This Bird Has Flown, Isn't it Good?

[Enko_chan]

Haha! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

We had a sing-a-long today, the birds and I. Its one of their favorite things in the world. Especially Benny! He really really loves music. Benny's favorite music ever is Cat Stevens, but today we had a Beatles theme, and I think the best thing in the entire Universe, the happiest, funniest, most glowing moment of my life to date was singing along to The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood: This Bird Has Flown" with Benny and Kokoro! Hehe, and when we sang "I am The Walrus" Koko sang "Koko's the Egg Man!" haha. Of course, none of us (except me, with the songs I know well) get the lyrics right all the time, but I thought this was a cute one. I told Kokoro he hatched from an egg, I wonder if he remembered that and put the two things together. :rofl:

I really need to find someone/some way to make a good video with good audio to capture one of the birdie sing-a-longs.

I got the idea for birdie sing-a-longs from our late quaker Oliver, who used to write his own little simple tunes and even put words to them sometimes. A while ago I tried teaching Kokoro "Pop Goes the Weasel" and he was humming it a little, and trying (failing, making a sound like something feral being tortured) to whistle, then we got to the "Pop Goes the Weasel" part and he was supposed to repeat me... so he kept saying "Pop Goes..." and just trailing off. So I said "Pop goes...'what goes "pop" Koko?'" and "Pop goes the..." and koko says "THE TOASTER!"

So I decided that maybe I didn't want him learning pop goes the weasel to repeat for eternity anyway, and started the sing-a-longs, incorporating the songs that I sang to Benny at bedtime.

I've even found that they like music as a background a lot of the time even better than a movie. Hehe. Just wanted to share my anecdote about our Beatles sing-a-long today. What music shall we do tomorrow?

[Z28Taxman]

Cute. Ditto loves sing alongs (mostly country).

Actually he doesn't really sing, just screams his little head off and hops and dances like he's hopped up on speed but he loves it anyway.:rofl:

[Pips mom]

My sister's quakers absolutely love it when she sings to them! Of course, she sings in a band so she enjoys singing and is good at it! She sings to them.....for he's a very good birdie, he's a very good birdie.....he's a very good birdieeeeeee......then she's stops and I once heard them both do the ending.....nobody can deny! I actually have a video of her singing this to her quaker, Monk but we were at my parent's house and he was a little distracted I think, or maybe he's just a little camera shy! Anyway, she's sang this to him for years now and now he can sing the whole thing......here is the video of her trying to get Monk to sing it......
http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l134/kim1888/?action=view&current=Picture-2.flv

[Dodo]

Wow. Quakers are intriguing (and adorable!). I love hearing the Koko stories. 'Toaster!' :rofl:

Frodo enjoys some music; classical during the day seems to calm her, but she does enjoy some more energetic music as well, and I've noticed her getting up close to the stereo and getting really excited by both the music and the blinking lights on the front at times.

[bbslovie]

Hi, loved the Kokoro story and the video of Monk! I'm sure all of us would love to see videos of Kokoro doing whatever. I think we all just want to see him in action! I play music for the birds during the day and they really enjoy it. Mainly soft rock from the 70's and 80's. I'll have to jot down some of their favorites because they definitely get more animated on some tunes than others.


Barb :)

[Enko_chan]

Kim, I watched Monk's video with Koko just now and after the first time through, everytime she said "very good birdie" Koko said "very good!" Hehe. So cute!

Before my autoimmune condition caused my joint and throat tissue damage, I was a semi-professional singer, and avid musician (I played piano and five woodwind instruments), and Chris is still an avid musician and was a professional bass and guitar player until he stopped touring a few years ago to work full time and have an academic career. I only sing for the birds now, when it doesn't hurt to do so, and they don't mind if I don't sound great! Chris still composes music, though and practices at home. The birds love to hear him play. I have a wonderful native american flute that I still play for the birds, too. It was hand carved especially for me, was very expensive yet priceless- so was the only one of my musical instruments that I did not sell when I was moving back to MA from WA. We're a pretty musical household- and the birds definitely enjoy it!

Even if we had no musical background, though, playing different tunes to find out what your birds like and having sing-a-longs make great activities and are a fun way to bond with your fids.

[Pips mom]

Too cute Koko saying very good birdie! He must have liked the video!....it's so cute how they like to watch videos of others birds of their species! Oh, I bet they must love that flute, and all the music!
My sister plays guitar....took lessons for years when she was younger and now has given lessons herself, and she sings in a christian band....here is her site.....http://4ever1music.com/ When she first got Monk, she named him after the TV show....she's a bit OCD! this is her favorite show! After naming him Monk, she found out that quakers are also called monk parakeets! Monk has been with her through some tough times, and for quite a few years now. She also has Mr. Ed, her blue quaker now, two years she's had him already, wow, time flies! She got her blue quaker from a lady who raises them out near Springfield somewhere. Her quakers are quite social with people and seem to just love all the people and attention. They seem quite secure in knowing they have a nice sharp beak in case anyone bothers them or is too aggressive in aproaching them. She has taken Monk to nursing homes, places with seniors, and apparently Monk seems to enjoy the visits....these little birds are definitely very entertaining!

[Enko_chan]

Thanks for sharing your sister's website. We'll have to check that out tomorrow!

Kokoro used to be really shy around people, but he's been opening up more and more... probably because I have been feeling better and have been spending more time around others myself!

Its funny how he reserves himself around different people. He has different personalities for different people. Only when he thinks NO one but the birds are listening does he go ALL OUT, (oh my goodness, how we LOVE hearing him and Benny talking and laughing and having a riot together when they think we can't hear them!) and only when I am alone with him is he the Koko that only I know... then he's Koko with Mama and Daddy... I've noticed he only ever says "I love you" to me, Chris, and my 2 grandmothers, despite the fact that there are many other people that he sees more, knows better and one would think he'd have developed more of a bond with- people that I am very close with, and Chris is very close with, like Chris's mother who is our neighbor, and Koko says is a "very good girl!" The grandmother who helped me pay for Kokoro- gave me half the money for my birthday that I had put away for a bird, he only met once, and immediately introduced himself "Hi I'm Koko!" gave her a kiss on the cheek and had "I love you's!" for her. The other grandmother, despite having had finches and canaries, and temporary caretaker of some of my families' parrots, has had no real parrot experience, is some sort of bird whisperer. "Granny" is one of Freyja's only 5 words. Whenever the lovies hear the term "car ride", she immediately begins chanting "Granny... Granny..." despite the fact that they haven't been there in almost a year, Benny loves her, and when Odinn was still VERY scared of people, he flew to her and perched on her hand. Koko has spent many days with her in the past year, and like the rest of the birds, he loves her. My grandfather, her husband, is a bird lover too, so I've been urging them to adopt a bird of their own... they're considering adopting one of Ben and Sayuri's babies if they someday have them. Haha, I learned to have fun with the birds from the way my grandmothers had fun with me when I was a kid, so maybe the birds intuitively know this. Anyhow... back to Koko... I'm happy he's become more sociable. I bet he'd love visiting with people. I would have to make sure his biting was completely under control first, though he has never bitten anyone but me, and even then it is usually more "nipping" than biting, and when he does bite, its almost always out of fear.

I'd love to meet your sister's quakers. They sound like a riot. I really think they're a species with a great deal of potential if they've got patient and loving people around them. They're very strong willed, even for parrots!