Budgie update #2

Today's moodling has nothing to do with Christmas or simplicity. It's being written because there's a budgie sitting on my shoulder (and because my sisters like budgie updates). This morning I realized that all but about fifteen years of my life have had a budgie in them. Budgies are the class clowns of bird school. We have funny stories about every one of the little birds who have graced our lives, and our latest tiny chum is no exception.

Pebbles is turning out to be quite the character. He chatters incessantly when there are people around, plays both with us and without us (on the floor, usually, so we have to watch that we don't step on him), and is learning new tricks. He flies in a kamikaze style and has bumped into the windows once or twice (part of the learning process), but for the most part is pretty adept at using his wings now that his flight feathers have grown in. We think he's figured out how to open his cage (that, or we keep forgetting to shut the cage door even when we haven't opened it!) We're still not 100% sure he's a he, but the colour of his cere hasn't changed. I suspect if he was a she we'd know by now.

In the past two weeks, Suzanna has managed to convince him to fly from his cage to land on her finger. He does it over and over again, seeming gratified whenever she says, "Good bird!" We think he says "I love you" and "pretty bird," but he hasn't yet got the knack of "hello, my friend," which I've been repeating since day one. He makes us laugh with his antics, as he chases his ball around, or nibbles someone's earring.

See for yourself -- here's a two minute video. He drops his ball, then waits for me to pick it up, just like a kid in a high chair. And can you hear what he says? Maybe you'll hear something I don't because of familiarity. If so, let me know...