|
|
Post by julianna on May 15, 2018 16:02:56 GMT -5
Finally here in Northern Ontario Canada... we are getting a few days of spring. The grass is turning green and we actually get temperatures in the plus 20Celcius or 70 F.
Oscar is having a ball... I can take him outside and we both sit on the lawn while he attempts to walk around and chew the grass. He loves the grass. He chews the juice out and then spits the ball of grass out. He looks so funny trying to walk cause the grass is half his height... and he falls over... gently mind you... but he does tip over... lol He loves the grass so much that he closes his eyes as he chews... lol...almost like he is getting high or something...
He will stay there for a good half hour as long as I sit there with him... which of course I would do to protect him. He never wanders off and always wants to be in my shadow for protection. There are a lot of birds around right now but thank goodness none of them are vicious... just crows and Robins, starlings and barn swallows.... oh... never forget the screaming seagulls... lol lol.
Yeah to spring... now... if it would only warm up enough for me to plant my garden so Oscar and I can eat very fresh vegetables. Yesssss |
|
|
|
Post by cnyguy on May 15, 2018 19:59:22 GMT -5
Your weather up there has been a lot like ours in central New York, though it's been a little warmer here. Not consistent though-- low 60's (F) one day, high 70's the next, mid-50's the next... Since it took so long to get any weather above freezing this year, my philosophy this spring has been "if it isn't snowing, it's a good day."  But it definitely is spring. The leaves are coming out on the trees, the pollen is floating through the air, and my spring allergies are going full force.  Unfortunately, they spray the lawn with herbicides and insecticides here, so there's no way I could let the parrots explore outdoors the way Oscar does. |
|
|
|
Post by dinucci on May 16, 2018 6:16:15 GMT -5
Julianna! That's funny..oscar rolling his eyes around as he eats grass..falls over haha..buddy does this too while eating treats sometimes haha. Just one of many funny but natural things our birds do to make us smile. It helps to have nice weather now to take our birds outside and experience nature from the other side of the window. Like you and cnyguy, spring has finally arrived in earnest here in chicago.weeds are growing at a quick pace.
I've seen videos of wild quakers eating dandelion, but I don't want to give him any here because I treated the grass.
Maybe I'll try some from an untreated place nearby. Has anyone ever given their birds these? Clover flower too..
|
|
|
|
Post by cnyguy on May 16, 2018 20:20:57 GMT -5
I buy commercially grown organic dandelion greens for Ralph and Scooter, and they both like them. There are no naturally growing ones around here that I could trust to feed them. Even if I raided someone's lawn outside the apartment complex, it's most likely that it would have been treated with chemicals of some sort; most every homeowner in the area fertilizes and uses weed killers.
|
|
|
|
Post by dinucci on May 17, 2018 7:14:55 GMT -5
I'm going to put them on my shopping list as they sell them here too. I use them for a Greek dish I make from time to time..I'm sure he will like them as he leans twards a little bitter in taste. Dandelion flower was what I saw quakers eating in a park on a video. We have tracts of undeveloped land here and wooded areas where they grow wild. Some days it literally snows thistle and dandelion seeds in my yard and clogs my ac unit.
In sections of New York and Texas there are wild quakers. Here 35 miles from chicago,we have none but some nearby suburban area have them. There's a few parks in the city and lake Michigan that have them too..I wanna go see them,but some of the areas are not safe. Someone told me that the wild quakers grow larger than our pet ones ..
|
|
|
|
Post by mbkaya on May 17, 2018 9:55:41 GMT -5
Julianna, is Oscar not flighted? Or do you use harness? It must be so fun watching him. I want to go outside with sora too  But I cannot bring myself to cut his wings and harness thing will take long long time. Last month we went to picnic, he was in the cage and alarmed in the vehicle but he loved the weather there with pine trees and some other birds. His appetite was high and he was like a ball all puffed up. He sometimes shouted at the other birds. On the way back home was so tired that he could not even perch properly. He wanted to take one foot up, but cannot due to the car movements. His eyes were closing but he could not close them either. I picked up some dandelions there but he showed no interest. Clovers too... Mom brought some from their garden. He did not like them at all. He has sweet beak I think. |
|
|
|
Post by cnyguy on May 17, 2018 20:47:16 GMT -5
I suppose it would be possible to grow our own dandelions to feed the parrots. Seed companies do sell dandelion seeds, and there are certainly lots of them available "in the wild." Not sure how they'd do as a houseplant, but it might be worth a try. Anyone with an outdoor garden could easily cultivate a few plants for the birds.
The Quakers down in Brooklyn, NY are pretty well known. No naturalized parrots in central New York where I am, but QPs have adapted to climates in other parts of the world that are about as severe as ours.
|
|
|
|
Post by SUE on May 24, 2018 14:15:34 GMT -5
My QP is about 15 years old. She lays eggs every year. For the last 3 years or so she has become very aggressive biting me, something she never did before. If she is out of her cage she is OK. Its getting her to come out of the cage. I used to say "come" in spanish and she would repeat it and perch on my hand. Now she wont do that at all. I have to "force" her out by using a towel. I dont know why she has become so nasty. She also screams a lot.
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on May 27, 2018 15:32:14 GMT -5
I have never offered Oscar dandelion but man... there is tons of it around here. All I need to do is cross my lawn into the neighbours and they have tons untreated... they do nothing to their lawn... but it really isn't a lawn anymore... just weeds.
My Oscar has his wings clipped... that is why I can take him outside without a harness or cage. I am extremely careful just the same. He is never more than a few inches from me and usually when he goes into the grass... I also sit in the grass. He is either sitting on my hand while eating a handful of grass out of the same hand... or right beside my foot when we walk down the stone driveway. He is so afraid of things... most things... that he does not wander unless I move too. I have to really coax him to sit on a branch.
When I decide that the weather is good enough... I will bring one of his large cages onto the table on the deck and sit there with him. When I want to get up and do work outside.. I will lock him in the cage. He would rather be there than in the house screaming at me from the window... lol.
I love spring... just finished planted part of my garden.. got the potatoes, 3 different types of onions, 3 different types of lettuce, radishes, peas, beats,carrots and turnips started. More to come in the following weeks. The weather has been wonderful... finally got a little rain last evening... so I have a day off from watering my huge lawn.
Happy Spring time to everyone except those who are now in fall... and getting ready for their winter. lol
|
|
|
|
Post by frugaldiva3 on May 31, 2018 1:02:55 GMT -5
My Verdito loves to eat dandelions. Whether buds or full blossoms he enjoys them. We have our own property & don't spray anything on our lawn except water if it's getting dry. He eats whatever he wants - unless he starts going after my iris flowers. He likes the leaves. I tried the harness early on. He would just sit on the ground, turn his head around & chew at the harness!  (Verdito's attitude toward harness) I told him it was either that or clipped wings. Clipped it was! I typically clip only in the spring when I take him out. However, I haven't clipped yet this year even though I've taken him out. His flight feathers are so beautiful. I've always hated clipping them. But he loves the outdoors. He is also afraid of so many things. If there is something I know he would tend to react to by flying off (what he does when something startles or scares him), I keep my hand over him on my shoulder so he doesn't go anywhere. Otherwise, he stays on my shoulder or next to me on the ground or on my lap if I'm sitting. On occasion, he will head toward the front yard (one of his fav places outside), so I have to follow if he doesn't listen & come back when I call him. He can be rather independent. He knows mommy is always there I guess. Sometimes we walk back & forth on the walkway. It's so cute how he follows me or comes when I call - most of the time. |
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Jun 1, 2018 14:19:51 GMT -5
frugaldiva... Oscar is exactly the same way... afraid of so many things... I do like you and hold my hand close to his body... he also loves to walk around outside... when he has had enough... he will crawl up onto my toes... and that means pick me up. so cute that they are so similar.
|
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Jun 2, 2018 2:05:41 GMT -5
Finally here in Northern Ontario Canada... we are getting a few days of spring. The grass is turning green and we actually get temperatures in the plus 20Celcius or 70 F.
Haha, Julianna...here in Darwin the locals complain about it being "cold" in the mornings because it's about 23C at 7am. Anything below 30C and they think it's cold. The kids at school turn up in fleecy hooded tops. Here it is 30C+ during the day all year round, except in the wet season (7 months of the year) when the humidity is so high that it feels about 42C. I'm happy because my feet aren't cold. There is a high turnover of people in Darwin because of the heat. We have just started winter (the dry season) here and each day is still 31C, but no humidity. Lovely!  |
|
|
|
Post by dinucci on Jun 5, 2018 5:25:21 GMT -5
Now Darwin is somewhere I should go for winter vacation! My neice studied there and eventually named her son Lennox after Lennox head is it? Supposed to be a beautiful place to go!
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Jun 17, 2018 15:46:14 GMT -5
I am not sure if I could get used to that much warmth... I am born and live in the North all my life. I enjoy spring and summer but I would definitely miss fall and winter.
Wow 31C in the winter time... unreal.... When it gets that warm here.. I run inside for the air conditioning. lol My toes are never cold... lol
|
|
|
|
Post by frugaldiva3 on Jul 2, 2018 1:33:11 GMT -5
Julianna - Verdito gets up on my toes too if he's done being on the ground. LOL! We have two birds of a feather! If I'm sitting, he'll just climb up my pants, shirt & onto my shoulder. So funny! He is so entertaining & adorable. Sounds like Oscar is too. |
|
But it definitely is spring. The leaves are coming out on the trees, the pollen is floating through the air, and my spring allergies are going full force. 
Unfortunately, they spray the lawn with herbicides and insecticides here, so there's no way I could let the parrots explore outdoors the way Oscar does. 
But I cannot bring myself to cut his wings and harness thing will take long long time. 
(Verdito's attitude toward harness) I told him it was either that or clipped wings. Clipped it was! I typically clip only in the spring when I take him out. However, I haven't clipped yet this year even though I've taken him out. His flight feathers are so beautiful. I've always hated clipping them. But he loves the outdoors. 
