Avian Explorer » Star Trek

Orange

Elizabeth — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:00:13 +0000

Conner is scared of so many things. Take this orange, for instance. It looks pretty innocuous, right?

The other day Conner saw Jon toss an orange in the air. Conner is now terrified of oranges. You see, inanimate objects are not supposed to move of their own accord. Conner is terrified of the elliptical machine for the same reason.

We discovered that Conner’s new fear of oranges is not limited to the fruit. He is also terrified of the color orange. He hates this shirt:

At first I didn’t know what was wrong. He’s never been afraid of my clothing. But Conner had this expression:

and I knew that something was seriously wrong. (sorry for the quality of the photo, but I don’t have many examples of Conner looking scared since I stop taking pictures as soon as he makes the above expression)

So I won’t be wearing any orange shirts for awhile. And I certainly won’t be showing him this:

(this is Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Star Trek, Pictures, and Feathers

Elizabeth — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:35:00 +0000

The cockatiels love Star Trek: The Next Generation. Every night we play an episode of TNG and the cockatiels make happy chirping noises. Conner is especially fond of the ship noises. When the ship beeps, he beeps back.

Here’s a picture of Audrey on his favorite perch. He’s been hanging out there a lot, which is good because using different perches is better for his grip. Sometimes his grip is weak. I think it’s a combination of age and overgrown toenails. I hate clipping his nails because he gets really stressed out when he’s wrapped in a towel.

Here’s a picture of Conner in ultimate snuggle mode. His favorite thing is for me to put him in front of a mirror and pet his back. I’m so glad that he likes this, because Audrey is cranky and will only let me touch him if I’m also scratching his head.

You can see that Conner is almost completely clipped in this picture. He flies really well, even with his wings being clipped. A lot of bird owners believe that birds should be fully flighted. They think that if birds have to be in captivity, they should at least be able to fly. Someday, I would like for Conner to be fully flighted, but it’s not practical in this house.

Conner is afraid of everything. He’s terrified of brooms, the vacuum, the elliptical machine, any large inanimate object. The birds outside scare him too. This is a significant problem in the house we’re renting because it’s on the ocean, where water birds fly all day, and the house is practically all windows. We also have a lot of hawks around here. So someday when we move, we’ll be looking for a house with fewer windows. Then maybe Conner will be able to fly.

Introduction

Elizabeth — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:11:00 +0000

I intend for this blog to be about birds. I have two cockatiels: Audrey and Conner. I’m also developing birding as a hobby, so I will post pictures and discuss birds in Northern California.

Although this blog is for the birds, heh, I’m always disappointed when bloggers neglect to reveal a little about themselves first. I am 28. I live in Silicon Valley. I love science fiction, especially Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). I enjoy reading a variety of books, including books about diseases, philosophy, and the classics. I have had a lifelong obsession with birds.

Now for the main subjects.

Audrey turned 20 years old this spring, which is pretty impressive for a cockatiel. There are varying estimates, but typically cockatiels have a lifespan of 10-30 years. Audrey, however, will live forever.

He is cranky, he can be loving, and he always wants his head to be scratched.

My mother and I hand raised Audrey. He was named after the blood-sucking plant from Little Shop of Horrors. So, technically, he’s Audrey II. The sex of cockatiels cannot be determined from plumage until after their first molt, which takes place 6-12 months after birth. Thus, we did not know Audrey was a boy until much later. Plus, I was eight and not very particular about names.

Conner turned two years old this spring. He is the sweetest cockatiel alive (to me), he is terrified of many things, and he contains an infinite amount of energy.

We got Conner as a companion for Audrey. I was finishing school and Audrey was about to be consistently left home alone all day for the first time in his life. I was determined not to get too attached to Conner because I wanted him to be completely dedicated to Audrey. But how can you not fall in love with that face?

Conner likes making noises. He sings to himself in the mirror, he mimics the ship noises on TNG, and he makes kissing sounds when he wants to get a human’s attention. He especially loves singing in the shower and when I wash dishes. He can whistle parts of the 1812 Overture, Fur Elise, the Mexican Hat Song, and anything else I can think to teach him. He goes crazy when he hears the whistle from X-Files.

Conner adores Audrey. Audrey loves Conner deep down, but he’s a cranky bird, so it doesn’t always show. This relationship will be the subject of frequent blog posts.

This is my first blog, so please feel free to provide feedback in the comments section!