Capt. Mondo's World o' Mondo-ness

Bird the Third: Cookie
The recent Saturday routine is: 9am take the girls to drama classes downtown (while I go shop for food at the nearby St. Lawrence Market), 11am take Vanessa to the Oxford Learning Centre in The Beach, (and typically treat Annie to a donut while waiting) and then afterwards, lunch somewhere and then home, often to be there in time for an arranged playdate.

This time both girls wanted to go to the McDonalds' near Coxwell, primarily to get a new toy animal from the cartoon movie The Wild, which has long since been and gone from the local theatres.

Afterwards we wandered into the local pet shop on the way back, with the intention of getting some bird toys. Instead we came out with a third budgie: named "Cookie" by Annie.

A had noticed earlier in the week that the cere on the generally grumpy Twinkle had been changing from brown to blue: the sign of a male instead of a female bird. Since the girls were so keen on at least the prospect of baby budgies (at least a year off, if ever) having two male birds spoiled that plan. So that's my excuse. Well, that and the fact that Twinkle is pretty much of a dud: rarely sings, constantly pecking and bothering the otherwise cheerful Fuzzy when it comes to feeding, and largely silent. So the introduction of Cookie has consequently livened things up.

Cookie is an "English Budgie", which means she is more robust than a typical bird. I was still surprised to find that when I got her home that she is easily the largest of the three birds -- I thought she would be on par with Fuzzy. She has a funny ruff of feathers at the top of her eyes that make her eyes seem smaller, and giving her an oddly serious look. I hadn't noticed this in the store, but she is missing a toe on her right foot. It was either congenital or took place when she was very young as it is completely healed and does not seem to bother her in the slightest.

It took her a day to settle in. After that, she was singing away, and typically her and Fuzzy call and answer to each other. And she takes no guff from Twinkle when it comes to food.

I am going to need a bigger cage for all of them, but I need to find something suitable for the space I have for them in the basement.

And I really hope Cookie's cere doesn't end up changing colour to blue...