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Such lovely little birds. I'm so sorry. Sometimes these things happen and there's nothing we could have done that would change things. Run through a checklist to see if there's something wrong with the birds or in the aviary. If you find something you can fix it. But don't blame yourself.

Brilliant, Jabberwocky. The Easter Budgie. I love it too. He's a great model. Budgie forum pin-up one day. Vogue the next! PS. Make sure he doesn't eat the chocolate! It's not good for budgies. (Not too good for humans either in large quantities, but that's another matter.)

Sweet wee thing. They love games, don't they. Mine's now playing his favourite game. Rolling rings and washers across the floor and chasing after them while doing his speeded up Charlie Chaplin walk.

I'm not sure I could get mine to sit still for long enough to do that. Even when I try to get a normal photo, he moves, and I end up getting a shot like this!

I was just about to pop off to bed and saw your post. Wonderful stuff! Thanks. Still got a smile on my face. The photos are great, and so is your running commentary. Little Dalek is a little darling. I used to watch Dr Who when I was a teenager. The daleks were bad, but those cybermen used to scare me senseless.

Thanks for the help so far everyone. I'll see about the oil. Maybe linseed. I want to get stuff that her owners can easily keep up when they return. I was looking at supplements last night. Moult Aid and Calcivet. Are those, or anything like that, worthwhile? Maesie. I haven't been able to find a bottlebrush around here. I'll see what I can do.

Okay. The mirror goes out. Thanks.

I'm going to get some Eucalyptus branches and try to make some new perches soon. It's just such a horrible wet day here in Sydney, I can't do it today. Hoping for the sun to come out tomorrow. Those wooden dowel things that are in there are really fat, I know. Her feet sit practically flat on them. Still not sure how I'm going to arrange them so she can at least flutter from one perch to the next. I don't want her pooping in her food and water. With the mirror, I wasn't sure what to do. As she's by herself and never out of the cage, I wondered if at least it might give her some company? Do you reckon I should take it out all the same? I'm going to get her a calcium and iodine perch, too. One of those plaster of paris ones. I'm even thinking of getting her a sisal rope perch and a non-plastic natural swing. Then I can string it up from one corner to the other, so it doesn't sit over her dinner bowls. I'll have to order that online though. Maybe that might sort my problem with placing the perches, since I can't seem to do them front to back. Just went around and checked on her. (She only three houses down the road). No nibbles on her beetroot kabob yet. Nor the gum leaves. Or the fresh grass bunch. Must be patient. I don't think she has any idea what they are.

Progress so far.

As you know, Kaz, I'm no expert, but I kinda thought as much. The cere is nowhere near as blue and shiny as my boy's. It's not brown though. Just kind of a really faded out blue. That's also probably why Benji's owners say Benji can bite like a banshee. I spent a couple of hours cleaning out her? cage today. And hung up a slice of beetroot. It's probably the first vegetable Benji has ever seen, so I'm not holding my breath.

So very cute. He looks like mine used to, except mine always had a blue cere. Even when he was little.

here's Benji. I have no idea how old he is. And here's his cage at is it now. I can't figure out how to make his perches run front to back, as they'd sit over his food bowls. It's rather annoying. Natural perches will have to wait till it stops raining and I can go out and scavenge. Hopefully, I'll get some new progress after-photos soon.

That leather bit gets tied up to a link, not hanging loose. I just haven't done that bit yet till I know how long to make it. And the chewy kabob thing get tied up tight and flush to the bars of the cage.

Day one of my three week project. And I made some toys for Benji over breakfast. Spat. I know he gets some sun, as I see him out on their balcony when I go past. I'm gonna try him on some simple veges and see how he does. I've already got him some seeding grass. It's pouring with rain in Sydney, so I don't know when I'll be able to scout around for a gum tree branch. And Finnie. They don't mind if I have him at my place. It's more that I'm worried about quarantine between him and my own bird. I'll see if I can get a 'before and after' picture of his cage. Apparently he bites. Might have to find some gloves.

Mine goes through phases. Sometimes all he was is his toy friends, other times he won't leave me alone. Mine has a thing with his reflection. I don't have mirrors, but he can made a mirror out of anything shiny. The toaster. The glass coffee table. A spoon. A pot. The tap. The cheese grater. My laptop screen. It's hopeless. I covered up the big mirror in the living room, so he just found other things to look at himself in. Maybe if you swap some of his toys out? As I said, if he's only just started doing it, maybe it's a phase that will pass. To tell you the truth, for me it's a bit of a relief when he gets interested in something else sometimes. Let's me get some work done.

Hi. My neighbours have a budgie called Benji, age unknown, who they inherited when the wife's father passed away. They've just headed off to Thailand for three weeks to pick up a six year old Thai girl they've adopted from an orphanage, and I'm looking after Benji while they're away. Benji, I'm told, is wild and unfriendly. To their knowledge, he's never been out of his cage, although at some stage he had a budgie friend, who must be dearly departed. My neighbours have had him for, I think, two or so years. After sort of dropping hints, I got them to get him a better cage. It's still not great, but much better than the barren, small, round thing he was in. He gets fed and watered every day. However, just a seed-only diet. I plan on redecorating his cage while they're away. I'm going to make him some natural eucalypt perches, and get him a few toys. I'm not sure what else I can do. Whenever I've seen him, he just kinda sits there, doing nothing. And he seems to be in a permanent moult. That might not be the case, but he has been whenever I've been around there. Is there any point in trying to feed him veges? I'd love to bring him round to my house, but I'm just cautious about the quarantine thing. I had a good look at him tonight, and he looks okay. No strange growths, crusty bits, or anything. As he's been alone in his cage for two years or more and not been ill in all that time, is it possible he's got anything he could pass on to my budgie? He's not all nice and glowing like mine though. It's as though he's dry, if you know what I mean. Dry beak. Dry coat. Anyone got any suggestions for me to make little Benji's life any better?

You're starting to get yourself an entire flock! I've only got one. He was a rescue budgie. I don't know how I'd cope with that many flying around the house. As it is I spend half the day picking up after all the stuff mine keeps throwing off the benches and table. He loves hurling things off from a great height, then watching from the edge and listening to the clang, thud, ping, boing noises each item makes.

I love how they look in flight too. I only get a really good look at my pet budgie's amazing colours when does that stall manoeuvre as he's about to land on my head!

Okay. Mum's out with the home videos again. Here's my little guy, kissing everything in sight, as per usual.

Nice one. Good to hear a happy end to a pet shop tale for a change. He's cute too. Pretty blue. Glad he's found a good home.

You're as cute as your budgie! Funny. You look so like an old friend of mine. She was from originally from Scotland too. Forgot to say, we don't hear that word "wee" here very often. New Zealanders use it alot as there are a lot of Scots who moved there. Aussies don't use it though.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Ozzie is one seriously cute little lad.

Wow Kaz, that's some serious budgie baking thread. Thanks for clearing up my newbie egg and biscuit quandary. Made him up a porridge with grated beetroot, carrot and watercress. Pink gloop is now stuck to everything in his cage, so I've also got a bit of cleaning up job to do. Little b*gger. I found another old thread where you mention Hibiscus flowers and leaves. I've got one in a large container pot. I'm gonna give him a try on that as well.

Doh. There aren't any.

They're gorgeous. Dad looks like he's wearing one of Nanna's homemade jumpers.