thk

Thank Sootie. He speaks in my voice (kind of!). Has spoken right from the start when I used to ask him "what are you doing?" he mimicked it within a few days. Problem is he never shuts up. He chats like that all day! Try these, they are some of his earlier ones. They always makes me smile!

THought I'd share a short clip of Charley chatting away to himself. Some of it is just "idle chatter".. (his warming up phase!) and towards the end you should be able to understand what he's saying. He includes "goodbye Charley, see you later".. and of course his favourite "Charley's a bad bad boy"!! He has also learnt (but wouldnt say it here!!) "its the poleeees!!" and I'm teaching him to string "run Charley run!!!" in front of it!! ! (I work in a police station and he comes to work with me everyday) He's got the "its the police" bit but still needs to get the whole sentence (he's very good at sentences.. he says in one breath "good morning, you look nice today!"). Hopefully when he gets it together he'll let me film him! Maybe this will work...

I agree..she looks like she's smiling...

Charley comes to work with me to the office every morning. His cage sits on top of a 3 drawer filing cabinet and he asks everyone who walks past "What are you doing?" When they stop and talk to him he says cheekily "Give us a kiss sweetie".. or tells them "its bed time!! Its time for bed!!" We moved down here from Qld 3 months ago and they say its the best thing that's ever happened to the office!! Everyone loves him and he laps (?) up all the attention!! He's a crazy bird!

OOPS.. forgot! I want to see a budgie yawning!!! :hug:

okay.. I can help out with this one... Budgie Bathing...

Magic photos!! A little miracle.. she's gorgeous. Congratulations and welcome Caitlin!! :glare:

Chrissy... I have only Charley. He used to be alone in the room, in front of a window, while I was at work all day. I was gone from 6am till 5pm each week day but spent a lot of time with him in the evenings and on weekends. It never worried him and he has always been tame and happy . I lived in QLD and worked in the City. However, I now live in a remote area in SA and at the boss's request, bring the cage, with Charley, to work every morning and take him home every afternoon. Thus he is now with me 24/7 and LOVES it. I have noticed a change in his social behaviour. He has always been tame but when other people came into the flat in QLD he would go quiet for a few minutes and was always a little wary of them if they came too close. Now that people stop by the cage all day, every day and talk to him he is much more sociable and will come to the side of the cage for a scratch for almost anyone. He does have his favourites, those who are a little more quietly spoken will get a kiss on the nose, those who are a bit boisterous, he will talk to but is a little less physical with. He knows when I put the cage in the car that he's off to work, he immediately starts chatting, the more bumps we go over the louder his little bells clang against the cage and the more excited he gets! Once at work, the boss walks in and asks me how I am, then straight to Charley's cage with a "good morning Charley". Charley flies to the side of the cage and wants to kiss his nose. (its a good ploy on my behalf to keep in good with the boss isnt it!! People have asked me why dont I get him a friend, I dont know if he would change if I put another budgie in with him. Then I think, why would I if he is so obviously happy and content. I am his friend (he adores me!!) and I think perhaps another budgie could easily upset his routine and even stress him out. I dont see the need. Will read with interest though what the other members respond to your questions.

I have been waiting for 2years for Charley to sleep with his little "nose" tucked into his wings.. He's only recently started doing it (I've always loved seeing other budgies do it!!).. Trying to get him on photo is NEAR impossible but do I give up???? I've managed to snap him today.. Sleeping .... FINALLY got him!! Uh-OH!!! he's seen me!! At this point he's actually muttering to himself (let a bird sleep for heaven's sake!!)

Thats so cute!! Lovely photos, he is so enjoying it!! Charley likes me to scratch him like that with my nose and he makes sure my nose gets right in there (to his scrawny little neck!!! ...) they "smell" so nice, kind of a (clean) furry smell! Its the cutest thing when they close their eyes and really enjoy it isnt it!! your peanuts is just so lovable!!

LOVE IT!!! Looks even funnier now!! Congrats!!!

Finally back online with internet!! Have been without for a month! It killed me!!! How on earth did I keep in touch with the world before internet!!! We've been here in the outback for almost 4 weeks now. Charley is now totally accepted as the office budgie! Every morning I put the (rather large!) cage into my little sports car and we go to work together, every afternoon we go home together. He is such a hit! Everyone in the small town talks "Charley"! As a result of everyone dropping in for a chat with him, he's now even more sociable than when he was stuck in my flat in Brisbane, alone while I went to work. He goes straight to the side of the cage and "eskimo kisses" anyone who dares to put their nose to the wire. He cheekily asks them "give us a kiss sweetie" or "what are you doing?" or he tells them in no uncertain terms "Gday mate! Its bed time!!!! its time for bed!! Goodbye Charley, see you later!!". Those who work there just methodically say "morning Charley!" and when we leave to go home "bye Charley, see you tomorrow!" Its as if he knows when I put the cage in the car each morning "we're going to work". Soon as we "settle" in the car he tells his bells all about the day ahead. Here's a photo I managed to take of his cage on top of "his" filing cabinet.

Just an update on Charley's travels... Have been without internet for 10 days and wont have for another 5 to 10 days.. so I'm sending this from work (ooowaaaa!!!!) But I just wanted to let you all know what a big hit Charley is here in Woomera!! He comes with me every morning (currently in his small cage as removalist hasnt arrived yet)... the cage is on top of the 3 drawer filing cabinet in front of my desk (at the boss's request!! PLEASE bring him in everyday he says!!). He is totally the "office budgie"!! He has done me proud. He chats to everyone who passes by. They all LOVE him to bits!! :hap: The "delivery boy" came in recently to drop off a parcel. Charley said "What are you doing?" The kid almost dropped his parcel. He said he's never heard a BUDGIE talk so clearly!! Cockatoos ..yes.. but never so clear by a budgie!! Of course I was bursting with pride!! One of the big burly office guys was talking to him from a bit of a distance (a lot of people are afraid he'll bite.. I assure them he doesnt know HOW to bite!!).. suddenly Charley says "I love you too!!" (he says "tuuuuuu" .. so cute!). The burly guy is impressed and goes closer to the cage and makes those kissing noises (as you do).. Charley says "give us a kiss sweetie". The reactions of people are hilarious!!! So every morning I pack my lunch... and Charley's (seed container and often an extra such as a sprig of parsley, or millet), put the cage in the front passenger seat, with seatbelt (we're in the "outback" so work is only a few minutes drive).. every afternoon home we go. Charley's LOVING it!!! He loves all the attention.. and he gets to be with me all day long!! Might be a little more difficult when I get the large cage but there's no way they would let me leave him at home now! And they've already offered to look after him when I go on holidays. I will take a photo of hiim on the filing cabinet when I can get internet in my unit. Just thought I'd share this happy news with you all!!

Yes well past half way now. Only another approx 600km tomorrow to Woomera via Port Augusta. Then we're "home". We then have to wait for the removalists to "catch up" (could be 2 weeks).. before Charley can have his large cage back but he's coping well in the smaller one and is taking it all very well! Seems to love us being so close all day, he'll miss me when I have to resume a normal working life!! We've covered aprox 1,600kms so far! I couldnt believe it when I saw him sleeping LYING down!!!! It was funny to watch really as his little head just kept dropping forward...lower and lower till it kind of "landed" on the toy and stayed there!!

okay.. here some photos. Couldnt get internet in my motel in Nyngan.. had to wait till I got to Broken Hill. Here are a few of Charley dozing, as I explained previously... I managed to catch him a few times.. hope the photos are okay and that you can see him. It was hard to catch him without him seeing me!!!! I had to drive very slowly and hold the camera to the side without actually LOOKING at what I was doing (because I was watching the road ahead... naturally!!! ) Can you see why when I glanced over, for a minute.. I thought he had died???? He was lying so still.. with his eye(s??) closed!! just resting on the toy!! and.. one of the car of course!! (Its a Mazda RX8)...

I'm happy to read this as I wondered whether my vet had indeed trimmed enough of Charley's wings as he is still able to "elevate" a little, from floor to upper perch and in fact a few feet up into the air. I thought perhaps they hadnt trimmed enough as was expecting him to be able to do no more than just flutter (like a "runner" does). So I'm glad that this seems to be quite normal!

Yes Charley's a very cool little guy! He fell asleep sitting not on the perch but on his toy (attached to the side of the travel cage), with his head resting between the blue flat part and the pink part (of the toy). I glanced over, (driving safely of course!) ...I became a little concerned.. I hought he was dead, as he was just kind of LYING there.. but he peeked at me with one eye as if to say "wassup?". He insisted on sitting right up against the wire (to be closest to me?...or perhaps his toy!!! :lightbulb: ) and his little head kept bouncing off the wire when he nodded off, waking him up again, eventually he was so tired he kind of gently lowered his head onto his toy and used it as a (plastic) pillow!! I hope it wasnt "overdoing" it, but I turned the music right down then and tried avoiding bumps in the road, so he could have a little cat(??)nap!! He looked so cute, all fluffed up lying face down, I would have LOVED a photo but of course if I'd stopped he would have jumped as he's just too nosey (beaky!) DAZ....it worked well having the cage with him facing me, side on as you suggested. I would not have thought of that myself. He was able to see me (and vice versa) and he "balanced" really well. ALso no problem with "sun in eyes"! Looking forward to taking of at 8am this morning heading for our next "check point" (Nyngan). I never dreamed it would be so pleasant having a budgie with you for a long drive!! I guess it's just because it's something "living" that requires your care and TLC. Makes one feel "needed" perhaps!! :lightbulb:

We left this morning for our first leg of our 4 day drive to Woomera, S.A. currently in Moree (NSW). Charley was great company! We both sang along at top voice, his favourite song was "gloria".. he sang extra loud! The fact that I moved him through a small opening in the travel cage, then through small door in "motel cage" and back and forth.. didnt bother him at all. Yes, he squawked at being grabbed but doesnt bite. I smuggled him into the motel ("no pets allowed") and accidentally locked myself out within the first 5 minutes!! So had to get the lady to come with me to open the door. I held my breath hoping he wouldnt utter his usual "Gday mate!!! Its payday!"... he didnt!! (phew!!) Then I accidentally spilt birdseed all over the (dark purple) carpet, so down on hands and knees picking up every bit of the evidence!! Here a few photos.. first one as we took off in the car, Charley in travel cage, on the front passenger seat of my red sports car.... with seatbelt on of course! then away we went. I stopped at Goondiwindi sign to take a photo of my own "Goondiwindi Grey!" on the bonnet of the car... (non Aussies need explanation here.. Very well known Australian racehorse, Gunsynd, was from Goondiwindi and called the "Goondiwindi Grey"..Charley is grey... and is now Goondiwindi Grey the second!) On arrival at the motel... smuggled in ... after 7 hours on the road... relaxing in his "motel room"!!

Thanks Liv... no doubt will be visiting the "big smoke" from time to time, Woomera is pretty isolated and I do plan to travel around to see the other parts of SA! Love Queensland but looking forward to something totally different!!

Well last day in Brisbane. Tomorrow morning Charley and I take off in the car, heading for Woomera in the South Australian outback (work transfer) He'll be travelling in the passenger seat, beside me, in his lovely new "DAZ Cage"!! I put him in it to familiarise him with it. Initially he was a little shocked as he looked around for his usual luxury items that he has in his big "house". Not a great deal to play with and not a lot of room to flutter (and not a lot of room to get thrown around in and get hurt, as the car hurtles around corners!! ) He sulked a little, but not for long, he was soon perched and chatting away to himself, then the preening started (which I always see as a sign of feeling quite content!). He will be in this cage for only around 6 hours travel each day (for 4 days).. then as we arrive at our motel each afternoon he will be transferred to his "motel room" cage.... a small, lightweight cage which I bought specifically for use in the motels. He'll have more room to "play" there and of course I'll be giving him his cuddles and all the attention he's used to! He'll have his big "house" back in a week or two so will have to make do with the "motel room" cage until then, although when we arrive in Woomera he'll be able to "flutter free" in the unit once we're settled in. Hopefully he'll be happy enough .. he knows my voice and we will talk to each other as we travel, he will be able to see me and I'm sure we will sing harmoniously along to the CDs together!! By the way Maxie has been adopted by a very good friend and colleague and I'm sure she'll be happy as she will no doubt get a lot of attention from her and her 14 year old son. So.. a new life and adventure (in the outback) for both of us.. for the next 4 years anyway!

Following the very expensive visit to the Chermside vet (albeit good quality service but still definitely highly over priced!!) I took Charley to the vet in Brighton and was very happy with their service AND their cost. They did a wing trim for $16 as advertised. I would not have had such a problem with Chermside if they had warned me that their $15.50 wing trim plus a "health check" was going to surprise me with a $185 bill at the end. I agree if you cant afford vet fees, you can't afford pets.. but heck.. there's surely something a little unprofessional about ripping people off! They could advise you at the time that a health check is going to cost you approx $150 more!

I wonder..... if there was no lid ..... would she fall in, ......kind of do a nose dive... ?? You're quite right, she does have a quirkiness,I have never been able to understand why she is so aggressive towards me.. so I guess I'll never understand why she eats upside down.. (probably.. because she can!!! :yes: )

Wasnt easy but I finally managed to get a photo of Maxie's upside down mealtime! Not a very good photo but she is very unsociable and if she thinks I'm near she quickly races back to her perch in "attack mode'!!!! I managed to pretend I was busy in the kitchen when I kind of snuck up on her... here she is...

:rofl: they all look like they've been into the "drink"!!! <..hic...> ...... :doh:: Love the grey.. is he asleep??? ... (or passed out?)... :rofl:

I've often wondered why.. ....... :rofl: ..... Maxie, my rather unsociable girl, insists on hanging upside down to eat out of the seed bowl. :doh: She has been doing this since I got her almost 2 years ago. She has one of the normal white seed dishes with cover that hangs from the side of the cage, it has a little "sit" bar for them to sit on and eat. However she hangs from the wire side of the cage, above the seed dish, upside down, dipping her head in the dish to eat. :hmm: Its a wonder the seed goes down (up??) to her tummy and doesnt just roll back out of her nose!! :rofl: Anyone else have budgies with strange eating habits???