Buster's comments appropriately convey his thoughts on what is going on around him. He often astounds us with his thoughts, especially his intonation and emotion.
My husband Dennis loves to play games on the computer. One day he played Hearts and every time the Queen of Spades was played (a card you don't want to get unless you're trying to get all the points) the program played a special sound. Apparently Buster paid attention. The Queen of Spades played the sound and Buster let out with a huge sad groan just like Dennis did when he got the Queen!
If Dennis or I yawn, Buster often says, "Take a break!" with a commanding tone.
He really dislikes the cleaning crew and all the noise they make, especially the vacuum cleaner! Every time the cleaning crew goes out the front door, he cheerfully says, "Thank you!"
Lately, if I don't get him up when he thinks I should, he reminds me. His cage is covered and I hear, "Well...?" He drags it out to sound disgusted with me because I haven't fixed his treats yet. And he keeps it up until I get him up. Several times when I went to fix his breakfast, I heard him say, "Thank you!!"
Dennis,again, playing poker on the computer, lost a hand. Buster told him, "That was stupid, Bud." Dennis almost fell off his chair!
Buster likes to keep informed. While writing this he asked, "What are ya doin' Mommy?"
We made a mistake by putting a smoke alarm in the kitchen. Now when we fry anything, even with the hood fan on, the smoke alarm almost always sounds the alarm. Unfortunately, Buster made this connection so when we start to fry anything, he sounds the alarm loudly before the smoke alarm goes off! And believe me it is loud. He continues this until the smoke alarm goes off so we have two smoke alarms sounding at the same time! Now we try to remember to disconnect the smoke alarm before frying but we can't disconnect Buster!
We also have two parrotlets(smallest parrot in the world) named BB and Trixie. BB is the dominate one but at times they have horrendous verbal fights. They stand tall and beak to beak and scream god knows what at each other. During one of these fights Buster looked over at their cage and said, "BB...(really loud) What are you doing?"
Buster may make a comment only one time appropriately and we never hear it again. Or we will only hear it at an appropriate time. This is how we know he is not just "parroting" something. He analyzed the situation and then made his thoughts known.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
BUSTER DEMANDS AN APOLOGY!
Buster's routine every night is inviolable! No matter what else goes on in the house he knows at 5:30 or if we finish dinner earlier, it is time for him to be let out of his cage.
All I hear is, "Time to watch TV!", "Are you ready?", "Are ya comin'?", "Wanna play?" over and over again. Sometimes I get mad because I am trying to finish something and he insists and insists until my hair sort of stands on end.
Last night after dinner I was searching on-line for my son's Christmas present which needed to be ordered to get it in time. Buster thought otherwise!
I kept telling him to wait, I'd be done in a few minutes. Of course he nagged and nagged and nagged!
Finally I finished and went to get him out of his cage and get new seeds. He came out briefly but wouldn't come to me. Then he went back inside his cage. I thought, "Here comes the waiting game." Buster makes me wait about as long as I made him wait.
Tonight, however, he waited and waited and didn't come out. Finally I thought, good grief, he wants an apology first.
So...I said, "Buster, mommy's sorry. I'm sorry I made you wait." He came up to the top of his cage and started to moon me with his red feather butt (he does this when he's mad at us). I stopped him and said, "Buster, I said I was sorry." After I said this, miraculously he turned around and came to me!
You have no idea what it is to deal with a very intelligent bird! Humbleness helps.
All I hear is, "Time to watch TV!", "Are you ready?", "Are ya comin'?", "Wanna play?" over and over again. Sometimes I get mad because I am trying to finish something and he insists and insists until my hair sort of stands on end.
Last night after dinner I was searching on-line for my son's Christmas present which needed to be ordered to get it in time. Buster thought otherwise!
I kept telling him to wait, I'd be done in a few minutes. Of course he nagged and nagged and nagged!
Finally I finished and went to get him out of his cage and get new seeds. He came out briefly but wouldn't come to me. Then he went back inside his cage. I thought, "Here comes the waiting game." Buster makes me wait about as long as I made him wait.
Tonight, however, he waited and waited and didn't come out. Finally I thought, good grief, he wants an apology first.
So...I said, "Buster, mommy's sorry. I'm sorry I made you wait." He came up to the top of his cage and started to moon me with his red feather butt (he does this when he's mad at us). I stopped him and said, "Buster, I said I was sorry." After I said this, miraculously he turned around and came to me!
You have no idea what it is to deal with a very intelligent bird! Humbleness helps.
Friday, December 4, 2009
BUSTER TAKES A WALK!
The only reason Buster stays in his cage during the day is because he needs to be monitored constantly! He chews on everything. I worry he'll chew on an electric cord and fry himself! He love furniture and rugs too. We had to get a new dining room set because Buster "decorated" all the chair legs. Good grief, my house would be destroyed.
Parrots sense lots of things through their beak so Buster touches everything, rapping on it a few times to see what sound it makes. I often take him around the house and let him tap on glass, metal, wood, plastic, etc. announcing the name as he taps. He hasn't said anything after tapping but he probably will surprise me one day.
Well, Buster usually gets out of his cage after we eat dinner. It just so happened my husband, Dennis, was getting ready for work in his bathroom all the way at the other end of our home. Involved in cleaning up the kitchen I forgot Buster was out and he walked all the way to Dennis' bathroom.
Note: Buster walks pigeon-toed and more or less "oozes" across the floor, stopping to look at this and that. He only flies when falling off his cage. I don't think he knows how to fly but he enjoys playing "excellent flier" when I twirl him around the room. When he's had enough he grabs my finger with his beak hard but not hurtful.
You know how it is when a person is getting cleaned up, they are in their own little world where no one else exists. Dennis was shaving when he heard someone "knock" on the bathroom door three times. Thinking I was the knocker, he opened the door and heard a great big "HI!" from Buster.
Shocked describes his reaction best! Sometimes when Buster has done this he also asks Dennis, "Takin' a shower?" or "Go work?"
Parrots sense lots of things through their beak so Buster touches everything, rapping on it a few times to see what sound it makes. I often take him around the house and let him tap on glass, metal, wood, plastic, etc. announcing the name as he taps. He hasn't said anything after tapping but he probably will surprise me one day.
Well, Buster usually gets out of his cage after we eat dinner. It just so happened my husband, Dennis, was getting ready for work in his bathroom all the way at the other end of our home. Involved in cleaning up the kitchen I forgot Buster was out and he walked all the way to Dennis' bathroom.
Note: Buster walks pigeon-toed and more or less "oozes" across the floor, stopping to look at this and that. He only flies when falling off his cage. I don't think he knows how to fly but he enjoys playing "excellent flier" when I twirl him around the room. When he's had enough he grabs my finger with his beak hard but not hurtful.
You know how it is when a person is getting cleaned up, they are in their own little world where no one else exists. Dennis was shaving when he heard someone "knock" on the bathroom door three times. Thinking I was the knocker, he opened the door and heard a great big "HI!" from Buster.
Shocked describes his reaction best! Sometimes when Buster has done this he also asks Dennis, "Takin' a shower?" or "Go work?"
Monday, November 9, 2009
BUSTER AND THE WATER MACHINE
Should have learned my lesson and not purchased anything the sounds interesting to Buster. We bought a machine that makes water from the air using all sorts of filters and UV lights to maintain purity.
However, when the machine is turned off or on, it makes a strange "chirping" sound. Three strange "chirping" sounds let's me know there's a leak.
Well, after finishing cleaning the machine yesterday I anxiously waited to see if there were any leaks. Twice it "chirped" three times and twice I raced into the dining room to fix the "leak" and twice realized it had to have been Buster. But I had been busy with other things and the sound was so perfect I wasn't sure.
This morning before Buster's cage was uncovered, I heard those three "chirps" again, raced over to the machine and the light bulb went off over my head, "It's Buster!".
Buster thought of a new way to get my attention! The little devil.
However, when the machine is turned off or on, it makes a strange "chirping" sound. Three strange "chirping" sounds let's me know there's a leak.
Well, after finishing cleaning the machine yesterday I anxiously waited to see if there were any leaks. Twice it "chirped" three times and twice I raced into the dining room to fix the "leak" and twice realized it had to have been Buster. But I had been busy with other things and the sound was so perfect I wasn't sure.
This morning before Buster's cage was uncovered, I heard those three "chirps" again, raced over to the machine and the light bulb went off over my head, "It's Buster!".
Buster thought of a new way to get my attention! The little devil.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
BUSTER, THE COMMANDER, BECOMES MORE SUBTLE
Usually when Buster wants something he keeps repeating his request until I'm motivated to shut him up by doing what he wants. He has me trained, I admit.
Lately he's changed his approach in two instances.
In the mornings I listen to my radio show, tweet, blog and sometimes get carried away and forget to get the birds up. I don't get them up until around nine when I'm more awake to feed them but on two mornings I forgot all about them.
Out of the blue I heard Buster say, "Well......?" Of course I dropped everything, took the covers off the birdcages and apologized for being a "bad mommmy". His communication said it all with on word!
Then the other night the birds and I were watching TV and Buster loved getting his head and neck rub. BB, my little blue parrotlet, kept poking me trying to get my attention to play with her. A minute or two after I stopped rubbing Buster's head so I could play with BB, I heard "Well....?" There was that one word again!
He's approaching twenty years old now...maybe he's still learning new ways to get his way!
Lately he's changed his approach in two instances.
In the mornings I listen to my radio show, tweet, blog and sometimes get carried away and forget to get the birds up. I don't get them up until around nine when I'm more awake to feed them but on two mornings I forgot all about them.
Out of the blue I heard Buster say, "Well......?" Of course I dropped everything, took the covers off the birdcages and apologized for being a "bad mommmy". His communication said it all with on word!
Then the other night the birds and I were watching TV and Buster loved getting his head and neck rub. BB, my little blue parrotlet, kept poking me trying to get my attention to play with her. A minute or two after I stopped rubbing Buster's head so I could play with BB, I heard "Well....?" There was that one word again!
He's approaching twenty years old now...maybe he's still learning new ways to get his way!
Friday, October 9, 2009
BUSTER FEATURED ON VIRTUALPERCH.COM!
I was really excited to find out VirtualPerch, an outstanding bird website, featured Buster in a really well-written article about him and this blog. Check it out!
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