Update --

SPIKE FAMILY UPDATE:   There are now two eggs!!!!

 

This is Spike.  Spike was given to me I think about six years ago.  He's a great bird - he can sing and talk.  He loves to perch on my shoulder or sit on top of his cage.  (But only when the dogs are outside.)  The problem was that I had never had a Cockatiel and I was told if I bought him a companion, he would stop bonding with me.  So I left him as a solitary bird for almost five years.  In January 2012, I was at For the Birds, a local bird shop, and was looking at the Cockatiels.  After talking with the storekeeper, and fearing that Spike was lonely, I decided to get a friend for him.  My husband  named her Mrs. Spike.  For lack of any other name, we stayed with that name.  Needless to say, Spike was very happy to have a companion.  I took out the mirror from his cage, since now he could look at someone other than himself.  As for the not bonding with me, not so.  He still loves to "step up" onto my finger, and still climbs up to my shoulder.  And he still sings and talks.

 

 

This is Spike protecting the nest, which now contains one egg.  Yay!!!   Spike was doing some wierd movements, and when I asked the bird lady what he was doing, she said he was trying to mate.  But he wouldn't mate unless there was a proper home to lay the eggs in.  (Gosh, I wish men were more like this.)     So I bought a nesting box, lined it with paper towels and alfalfa hay, and waited.

 

 

A few days ago I had to move the cages (there are parakeets in a cage next to the Spike family) to the spare room to make room for the Christmas tree.   It's really a lovely spot for the birds to be in.  They are in front of a large picture window with a great view of nature.  



 

 

 

 

Last night, I noticed that Spike and the Mrs. were spending quite a bit of time in the box.  It took them over a month to even go into the nesting box, but now they seemed to like it.  I decided to peek into the box via the top, which is a hinged lid.  Imagine my delight when I spied a lone egg nesting in the alfalfa.  

 Spike  again.

Spike checking to make sure everything is okay in the nest.  Mrs. Spike must be sitting on the egg.

One thing I read was to put a shallow bowl of water in the bottom of the cage for the mama to take a bath in and wet her bottom half.  I think it said it helps retain the heat.  Whatever.  I did it this morning and within -- seriously -- one minute, she was sitting in it.  Yay again.  I just love when I am able to properly care for one of God's creatures.  

This is Mrs. Spike.  What wonderful creatures birds are.  Like the cardinals, my all time favorite wild bird, they mate for life, and both parents tend to the babies.    In this picture, Spike has gone into the box and is sitting on the egg.  Apparently,  from what I read, the female lays a number of eggs, just not all at once.  So I will be watching to see if more are to come. 

"All things bright and beautiful, all creatures, great and small; all thing wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all."

Freddie decided she had better update her status  --  I am using this blog site to post the adventures of my birds, but The Old Girl will always be Freddie.

"Good morning, all.   I bet you thought I had kicked the bucket, eh?   Well, I'm still around, still healthy, still stiff when I get up from sleep (which is like ten times a day, lol,) but once I get going, I'm okay.

 

Here we are on our way to San Luis Obispo .  I just love those leather seats.  My people take me with them when they go out of town.  Nikki has to stay.  Haha - too bad for her.  Here's a picture of Nikki, my "sister."  We're good friends.  She came to live with us when she was just nine weeks old.  She's darn near four years old now.  She, unlike me, thinks she is a human.  Calls our mistress Mom, and refers to my master as Pop.  Hmmph...!  The younger generation has no concept of hierarchy.  Little dogs running around with clothes on; dogs in shopping carts, AS IF they were someone's child; bottled water - now don't EVEN get me started on that!   Doggy day care, doggy spas, special doggie treats made from stuff humans could eat (okay, I like that - my mistress buys us only the best dog food and treats.)  But the rest of it - pooey.

 

Nikki doesn't like her picture taken.  Most of the pictures that my mistress takes of her are blurry because she's running away from the camera.  You'd think such a big dog would not be such a coward.  This one's okay, though.

 

 

 

 

Here I am with my baby.  I carry her around with me everywhere.  I know she is not really my baby.  My mistress thinks I believe she is real.  The thing is that I never had any puppies.  It makes me feel needed to pretend this is my puppy.  Gives me something to take care of. 

 



Now this is a humiliating picture of me, but I put it here to show you that I just can't get any respect around here.   My mistress thought putting these on me and photographing me would be just hilarious.  She's a card, I tell ya.

 

 

Okay, then.  I'm going to turn this blog over to my mistress.  Her name is Sue, by the way.  Just so you know, I may make fun of her sometimes, but I love her, and I know without a doubt that she loves me, too.  She still will hold me in her arms and cry, because she knows I don't have a lot longer on this earth.   She worries that I'll be in pain, and she won't be able to put me down.  She won't, either.  She'll fill me with pills to ward off the pain, then let me pass away when God says it's time.  You may not think the man above cares about one little dog in Bakersfield, California, but if she cares about me, then so does He.  I'd better sign off before my mistresses tears mess up the keyboard.  (You are aware that I cannot type?")