My First Budgie!

For Laura…

Ever since I was about five years old, I’ve wanted a budgie in a cage. I always said when I grow up and have my own home, I’d get one. It’s taken me nearly 27 years, but yesterday I bought my first budgie!!

I was so excited. I bought the cage, food and some toys and spent ages setting them all up. I picked a gorgeous baby boy with a blue body, white head and clipped wings. The kids and I talked about names all the way home. Amelia, in particular, was so very excited also.

Now, I don’t know all that much about birds. My understanding was that once you clipped their wings, that kind of slowed them down a little. I very carefully took the budgie out of his box. He seemed okay, then pulled himself up, slipped out of my hands, spread his wings and flew away, out the back and two properties down, where he was swooped on by a very large black bird.

I don’t know how long I stood there, with my mouth open, in shock. I just remember suddenly feeling like I was coming out of a dream feeling all numb, to find Amelia crying in hysterics beside me.

Luckily the pet shop took partial responsibility and replaced the budgie at cost. So we get a second chance. Another baby boy, blue with yellow head, whom we called JD. THIS time I put him into the cage whilst locked in the bathroom!!

Today I went back and bought him a friend. I wanted a green and yellow, but he was a biter, so I chose one similar to the one that got away. Elliot is his name. (Yep, it’s a Scrubs theme.)

We also bought three day-old chicks, who are currently living in a big box in the kitchen. Marty (our dog) killed my last chook and is very remorseful and lonely. These three chicks are now used to us handling them and will hopefully be nicer than the last couple of meanies we had.

Aren’t they cute? The black one is so gorgeous. She falls deeply asleep almost the second you pick her up for a cuddle. She’s Mia’s. The brown is Nick’s and the white is Chris’. They are yet unnamed, but I like Lorraine’s suggestion of Snap, Crackle & Pop.

Maybe, with Marty’s track record, we shouldn’t name the chicks after food, though!!