My First Bird: Then & Now

[FoxersArtist]

While waiting for my camera to charge so that I can complete a couple of current projects, I thought it might be fun to start a new thread, where each of us can honor our very first bird, whether they are still alive or not. I'm going to post photos of my family with our first bird from the year that we got her as a baby and will also post some photos I took of all of us several months ago. She is getting to be an old lady now. Looks like I have changed quite a bit too!

My first bird is a little cockatiel named Cooper. I got her when she was 3 months old, and though she was supposed to have been weaned, she regressed when I brought her home. The little "eeeee, eeeeeee!" baby bird cry drove me so crazy (I didn't know what it meant despite reading several entire books on cockatiels before purchasing her from Petsmart) that I even attempted to return her to the store after a week or so of the unrelenting noise. They didn't want her back, haha! I am incredibly thankful that she must have been eating just enough to keep her going, despite being so hungry and though she survived, she was more prone to insecurity and instability as a result.

Cooper is perhaps one of the largest reasons why I got into rescue. Knowing very little about birds, I completely spoiled her and created a screaming, biting, tantrum throwing monster that drove both myself and my entire family to tears. Everyone begged me to give her away for the sake of our sanity. After a great deal of education and experimentation, I was able to help cooper settle down and she did not have to lose her home. Then when people got word that Cooper was doing so well, they started sending other little birds to my door to fix. This one tiny little bird sparked an amazing fire inside of me and so my passion for parrots began.


Here is a picture of me with Cooper the year I brought her home. I wish to God that someone would have told me to do SOMETHING with those eyebrows. Clearly, I had not yet figured it out for myself.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa154/Foxersartist/Brag%20Photos/CooperAnnaOld.jpg

Here is a picture of Cooper sitting on my shoulder a couple of months ago. Husband Andy is in the background as well as my heart - Blue and Gold Macaw Peggy Sue who was not even yet a chick in the egg when the first photo of cooper was taken.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa154/Foxersartist/Brag%20Photos/CooperFamily.jpg

A picture of my high school sweetheart with Cooper: Boyfriend then, husband now. Yes Andy did take a roll of toilet paper and wrap it around his head like a turban to pose for that picture. It was his clever way of keeping cockatiel poop out of his hair.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa154/Foxersartist/Brag%20Photos/CooperTurban.jpg

A much more grown up Andy has learned that cockatiels do not belong on your head and that in fact, THIS is the ultimate way to keep bird poop out of your hair.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa154/Foxersartist/Brag%20Photos/CooperAndy.jpg


Finally, a picture of our first born son holding his big sister, Cooper. At 3 1/2 years old, he has an exceptional love and respect for all things feathered. What he doesn't know is that the little feathered treasure he is holding was really our first child.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa154/Foxersartist/Brag%20Photos/CooperGabe.jpg

Now it's your turn to show pictures of then and now. If your first bird is not still alive, show Then and Now pictures of the one you currently have had the longest or show pictures of one you took photos of long ago and then again before he or she passed on.

-Anna

[birdie]

my 1st bird was also a little cockatiel, like cooper, her name was sweetheart. I only had her for 3 years; she died from fatty liver disease. I then got Savannah, Nakita, Jasper & Taco, but... the bird of my heart arrived in Nov of 2005 at 3 months of age, her name is Stella. She's the one I weaned and have had to work the hardest with to understand her.

The 1st picture is Stella at about 4 mos old, only 2 feathers away from being a duckbutt, the 2nd one was taken 2-3 mos ago.

[bonnie]

I do not have pictures, but my first bird's name was Taco. He as a Mexican Red Head and I was absolutely in love with him. He was a bird that had been passed around before me, and after me. I can count back six owners that he had and the person I 'gave' him to no longer has him.
My family acquired Taco when I was in sixth grade. He was given to my mother but was moved to my room when he became attached to me and my mother didn't want him anymore. That bird was incredible. He said my name and gave me kisses. He ate off my plate and took showers with me. Any time the cage was open, he found his way to me. He would also ride on the handle bars of my bike (something I would never try now).
Taco became to posessive of me and began attacking anyone that would come near me. My parents finally made me rehome him after he flew at my father's head and tried to bite him. When I was leaving him, he kept calling my name. I cried for days on end. If I had known half the things I know now (I'm young but still before computers and internet in every house), I would probably still have him and would have been able to work with him to be able to keep him. Taco will always have a special place in my heart as my first bird.

[bonnie]

I do not have pictures, but my first bird's name was Taco. He as a Mexican Red Head and I was absolutely in love with him. He was a bird that had been passed around before me, and after me. I can count back six owners that he had and the person I 'gave' him to no longer has him.
My family acquired Taco when I was in sixth grade. He was given to my mother but was moved to my room when he became attached to me and my mother didn't want him anymore. That bird was incredible. He said my name and gave me kisses. He ate off my plate and took showers with me. Any time the cage was open, he found his way to me. He would also ride on the handle bars of my bike (something I would never try now).
Taco became to posessive of me and began attacking anyone that would come near me. My parents finally made me rehome him after he flew at my father's head and tried to bite him. When I was leaving him, he kept calling my name. I cried for days on end. If I had known half the things I know now (I'm young but still before computers and internet in every house), I would probably still have him and would have been able to work with him to be able to keep him. Taco will always have a special place in my heart as my first bird.

[lcarle]

My first bird was a yellow and green parakeet, Danzon. When we traveled Danzon came with us. He was very fun!!! Then we got a cockatiel, then a sun conure, .......

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Sadly, the only picture of my first bird and myself was lost in water damage. Willie was a baby screech owl who we found with an injured wing and nursed back to health. He worked his way into my family's heart and stayed with us after his recovery. I was about 10 at the time.
Tinky came to live with us, at my daughter's request, in exchange for bringing her grades up when she was ten. It took six months for her to earn that privilege. She went on a trip with her class for a few days not too long after we got him, and Tinky became closely bonded with me. The following Mother's Day, my daughter presented me with a certificate of ownership for Tinky because "he loves you so much now and should be with you." I thought it was the most selfless, grown up thing a child could ever do. Tinky spent the next several weeks trying to win the affections of my ex-husband with great success. He was the only thing I fought for in my divorce.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/4068595514_6056bf325d.jpg

[Larry, Baby and Me]

MY FIRST BIRD by Larry Houston:

Way back when, it was customary for adults to give little kids dye-colored baby chicks for Easter. They were called Pee-Pees. My cousin's was red, my brother's was green, and mine was blue. My grandfather made up a feed and water dish and a little place to keep my Pee-Pee. I took real good care of it. Made sure it was well fed, watered and got lots of love.

I named my little chick Charly. It was really a girl, but I didn't know anything about boy and girl things at that age. Anyhow... my cousin's chick died and then my brother's chick died... but mine thrived under my tender care.

Soon, Charly grew and grew into a full-sized chicken. No one thought it could happen because most all chicks died from lack of care.

It came about that my grandmother wasn't none too happy with a chicken clucking and strutting around the house. So, it was decided that we would take Charly to Aunt Annie and Uncle Frank's farm to live. I was told that Charly would have lots of room to run and play. So, we headed off to the farm with me in the back seat and Charly in my lap.


Here's a pic of me holding Charly.

[Larry, Baby and Me]

It was then summer before we went back to the farm to see Charly.

It was a Saturday when we got to Aunt Annie's and Uncle Frank's. I was the first one out of the car. I ran up and down the yard and then the field looking for Charly. I didn't see him anywhere. I didn't say anything... hoping he would show up. But there was no Charly anywhere.

The next day was Sunday and it was customary to have a large meal with all the families around the table. Aunt Annie was a fantastic cook.

She brought out all the fixens and the main course.

Yep -- you guessed it... Charly was the honored center piece for the meal.

I didn't eat any.

[too&me]

I remeMber that story, so sad how we gain our adulthood and face the realities of life with relatives. So we finally get to see the real Uncle Larry-you were an adorable child.

[birdie]

I too remember that story... a happy memory & a sad memory both combined.

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

Look how proud you are holding little Charly. Awww. Kind of a barbaric ending though.