Rodents Fish Fids Dog Story


Xena Warrior Budgie

Xena is the first fid to ever grace our home. He came on June 19, 2000 the day of my youngest daughters 6th birthday. I wasn't keen on the idea of letting her have a bird for her birthday, but since she had been begging us for months my hubby gave in to her. What a time that was for me. I had never had a bird or even so much as came in contact with one, and I didn't know what to expect. For the first couple of weeks they played with Xena all the time, and when they pulled him out of the cage I ran for the other room. Yes I was terrified of this tiny little bird, and Xena knew it cause he always flew to where I was at in the other room.






How Could You Not Love Him

After a few weeks of being chased around my house by Xena I finally decided it was time to face my fears like it or not. I waited until my hubby had left for work and the kids were still in bed, and proceeded to open the door to Xena's cage. He stepped up on my finger right away, and I sat there with him on my hand for a long time talking ever so softly to him. I did this day after day until I looked forward to our morning time together and I no longer felt intimidated by him. It wasn't long before I joined in the hot potato game that Xena and everyone else liked to play. He would step from one hand to the other and the first one to get pooped on was out until the next game. Xena knows how to make you love him, and he's the reason I am addicted to birds and a victim of NEB.


Live Tree Ornament

Of all our budgies Xena is one of two that isn't afraid of too much, and is willing to investigate odd and unusual things. During Christmas 2001 I had decided to put the tree next to the budgie cage, and once all needles were vacuumed off the floor I let them all out for some free time. Well Xena with his outgoing personality hopped to the tree to inspect the shiny and brightly colored ornaments. He finally decided that out of everything on the tree that one of several big red bows was his favorite, and he would continuously attempt to play with it. My conclusion was that even if he did tear it up, which he didn't, then at least we would have a live ornament to take it's place.





Hercules Son Of Zeus

As the months went by after my hubby brought Xena home I felt the need for another budgie. Right away Herc caught my eye, and not only because he is a pretty bird, but also because blue is my favorite color. He was my baby, and I had high hopes of him becoming an extension of my shoulder and my best friend. Well things didn't work out as I had planned. Herc was totally opposite of Xena and preferred to be alone. He only tolerated human contact after tons of training. Once quarantine was over and he met Xena things started to change. Herc still was more a loner, but Xena decided he wanted to be with Herc, and he started spending more and more time with the new budgie on the block.


The Strong Silent Type

After a couple of months working with both Herc and Xena things started to get on track. Herc even got to the point where he enjoyed spending time with his human family as well as Xena just as long as they weren't separated for too long. Herc was even the first to learn how to give kisses, and soon Xena followed in his footsteps not wanting to be left out. At night both Herc and Xena slept together, and if they were separated no one got any sleep. Trying to get the two on a healthier diet was a challenge, and still remains a challenge to this day. Although once in awhile they will actually eat their pellets and veggies, for the most part they spend time trying to see who can toss them the furthest.





Romeo The Love Budgie

Romeo our little love budgie and ragamuffin came to us after my oldest daughter begged us for one for her birthday. Since her birthday is on Christmas she received Romeo a couple of days early. Romeo is always falling in love with everything around him, and often beak taps fingers, cage bars, perches, and toys. He is quite hilarious when he gets on your hand and does his tap dance routine, and will chase off any birds that get in his way. We always give out the warning to those that enter our house when the budgies are out, never put your hand on their cage lest you find yourself with Romeo on your hand singing the budgie love song.


Romeo And Xena Sitting In A Tree

Although Romeo doesn't venture out too much on his own to investigate things, he does stick awfully close to Xena. Where ever Xena goes Romeo is sure to follow. Since birds don't put too much on what sex is suppose to go with what sex, Xena is as close as they come to Romeo's mate. Romeo absolutely adores him, and often there have been times when Xena would try to beat up on Herc to keep him from getting too close. There was never any serious fighting, just a lunge here or a lunge there. Herc always knew to stay out of the way when Xena did that. Poor Herc was almost always left out in the cold at night when they all settled in.






O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou tail?

The award for sweetest budgie goes to Romeo, and I guess that's why his tail feathers are always in such a mess. I have noticed on several occasions where Herc would grab his feathers and sometimes it would result in one or two breaking off. Between Herc and molting eventually it got to where Romeo had no tail left, and no sooner would it start to grow back then another feather would get broke. It doesn't appear to bother Romeo too much though, cause no matter what we tried he refused to keep to his own cage and from his two best buddies. Don't get me wrong though, when he wants to he can be a tyrant and get the best of the other two. More than once I have witnessed him knocking one or the other off their perch.


The Three Musketeers

Over all, the three of them are inseparable, and when one is separated from the group they all chirp up a storm until they are reunited. On several occasions we tried to get them to live in their own houses, but eventually they all wound up back together.