The parakeets like the smooth, narrow wooden perch

Posted on by Dan
photo of Sparty and Dodger the parakeets on a wooden perch
Sparty and Dodger
photos of Belle and Dodger the parakeets on a wooden perch
Dodger and Belle

I usually set the birds’ cage up with varied perches, with different curves and surfaces to give the parakeets a variety.  And the last I put their place together, I put a handful of different perches in as usual but in a change from normal I put in one of the simple smooth wooden perches that came with the cage.  Now it probably has something to do with the fact that it is the highest-up perch (other than a swinging one) in the cage, but all three birds seem to hang out up there a lot of the time lately.  Of course they like to hang out together, being flock animals and all, so it’s probably the sociable nature of the long narrow wooden perch but, I don’t know maybe they like the simplicity of the perch.  Of course it will probably be in there for a limited time because I read somewhere that the bumpier perches make them less likely to develop problems because their feet are in different positions through the day.

Working on our Christmas card, featuring the birds and us

Posted on by Dan

In the last few years Jessica has become known for making cute Christmas cards that include both an image of the two of us along with a digitally altered image of the parakeets. The birds’ images are altered to make it look like they have festive hats on for the season!

Here we see two pictures–a source image from a session I had with Sparty, Belle and Dodger (above), and one of the working images that Jessica has made already for this year (she’s still working on the final design for the 2010 card right now but I liked this one and wanted to post it).

Parakeets and the spirit of aviation

Posted on by Dan
Sparty, Belle and Dodger on the curtain
Sparty, Belle and Dodger on the curtain

Belle and Sparty are experienced flyers, but there’s a new upstart in the air–Dodger. While the little blue bird has so far struggled to keep up with his fully flighted friends (I helped Dodger join the other two on the curtain rod in the above photo), he is now not only staying aloft (gliding isn’t exactly the right word for the intense flapping the little bird does) but actually gaining lift briefly during his flight before descending and sometimes still clunking into something (though he now usually lands smoothly on something). I love the spirit of aviation I see in Dodger–watching him take off along with the other two, even though he can only join them for part of the way, is a very uplifting experience, a reminder of why I so enjoy hanging out with these wild little birds.