Smokey has been with us for a few weeks now, and is making gradual progress interms of taming. He is stepping up onto my finger now, and doesn't freak out when we put our hands into his cage to clean etc. He does still try to run/climb away if I try to actually catch him, but doesn't bite or freak out when I actually do catch hold of him.

 

He has started to be a bit more verbal lately too, which is nice, because it gives me the impression that he's feeling a bit more at home now. He hasn't really shown a great deal of interest in the toys he has in his cage, but this is where the mystery begins!

 

He has all kinds of different toys in his cage - two of those holey balls with bells in them (one hanging, one on the floor), a dangly thing with little beads and twirly things, some wooden rings, a ladder, a ropey thing, several hanging bells and one of those fluffy tent things which my previous budgie never really warmed to. Anyway, like i said, he hasn't really shown a great deal of interest in them yet, and I figured it will just take a bit of time for him to work out that they're fun etc, but every evening, after I've covered him up, I can hear him going berserk clinking the dangly bead thing, and poking at the hanging ball. As soon as I go to have a look at him doing it, he stops and looks at me as if to say "I wasn't doing anything!"... how confusing. I have even tried to peer up under his blanket without touching it, so he doesn't know I'm there... but he still stops and pretends he hasn't been playing! I am totally confounded! I wanted to get a photo of him playing, but I don't think I'm going to get one at this rate!

 

Is this something a lot of budgies might do if they are still adapting to their newish surroundings, or is it likely to be a quirky personality thing, unique to my funny little Smokey?

 

PS. Seeing as I couldn't get a photo of him playing to use as bragging material, here's one of him in flight!

He is deliberately trying to get your attention to teach him to talk. Let him listen to music, talk to him and let him watch TV shows with you when you watch them.

He is probably 'freezing' so you can't see him just like a wild bird would. If you walk into an aviary full of birds they will all stop and go quiet for a minute or two. Once he is more used to you he should still play even with you there.

lol, i remeber when after about 2 weeks of Bing coming home, every night after covering his cage, you can here him clanging his olympic rings, and this happened every night for like 2 months it was hilarious, and one time i peered under the cover to find him holding onto the roof at the top of his olympic rings looking all innocent but there was no denying he likes his olympic rings

He is deliberately trying to get your attention to teach him to talk. Let him listen to music, talk to him and let him watch TV shows with you when you watch them.

 

We always have the radio going during the day, and he does sit with us while we're watching TV (until his bedtime!). We get the impression he likes TV better than radio, cos he chortles more when the TV is going. But yes, I do get the impression sometimes, he is being a bit attention-seeking! Despite not liking being held etc at the moment, he still rushes to the front of his cage when we get home etc, so he does get a lot of talking to. Even as I speak, he is making tiny little pecks at one of his bells... ting, ting, ting...ting, ting, ting... it has been going on for a good few mintues now! Hehe!

That's too cute!!! You'll see it eventually. I'm glad he is settling in nicely.

that is cute he sounds like a character, I agree with Dr. Nat when you go quiet they tend to make more noise and when you are peering under he freezes because he doesn't know if you are a predator, I would just talk to him to settle down and but don't make it a happen .