than that of people, and I suspect that he heard it when the door was closed & it was still too faint for my ears.

For the last two days, Amadeus & Ludwig have been very affectionate across the cage walls, at fairly frequent intervals. However, Ludwig gets shy if he says me watching, so I attempt discretion. Like human couples, their moods change for all sorts of reasons.

After been out before dawn, and back not that long after, I had fallen asleep. I awoke at about 9.45am. Karl Haas, on 2MBS-FM was playing some Paganini virtuoso Violin, which all the Budgies were attempting to imitate, with great enthusiasm.

For each of the last four days, Ludwig has, at some time during the day, including climbing up the cage wall and along the cage wall. He never did this much at all, even in 2001 & 2002, but it seems he is irritated that the others can do this easily, whereas he finds it difficult. When I see him, I praise; although if I see that he is really struggling, I encourage to go for the nearest perch.

Also, Ludwig's flapping of his wings whilst holding fast to the perch has become more frequent; as has his flipping, turning 180° quickly on the perch, then reversing again.

- I was on the phone to Helen H, and after a short time Wolfgang was doing an excellent job of distracting my attention. He went through a face washing routine, making at least four trips to the water dish, wasking his face with the side to sdie action at least five times on each trip; at times thrusting his face almost to the bottom of the water dish. Sometimes in this process his return tt the perch was leaping on to the side of the ladder, then up to the perch. Later he was doing his silent peek-a-boo routine, as on 22nd November 2005.

Early Evening - Wolfgang was enagaging in behaviour, in & about his swing biting, which I have been forgetting to mention. This is playing peek-a-boo. I placed his second cuttlefish so that he can hide behind it from Ludwig & Amadeus. He was not making any noise, but he was looking at thos two around one sid of his perch, then the other side, and so on in rotation for at least half a dozen times. Ludwig & Amadeus seem to ignore him; not joining in the game.

6.14pm - I had a close view, as I watched Doctor Who on television, of Wolfie's one step method of up ladder movement. He leaps on to the side of the ladder, halfway up, landing with both feet; and then a second leap on to the perch. When he uses the full method, up or down, he has one foot on each rung, while he faces forward [i.e. human style]. Crab style is to move sidewards along the ladder.

8.56pm - Not to be outdown by another's cleverness, Wolfgang climbed down his ladder; human style, of course! Logic deduces that if one can climb up a ladder, one can climb down it. Anyway, I was full of praise for him.

7.50am - Turning around from the computer, on hearing the sound of wing beats, I was not surprised to see that Ludwig was the flapper in question. But I was astonished to see that he was holding on to the vertical side of his cage as he flapped; the side nearest to Amadeus' cage. I had not see him attempt this before, and while he not doing it as well as the expert, Amadeus, he was doing it at least as well as Wolfgang does. It is a tricky operation for them.

6.11am - Wolfgang ran up the rungs of the ladder, human style, to get from the floor to the perch. Twice yesterday, late afternoon & early evening, I saw him leap, from the floor, on to the ladder halfway up, and then another leap on to the perch. Whatever the method, he has been using his ladder quite a deal in recent weeks. Amadeus only bites her ladder occasionally, whilst Valkyrie often bits and throws her ladder about, but neither actually use it for the purpose for which it is designed. Ludwig does not have one. In 2001 or early 2002, I think that he had one briefly, but he was still in his deeply suspicious mode and he eyed it with such deep distrust, deliberately avoiding the part of the cage where the ladder was, that I removed. This was probably the same ladder which I gave o Andy Shriekbeak in 2001, but he regarded it with such an evil eye, that I was persuaded by his attitude to quickly remove it. This Peachface Lovebird was a creature of strong & determined opinions, which he made absolutely no show of keeping hidden. He was also of an impressive intelligence, which was really a shock; like I knew Parrots were intelligent, far more than Cats or Dogs, but eaxctly how high this intelligence could be astonished me.

As far Wolfgang's ladder "creativity": I suspect this is another of his ways of expressing his individuality & cleverness. he likes to be different, and he likes to impress me.

8.30am - Wolfgang is getting serious about this - He walked across the floor, up the ladder, human style, and on to the perch.

9.20am - I was watching "Serial Thrillers", an extra on the Doctor Who DVD [Tom Baker Era] "The Pyramids of Mars", when I heard Wolfgang pattering across the floor. When I looked I saw that he had jumped up on to the edge of his water dish, and was having a few sips. He noticed that I was watching him, and this could be why he then jumped on to the floor, and ran along the floor to the ladder, up the ladder rungs human style, and finally on to the perch.

Wolfgang dropped towards his water dish, sliding down the wires as is his wont. But then, instead of carefully sipping a little water, he washed his face several times in the water, by pushing it just under the water & shaking it from side to a couple of times, thus spreading small drops everywhere. I praised him, saying: "Good Birdie" and "Clever Wolfie". Naturally this enduces him to travel down from his perch to the water two more times; on each time washing his face several times in the same way.

Mid Evening - Ludwig was practising his 180º flipping on the perch. I could see him getting ready, with some difficulty to do the flip, which took some time to begin, although it went well when once started; then, almost immediately he prepared to flip back again, which took a shorter time to to action, followed by another successful slip. He repeated the exercise at intervals, a few more times. I can omnly presume that he remembers being able to do this easily as a younger Bird, and is trying to be able to do it well once more. Always I give him incouragement, if I see him preparing for a flip.

Late Afternoon - Ludwig was doing his idiosyncratic head bobbing & revolving courtship to Amadeus. Not only was she watching him, but so were Wolfgang & Valkyrie. The latter two were both very close to the action; Ludwig on his swing, Valkyrie hanging on to the vertical ires of her cage, close to the top.

While I was on the phone to Helen H., Wolfie was feeding on the floor, as he likes so to do. Then, intead of flying up to his perch, as usual, he scampere along the floor, then ran up the rungs of his ladder, human style, until he reached the top, at which point he simply hopped on to hi perch. I asked Helen to excuse me while I gave him some brief verbal praise. When he does something clever, he loves to be praised by me for it.

Back to his old self! Right from the time I came home, Ludwig raised his head feathers, telling me he is "Happy Bird".

Ludwig seemed melancholy when I was home at 2.46pm. Soon I was asleep for two hours. When I awoke Ludwig was quite unchanged, although right throughout there was radio 2MBS-FM playing. Normally when I arrive home, he shows his pleasure by raising the feathers on his head, as if it were a crest. He does this exceptionally well; and he is the only Budgie I have seen do this at will.

At 6.32pm, I played the CD: "Bach Arias and Duets". This is with Soprano, Sara Macliver & Mezzasoprano, Sally-Anne Russell; backed by The Orchestra Of The Antipodes, directed by Antony Walker. Gradually this seemed to cheer him up. After a quarter hour or so, he was raising his head feathers, indicating happiness. Ten or so minutes later, he was chirping along with the music, quite happpily and forcefully.

Today I did a thorough cleaning of all objects in the Budgies' cages. This involved moving quite some things out, then once cleaned, back in. Valkyrie was in panic the whole way. Wolfgang was in self-control, until I started to remove his swings, and then he became frantic. Amadeus was a little drama queen from start to finish. Ludwig, following suite from Amadeus, started with frantic activity, but then calmed down.

Late afternoon, ~6.20pm. Wolfgang had been feeding and scuttling about on his cage floor. Then, instead of his usual method up to the perch, he jumped on to the ladder, to a rung halfway up. Then he climbed to the top human style, and then on to the perch.

I was attempting to play CD1 of the BBC Full Cast Radio Drama Production of Dorothy L. Sayers' "Have His Cascasse" [ A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery]. Twice I fell asleep early during it. The second playing, I advanced the CD as far as I recalled hearing, before listening. On the third playing, with further such advance, I managed to hear it the whole way through. The Budgies seeme to be unusually patient of the resulting silences; in a good nature, at each time I woke, despite the unwaranted & unwanted by them, silence. However, "their Light" was on throughout the whole evening of inefficiency, which I expect they regarded as a degree of recompense.

Late Morning - Ludwig was on the lower perch which is furthest from the window, and on it next to Amadeus' cage. He was obviously planning to go up to the higher perch just beyond it. Firstly he went to fly there, which is but a short hop. But he changed his mind and instead moved towards the cage wall, took a wire in his beak, and clearly meant to climb to the perch. But he proceeded no further, eventually letting go of the wire. Soon he was back along the perch, looking at it as if to fly there. Back to the original plan. But he did not, seeming to rethink yet again. At this point I tapped the high perch at the end were it protrudes slightly through the wire. What I meant was that it is best to fly there, as he has had some trouble in climbing of late. He took my advice. Set himself with a clear eye focus on the perch, and then fly cleanly and precisely up to it. He seems to have douby about his flying, but it looks fine to me.

6.20pm - Wolfgang, when he saw me looking at him, suddenly sprung up upon the cage side arm of his swing, the one furthest from the window. There he hung horizontally on the arm, between in and the cage wall, while he bit at various points up and down the arm. This is his imitation of a behaviour of Valkyrie. Naturally I praised him at great length; on his intelligence, strength, cleverness, and so on.

Mid-morning - Ludwig got into trouble on the cage wall, quite close to the window. He was climbing up, and when halfway there he seemed to slip with his feet. He was hanging by his beak ad flapping his wings furiously to no great effect. I talked to hm quietly, with encouragment. Soon he relaxed, stopped flapping, and was able to climb up to the perch; slowly, but with a fair degree of sureness. He never looked like falling, once he ceased to panic.

4.15pm - Wolfgang, I just noticed, has managed to tip his large floor feeder on its side. From the eagerness with which he is eating, I oresume this to be very recent; albeit I heard nothing, I saw nothing.

Half an hour later, Ludwig was in trouble. He had miscalculated on the side of the cage, and was struggling to get a purchase on the wire. He had hold with his beak, was flapping his wings, and his body language shows some panic. I talked to hm to calm him. he was able to get on to the perch with some effort. I saw a similar panic on the cage wall by Ludwig, three or four days ago. It is a problem due to his age. He is about eight years old, but very sprightly still.

8.00am - Valkyrie suddenly burst out with a long staccato chain of loud "immitation sneezes". This is an imitation of Wolfgangs sneezes, albeit Wolfie only does them one at a time, and they are real sneezes. Like his chokes are real chokes.

Wolfgang was going through a prolongued choking period, which he has been doing about once a week for a month or two. It suddenly dawned on me: that is what is happening to pieces of lower beak which he snaps off. He swallows them, and sometimes when they are large, with some difficulty.

Once more, I noticed mid morning, some more of Wolfgang's lower beak was missing. A little later, I noticed him grinding & clacking the points of his upper & lower beaks together. I had seen this quite often, but only now did I realise that that his how he is breaking the pieces off his lower beak. It would seem to involve some risk, although I am sure he knows what he is doing. The chances of stopping him are nil, as he knows this delays the visit to the vet. It also occurs to me, that this practice of his may well have begun long before I noticed it.

Afternoon & Evening - The Budgies seem in good form. Each, at different times, has gained special praise for flying. They love flying, and they love praise even more so.

~4.00pm - It is tricky trying to look at Wolfgang's beak without him becoming suspicious. Well, impossibly actually. But it is necessary, as it appears that his lower beak has myseriously shortened again, to his left side especially. The problem is that his upper beak continues to grow, and he seems less able to reduce it.

At 11.20pm, the same day, Wolfgang was flapping his wings, and looking directly at me, face to face, human style. He was looking at me for praise, and was quite happy to let me see his beak.

~5.00pm I was trying to get a good look at Wolfgang's beak, but he was suspicous and hiding it, as he danced. On last thursday I decided that it would have to be trimmed soon. His upper beak was never broken, so it is still growing, and forcing out what is left of his lower beak. He is making out that all is fine, but I am not fully conviced.

Again at night, Ludwig did not complain when I put their light out, in the sitting room, but did complain whn I put th bedroom light out. I think that the problem is that, since the Cross City Tunnel has been completed, the lighting outside has been reduced; just the street lights now, and not those large lights flooding yellow-white brightness across the tunnel's eastern entrance & approaches.

Cleaned Ludwig nostril - he was unhappy biting & verbally complaining - 4th & 5th Ludwig did not complain when I put hislight out but did when bedrom light out

X-amined Ludwig's head in bedroom , seemed OK. on sundey he was scratching it on cage wires. there was brown discolou, wiped with cotton bud moist could see no mites nostrils seemd open. L perplexed and not keen on being han\dled body language. but gently bit and tongue kissed my index finger, to say he trusted me. he moved about it my hands, but did not really struggle - late he sneezed a couple of times spaced out, thta wa prob the mosture. Wolfgang immitated, sneeaing quite a bit. but when I deliberately observed his face closely he stopped sneezing immediatelt [as I intended.

This afternoon, I was attemtung to disuade Valkyrie from her latest fashion, of the last week or two: plucking the vertical wires with her beak, as if she was playing a guitar, except only one string plucked avery five to ten seconds. The sound was metallic and loud. But I cannot think that it is good for her to do. Her previous two fashions I minded not. She was heaviy into burrowing under the paper lining the floor of her cage, and before that, walking underneath the roof of her cage, upsdie down, of course. It looked quite amusing when she stopped progress, and pretended to perch in this position.

Much activity, and quite some noise. Amadeus & Ludwig were often seated side by side in their respective cages, warbling quietly to each other. Valkyrie & Wolfgang were rather more rambucous. valkyrie leaping and climbing and flying all over the place. Wolfgang putting in a very good effort in attempting to keep up with her. At one point, he did seem to be playing hide and seek with her, from behind his cuttlefish, poking out his head on alternately on each side.

At 6.30pm, I noticed that Valkyrie was dipping her head into a feeder to get seed, at frequent intervals. Wolfgang was on the cage wall nearest her, and when she dipped her head, he dipped his head in imitation, although he had nothin there to eat nor drink from. Quite nothing was there at all, bar air.

Finally, this afternoon, I purchased two pieces of chipboard. With this and a small table, I was able to raise valkyrie to the level of the other three. Amadeus, Ludwig and Wolfgang, appeared to be in cheerful approval of this change, especially Wolfgang, who was most vocal. The only reticence was on the part of Valkyrie, who kept to the other side of her cage, and looked suspicously at her changed world view. After an hour or so, she was more relaxed about it.

I was taking careful note of Wolfgang's beak late this afternoon, which is tricky, as when he sees me watching him, he turns side on, so that he can keep a close eye on me. This make it hard for me to perceive his beak clearly. yet still it seems that his beak, which is undershot, has grown to the point where he finds it harder to bite hard enough to keep it down. So now the growth will accelerate. I have noticed that he is, at times, twisting his lowr beak out of the way, so that he can grasp well the seeds. However, he seems to be little inconvenienced at the moment, and genuinely cheerful.

Late Afternoon - Wolfgang was often very intent in sharing warbles with Valkyrie, with both coming close to their mutual cage boundaries.

Afternoon - Valkyrie again has spent quite some time burrowing underneath the paper on the floor of her cage. She does not just keep to the edges, but travels often halfway across the floor, whilst paper covered.

10.15am - All asudden there was a Budgie to my right letting off a very raucous chorus into my ear. I turned to discover that it was Ludwig, to some surprise. They all do this at times, but he & Amadeus much the less than Wolfgang & Valkyrie. About an hour ago it was Amadeus calling thus, albiet not quite as loudly as Ludwig was just now. Half an hour earlier Ludwig had been flying: beating the wings frenetically whilst still holding to the perch. I praised him, and he kept this up in short bursts for some time.

Valkyrie spent much of the day burrowing underneath the paper lining the floor of her cage. Wolfgang watched with interest, but did not attempt to emulate.

Soon after I came home, I heard Wolfgang practicing his Leaden Flycatcher imitation. He does this time to time, but hearing the real thing yesterday morning, seems to have enabled him to fine tune his imitation. It certainly sounded to me eye, poor that that is, to be closer to the original than it has been recently.

Valkyrie still concentrates on her Finch imitation. Amadeus & Ludwig both maintain their own range of versatile calls.

Today, as yesterday and friday, Valkyrie was knocking one arm off her favourite swing, the one nearest the window, almost as soon as I had put it back. Odd as it may seem, she prefers it that way, as she can reach the perch from it, and move about with gay abandon. She even happily sleeps on it, even though it does seem to me to be unstable.

Wolfgang is also beeing increasingly responsive to Valkyrie, although he is often at pains to keep an emotional contact with Ludwig & Amadeus. He is an emotionally compex creature.

When I came home from town early this afternoon, Mozart's "Flute & Harp Concerto" was playing on th radio. Ludwig told me he was very happy, in the usual way.

Late Afternoon - Wolfgang on the floor, close to Valkyrie and talking quietly with her.

Early Morning - Wolfgang doing something that I have rarely seen him do, and onl then years ago: climbing around, hanging upside down from the top of the cage. He is obviously immitating Valkyrie, which show he is very interested in her.

Evening - Wolfgang was his mixed emotions again. Somtimes he was hppily biting and pushing his swings, as he nodded his head and warbled; all the times lapping up my praise. One time he was on the floor just opposite Valkyrie; biting the other end of a twist, as she bit one end. Yet another time he was in angst mode; on the wall of the cage closest to Ludwig and Amadeus, wagging his head form side to side energetically in agitation; as if he fears losing their company with the new arranegements.

Late yesterday afternoon, after using her swing closest to the window, which seems to be her favourite, I saw that Valkyrie had knocked the insid arm off the wire and the was happily perched on it. This morning she was still there, so I presume she had slept there overnight.

Much the same over the last two days. Amadeus is proving that her flying is even stronger than that of Valkyrie. Wolfgang shows he can match Valkyrie's biting. But Valkyrie continues to be a touch louder than Wolfie. Ludwig, fortunately, is a model of self-restraint.

10.40pm - Through the evening, Valkyrie has been very experimental with her swings. She has knocked an arm off, and then tired to get it back on two occasions. I know as I find the swing each time with an arm on the srong wire: a horizontal oblique non-swinging swing. I fixed it up on both occasions. She has tried a little swinging. But her favourite game is getting on the inside swing and from it, attacking the biting rings.

Wolfie is getting more interested in her, and is often copying her actions. Amadeus is casting an eye over Valkyrie often; which I like to think of as a freindly big sisterly eye. Ludwig seems to take the least notice of Valkyrie, but then he is pre-occupied with Amadeus.

5.15pm - Valkyrie is now on her inside swing, which has both arms on. This is the first I have seen her using a swing as it should be done. She was just sitting though, not moving it.

4.50pm - Valkyrie was perched on her window swing, but again one arm is off the wir, so it is at an oblique, and does not work properly. I spend a lot of time putting swig arms ack in place.

11.10am - Lettuce all round. Valkyrie first, who just looked at it. Wolfgang next, who hesitated only a little, retreating to the other end of the cage, before soon returning to nibble. Amadeus immediately flew to the other end of her cage. Ludwig was eating the Lettuce before I had in place, such that I had to gently push him out of the way to get it in. As soon as I had, he siddled back and was nibbling again. Amadeus immediately returned and dug in herself. Valkyrie alone was aloof. I moved her Lettuce closer to her, but still she was not eating it. At 1.20pm, the Lettuce of the three older Budgies has been quite shredded, while Valkyrie had still not touched hers. She has eaten it previously, albeit not to the extent of the other three, but today she is not interested. She has different tastes in Seed, and different tastes in greens. At 1.40pm, the older three bagan tackling the Lettuce once more: Ludwig first; then Amadeus soon after; Wolfgang shortly later. But not Valkyrie, who definitely saw what the others were doing, but is content just to preen herself.

6.40pm - Wolfgang went into a brief mad panic, which affected none of the other three. They just lookd at him, wondering what exactly was the problem.

7.10pm - Valkyrie was actually on her swing; the one furthest from the window. But not exactly as it should be. She was perched on the bar of the swing, bu this was at an oblique angle, as she had knocked one arm of the swing off the wire.

11.00pm - Valkyrie & Wolfgang are both biting their "chain of rings". They seem to be doing lots of things in unison. And they both do like biting.

~7.30pm - Valkyrie all asudden began flying around her cage, with small bursts, usually across the width of the cage, and with short periods of hovering. She flies as strongly as Amadeus. Wolfie was almost responding, but it was only little half hearted wing bursts, as he sat on the perch. Wolfie, with his warbling, was often facing towards Valkyrie this evening.

~6.30pm - She has not used her swings, but Valkyrie was engaging in an unusual activity. She was climbing under the roof of the cage, and passing between the arms of her swing nearest the window.

~4.30pm - Ludwig was on the floor of his cage, next to Amadeus on her small feeder. They seemed to be whispering to each other.

Valkyrie again had attacked her paper, but not to the extent of yesterday. Wolfie had also done a small amountof paper biting, noticeeably on the side closest to Valkyrie.

I came home to find that Valkyrie had been very active with attacking the paper on the bottom of her cage. The whole had been pulled sidways; her water dish with it, despite its weight. There was also so much biting around the edges, that the paper looked most ragged.

Later Wolfgang was engaged in a motza of sweet warbling, in response to Valkyrie's rather raucous warbling, albeit he was on the perch facing away from her.

Finally I made it to Chatswood today, and bought Valkyrie two blue swings, and one set of biting rings. It was difficult after along day at work, and with me suffering from an infected right cheek sinus, but I owed it to her.

All four Budgies had their usual weekend. Lots of warbling, biting and eating.

Valkyrie was doing her own version of song, which she had not engaged in to date. It involves very loud, rather low shrieks, and strange steel spring like sounds, also rather full on. I suspect she has lived for some time, quite close to Cockatiels. This was not in the "Four Legged Friends Pet Shop" in Neutral Bay, as they only had Budgies. It must have been in the aviary where she was bred.

She has stopped, in recent days, those endless circles of all boundaries of her cage. Presumably she knows very well now where the all those edges are, where the six planes intersect. She is also relating well with the other three.

Wolfgang Razorbeak was engaged in one of those sweet lyrical warbles, which he can do so well, but only when he wants to! I turned to him and praised him. I noticed that Valkyrie Edgebird was also looking at him & listening, with what seemed to me from her body language, to be considerable admiration.

Valkyrie Edgebird - Still lots of climbing; often hanging from the roof; but also odd little repeated circuits at the window end of her cage. I bought her some seed from a pet shop in Town - breeders mix. Then later, this evening at Coles in Kings Cross, a seed bell.

Late this afternoon I saw her relishing the breeders mix seed. Then, this evening she was doing a new circuit, which included taking many bites off the seed bell, including stretching undeneath it to bite there.

Valkyrie Edgebird - The surname, because she likes to move around the limits of her cage frequently; including commonly walking upside along the underside of the roof.

There is Lettuce today, and Valkyrie did try it, rather cautiously. Wolfgang, Amadeus & Ludwig gave their usual full on assault on the lettuce.

So finally today, I went to Neutral Bay, to "Four Legged Friends" and there took possession of Valkyrie. I had seen her there tuesday before last, but at that time the shine above her beak was not quite clearly brown. Today it was. When I was to decide between her and two white females; I saw her meticulously preening her wing feathers, and that left me beyond doubt.

She was put in the travel cage I had brought with me, which the shop assistant mostly covered with newspaper, taped down, to protect her from the wind, and to give her some protection from the outside world, so that she would be less stressed.

The journey involved a bus to Town, a ten minute walk from Wynyard to the Quay, then a bus home. She was very quiet, a little stressed, but coping alright.

At home, I put her not far from Wolfgang's cage, but the existing three were unaware of her presence, as she remained silent. So I took the newspaper partly down, to make her visible to them. Amadeus & Ludwig took her in their stride - sort of, "Oh! Another Budgie". Wolfgang, however ... He leapt, with a small shriek, on to the side of his cage nearest to her, farthest from the window. Then he leapt across to the opposite wall. Finally, he was back on his perch, sitting, but giving little shivers. He does not have the best social skills.

Valkyrie responded to this performance by dropping to the floor of the Travel Cage, out of sight, due to the remaining newspaper, and refusing to budge. However, she did seem to enjoy Ralph Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending". I went to the supermarket, and when I returned a quarter hour later, she was back on her perch.

Next was the trick of persuading her to move to her cage, which I bought a few weeks ago. It is similar to Wolfgang's, but with black paint rather than white. I had both cage doors open, but she was reluctant to move. So I dropped both perches in the travel cage. Still she refused. Then I turned the travel cage at an angle and she was through, albeit it was a cautious rather than a hurried move!

The rest of the afternoon involved me moving a bookcase, so that I could have Wolfgang & Valkyrie side by side.Wolfgang however, continued to treat Valkyrie with suspicion. Amadeus & Ludwig were more forthcoming.

Around 10.00pm, Wolfgang went into one of his stress phases. His cage is now orientated the same way as that of Ludwig & Amadeus, with Wolfie being next away from the window behind Ludwig. What he did was to constantly leap on to the end of the cage nearest Ludwig, with a lot of head shaking, then a circuit of his cage, swings & perches & walls; then back to the head shaking on the wall. This went on for twenty minutes and no amount of sweet talking from me could disuade him.

The one novelty: he misjudged and fell to the cage floor, hurting his right wing slightly. He shook it a little as he walked along the floor. Then he walked up the ladder to his perch; human style, not sideways Budgie style. This is the only time I have seen him use the ladder as a ladder.

Finally Wolfgang tired from all this activity, dropped to the at the window end of the perch and went to sleep, his head on his back.

Valkyrie, from very early in the evening has been quietly sitting, sleeping at times, at the inside end of her perch. She is no doubt used to earlier evenings, with darkness. I have yet to get her her swings.

For a saturday, I arose very early, at 4.02am. When I walked through the Sitting Room I could see all three Budgies on their swings, as they listened to Berlioz' "The Damnation Of Faust" on 2MBS-FM. Ludwig was on his perch closest to the window; Amadeus, furthest from the window; Wolfgang, whose cage is at right angles to the other two, furthest from the wall. But when I switched the light on, I noticed that Amadeus' swing had the inside arm off the wire. Nonetheless, she was stoicly perched on it, despite the angle of the bar of the swing, and the fact that it no longer swung! Only when she moved to the perch did I put that arm back. She retreated to the far end of the perch, close to the wall. However, when Ludwig dcalled to her she returned.

Wolfgang's ladder was on the floor, lying at right angles to its usual position. He must have picked it up and thrown it, but I did not see this, nor hear this.

10.50am - I had just switched off the DVD, and put on the radio: 2MBS-FM, with music in the Classical tradition. Then I went close to Ludwig and asked him: "Is that better?" His head feathers had been down, but as soon as I had asked the question, they immdediately went straight up.

~1.00pm. - Wolfgang was on his new swing, which he positions close to the cage wall. The rings he also has positioned close to the cage wall. I saw him looking at them. While I watched, he began to go through the topmost ring, but then, when almost halfway through, he changed his mind and retreated back to the swing. Perhaps he has put on some weight.

When he was in ring passing period, almost a year ago, I saw him pass through this top ring on two occasions: 12 July 2004; 24 July 2004. On those two occasions, he definitely waited for me to be watching before he did it, so I suspect he hd practice when I was not there.

~2.00pm. - Amadeus & Ludwig were were warbling in to each other ears. Wolfgang was showing a display of frustration and jealousy: leaping from his swing on to the side of the cage closest to them; wagging his head from side to side in irritation. So I took his cage in to my bedroom; showed him, myself & him in the mirror; then the view ourside of the bedroom window; next, back to the mirror again; finally taking his cage to its normal placement. This little trip seemed to cheer Wolfie. He became noisy & excitable in a happy way; began biting & pushing his swing; dancing up & down the perch.

When I returned home from the Opera House, I saw that Wolfgang had picked up and hurled his ladder at some point, but one arm lodged in the wires, and it is stuck at an oblique perpendicular angle to its original position.

Late Afternoon - In response to Ludwig flapping his wings as he held fast to his perch, Wolfgang initially flapped his wings likewise. The he leapt on to the side of the cage, and was actually flapping his wings with real success. This was not with the perfection which Amadeus shows, but he still did very well, getting deserved prasie from me.

I was just sitting, watching Doctor Who [~6.15pm]. When this blast of cold air came to my face form the right, together with a sound of earnest beating. Amadeus was perched on the side of the cage, beating her wings with considerable force. She has very powerful wing muscles for her size. Naturally I praised her for her "flying".

Wolfgang threw the ladder on to the ground; making sure first, that I was watching. He wanted praise. He got praise.

In the evening, Ludwig showed his joy, by bursting into flying: in this case, energetic flapping, whilst holding fast to the perch with his claws. I praised him. Then Amadeus got into the act; she, being on the side of the cage nearest to Ludwig, created a minor gale, which I certainly felt. It was a cold breeze, as it is winter. She also won my praise.

I came home to find that Wolfgang's ladder had moved. It was now hooked on the next horizontal wire down. I put it back on its original position.

~7.30pm. Wolfgang ladder attacked the ladder once again, but it fell turning sideways & turned half over, but hooked on the horizontal wire of the cage wall.

6.40pm. Wolfgang ladder picked up and thrown, hanging end nearest to the far cage wall. This perhaps inspired by Danger man

Wolfgang was busy while I was checking the moves on two chess games. I do this on the same table which his cage is on. There he was palying with the bell on the ladder; biting it. Then asudden, in a clearly thought out manouvre, he picked up the ladder in his beak and dropped it, so that it fell on the floor. This ladder must way nearly as much as he does, so it is impressive. he is also moving his millet heads and his seed dishes all over the place. Only the water dish remains unmoved, as I expect, due to the weight of the water, it is too heavy, even for a Budgie of his determination!

~11pm. After some abstinence from this behaviour, Ludwig was on the floor as soon as I had changed the paper; expectantly waiting for new seed in his plastic feeder dish. He was standing right in the way, such that I had trouble getting it in, but as he soon deigned to leap on to the side of the dish, I was then able to manouvre it into position.

Earlier Wolfie had been actively biting his ladder, which left it askew. Also he moving his large feeder, by grabbing it with his bek and pushing it, while he was perched on the side of his cage. He was also turning up the paper at one corner, the one nearest the window, folding it over and standing on it, apparently so he could look easily to the tray underneath. He certainly did this, but whether it was for this somewhat uninteresting view, or for the sheer fun of proving his cleverness, is unclear to me, although I am sure that he knows.

~1pm. - Ludwig perched on the side of the cage nearest to Amadeus and was flapping his wings successfully, albeit nowhere near as strongly as Amadeus does. Wolfie tried to also, but as usual he flapped a bit and stopped, unable to get it right.

AM - I saw Wolfie, as he perched on the side of the cage, pick up the large feeder with his beak, move it some distance, then put it down. It seems he was after the seed that was trapped underneath it, for he soon dropped down to eat it.

Early Morning - Again Ludwig was so eager for seed, that I had to gentle push him aside to get the feeder in to position. But at leats he waitd for me to get the paper down.

Late Evening - Ludwig was so eager for his new seed that he alighted on the cage floor, not only before I had the seeder down, but even before I had the paper down. I had trouble positioning the paper because he was on it, unwilling to move. And I had to gentle push him oout of the way to get the dish into position.

I noticed late this afternoon, that Wolfie had turned his main feeder on its side - quite a feat of strength. The four Millet Seed Heads, which I had piled in the centre of the cage were scattered right to the four corners.

I arose today to find one of Amadeus' swings on the floor of her cage. It had to wait to be put back when I changed the seed in the early afternoon.

Late Afternoon - Ludwig was sitting on the floor on his haunches. This was in the corner closest to the window, and to Amadeus' cage. I have seen him there before, but this time he was sitting longer than usual. Andy Shreikbeak used to do this, and I wondered if Ludwig copies him, or whether just felt like doing it.

Late Afternoon - I came home to find that Wolfgang had turned his large feeder on its size. This is a feat of strength.

Late Afternoon - Wolfgang had been moving his large feeder around again. It was some distance. Tough Budgie.

Middle to Late Evening - We have been listening to a motsa of Mozart: Clarinet Concert; Soprano Arias; Piano Sonatas. The Budgies gave every impression of being very happy; mostly listening in the intense silence & cocked head concentration.

Early Evening - I moved one end of Wolfgang's long perch, to adjust its angle, so that his droppings from the swing [nearest the wall] would not land on it. As I moved it, Wolfie broke in to a panic flight. He must have feared that I was dropping the perch to the floor, so that I could grab him more easily for a beak trim. I reassured him verbally. But he was not happy until my hand had left the cage.

Late Afternoon - Wolfgang's new swing [furthest from the wall] was down on the floor again when I came home. So this time I not only put it back in place, but tied it to the wire with two plastic ties. After initial wariness, Wolfgang was happy to bite the swing as before.

The new swing [furthest from the wall & the one not tied down to the wire] was on the cage floor yet once more. I interrogated Wolfgang mildly. Sure, it anoys me having to persisitently put it back in place; a little power game which no doubt amuses Wolfie; but knocking down the swing, when he enjoys being on it so much, just seems so obviously irrational, when Budgies are normally very rational creatures: they learn to do what works best for them, from their experience.

Then, to make my attitude clear, I gave Amadeus & Ludwig their lettuce, but not to Wolfgang, intending to give him his later; so that he understood that I was very annoyed with him. But he was so upset, as he showed with his body language: his happy dancing looks quite distinct form his unhappy dancing; while his pointed aggitated stares at them eating lettuce, while he had none, were very easily interpretted. So I gave his lettuce after only five minutes. This cheered him up at once.

Early Morning - I put the errant swing back in its normal position. Shortly later I left the room briefly. When I returned Wolfgang was on the swing looking very happy. Soon he leapt off it and was dancing excitably up and down his perch, on and off the sides of the cage, and so on. Sounds like joyfulness.

Middle Afternoon - I came home to find Wolfgang's swing on the floor. I was tired & irritated at constantly replacing it, so I left it their for some hours. Several times in low, firm,butnot angry voice, I asked Wolfie how the swing got down there. I put it back on the wire about 5.30pm. He seemed wary of touching it at first; biting the ladder instead. After some time he did begin biting the swing, albeit more carefully than before. One arm did come off later, but he immediately ran to the other end of the cage. So I put the arm back on a different wire, so that the swing was perpendicular to its original position. After this Wolfie avoided that swing.

Ludwig, late this afternoon, gave every impression of being overjoyed, when the Stamnitz Viola & Cello Concertos wee played on 2MBS-FM Radio. Apart from the normal intense head cocked listening, and the little shrieks of pleasure, he also flapping his wings whilst holding firmly to his perch, on several occasions.

Wolfgang, however, was intent upon knocking one arm of his swing off the wire, whenever I left the room, or even when my intention was otherwise engaged.

Yet again, while I was at work, Wolfgang knocked one arm of his inside swing off the wire. This is a daily repeated habit of his. When I am home and just leave the room to the kitchen or bedroom, he knocks off one handle. Sometmes, even when I am there, he attacks it with much frenetic headbanging. As on monday I put the swing obliquely to deter him. This lasted some time, before I weakened and returned it to its usual position.

He was also once more at the chasing game, as he was on monday. I turn away. He siddles forward. I come back to him. He rapidly runs back along the perch to his cuttlefish corner.

When he perches on the rough perch in this corner, with some degree of shadow, and his head bent forward, Wolfgang has an uncanny resemblance in body form to a Vulture. A very small Vulture it is true! But that is his apparent body language.

Wolfie once more, when I was at work, knocked the inside swing on to the floor of his cage. So I put it back in place.

I arrived home to find the inside swing on the floor of the Wolfie's. I left it there while I recovered from the day. Then I put it back in place. He does seem to get easily bored & frustrated, or maybe he is just a rebel.

Anyway, when I left the room he would not one arm off the wire again. So I put the swing at an oblique angle. he did not like that and kept away from it. So after half an hour or so, I returned it to its normal position.

He also played the chasing game. When I turn away, he siddles forward. Then I turn and go back to him, causing him to retreat back to the corner with the cuttlefish.

It was only a moderate period which I was ou for. When I returned I found that Wolfgang had knocked one arm of his inside swing off the wire. So Iput it back.

I was carefully removing the seed trays, water dish, toys & perches from Wolfgang's cage, so that he would not be hurt when I picked him up, to move him to the travel cage. As I moved them, Wolfie was flying end to end in some panic, as expected. But when I pulled out the last perch, he suddenly flew straight out the open cage door. This he has never done before. I underestimated that bird! He has been thinking things out.

Firstly he dropped low and headed for the nearest lower window pain of the balcony door, as that looked like the most space. He collided but once with the window pane, then changed direction and headed down into my bedroom, flying low, and alighted on the flooor near the foot of my bed. I attempted to pick him up, but took to the air to fly less than a metre, landing on the coil of an unused extension cord, which he stumbled on, wings outstretched, as it was a rather uneven surface. As I appoached he took off again, landing after another short hop, under my bedside table. Here he began biting the handle of a small bag. This time he did not attempt to escape; instead putting all his might into trying to remove one of my fingers. He marked it but did not draw blood. He is getting better at this, as he was rotating his mouth to give greater effect. Last year, it was simply a single hard bite with pressure.

We left home at [8.50am], down the stairs and up the street to the bus stop, where a bus was already parked, boarding passengers. This took us swiftly to the Quay. On the way, I often held up Wolfie's cage so that he could see out with ease. He is happier on a bus when he can see out.

There was a quarter hour wait for the ferry. While we waited, a woman talked to me and Wolfie. She had had a grey Budgie, which lived to 13 years of age. A Ferry ride has less sudden turns than a bus, and there is all that blue, both sea and sky. Whatever the reason, Wolfgang gives the impression of enjoying the ferry ride.

At Cremorne Point Wharf, we took a bus to Cremorne Point, where is the Veterinary Hospital. This time it was a newer style bus, and I was able to sit up towards the back, with a higher vantage point, so he could see out more easily. I told him where we used to live, and he seems to like that area, but whether from memory or simple the view, I know not. Around the corner some Rainbow Lorrikeets were calling from close by. Wolfgang responded in kind, and mad attempts to fly; not possible in the travel cage. It was as if he was asking the Lorrikeets to help him escape.

There was only a ten minute wait for the trimming. Wolfgang fought on the way out, bruising his left wing in two places. And when the burrs on his lowere beak were trimmed by the Vet, he had his beak open, attempting to bite, which put his tongue at a small risk of being cut. Back in the cage, but we decided to have a look at that wing. I tried to gethim out, but Wolfie managed to bite the palm of my right hand at a place which made it impossible for me to close my hand on him. So the Vet had to get him. The blood on the two places on his left wing was not dripping, and so no serious. She put some of that antiseptic powder on it and then he was back in the cage. Strangely, he had made no sound. But he did have his wing slightly out in mild shock.

And he often kept them out, at the bus stop, and on the bus on the way to the ferry wharf. He seemed to enjoy the view from Cremorne Point Wharf, where we waited a couple of minute for the ferry. The ferry trip again seemed to his liking. At the Quay, we had a quarter hour wait for the bus. There were lots of Silver Gulls there, which often called, but Wolfgang answered them not. Wise bird!

The bus back & the walk up the stairs was uneventful. I left him in the travel cage, while I changed the paper, water & seed in his cage; as well as setting perches and toys back in place. Then I put the door of his cage up, and brought the travel cage towards it, with its door up, so as to make a clear passage. Almost immediately he hopped down from the perch, on to the lip on the travel cage, then passed with another hop into his cage. This was much to my surprise, as last year he was most reluctant to pass this entrance, albeit he was clearly keen to be in his own cage.

He was soon dancing up and down the long perch, to the music. He seemed more re;axed and unstressed than me. He did spend a lot of time preening after that. And I noticed that despite his bravado, and/or relief, by early evening he was solidly asleep, and with brief breaks, likewise to the late evening. Yet, he has slept right out the end of the long perch, at the cage wall nearest to me, as I worked on correspondence chess games. So he feels relaxed by me; perhaps as the travel cage is now back on top of a high bookshelf!

I have located the notes for Wolfgang's previous visit to the Vet for beak trimming. I will add them below here, when I find the time to decipher my writing and transcribe those jottings. They were scrawled down on the ferry.

2MBS-FM once always prefaced their weekdays afternoon concert, which begins at 4.00pm, with the opening bars of Grieg's "Holberg Suite". They changed the programme's name & introductory music last year.

But at 4.30pm, just after I arrived home, they played the full Holberg Suite, as part of the programme. When those opening bars began, I glanced at Ludwig. His head feathers had gone up, in a sign of happiness. But those feathers even more expressively alert than usual; an indication of sheer joy. He certainly remembers those opening bars.

9.20pm - Amadeus began to fly, then Ludwig soon followed. Wolfie, noticing the praise I gave to them for their flying, suddenly flies into action himself, with an enthusiastic flapping of wings, whilst holding fast to his perch. His right eye is fixed on me, and the wanted praise for his efforts is soon forthcoming. [This incident accidently appeared for some while on-line, in the "shorthand version".]

7.20am - Wolfie was perched right next to the cage wall nearest to the radio, on the long perch closest to the window. When I sat down in my lounge chair, which is close by him, him danced away along the perch. I said: "Wolfie", in a quiet soothing voice to him. Almost immediately, he danced back along the perch to the cage wall. He has become much more relaxed with me in recent months. But his undershot beak will soon need trimming, despite all his determined biting. Indeed, I planned it for this week, but the storms may force a postponement. Understandably he hates this beak trim, as a beak is also a Budgie's hand. So he will feel very aggrieved with me, even though he does seem to appreciate why it needs be done, at least that is, after he is home again & out of stress.

5.00am - The sound of frantic flying awoke me. I hurriedly arose, turned on the bedroom light & raced across to see Wolfgang & Ludwig in mad panic. Wolfie was flying repeatedly from one cage wall to another. Ludwig was flying down to the floor, up to a low perch, down again and so on. Amadeus was sitting fixedly on her high perch which is furthest from the wall, rather tensely albeit. The panic was caused by the storm, which blew all yesterday & last night, picking up its tempo, with the branches of the trees outside the window being blown very dramatically to and fro. They well know that these branches can move quite wildly, but this storm had them moving more profoundly than they are used to. If I were a Budgie, I may well have been in panic too.

My presence, and there being half light in the room, rather than just street light, had no effect. The duo would not calm down. So next I turned on the radio [2MBS-FM] and then the sitting room light, but while they both stopped flying, they continued to be frightened. Finally I pulled down the blind and hung up the Eureka flag, which together entirely cover the window. At long last, Ludwig & Wolfgang settled down.

~1.30pm - Amadeus went on one her regular powered flights & I praised her. Wolfgang then started flying, rather more feebly, so I praised him too. And Ludwig hung on to a perch & flapped his wings very strongly, so he was also praised.

~9.30am - Amadeus took off on one her frequent cage end to cage end flights. I praised her saying: "Flying! Good Birdie, Amadeus!" Wolfgang observed this & began a series of shorter flights. Obviously he wanted attention. I said to him: "Good Birdie, Wolfie! Flying!" Flying is good for them, exercising their wing muscles as it does. So, over the last half-year, I have taken to praising all of them for flight. This is for actual flying, or for holding on to the perch & strongly flapping their wings, as Ludwig, in particular, is fond of. In my mind, if it exercises the wings, it is flying.

~11.30am - Wolfgang, as his own idea, quite unmotivated by an observation of other Budgies, suddenly flew rapidly from perch to perch around his cage. This was much more impressive than his usual flying, so I praised him at some length!

~10.30am - Wolfgang Razorbeak began noisily attacking the newspaper lining the floor of his cage, ripping great holes in it. I saw him lift it up, curl it over and stand on it, enabling him to look underneath. That sight, a plastic collecting tray for debris, only held his attention for about five seconds. Then he was off, climbing the cage wall, to reach & rest on a perch, and begin lyrically warbling along with the music.

Mid-evening. - I was here but I heard not it happen. Ludwig managed to knock his old swing down from its position, to traverse half the length of his cage and land in his water dish. Unlike Wolfie, Ludwig's party trick would have been an accident. But it must have been a most spectacular accident. Shame it is that I missed it.

There has been high winds almost all day. This is popular with the Three Budgies, who oft sing along with it.

Last night, Wolfgang was again fixed on the perch radio listening. This fixedity is by choice, as he has proved on numerous occasions when he has climbed about in the night, even in near complete darkness.

Yesterday & the day before, Wolfgang spent the night on his swing closest to the wall, which he has pulled across as far from the cage wall as he can. Last year he was in the habit of moving it about, but now he seems to have settled on this position. However, he still often pushes the swing with his beak, and he is able to push impressively high.

Last night, however, he was back on the long perch closest to the window, which is also the closest point in his cage to the all night radio! I know where he spends the night, as he stays in one place, such that the pile of droppings give it away.

~7.32pm - I switched off the television, the ABC News having finished. When I then switched on the the radio, with 2MBS-FM playing Jazz, there was an immediate raucously happy response from the Budgies. Wolfgang, in particular, was notable by his intensity of spontaneous vocal joy.

~7.00am - When I went to bed last night, Wolfgang was down on the perch cloest to the window, and right at the end of the cage nearest to the radio. This was on 2MBS-FM all night; quietly, albeit perfectly loud enough for him to hear clearly. This morning he was in exactly the same spot. And the pile of droppings below suggested that he remained fixed in that position all night. Often he is very active during the night; as he is in a quite different position in the morning, and I also hear him climbing about.

3.12pm - While I was asleep, Wolfgang was very active indeed. I awoke to find that his old swing, the one which is not tied to the cage roof wire, had travelled across the width of his cage, becoming stuck in the cage wall about halfway up. So the swing travelled some 30cm to 35cm. Amazingly this incident failed to awake me.

Amadeus is once more, this afternoon, engaged in one of her favourite tricks. She is perched on the side on her cage, next to Ludwig's cage, with her body wedged in between her cylindrical feeder and the wall. Presumably the feeder supports her weight, albeit there are surely more comfortable ways of perching.

10.24pm - Wolfgang was dancing about, when he siddled along a long perch to the four sided mirror, tapped it once with his beak, then danced away. I have seen this before, a few days ago, but I cannot recall exactly when.

They had reason to be happy, as they were enjoying the Symphonies of Mozart, as recorded by the Berlin Philharmoniker, under the baton of Kurt Masur. Through the evening they heard numbers 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 & 38. Ludwig, in particular, was in deep listening mode, and very happy indeed.

I came home to find Wolfgang's old swing on the floor of the cage. I picked it up, wiped it & put it back in place. Then later, early this evening, I heard a slight thump, and turned around to see it once more on the cage floor, whereas a mere five minutes earlier it had been perfectly in place, with both arms attached. Obviously this fall of swing was quite deliberate. So I left it on the cage floor for about twenty minutes. Then I wiped it and replaced it to where it belongs.

This evening I played the Live Album [CD 2] of "Umma Gumma" by Pink Floyd. The Budgies appeared to enjoy this. Wolfgang became very animated when the screams on "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" began.

I played the Studio Album [CD 1] of "Umma Gumma" by Pink Floyd, which I bought today at JB Hi-Fi, near Town Hall. This was a long planned purchase. The Budgies appeared to enjoy it; especially the little bird sounds of "Grandchester Meadows"; even when they mutated to bat sounds in the following track, whose name is rather on the long side.

Early morning. Wagner's Valkyrian Ride is currently on the radio [2MBS-FM]. It is of a very moderate volume. However, the Three Budgies, while they are not loud enough in their warbling to disturb the neighbours, are hardly quiet. Wolfgang especially, is being very vocally valkyrian!

The sunlight was eclipsed by cloud, to shortly appear once more, on a frequent basis late this afternoon. So several times I turned the light on in the sitting room, to turn it off when the outside lightened. Each time that I turned the light off, Ludwig issued a sharp single note of displeasure. This, despite the clear visibility in the room at that point in time.

It is noticeable that Wolfgang often now rests on the perch near his swing, rather than on the swing itself. This is at a point closest to the music. Ludwig has also been spending more time of late on his lower perches. Amadeus, however, is resolutely a Bird of high places. I suspect it is again these Fruit Bats, causing a Budgie fear-of-aerial-attack response.

Once more in the valley streets after dusk, and once more those dozens of Fruit Bats.

10.03pm - As a gift for the Budgies, I put on CD 1 of the 1934-35 Glyndebourne Festival recording of "Cosi Fan Tutti", by Mozart & da Ponte. A gift for me also.

Just after dusk, as I was walking through the valley streets of Woolloomooloo & Darlinghurst, I noticed that there was a steady stream of Fruit Bats travelling south-east, probably having come from the Botanic Gardens. These probably are the source of the Budgie panic mentioned previously this week.

In any case I have decided that the windwo needs to be covered. When I did this tonight Ludwig gave a firm note of complaint, as it makes the cages to be in muh greater darkness. But the panic has to be avoided, so I will continue this cover until the Fruit Bats migrate northwards in a few months.

Circa 2.00am: I was woken abruptly by the sound of mad flying in the dark. As I leapt up, turned on the light, with the usual verbal instruction to stop, I saw it was just Wolfgang who had been in a panic. Amadeus & Ludwig were on their swings, side by side, both looking at him. Wolfie was on the floor, immobile; close by the side of the cage which is furthest from the window. After a while, he climbed up the cage wall.

The cause was either [1] Fruit Bats flying past the window, which for some reason he saw & the other two did not; or [2] a nightmare; quite probably about those black night shapes just mentioned. Theoretically, he could have been doing this to gain attention, but I consider it most unlikely; the wrong time of the 24 hour cycle for that kind of behaviour.

Once Wolfie seemed to have regained composure, I covered that gap in the window. One half was already covered by a blind, and the other half I covered with my Eureka Flag. Then the light was off, after I put the music on with 2MBS-FM on the New Radio. Ludwig did not actually complain about the light going off, as I had bribed them with music. This does not necessarily work!

A recurring pattern. Arriving home I find that each Budgie has managed, by design or accident, to dislodge one arm off the wire with one swing. The only difference is that Ludwig's is, this time, the swing near the window. In Ludwig's case it is probably an accident. He came to swings late in life, in Budgie terms, and so is still a bit clumsy with them. With Wolfgang this is probably deliberate, or a case of dare: seeing how much he can attack the swing without actually dislodging it; this activity being not a perfect science. Amadeus' nature is such that either is possible. She is not clumsy, but does tend to alight from a swing with a degree of impatience and a careless attitude.

Circa 1.00am: I was woken abruptly by the sound of the Budgies flying frantically around their cages in the dark. Immediately I leapt out of bed, switched on the light, calling to them in an agitated voice to "stop it!" Both Wolfgang & Ludwig were then standing motionless on their cage floors. Amadeus was clinging to the side of her cage. After a few minutes of reassurance, I thought they were sufficiently calmed down. So I switched the light off & went back to bed. Less than 10 minutes later, the sound of mad flying occurred once more. This time it seemed to be just Amadeus. Quickly I was up again, put the light on & once more ordered calm. This time I covered the window as best I could, and left the kitchen light on all night. Thus endeth the commotion.

The panic here was probably due to a Fruit Bat, Frogmouth or Owl flying near the window. In these parts at this time of year, the Fruit Bat is most likely. The way that both Ludwig & Wolfgang had dropped to the floor in the dark & remained motionless, once they realised the obvious, that they could not fly away to "safety", strongly suggests they feared attack from the air. Budgies never sleep on the ground, unless they cannot avoid it through illness, or through lack of a perch.

Most people who have Budgies cover their cages at night. But since Ludwig suddenly developed a strong fear of the dark a few years ago, I have not. He still gives a note of complaint quite often when I switch the light off; and invariably if no music is playing at the time.

Normally Wolfgang is awake, no matter what time I may get up. However, this morning, as I went to the kitchen in the dark to get a drink, at some ungodly pre-dawn morning hour, I unexpectedly & quite unintentially surprised the sleeping Wolfgang. I heard this frantic sound of flight. Wolfgang had suddenly woken up & instinctively leapt off the swing and flew dramatically across the short side of the cage, landing vertically on the cage wall furthest from the window. I put the litchen light on, but despite coaxing, it was quite some minutes before Wolfie could be persuaded to move. And even then, it was just to drop to the nearest perch, and stay there.

I came home to find that one swing of Wolfgang & of Amadeus & of Ludwig each had one arm each off. In each case it was the swing furthest from the wall. So I put them back.

Wolfgang again spent the evening dislodging one arm of the swing, when I was not present. Twice I put it back in place.

Wolfgang spent the evening dislodging one arm of the swing, when I was not present. I would go to the kitchen or downstairs to get put the rubbish out, and when I returned, the arm was off! Thrice I put it back in place. This is the swing furthest from the wall, as the other is tied down to prevent him doing this. It is his way of getting attention and/or showing his control over me.

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 2005