Casper's Tail

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

You may remember me telling you earlier in the year that Casper's tail was in a bit of a sorry state. I think it went down to just three feathers at one time.
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Well, its looking pretty good now, maybe just a couple of feathers short of a full set. Here he is in the Magnolia tree.

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He has just had his beak and claws done at the beauty parlour (aka vets)

[Merrick]

What an amazing recovery!!

[PeachyDoll]

He is stunning and I love that photo of him in the Magnolia tree. You should frame that one!

[Mr Peepers]

Casper's tail is beautiful now and he looks amazing in this tree pic. :th_smile:

[Mare]

Casper is looking handsome as can be! Did he lose his feathers from a heavy molt or did he pluck them? My Sassy girl likes to barber her chest, sometimes, awhile back she lost (from the root) several tail feathers and I was afraid she was pulling them out :(. They grew back nicely so, I guess that was a molt time..?..

[Zoo mom]

Handsome boy.

[kendrafitz]

He looks gorgeous with all his tail feathers! Although, he was still super handsome with just the few as well. :)

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Mare, he had a bad method of climbing down off the sofa and armchairs. He would swing over the edge of the seat cushion and hang by his beak with his little legs dangling and groping around, trying to find something to grip on, but there is nothing there so he would just drop onto his rump and use his tail feathers to break his fall. The trouble was it also broke the feathers. If we see him trying it now we give him a helping finger to stand on and lower him gently down.
You see, because he was kept in a small cage for so many years, he hasn't got much confidence at flying and usually makes a five or six point landing so he prefers to climb everywhere. He will fly towards the armchairs because he knows he will have a nice soft landing. Except once he missed the back of the sofa and overshot onto Spiny Norman the barrel cactus on the window sill. I managed to scoop him off before he hurt himself and he is more careful now, aims for the seat and then climbs up.
Thanks for all your kind words everyone. Casper is a wonderful character and brings us much happiness. Margaret said he met a nice lady BFA at the vets, also having her beak and nails done, 21 years old to his 28. I wasn't there or I would have gotten him a date. :th_smile:

[plax]

Great looking set of new tail feathers :D

[Lady]

Casper is looking quite wonderful. And the pic of him in the tree with the bright beautiful sunshine is a bonus! Great pic of him indeed.

[Macaw Lover]

Is Casper still able to crack nuts as the beak looks like it is blunted a bit much but then I am used to the Macaw's that are more of a point.

Years ago I was at a bird training session and the owner of a bird had the beak blunted sooooo far back, it was rounded way too high up, we worried about his being able to eat even. There was a vet tech attending also and they were talking throughout the day so I hope the owner was getting info on foods to give and such. Damn the vet who did that to that bird.

[spiritbird]

I can tell from Casper's photo that he is "a lot of bird" with big personality. Does he talk much?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Renee, Amazons beaks are usually more pointed but at his previous home his beak was left to grow so long it was touching his feathers so we have had a bit of a problem getting it back to a respectable length. They can't give it more of a point when it is shortened because the blood vessels are now too close to the surface. The beak can still convert a slab of wood into matchsticks in very good time. He was also on a just seed diet so was on the verge of a fatty liver when we brought him to live with us. He only gets the occasional nut as a treat and they are usually out of their shells.

Dianne, he doesn't have a very large vocabulary but does use words in context. He also speaks in various voices, from my deep voice to the voice of small children. Its a bit like living with a schizophrenic - we never know who he is going to be next.
He loves to hear female singers and shrieks along with his current faves, Joan Armatrading and Shania Twain. I think he would be a big Dolly Parton fan if he was in charge of the CD player but there is only so much of her that I can stand.

[Mr Peepers]

Renee, Amazons beaks are usually more pointed but at his previous home his beak was left to grow so long it was touching his feathers so we have had a bit of a problem getting it back to a respectable length. They can't give it more of a point when it is shortened because the blood vessels are now too close to the surface. The beak can still convert a slab of wood into matchsticks in very good time. He was also on a just seed diet so was on the verge of a fatty liver when we brought him to live with us. He only gets the occasional nut as a treat and they are usually out of their shells.

Dianne, he doesn't have a very large vocabulary but does use words in context. He also speaks in various voices, from my deep voice to the voice of small children. Its a bit like living with a schizophrenic - we never know who he is going to be next.
He loves to hear female singers and shrieks along with his current faves, Joan Armatrading and Shania Twain. I think he would be a big Dolly Parton fan if he was in charge of the CD player but there is only so much of her that I can stand.


Your Casper has good taste if he enjoys Joan Armatrading!

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

She did a concert at Tunbridge Wells, our nearest venue, which we went to see (just Margaret and I, couldn't get Casper a ticket). She strolled on stage looking like someone's mum who had just popped out to the corner shop in her slippers to buy a packet of ciggies. Jogging bottoms, sweater and trainers. I felt a bit disgruntled, she could have made an effort after all we had paid to see her. Music was great though, she is still writing some great new stuff and, of course, played some of the greats like Willow. New album is called Lovers Speak. Recommended by all here at Casper's Cottage.

[Mr Peepers]

She did a concert at Tunbridge Wells, our nearest venue, which we went to see (just Margaret and I, couldn't get Casper a ticket). She strolled on stage looking like someone's mum who had just popped out to the corner shop in her slippers to buy a packet of ciggies. Jogging bottoms, sweater and trainers. I felt a bit disgruntled, she could have made an effort after all we had paid to see her. Music was great though, she is still writing some great new stuff and, of course, played some of the greats like Willow. New album is called Lovers Speak. Recommended by all here at Casper's Cottage.


I'm sure Casper would have rocked out at her concert and made fun of her in her jam jams on stage.

Thank you for the info about JA and her new album I will definitely give it a look/hear and check it out. I love all her old stuff and often am amazed that more people here in Canada/USA don't know her work.

Most people think she is Tracy Chapman. :th_biggrin: King of similar but NOT.