Well on the week-end of the 3rd/4th Our Dad & Mum went for a round trip to Middlesborough, back to London and back home! Why? You might well ask! Well Dad had agreed to rehome another Blue-fronted Amazon from Middlesborough and they had to go and collect it. Theyloaded the car with Mum's wheelchair and Zimmer frame and set off! When they arrived at Middlesborough at about 14:00 they had a look around the town. They were very surprised to find it excellent with all the top names and few, if any, empty shops! I wonder what Middlesborough's secret is? They stayed in the Middlesborough Travelodge and Sunday morning went off to meet Poppy (who has since had "her" name changed to Bobbie when it was discoverd "She" was a "He"!). Full details are under The Birds but you might have to scroll down the list to find them (as it's a bit of a long list now!). From Middlesborough they drove to North London to collect Bobbie's cage which they had only just decided to buy. It is a double cage and Joza lives in the other half. It was a long day for Bobbie with loads of travelling but he coped with it very well - in fact he really enjoys being in the car!
A few days later Dad & Stacey met some birdline people at Gordano Services with Safehouse Bird 02 - Doris, who was being moved to a new home in the Midlands. We were all sorry to see Doris go. She was only with us a short time but had really become part of the family very quickly.
A few days before Christmas Dad got a phone call from Birdline, wearing his "Emergency Pick Up" hat! They wanted him to do an emergency pick up at Derry Hill which is only a few miles away. Dad was happy to oblige and he came back with Safehouse Bird 03 - C1. This is a petite Timneh African Grey aged 17 whose 103 year old owner had just died. As there was no-one in the house to look after C1, they wanted her moved ASAP. Full details of C1 are under "The Birds" but you may need to scroll down the list a bit to find her! She is a lovely bird and although only here temporarily, I know she has stolen my Dad's heart!
23rd December Dad received another call from Birdline, this time confirming that his application to permanently foster Dolly had been approved. Dolly has now moved in with Ollie and they are mine & Sydney's neighbours. Ollie thinks he rules the roost (but then again so does Sydney!) but Dolly stands up to him well. They both actually seem to get on well together - must be something to do with them both being Mealy Amazons! Dolly's details are now under her own name under "The Birds" and yes, you've guessed it - you may have to scroll down a bit.....!
Christmas Eve was spent collecting Safehouse Bird 04 - C2 from Wimbourne. C2 is a Medium Sulphur Crested Cockatoo and is really an aviary bird. He has a new home to go to but it is in Scotland and we are waiting fro the next relay run to Scotland when he will go to live in an aviary.
Christmas Eve was also spent by Stacey erecting a new big cage for her 5 "Little Parrots"; Molly, Mango, Oscar, Magic and Squarkie. THey were all put in it and Oscar tried to be boss until he met Molly. Despite her smaller size, Molly gave Oscar what for and he never troubled her again. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Squarkie. We believe Oscar bit Squarkie's toe, she flew off and dislocated the toe as he didn't let go. On Boxing Day we had to make an emergency visit to Neil Forbes for him to aneathnetise Squarkie and manipulate it back into place. Unfortunately it had to be strapped up and to stop Squarkie biting at the plasters she came home with a collar on which is a bit like a CD around her neck! She is far from impressed. She has been put back in her old cage for now and has got used to the CD around her neck. The CD is also enabling Dad to befriend her as she cannot bite him (although I gather she has still managed to a couple of times hehehe!!!). She has to go back in 2 weeks time to have the plasters removed and to see if it was succesful. Hopefully it will have been and she can have the collar off as well. She will remain in a cage of her own after that but we do have a bigger cage for her.
On Boxing Day we had some sexing results back. Squarkie is a female (as expected for once!) though because she doesn't squawk much she is being named Little Miss and Poppy came back not a female but a Male and is being changed to Bobbie.
Well today is New Years Eve. I don't know if Dad will let us stay up to see in the New Year but I am hopeful the 6 Amazons will be allowed to! We will have plenty of time to recover tomorrow as the whole human family are off to Plymouth until Tuesday night leaving Sue to look after us fids but I won't be telling you what happens with Sue - that's our secret!!!
Happy New Year everyone!!!