On Friday, June 26, The Herald-Sun carried a charming story about Budget, the parakeet who was in a strong nesting mood and as a result of the pursuit of a "good" nest attached herself to her human mom when she stepped out of doors. Budget's mom didn't realize that this had happened until she heard a flap and looked up to see Budget flying away. I don't know if you have ever had a pet get away from you, but your stomach ends up in your throat and the sinking feeling of trouble almost overwhelms you. That is how Budget's mom felt to see her flying off and being unable to do anything about the situation. There was a happy ending to this story, luckily, and Budget is now home with her mom and her little mate, Dudley, who had been devastated by her absence.
I know that some people wonder how one can become attached to a bird. Well, let me tell you that these little budgies are absolutely charming, can easily capture your heart, and insinuate themselves right into the center of your life. That's what my Oliver did many years ago. I had never had a bird - never even thought about one, actually. That is until one of my fourth grade students brought one to visit with our class for several weeks. I became so attached to Webster that when he went back home for summer, I just had to have my own feathered friend. Oliver, the olive green budgie, came to be a part of our lives shortly after school let out.
One day we were eating dinner and all of a sudden we heard this little voice chirp up and say, "Come here, Cuddles. Give me a kiss." We looked at each other with incredulity and stared at Oliver whose home was there in the family room. Could he really have called our German Shepherd and asked her for a kiss? Nah, couldn't be! But it was! In the five years that Oliver lived, he developed a vocabulary of around 50 or so words. He'd look in his mirror and say things like, "Oliver, pretty bird! Give me a kiss." He would actually kiss us, ride on our shoulder, and chase our dogs. We always had to ask "Is Ollie in his house?", whenever we opened the door.
Oliver lived a very short life for a parakeet whose life span is closer to 15 years than the 5 we shared with him. He had a thyroid condition which caused his toe nails and beak to grow excessively, so we learned to trim them frequently. This same condition caused tumors to form on his chest, too. He had one surgery and recovered well from that, but later his health deteriorated so significantly that we could no longer justify prolonging his life just to suit our hearts.
I found an article that I think bird owners, and animal lovers in general might find interesting. I enjoyed reading "How to be a Better Bird Owner - Bonding With Your Bird." Next time you have the chance, stop and watch little budgies socialize. They are amazing!