The 2nd place winner was a beautiful Blue Peachfaced bird named Beeper. Beeper is owned by Birdlady Diane of Burlington. Diane can be contacted at tiellady@execpc.com.
Enter: Beep Beep Beeper, Beep Beep Beeper, Beepidy Beepidy Beepidy Beep Beep Beep
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| I got my lovebird in Milwaukee at a bird fair (10) years ago.
The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was a cage full of
beautiful Lutino Peachfaced Lovebirds. I had been looking at
parrotlets and lovebirds at the last few bird fairs and I was keenly
interested in acquiring another type of parrot that would be very
small and would be my little buddy. However, my eyes did not stay on
the lutino lovebirds. They traveled instead right over to the little
green bird that was running back and forth from shoulder to shoulder
of the lady who was selling them all. I stood there in the door for a
moment mesmerized by the braveness of the lady who seemed not at all
concerned that the little bird could easily fly off or jump down and
be trampled by the mob of people visiting the fair. I walked right
over and asked her price. $50 bucks. I said "I'll take him.
She told me that the little bird was a Dutch Blue Peach Faced
Lovebird. At the time the orange forehead that would eventually
develop after molting was only a pale peach color. He has a beautiful
blue-green coloration on his back and pale green underbelly with white
under his nochin (this is what I call the area under his lower
mandible because they have no chin. LOL!) He has strikingly beautiful
blue upper coverts over his tail feathers. He has gray feet and a pink
beak with the tip of it edged in black. I named him Beeper. |
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Beeper is named after the sound he makes. His most common noise is
like a microwave beep. He also makes a two-syllable noise that sounds
like a melodic "prettybird", but it is not a human word, it is a bird
sound. He can also send off an alarmingly loud beep in rapid
repetition when he wants attention or when he is egging on the quaker.
This can be terribly annoying when I am watching television. When the
two of really them get going it can be somewhat aggravating and they
both know it. Lovebirds are not known for their speaking ability,
although they do have the equipment to do so. Every now and then we
hear about a lovebird that learns a few words, but it is rare. They
can learn tricks, but I have not taught him anything special. Trick
training is not my thing. I enjoy my bird's natural behaviors best. I
do sing to him a lot. Birds like songs that have their name in them.
This is one of Beepers songs that I sing to him.
Beep Beep Beeper, Beep Beep Beeper, Beepidy Beepidy Beepidy Beep Beep
Beep. It sorta sounds like the easter bunny song. At the end of the
song if he wants to hear it again he will beep at me. If not he just
sits there and looks at me. This is another Beeper song.
And the Beep Beep Beeper goes Beep Beep Beeping along -- Beep Beep.
Sung to the tune of the Red Red Robin goes --- Bob Bob Bobin Along.
Again if he wants me to repeat he will beep at me. What's funny is
that the senegal and the quaker also get into the act and pretty soon
we are all beepin and singin. Sure can bring a gal out of any
depressed mood in a hurry. LOL!
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Beeper is an acrobatic bird. He can hang upside down, climb any rope,
pole, couch, curtain, or pant leg and still be able to get down inside
my shirt or shirt pocket and snuggle for hours. This is a bird that
likes to be the center of attention and will clown around and be
silly, steal my paperclips, run off with my pencils and cause a
general commotion all the while he is with me. Suddenly they are tired
and will sniggle their way under your shirt and snuggle down for a
nap. Beeper would live on me if I would let him.
Lovebirds are extremely energetic and as a result they seem to burn up
their calories quickly. When Beeper is out with me he likes to go home
about every one-half hour to get food and water. He thinks it is a
special treat when I go into the bathroom and get a drink of cold well
water. I keep a shot glass in there for my birds to drink from and
Beeper knows that he gets a drink whenever I do. I can't imagine why
this water is so wonderful to him compared to the water in his water
bottle. I guess he thinks that if I am drinking it, it must be special.
Beeper likes to give me a little nip on my ear when he wants
something. It does not really hurt. It sort of reminds me of a child
pulling on her mama's skirt to get her attention. If I say "what do
you want?" he will beep at me. This means he wants something, but of
course I don't know what so I have to offer water, offer the chance to
go home, offer a play gym, and finally when all else fails, I have to
give him some seeds. He's got the routine down pat now. He drinks the
water, when I try to send him home to his cage he backs up into my
hand, and if I set him on the play gym he hollers at me or hops right
off and comes back to me. After the routine is finished I give him
some seed and he is happy. I know he wonders why I can't understand
that if I just give him some seeds I would not have to go through all
the rest of this game I play with him.
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Beeper thinks that he is king of the birds in this house. He is
absolutely fearless when it comes to taunting the bigger birds. At
least once a day I like to set up a couple of ladders that run to the
quaker cage from the couch. Quakers are very territorial about their
cages, but Poochie, my quaker, will tolerate Beeper on the play gym.
However, Beeper will run right up the ladder, and run into the
quaker's cage and steal his food and play with his toys. He is so fast
that he escapes back out the second door and down the second ladder
again before the quaker can catch him. Of course I am right there too
in case he needs a rescue, but it is amazing how brave he is.
My senegal truly hates the lovebird. He is so jealous of the time the
lovebird spends with me that if given the opportunity the senegal
would surely kill the lovebird. I have to keep them totally separated
with no possibility of the senegal ever being able to reach the
lovebird's cage. However, Beeper, will taunt the senegal. Beeper runs
over to the senegal cage and climbs up on the plastic seed catcher
that the senegal cage sits in. He will run around it and hop down in
it looking for lost crumbs. This so infuriates the senegal that he
dives at the cage bars. Beeper pays no attention. Beeper knows I
forbid him on the senegal's seed guard, but he will inch his way over
there. I keep saying no! No! NO! Beeper just goes anyway so I have to
get up and scoop him up and put him in his cage. It is such a routine
now that when Beeper is tired and wants to go home, he runs over and
stands on the senegal's seed tray and waits for me to scoop him up and
send him home. Once again Beeper wins the game.
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All birds need to take frequent baths. Beeper likes to take his under
a slow running faucet in the kitchen sink. I lay a cloth across the
divider in the sink to give him a safe place to grip and he runs under
the water and fluffs and splashes. Then he likes to snuggle in my neck
to stay warm. Sometimes when I think he does not smell so good I just
hold him under a gentle stream of warm water and really soak him good.
Then I let him dry under a 25-watt incandescent light bulb that I have
in an old aquarium light fixture. I can lay that flat on the top of
his cage above a favorite perch and he sits there and grooms himself
dry. Beeper knows when I am going to give him a good soaking. Somehow
he always slips away from me and runs under the kitchen table. Can you
all imagine what it is like trying to catch a fast moving lovebird who
knows how to play hide and peek behind the kitchen chair legs. What a
commotion and comedy that turns out to be. Sometimes Beeper enjoys a
bath bowl in his cage. He does not get very wet that way, but seems to
enjoy the splashing opportunity. Also this way he gets his breast and
belly feathers wet instead of just the top half like he does in the sink.
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Beeper is bonded to me only. He will have nothing to do with my
husband. When I first got Beeper, I had to go away for a week to visit
my parents. My husband took care of the birds. My husband had Beeper
out with him on the chair to watch television for awhile so Beeper
could have some fun. Beeper suddenly disappeared. Now if only you
could see how much stuff we have in our house you would understand the
worry that my husband had over ever finding this little bird. He
hunted and hunted and finally went to bed intending to continue the
hunt in the morning. The next morning as my husband went to shower,
out came Beeper from behind the toilet. Apparently he headed there
during the night, because that was the only light on in the house. I
don't think Beeper has ever forgotten his fright, or the place he
found for shelter, because to this day, whenever Beeper gets down on
the floor he heads for the bathroom light, which is always on.
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