Phinny no-mates

Phineas still adores Cagney.  As soon as Cagney moves, Phineas is there, right in front of him, following behind him or above him on the bars.

Cagney, did you call?

Cagney does not feel the same way about Phineas.  If truth be told, I believe Cagney gets frustrated at not being about to move without having to push past Phineas.  Sometimes he cannot eat because Phineas is trying to kiss him at the same time.  As nice as it must be to have such attention, it must be wearing to have it all the time!

Phineas tries too hard with Cagney.  He does not know when to stop or to hold back.   Add to this, that he chases Bezukhov away as he wants Cagney all to himself.  This action in itself would not endear him to Cagney as Cagney is very fond of his mate Bezukhov.  It certainly does not endear him to Bezukhov.  There are times when Bezukhov stops Phineas in his tracks to engage him in a conversation.  Phineas seems surprised by this & although he tentatively gives Bezukhov a listening ear, does not appear to respond or further the conversation.

Bezukhov is particularly wary of Phineas as there have been about 3 occasions when he has not run away quick enough & Phineas has grabbed him by the wing or the head (when leaning over the top of the cage).

Probably unsurprisingly, Cagney & Bezukhov have not wanted Phineas to sleep overnight with them.  They make this quite clear.  During the evening, as it comes to bedtime, if Phineas sits in Manor loft area, both Cagney & Bezukhov will vacate it. 

Who’s chasing me??

Recent goings-on have reminded me of an episode of Frasier.  Bear with me whilst I explain…

For those who are interested, it is The Ski Lodge, Season 5, Episode 14.

Summary: Roz wins a weekend at a ski lodge, and trades it to Frasier. So Frasier decides to take the whole family to the ski lodge including Daphne and her friend Annie, a swimsuit model. Once there, they meet Guy, a gay ski instructor, who has an eye for Niles. After dinner, and much butter rum, a bedroom farce ensues, where Frasier chases after Annie, who chases after Niles, who pursues Daphne, who has fallen for Guy, who obviously thinks Niles is gay.

The ultimate reveal is that no-one was after the right person, and no-one at all was after Frasier.

Frasier: Oh, wait, wait, wait!  Wait, everybody! [everyone stops and 
         looks at him]  Let me see if I've got this straight.  All the 
         lust coursing through this lodge tonight, all the hormones 
         virtually ricocheting off the walls, and no one... was chasing 
         me?

~~~

Translate this to what has been going on here & we have something very, very similar:

Cagney chases Thomas who has an eye for Bezukhov.  Bezukhov fancies Thomas.  Thomas is keeping his options open & flirts with both Cagney & Bezukhov.  Phineas has the hots for Cagney.  Cagney & Bezukhov are mates & flirt with each other.

Phinny: Oh, wait, wait, wait!  Wait, everybody! [everyone stops and 
         looks at him]  Let me see if I've got this straight.  All the 
         lust coursing through the Ferplast today, all the hormones 
         virtually ricocheting off the cage bars, toys and perches, and  
         no one... is chasing me?

Trespassing

Bezukhov is a clever boy.  When they are all out, & Phineas is invariably causing mayhem in his own little way, Bezukhov discovered that he could eat seed peacefully in Phineas’s vacant cage.

Phineas usually has his eye on Cagney, so Bezukhov is free to wander in.  However, Phineas also knows that cage is his & does notice his seed is being eaten.  Fortunately, he is not too territorial, so if there are more pressing matters (Cagney escaping from his scrutiny) then he will let Bezukhov be.  Occasionally, he does go in to investigate but I think it is more a case of him not wanting to miss anything than the need to chase Bezukhov out, although Bezukhov does make a sharp exit when Phineas does enter.

Cagney has had difficulty eating seed in this surreptitious manner as Phinny is his shadow.  There was one occasion when he did shake him off long enough to sample some of Phinny’s seed.  Of course Phineas was not far behind him.

Bezukhov eating Phinny’s seed.

Bezukhov still eating Phinny’s seed.

Phinny watching Bezukhov eat his seed whilst Cagney wonders if he can go in too…

Bezukhov on Phinny’s swing waiting for Phinny to get out of the way of the door!

Cagney sneaking in to get Phinny’s seed with Phinny not far behind.

Cagney having Phinny’s water with his shadow beside him.

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

–

Sometimes I think that Bezukhov feels a little left out but I remind him that he has the freedom to do things that Cagney cannot, like eat Phinny’s seed in peace. 🙂

This is MY side!

For some time, the swinging perch (with the mirror) has been a safe haven for the toyboys from Phineas.  I hang it from the landing platform & often Cagney or Bezukhov or both of them together, will hop on for some quality “me” time.  Despite lots of circling & weighing up of options, Phineas has found it impossible to get onto……………..

………………. until now!

Yes, he finally managed to climb on & was surprisingly calm, despite being so close to Cagney (on rung diagonally below).  However, Bezukhov did have to keep reminding Phineas to stay over his side & not go over the boundary, which is I believe, an invisible line going through the centre of the wood, including the air space in the holes.

You looking for trouble?

Well I wasn’t looking for trouble but somehow trouble, in the form of Phineas Fog, has found me!

Phinny has another name – Trouble.  With a capital T.

There has been little to no progress on Phineas joining the toyboys in the Manor.  He still has no off switch.  He is still obsessed with Cagney.  If the toyboys are out & Phineas is locked in, the boys choose to sit right by Phineas’s cage.  They must like him to want to be near him?

When Phineas is out, the Manor roof is his domain.  From there, he can easily monitor the toyboys (Cagney mostly, of course) who tend to retire to the loft area when Phinny is out & about.  That said, there is often a lot of flying about by all three of them.  Phineas usually chases Cagney & lands wherever Cagney lands, though he still has some difficulty landing on the window perches.  Phineas keeps wanting to “chat” to Cagney & literally runs around him so Cagney is almost hemmed in & unable to escape.  Phineas also chases Bezukhov.  Initially I thought he was chasing him away from the Manor, where Cagney was but then he seems to also chase Bezukhov back to the Manor.

In short, I am still unable to work out how Phinny’s mind works!

Mayhem

I am so handsome!

So I was saying…

Let me have a little doze…

Phineas still likes to jiggy-jiggy.  When he is in his cage he likes me to put my hand in so he can regurgitate to my thumb & often, after a bit of a tail-wagging dance, leaves a “deposit”.  He gives me a certain look when I approach the cage that suggests he would give my hand a welcome.  Outside the cage he largely ignores me, but then he has Cagney to fixate on.

He still does not entertain the idea of going back to his own cage by himself so I still have to catch him.  As an aside, clever Bezukhov has found that when Phinny is out, it is handy eating the seed in his cage.  Eating seed in the Manor can be difficult (if it is open) as Phineas wants to run about & cause mayhem.  Many times I have held seed up to Cagney in the loft area so he can get some food inside him.

So, in short (again), Phineas is Trouble!

Phineas however, is also incredibly handsome, despite looking a bit of a mess as he throws himself about & his feathers (particularly tail) are ruffled.  He has a very cute sulky look when he does not get his own way.  He puffs his cheeks out & if he had a bottom lip I am sure he would stick it out!

–

You looking for trouble? You come to the right place…

The Three Musketeers

It has been a couple of months since Raspy’s untimely passing. 

Atilla, Cagney & Bezukhov have been coping well in her absence.  I believe the transition from 4 to 3 was made easier by them knowing that Raspy had passed on.  I like to think that soon after she took her last breath, her spirit was released & she flew around the room & gave her sister, her boyfriend & her Manor-mate a kiss before making her way to the Fields of Millet, Wild Grass & Swinging Perches.

Raspy’s presence was quite “challenging”.   She was the only one with the guts to stand up to Atilla.  For Cagney, Raspy was a challenge to woo – a tough cookie who never cracked.  She was, of course, totally committed to chubby chops himself, Bezukhov…

Bezukhov is lucky to have his mate Cagney to run & fly around with.  Their friendship in that respect has not changed at all.  However, there are times when Cagney is busy canoodling with Atilla, & Bezuky can look a bit lost, as if he’s thinking, “I used to have a lovely girl to canoodle with….”  At those times I try to give him some extra attention.  He is always ready to talk to my fingernail & has quite animated conversations.  I also hand feed him pellets. I would hate for him to feel left out. 

He is still fond of Atilla & tries to converse with her but she either ignores him or goes to give him a thump (no change there then).  It is nice that her behaviour towards him has not changed.  Occasionally she allows him to eat from the same seed pot as her, or even sit next to her on the perch.  When this happens it is almost like a signal to Cagney to not chase Bezuky away, but just let him be & I will see all 3 of them sitting comfortably together on the same perch. 🙂

Bangs & boogie-woogie

The last couple of evenings have been hectic.  I feel I know what it must be like to run a creche. 

The good news is that puddings & toyboys have not been bothered by any loud bangs from fireworks.

The bad news is that the toyboys are naughty boys!  Cagney is obviously the most naughty, but Bezukhov has not been far behind.  Cagney has been relentlessly pursuing Raspy for a kiss & has even jumped on her back (how disrespectful!)  Raspy is NOT succumbing to his “charms”. 

Last night Raspy was in & out the Ferplast & I was up & down opening & closing the Ferplast cage door, either to lock her in or let her out when she wanted to stretch her wings.  Surprisingly, for most of her time in the Ferplast, Bezukhov kept her company. Bezukhov was pestering Raspy more than usual, but that’s allowed as he is her boyfriend but she still “squiggled” at him to get out of her face… off her tail… & off her back….

Cagney appeared a little lonely not having his mate to run around with, but it was his own fault for not leaving Raspy alone!  He still gave attention to Atilla but even there he was naughty, force-feeding her regurgitated seed that landed up all down her face, neck & back.  He’s been such a handful!

Several times, yesterday evening, Bezukhov & Raspy boogie-woogied in the comfort & relative privacy of the locked Ferplast.  That incensed Cagney as he desperately wanted to join in.  At one point, when Cagney was chasing Raspy around the Manor, I managed to grab him & lock him in the Ferplast on his own.  There was a collective sigh of relief in the Manor.  I did not have the heart to lock him up for long though, as he was pacing/flying & squarking like mad.  As soon as I let him loose again, he made a beeline for Raspy.

The end result was bedtime in separate cages: Atilla & Cagney in the Manor & Raspy & Bezukhov tucked up in the Ferplast.

Evening shenanigans

Perhaps it is something in the water… or maybe a full moon… or more probably it is plain & simple budgie naughtiness!

The recent routine has mostly been the following:

• Morning – out & about for a fly
• Afternoon – locked in for siesta
• Evening – out & about for a fly & daily bottom paper clean

Now, each evening the same thing happens when I let them out – the toyboys want to swap partners!

The puddings are still adamant they do not want to swap partners.

Both boys hit on their mate’s pudding at the same time & it makes it difficult to decide which pudding to rescue first.  Raspy is usually the first to fly to escape Cagney’s advances.  She usually lands on the floor at some point as Cagney has far more energy than her.  I show her the open Ferplast cage door & she readily runs in to shelter from the storm that is Cagney.

Meanwhile, Bezukhov is being highly arrogant & hitting on flock boss Atilla.  Once Raspy has been locked up in the Ferplast, Cagney, after trying to flirt with her through the bars, goes to Atilla but Bezukhov chases him away.  If he exits the Manor to chase Cagney away then I quickly lock Atilla up alone.  After a short time, I let Cagney in to be with Atilla & then Bezukhov wants to go into the Ferplast to be with Raspy.  I let them chill out for a bit with their correct partners before releasing them again.

This evening was slightly different in that Atilla landed on the floor trying to get away from Bezukhov.  In fact, Raspy had already landed on the floor.  The toyboys were on the floor also, still pursuing their wrong partner.  They were all on the floor!  Such confusion!

This time I managed to get both Raspy & Atilla into the Ferplast.  (Raspy quite likes the chill out zone but Atilla was a bit put out to be away from her Manor).  The boys camped outside the Ferplast, waiting not-very-patiently to be let in or for the girls to be let out….

Synchronised boogie-woogie-ing

If there were medals awarded for Best Synchronised Budgie Boogie-Woogie-ing, the Puddings & Toyboys would win hands-down…. or rather wings-down.

Usually it is Cagney & Atilla who start off proceedings.  There will be a bit of faffing about & Atilla will shake Cagney off her back several times but that never deters him.  When they get going, Bezukhov & Raspy get amorous too.  The noise levels at this time go through the roof! 

The best-case scenario is for Bezukhov & Raspy to finish first, at which point, Bezuky may go over & sit on top of the Manor, above Cagney & Atilla & scrutinise their progress.

The worst-case scenario is if Cagney & Atilla finish first & then it is highly likely that Cagney will want to move onto Raspy (with no questions or discussion or please or excuse me).  This inevitably results in a fight between Cagney & Bezukhov.  In fact, it’s the only time they do fight so you can imagine me willing Bezuky & Raspy to finish The Act first!

Not a fan

As we all know, Raspy is not a fan of Cagney.  Often, she does not even like him sitting on the same perch as her.  The good (or bad?) thing is that Cagney does not take this personally & if truth be told, I think he thinks her chasing him away is a good game!

There is the added bonus of Raspy having more exercise chasing Cagney away.  Also,  Bezukhov can act like a knight in shining armour, coming to his girlfriend’s rescue, though Raspy can look after herself.

Here is the evidence: