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Good boy Kazumi!!!! thats fabulous.. i found too that once Charley started with his first words, he just got better and better and picked things up faster and faster. So fast in fact that I'm running out of ideas of words to teach him!! Some things he just comes out with. I never tried to teach him "goodnight sweetie" yet he's obviously picked that up from me saying it to him without actually realising I've said it. his "what are you doing!" came from me saying it to him when he does rather stupid things! Never for one minute thinking he would repeat it back to me. On Friday I told my daughter I think I'll teach him something cute like "Charley is a mummy's boy!".. (as opposed to the "evil" sounding "scccrattch my tummmy!".. :devil: ) This morning (sunday) he was chatting away and I clearly heard a ..."mummy's boy"... (although sometimes he throws in a "Mummy is a Charley boy!"!!).. I find when he has picked up new words he will repeat them over and over (ad nauseum!!!!) And what I find so amazing is that he's never forgotten the old words. His chatting sessions are just getting longer and longer (and funnier as he sometimes jumbles them all together!) I have to add though he still breaks out at least once a day into the loud "budgie-screech".. I think thats just to remind me that he's still capable of being a real budgie!! (and rightly so!!) I'm sure if you talk to Kazumi often he will pick up more and more of your words as well!!! Keep at it!! Listening to "yourself" speaking through a budgie is very entertaining!!! :hap: :hap:

:budgiedance: We Aussies never think we have an accent .. but I guess you're right.. My friends say he sounds "evil"..even "lecherous"!!! in the way he says "SCRRRRATCCCHH MY TUMMMMY!!!!".. but when he's being "sweet" and says "give us a kiss, hello sweetie" it really is sounding exactly like my voice! I have heard other talking budgies on UTUBE and each sounds like their owner!! THey actually seem to develop male and female voices depending on who they are listening to! thats so bizarre!! The thing is of course.. he is chatting like this ALL DAY.. and it gets embarrassing when I'm on the phone and the other end hears this lecherous "scrrrratcccchh my tummy!!" in the background!! :devil: :devil:

"Litters" made me smile... does sound a lot CUTER than "clutches".

She's GORGEOUS... so pretty and looks so "new"!! And already sitting on your finger.. thats great!! I wish all budgie breeders would "pre tame" their birds. Its so sad when you get one like my Maxie who is just petrified of human contact!! Cant wait to see the next fledglings!!

Well done Jaffy2008. We here FULLY understand your pride and excitement.. Its so precious when they perform their little milestones in training!! My family sighs and raises their eyebrows at my pride in Charley. I'm often guilty of saying "oh you MUST listen to him... he can now say...blah blah blah....and watch what he can do now.. " They roll their eyes and say "yes mum!" and politely smile and nod. They agree he's amazing but somehow I get the feeling they're thinking their mum is "losing it". This forum is great for us to show off our little cuties (and not be thought of as a little crazy!!) .. and of course its priceless for information and advice!! I am impressed at how quickly and efficiently the forum members, especially the "Moderators", jump to attention and answer the sometimes desperate and urgent questions, as well as sometimes just a word of encouragement and praise for the not so urgent posts. (I have to admit that sometimes at work I am guilty of looking busy but am not being half as industrious as I should be as I am just too busy reading the budgie forum instead!! ) :devil:

:hap: He thinks he's VERY good at hide'n'seek!! I spend "hours" looking for him! :hap: :hap:

Here then is Charley's latest chat video.. complete with subtitles. If you get time you may like to check it out.. (hopefully it works!!)

I could never get Charley to get off my head when he's out of his cage, then I noticed someone on the forum mentioned putting favourite toys on the floor, or in my case.. on the bed where I relax with my laptop. Today I decided to give it a try... I put a few of his toys out and voila.. FINALLY I convinced him to play on anything other than my hair!! I grabbed the camera quickly and took these piccies.. hope you like them. First one... he was attempting to change the tv channel... Then.. we had a game of hide'n'seek... (he's doing the hiding!! I cant find him... can you????) I was putting together his latest video.. with subtitles (when I finish downloading it to Photobucket I'll put the link here and you can check it out. Its rather cute.).. Charley was keeping a close eye on things... to ensure that I dont put in anything that may embarrass him!! PS.. these pictures looked the right size in the preview.. HOPE they're okay?? Please resize if they're not.. and in that case I will apologise! I THINK I've done it correctly though!!

Quick update... Started saying "bed time" to Charley last week and within a few days he now says "bed time" constantly. Great advice Deb to drop the "its time for bed".. I'm now trying to teach him "night night mummy!".. I swear this bird has verbal diarrhoea!! :hap: :hap: He just never stops talking!! My kids think he's hilarious! (I'm a 59 year old grandma, living alone and Charley is my companion and the love of my life!) Maxie is in the other room and they've never met, Sometimes I feel guilty but Charley seems so happy with just me, and Maxie is so unsociable I'm afraid that if they meet Charley might regress. So I keep them totally apart. Hope thats okay.

Very cute video... I love the way Hobbes wastes no time in joining in! They seem totally at ease. Lovely babies!! :hap: :hap:

Kaz you have such beautiful birds!! I love the babies when they're just getting their feathers, so cute and spikey!! I spend hours looking through the budgie photos on the forum, and keep falling in love with the babies. They have such cute comical "naive" faces!! and they do all look like they're smiling.. There's nothing cuter than a baby budgie! thank you for making me smile and ooooooo-ing and ahhhhhhhh-ing as i look at your photos! They're brilliant. Keep posting them!!! They always brighten up my day!!! :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud):

I would like to enter Charley in the BOM for April. Here he is .. he's come from "french moulter" with daggy feathers, to this. Charley is a star chatterbox and is the love of my life!

Thank you NickNack.. that sounds like more good advice. You're right of course. We ask for them to come close to our faces when they're in the cage (well I know I do it regularly, as soon as he sees me he comes to the side of the cage for a kissy kissy and I am more than happy to comply!!!) yet we then wonder why they feel they must get in our face when they're out. Silly humans!!

Great hints! I too will try to teach Charley to stop using the landing strip on top of my head. I even resorted to wearing a tea towel on my head as that frightened him a little and he wouldnt land there. But I did feel kind of ridiculous walking around wearing a tea towel on my head! I have been taking him off with my hand each time he lands there but often we get all tangled up as he grips my hair to hang on for dear life, thus i have to peel him off, pulling him off hair by hair!!! very annoying! I'll try the discipline approach!

Charley does this as well. WHen he's out he goes STRAIGHT for the top of my head.. if I take him off by getting him onto my finger (providing he's not tangled up in my hair which often happens!!!).. and I hold him in front of me he also goes straight for my face. I have to be very aware to keep my face turned away when he looks like he's going for it!! When he gets on my head I just keep taking him down and putting him back on his perch, sometimes if it annoys me enough I put him back in his cage. He does love to kiss me though, when he's in his cage and i come close enough he kisses me gently so I am presuming he just wants to be close to my face when he's out so that he can kiss (sometimes he nibbles and gets a piece of lip or nose!! OUCH!). And I have read previously that budgies dont like being stroked but Charley LOVES it when I stroke and tickle around his neck, head and belly. He turns his little head up and has that glazed heavenly look in his eyes. I think he just sees me as another budgie or perhaps himself as a little human.

Thanks for that advice Deb. I hadnt really thought about the degree of difficulty, just thought he had "favourite" words but now that I think about it.. his favourite words are those "b" "t" type words. I can now see that they are easier for him which is why he enjoys saying them. It's no doubt why "charley is a bad bad bad bad boy!!" and "bye bye Charley"...(all those "b"'s!!!) ..... and "tummy tummy tummy"... "doing... doing .. doing"... are so firmly planted in his little feathered brain! :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud): ....(this afternoon he was enjoying all his new words at once!!! "what are you bye bye doing tummy boy!!!") I'm sure "bed time" will be easier for him to say too .. so I shall start that tonight, and see how long it takes him to get his little beak around it! Usually takes two or three days only!

Thats a good point he may be having trouble with "its".. and the "let me out" is perhaps too difficult also (when you look at it... all "soft" letters). He's very good with his b's, s's and "ch" (loves saying his own name!.. bye bye Charley is one of his favourites). I'll try the "time for bed" and will stop saying "let me out". Its hard to think of other things to teach him! Friends keep saying "teach him something funny" but I cant think of anything funny!! Like you, I generally find he picks up things I say to him in conversation. He's really enjoying the "what are you doing".. especially repeating "doing doing doing" which sounds so cute! I often just say that to him when he's having one of his crazy wing flapping and cursing moments (excitement!!). He makes so much mess with little downey feathers flying everywhere, and seed husks that I often call out "Charley what ARE you doing!!"

I agree... they're too cute for words!!!!! Cant wait to see more pics as they grow!!

How DO they do it!! I cant believe the ability they have to speak!!! As you know (by now) Charley has a vocab of about 10 phrases. I began saying "what are you doing?" the other day.. within two days he was sitting muttering something then out came a "what are you doing!". I couldnt believe my ears. However, there are some things he just will NOT say!! Has anyone else found that in their talking budgies??? that there are certain things they just dont like (perhap)???? He will NOT even attempt "its time for bed" yet he can say other "strings" of words and loves them. He has favourite words,... could he also perhaps have pet hate words?? I said it every single night.. when I cover him up.. yet he never even attempts to repeat it back to me. Could he perhaps relate what I'm saying with what I'm actually doing??? as in putting him to bed when he really wants to "stay up" and chat!! I wonder. Sometimes its ALMOST like they understand what the words actually mean!! And yes Feathers.. isnt it so exciting when they speak!! I still get excited at every new word he utters!! And maybe like me you'll find once he starts. he just gets better and better, and more and more clear. Good luck! and let us know what his next words are!!!

yes .... Speak the Francais to Sir Charlie & have some fun with your little francais Parakeete .. neste ce pas ma oui ? Hahahaha funny you should say that, good idea.. I'm just starting a French course at the moment so will soon be able to come up with a few good French phrases!! Oui Oui??? :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud):

:hap:

thanks guys. He does look similar (colour and markings) to your Grey Spangle, Liv. I think the grey is very pretty, he's merely a pet though and was quite shabby looking when I got him, but he was extremely tame even then and started talking within about 2 weeks. So I'm more than in love with the little guy! :hap: I started teaching him a few new words yesterday (he currently has about 10 words and phrases in his vocabulary).. The new words are "what are you doing?" which he is already attempting and is saying "what tummy doing" or "pretty pretty doing", wont take long to pick it up. Usually a few days. I'm also teaching him "LET ME OUT!!" which i think would sound rather comical. (I'm thinking if I ever get broken in to and the burglar hears the talking from the bedroom.. ie. "what are you doing??? scratch my tummy.. LET ME OUT!!" it will hopefully scare the pants off the burglar and he'll drop what he's got and head for the door!!) : :

Yep.. Charley is the same, gives everything a good old whack, the minute he wakes up, goes from one toy to the next... throws those around that he can, some go into his water dish, others are thrown around willie nillie!! I have a little container i put some of his small toys in, no sooner do I put them in, he starts throwing them around one by one, cursing and swearing at them as he goes. Thats the time when he uses his real budgie speak, the squawking and cursing!! None of the "give us a kiss sweetie"!!! He's so noisy that if i need to speak on the phone I have to go into the other room! I have Maxie in the other room, the hen, she is as quiet as a mouse. I've NEVER seen her playing. Occasionally i hear a tinkle of a bell and I peek around, she's accidentally moved it as she's not paying attention to it. I thought what a boring life... so got her a few little mirrors so that she has "friends" to talk to. She never chats but sits and snuggles up to her "friends" now and then. Occasionally I hear an accidental "tweet" and she does do the squawking and budgie yell first thing in the morning when I take the cover off the cage. .. and of course when I turn on a tap! Other than that she will walk up and down her ladder but thats about it. If I put anything new in her cage, even millet sprig, she will eye it off for hours, sometimes never going close enough to eating it, other times will peck at something after the initial couple of hours when she's sure its not going to bite her! She has never been even close to tame or friendly, just doesnt like human contact. I thought it may be because Charley was from a breeder who handled his budgies constantly, whereas Maxie was from a petshop where I presumed she may have had bad experiences perhaps with children poking their fingers in the cage, or maybe worse (who knows!). Or... perhaps budgies are like people and I have struck a "loner"... an anti social little hermit. She has always been extremely timid. I still love her though but feel sad that I cant ever get close enough to handle her. I virtually have to tiptoe to her cage, whispering softly all the time so that she doesnt freak out.. and NEVER make even the slightest sudden movement (that includes coughing, or clearing my throat!!!!). SHe's a pretty little thing, much smaller than Charley but oh so frightened. I wonder why she is like this????

I go on and on often about Charley and his small talk. But now I just want to share with you how he's grown up. When I got him 7 months ago he looked like a French (oo-la-la-la) Moulter, a creeper. He had no flight feathers and a scungy ratty bit at the end of his body which was I think meant to be a tail. At about 10 weeks old (I guessed) he looked like this.... http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tm...eytherunner.jpg now, at 7 months old voila!!...he has feathered up and grown up nicely.. dont you think? http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tm...ygrowingup3.jpg http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tm...eygrowingup.jpg and here he is pretending to be a fluffy baby again!!! http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x112/tm...ygrowingup2.jpg I thought he may originally have just been clipped and not suffering French Moult however would he then have had such a manky tail??? :hap:

SARIEL suits him beautifully. Sounds very "regal"! He's a very handsome boy. Cant wait to see babies!!! How exciting.