John 3:1-21
God Bless America
- I've got a great flock
- Thanks for stopping by today.
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P.S. To see my latest photographs, click on Nikpiks
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- It was last updated on December 11, 2003.
-- me and my mommy. I am almost ten years old, and a domestically bred parrot. When I was a tiny chick I went to live at the Animal Exchange, a neat pet shop for birds and little furry creatures. Ruth Hanessian owns the shop. I think of her as my Aunt Ruth, because she hand fed me with a "birdie bottle" three times a day until I was old enough to crack seeds, and she taught me baby bird manners. Aunt Ruth is pretty famous in bird circles around here: she's a parrot psychologist who teaches humans how to deal with personality conflicts with their birds.
When I was three months old Mom adopted me. She described me to her friends as "an adorable ball of green and gold fluff, with a pewter colored head, and gold epaulettes that would make a field marshall envious". I'm all of that and more! I am about ten inches long and weigh slightly more than a stick of butter. I'm an only child, and you can believe it when I tell you that I rule the roost around here. At the age of two I was featured in an article in the January 1997 issue of "Bird Talk."
"Bird Talk" says Senegal parrots are real parrots in small packages. Senegal parrots are members of the genus Poicephalus. Flocks of Senegals roam across the coast of Western Africa, just north of the Equator. We are ideal apartment pets because we are not, by nature, noisy birds.
I was an April baby, although Mom doesn't know the exact date on which I was hatched. So we celebrate my birthday on Easter Day, a great day for new beginnings.
This photo was taken a couple of years ago, but I am particularly fond of it. Mom's best friends, Aunt Lois and Aunt Marty, had it imprinted on a sweatshirt for Mom's birthday. The legend across the top of the picture says, "GIVE ME A BEAN!"
I love to talk about beans! As you can see, Green String Beans are my absolute favorite food. It's either "Gimme a bean," or "I need a bean," or "Where's my bean?" or "I want a bean," or "Did you eat your bean." But I gotta have my beans.
Let me tell you about the bean crisis we had the other week. We were out of beans! Mom told me to be patient because the grocery delivery man would be here in a couple of hours with a fresh supply of beans. When he arrived, I stood on my tip-toes on Mom's shoulder, craned my neck, and shouted at him, "Where's my bean?"
I enjoy lots of other good things to eat: carrots, pancakes, homemade bread (especially the kind with seeds in it), apples, boiled egg, cooked rice, corn, cooked broccoli, black grapes, sugar snap peas, lima beans, dried cranberries and raisins, and yogurt and cottage cheese which I eat from my very own tiny silver spoon. Occasionally, I can con Mom out of a crunchy Cheeto or a tiny piece of cake or cookie. Almost forgot to tell you: I go bonkers over shelled pine nuts. Are they delicious! At the moment I am also wild about LaFeber's Nutriberries, the original flavor. I keep begging Mom to "Give me a Berry!"
When Mom gets out of my sight I let her know it: "Mommy!
Where's my Mommy. Do you hear me?" Sometimes when she disappears
around the corner I sing out, "Where's my baby bird?" It's always
"Merry Christmas" time at our house; that's one of my favorite sayings.
When we're chatting I respond with "Okay," "All rightee," "Gimme a kiss,"
and "In a minute." I flirt with Mom's friends, greeting them with
"Hi Cutie," "Hi Cutie Birdie," or "Hi Sweetie." I like to blow kisses
too. On Easter Sunday (my ninth birthday) Mom was talking with me as she was dressing to go to Church. At one point she said, "Happy Easter, Happy Birthday!" Maybe I can't say those phrases, but I understood her and responded in kind: "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" Don't tell me parrots don't know what they are talking about. If Mom talks too long on the telephone I loudly announce, "Gotta go
pee-pee!" And Mom swears I have a big gold watch in my vest pocket, because
every evening on the dot of 8:45, I start fussing to go to bed, saying
"Sleepy birdie!" over and over until she gets the message. Sometimes Mom and I have question and answer sessions. She asks
questions which require yes or no answers. If the answer is no, I
just stare at her since, anatomically, I cannot shake my head sideways.
But if the answer is yes I shake my head up and down. To an important
question such as, "Are you the most beautiful birdie in the whole world,"
or "Do you love your mommy?" I vigorously shake my head up and down.
I'm Mom's helper:
I love to sit on her shoulder and "help," but she says I can be a little
nuisance when she is working on desktop publishing projects. I'm
potty trained, and most of the time I remember to pull on the chain around
her neck when I have to go potty. I'm very good about going on the
newspaper, but sometimes I get excited and forget. When I'm not helping Mom I stay on my play table near the picture window
overlooking Greenbelt National Park. I like to think of the Park
as my personal jungle. I am very possessive of my things. Don't
try to put your hand into my "castle" when I'm in it, or touch the toys
or the food bowl on my play table. For a little guy I really know
how to bite hard!! Mom has a two-foot dowel we call the "Nick Stick."
She uses it to handle me, saving wear and tear on her fingers. The
Nick Stick is also a good way to retrieve me when I get adventuresome and
climb to the top of the drapes, or jump off of the play-table onto the
carpet. Sometimes I'm frightened by loud noises such as thunder or the wind
blowing. That's when I jump off of my playtable and waddle across the carpet
to Mommy. It's so comforting to snuggle up on her shoulder. But Mom and her camera seem to be lurking whenever I get busy.
For example, she got this shot of me just after my bath. Anybody
got a towel?
Do I ever talk!!!
I started talking when I was eight months old. It didn't take me
long to figure out that learning to say "Mommy," was the way to impress
this lady who had adopted me. Now I have an extensive vocabulary.
I entertain Mom and her friends by carrying on conversations with them:
My Achievements: Pardon me for bragging, but I'm very proud of the recognition I have received.
* Just a few weeks ago I received the "Pet of the Week" award from Practical Pet Care, a very interesting and informative web site for all kinds of pets.
* On October 10, 2000 I was "Pet of the Day." Boy, did my web site ever get a lot of hits that day.
* In 1999 I took second place in the Perky Pet Contest.
* And in 1999, I received an award from the National Capital Bird Club.
I have fun writing to my pen pals. At the moment I am corresponding with Jake in New York, Simba in Missouri, Mickey in Holland, Krickett in Maryland, Seager in Illinois, and my new friend, Pinto, a red-bellied parrot (gosh, I don't know where Pinto lives!). Pinto is a distant cousin in the Poicephalus family tree. You can visit his web site at Pinto. Mickey has her own web site, and a mom who takes gorgeous photos of Mickey and her birdie siblings. Check it out.
You'll find my photo on Dr. Lafeber's web site, as well as on the web site of the Foundation Dutch Parrot Refuge, and several other locations on the 'Net.
Three great books for any Senegal parrot to have on the bookshelf are:
Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot by Mattie
Sue Athan
Senegal Parrots: A Complete Guide by Pamela
Hutchinson
Guide to the Senegal Parrot and its Family
by Mattie Sue Athan & Dianalee Deter
