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Post by cnyguy on Jun 11, 2015 19:59:38 GMT -5
This week, I discovered something new that Ralph doesn't like. There were two running races held this past week in the area, and both were covered by the local TV news, When the video of the runners came on TV, Ralph stared at it and started in with the QP alarm call. I guess runners must seem to him like a threat to parrots.  |
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Post by easttex on Jun 12, 2015 6:18:10 GMT -5
I've always wondered what TV looks like to a bird. With their ability to see more of the spectrum and all. I don't even know if those parts of the spectrum are part of TV broadcast. Something to research...  |
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Post by aaron on Jun 12, 2015 10:48:40 GMT -5
I believe that old CRT televisions and monitors give off UV rays, although they are shielded by the type of glass that the screen is made of, but I would think the bird might be able to see some amount of that. Newer flat LCD and LED based screens, from what I read, do not give off much UV, potentially little enough that a bird would not see it.
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Post by biteybird on Jun 13, 2015 3:54:13 GMT -5
Poor Ralph. What an unpleasant surprise. You'll have to put 'parront-lock' safeguards linked to your TV guide...
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 13, 2015 20:15:35 GMT -5
Unfortunately, there are plenty of running races ahead through the summer and fall, so there may be lots of alarm calls during the evening news.  Much of the time, Ralph pays little attention to what's on television, and it's mostly sounds that get his attention (like the commercial for Italian sausage with the sizzling sound, which he likes a lot). If someone on TV is wearing bright orange, Ralph notices (and squawks about it), and he usually notices birds on TV too. On the whole, I think he prefers listening to music to watching television. |
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Post by biteybird on Jun 14, 2015 2:15:34 GMT -5
On the whole, I think he prefers listening to music to watching television. What sort of music does Ralph like best? |
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 14, 2015 19:40:06 GMT -5
On the whole, I think he prefers listening to music to watching television. What sort of music does Ralph like best? Ralph enjoys many different kinds of music, from classic rock to classical. He especially likes jazz/standards, performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald-- though unaccountably, he'd rather hear me sing than any of those people. In classical music, he seems to have a preference for Beethoven symphonies (as befits a gentleman parrot). He enjoys pop/rock from the 50's to 80's, and seems drawn toward singers with British accents-- he likes the Beatles and Petula Clark particularly. |
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Post by siobhan on Jun 15, 2015 17:32:12 GMT -5
Mine enjoy my Bee Gees concert DVD and Andre Rieu. Maggie will even go sit in front of the TV for concert videos (and a plump pigeon in front of a 7" TV, which is what's in their room, means none of the rest of us can see anything but plump pigeon). Perhaps Ralph would enjoy Andre? Or Celtic Woman? Have you tried that on him? Mine like that group, too.
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 15, 2015 19:29:34 GMT -5
Mine enjoy my Bee Gees concert DVD and Andre Rieu. Maggie will even go sit in front of the TV for concert videos (and a plump pigeon in front of a 7" TV, which is what's in their room, means none of the rest of us can see anything but plump pigeon). Perhaps Ralph would enjoy Andre? Or Celtic Woman? Have you tried that on him? Mine like that group, too. Good suggestions that I'll have to try. Celtic Woman is always worth hearing, whether or not Ralph is captivated by them; I haven't had much exposure to Andre Rieu, other than a short clip on TV a while back when he appeared in Syracuse (a friend who worked as an usher at that performance said he nearly put her to sleep, but she has limited tastes in music, so I doubt if Ralph or I would be lulled to sleep by him). |
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Post by siobhan on Jun 16, 2015 11:07:05 GMT -5
I love Andre. He does both pop and classical and it's always a show as well as top notch musical quality. I can't imagine it putting someone to sleep, but then, if you're not an orchestral music fan, maybe you wouldn't look at it the same way. Hubby nods off to classical. LOL
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Post by easttex on Jun 16, 2015 15:22:28 GMT -5
Ralph enjoys many different kinds of music, from classic rock to classical. He especially likes jazz/standards, performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald-- though unaccountably, he'd rather hear me sing than any of those people. In classical music, he seems to have a preference for Beethoven symphonies (as befits a gentleman parrot). He enjoys pop/rock from the 50's to 80's, and seems drawn toward singers with British accents-- he likes the Beatles and Petula Clark particularly. Just wondering if Ralph's tastes happen to coincide with your own... |
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 16, 2015 20:36:56 GMT -5
Ralph enjoys many different kinds of music, from classic rock to classical. He especially likes jazz/standards, performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald-- though unaccountably, he'd rather hear me sing than any of those people. In classical music, he seems to have a preference for Beethoven symphonies (as befits a gentleman parrot). He enjoys pop/rock from the 50's to 80's, and seems drawn toward singers with British accents-- he likes the Beatles and Petula Clark particularly. Just wondering if Ralph's tastes happen to coincide with your own... With my musical tastes wandering all over the place as they do, Ralph gets exposed to a wide variety of music, and mostly it does happen to be what I like to listen to myself.  I will try out musical styles that I'm not especially fond of, just to see what Ralph thinks of them. He hasn't shown any enthusiasm for hip-hop or metal, which aren't really my cup of tea either. But he does show enthusiasm for the things I described in my earlier post. His absolute favorite song is Ring-a-Ding-Ding by Frank Sinatra; when he hears the first notes of the instrumental introduction, he gets excited, and wants me to sing along with Frank.  And he'll stop what he's doing (at least for a while) to listen to Beethoven or the Beatles. |
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 16, 2015 20:43:36 GMT -5
I love Andre. He does both pop and classical and it's always a show as well as top notch musical quality. I can't imagine it putting someone to sleep, but then, if you're not an orchestral music fan, maybe you wouldn't look at it the same way. Hubby nods off to classical. LOL Andre Rieu doesn't sound bad to me, certainly worth hearing. The musical interests of my friend the usher tend not to extend much beyond Bruce Springsteen. And classical music does have the same effect on plenty of people besides your husband. I've enjoyed it as long as I can remember, and rarely doze off while listening. |
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Post by siobhan on Jun 17, 2015 10:27:32 GMT -5
Rocky was in a screaming mood on Sunday, so I got my guitar and played a selection of John Denver for him. He seemed to enjoy John's music a few nights ago when we watched a show on PBS about him. Rocky stopped screaming, sat on his food dish and listened throughout, and I played several songs until my voice started to give out. I began, of course, with "Rocky Mountain High" and the repetition of the word "Rocky" met with his approval. LOL But he also liked the other songs. Rocky prefers his music live. The other birds aren't as picky. I played Ringo Starr's new album for Ringo Starling and she sang and sang and sang. But she also sings and sings when I practice the flute in her room.
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I will try out musical styles that I'm not especially fond of, just to see what Ralph thinks of them. He hasn't shown any enthusiasm for hip-hop or metal, which aren't really my cup of tea either. But he does show enthusiasm for the things I described in my earlier post. His absolute favorite song is Ring-a-Ding-Ding by Frank Sinatra; when he hears the first notes of the instrumental introduction, he gets excited, and wants me to sing along with Frank. 
And he'll stop what he's doing (at least for a while) to listen to Beethoven or the Beatles.