I know what you’re thinking. With a title like that - I’d be thinking the same thing, so don’t feel bad. I am not posting pictures of boobies in an attempt to drive more traffic to my post - - although, what do you want to bet it would work like a charm? Let me explain…
I was very surprised by a Mother’s Day gift I received yesterday. Surprised because I received it . . but mostly, surprised because I actually wanted/liked it! I’ll start off by saying that I am not a bird person. I never have been. When I was a kid, I never aspired to own a bird. When I met Chris and he explained that someday we would inheret two rather large Mackaw’s from his mother when she passed - - I had secretly talked myself into the fact that we would die before her and settled myself into a comfortable state of denial about ever having to take those birds into our home.
It’s not that I hate birds. On the contrary, I quite like them…in my backyard. I put out various feeders and baths in hopes of attracting beautiful birds around my garden. I enjoy their visits and like to spend time watching them. Never in a million did I ever expect to be a bird owner…
As it happens, Chris and I visited our local pet store yesterday to pick up cat food and a new filter for our fish tank. It was supposed to be a simple and quick trip. While Chris was choosing which filter he wanted.. I meandered over to the bunny rabbits, gerbils and other cute and fuzzy animals they had there. While meandering… my ears picked up the most beautiful song coming from the backroom. It wasn’t a soundtrack, a television or a radio - - it was a bird and her song was just beautiful. So much so that I was drawn back to check out where it was coming from. . .
I found her in the back of the ‘bird room’ - - in all her red, crimson glory…singing the most beautiful song. When I stepped closer to her cage..she paused.. looked at me and said “Hi.. Pretty Girl” and then hung upside down and started bobbing her head and started singing again.
This anti-bird owner fell in love. She was gorgeous with an adorable personality. When the bird lady from the pet store came in and asked if I’d like to hold her - she removed her from the cage and “Jingles” (the birds name) perched on my hand.. then crawled up on my shoulder and started ‘preening’ my hair and rubbing her head against my cheek - - I found myself asking all sorts of questions about her. By the time Chris found me . . I was head over heels in love and ready to take her home.
And take her home, we did… cage and all. We set her cage up in the corner of my office and then brought her in.. and she seemed to immediately take to her new environment. I set apples and grapes out for her to eat - - and she happily started munching away. Once she was done eating.. she sat on the top of her cage and started to impress us with her little vocabulary. “Hi”.. “Hello”… “Pretty Girl”.. “What’s Up”… among various other mutterings.
Jingles is a Chattering Lory . . or Lorikeet. (The pet store lady said she’s a Red Lory . . but the more I research on the web about her, she looks more like a Chattering Lory, to me. We’ll do a bit more research on it to figure it out) They live to an average age of 35, and this one is 7 years old and was hand raised by one owner who brought her into the pet store when they found they had to move into a smaller apartment, and their landlord did not allow birds, or other pets. She’s a very sociable bird with an excellent ability to talk — and she’s adorable with a wonderfully sweet temperment. I just love her - and this surprises me, because I never thought of myself as a ‘bird’ person.
So, yea - now I’m the crazy lady with 3 cats and a bird.
Once we had her settled down - I was sitting on the floor of my office with her perched on my finger and she let out a LOUD whistle and loudly exclaimed… “BOOBIES!”
Chris quicky responded with, “Now that’s my kinda bird!”
The picture I’ve posted above is not my Lory. . it’s a generic picture of a Chattering Lorikeet that I found on the net. I didn’t want to excite her too much this evening by taking a bunch of pictures of her.. so I’ll get a good picture or two to share of her later in the week.. I just want to let her get settled in a bit first.
1:54 am on May 14th, 2007
Guess that won’t be the last birdy talk you’ll post… That one looks gorgeous, if your’s is anything alike…
4:16 am on May 14th, 2007
Nice story, Lisa.
Do you think it might become off-putting though having the bird in your office?
If you’re on a business call and there’s a sudden barrage of “BOOBIES… BOOBIES… BOOBIES” It might not be so professional. It’d certainly lighten the mood though.
4:34 am on May 14th, 2007
She sounds like fun.
Would it be a problem, having a loony bird shouting “BOOBIES” repeatedly while you’re on the phone to a client? I guess that would depend on your class of clients - some of mine would probably enjoy it!
5:30 am on May 14th, 2007
So you bought home some extra expensive cat food, I am sure they will enjoy it.
Seriously though, it sounds like you have found yourself a lovely companion, birds make almost as good a pet as cats.
6:35 am on May 14th, 2007
Wee! Quintin has a sister! She can teach him how to talk. What a pretty girl!
9:28 am on May 14th, 2007
Charles - mine looks somewhat like the pictures, except she’s a much deeper red, I think. Her coloring is probably one of the reasons I fell in love with her - - she’s so vivid, I can actually SEE her colors (little known fact about me: I’m colorblind).
9:29 am on May 14th, 2007
David and Paul - I think having a bird yelling out “BOOBIES” during a call with a client will make it a memorable phone call. Everyone needs a ‘hook’ lol
If it becomes a real issue - - I figure out a way.
9:30 am on May 14th, 2007
Stevie - expensive cat food!?! That’s kinda funny in a warped way. . . only in theory though
9:32 am on May 14th, 2007
Leanne - I thought of Quentin when we got her.. I told Chris I could get all sorts of bird tips from you
11:52 am on May 14th, 2007
My parents have two macaws, one blue & gold and one scarlet (the red one similar to yours). They definitely have their own personality, with the scarlets being very mischevious as well as able to reason. They wouldn’t be too bad except for “jungle time” when they both have to see how loud they can be for how long. Mrs. Knight and I are both thankful that my sisters are both big bird people and that we won’t be getting them when my parents die. We’ve thought of getting a smaller one, but we have enough problems keeping our house clean without the help of a bird (as they tend to be pigs). But back on the positive side of things, I’m glad you like them, as if your personality and theirs goes together they make a great pet.
Hmmmm. Do you think when people hear the bird calling for pussy they’ll believe you when you tell them the bird’s calling for the cats????
1:14 pm on May 14th, 2007
.. Jingles May 14th, 2007 In my previous post, I told the story of how I became a new bird owner. I finally got a nice picture of her this..
12:58 pm on March 5th, 2008
Not sure if you know by now, but she is a yellow-back chattering lory. Some people sum up the breed by calling them read lories, but specifically she is a yellow-backed chattering lory.
9:53 pm on March 5th, 2008
Hi Lizt - thanks for stopping by
We finally did figure out her exact breed after about a month, or so, of having her .. thanks!!
3:59 pm on July 7th, 2008
Beautiful bird - we wish you well. If your walls begin to get soiled, you may want to consider an office “chair mat” to protect them