Pedro And Sasha

Our first baby Rainbow Lorikeets we raised.. Pedro and Sasha - Hatched 18/12/2004 - Removed from parents on the 28/12/2004

At first it seemed a daunting task we had set for our selves (so tiny and fragile - I also chopped of the top of my finger with a lawn mower just as we where beginning this adventure) but after the first feeding (Lots of patience) we where able to get both baby rainbows feeding well. They happily snuggled up to us after every feed for a little nap. We also gave them stuffed bears to snuggle up to at night and seemed to keep them happy when not being nursed. They had to be fed every four hours, four times a day approximately, this was dropped to three times a day when nearing fledging stage . Lilly our cockatiel also joined in and wanted to eat the baby food (she must have remembered her being raising the same way). She got along well with both rainbows as they grew and eventually became best friends with Sasha the female. They are very messy when they eat and the food gets everywhere  and you have to give them a flannel wash to clean up the food they get all over them, but it was an amazing and unregrettable experience for me. I fell in love with both babies, which I found out later was one of the hardships of hand raising these wonderful birds. When they where nearing fledging stage we got them a set of rings to climb on, Lilly also loved to be on the rings with them. (see photo's). We fed them first of with a bird raising mixture mixed with baby food such as vegetables' and peas. Finally they where able to feed themselves with some coaching and encouragement. We had decided to keep the male Lorikeet who we named Pedro, he was already starting to make sounds like he was going to talk (definite Boy). The girl my wife called at first, Screecher as she was always crying for attention (which I gave to her when I could - hours).

One morning my daughter Sarah gets Pedro out of his box getting ready to feed him when he must have got a fright and he flew straight out an open window, and he was gone. We looked and called out for weeks but to no avail, the whole family was devastated.

I do think he was rescued by the Bird man of Redcliffe as a couple of weeks later a photo appears in our local paper with the bird man and a Rainbow Lorikeet he had found. The story read that he was amazed by the bird being so tame. I rang him and spoke to him about the bird, he said it sounded like a cockatiel at times, I told him it was raised with a cockatiel, but he had already given the bird away to some one and didn't seem to interested in returning him to me. So, if it was him, and I do believe it was, at least he is safe (though probably locked forever in a cage) as he would not have survived in the wild to long.

Sasha

Well after the loss of Pedro we decided to keep Sasha, she doesn't talk but does make some weird noises and wolf whistles etc. We have grown to love this amazing intelligent Bird. She is a bit of a hand full some times as she can be stubborn and very determined in her attitude towards daily life. She has to check out what I am eating or drinking, or I have to hide from her to stop her from doing so. She loves toast, cordial, grapes, cooked peas, mash potato, potato chips, baked potato, Crisps, Port, Beer, ice-cream, milk?, cherries, apples, lettuce. She will test out anything, fish, meat, you name it she will try it if you are eating it, even chillies (no more chillies as she gets a bit fiery). The funny thing with her if you give her some food for herself, she ignores it and still wants whats going into your mouth or holding such as a sandwich. (always greener on the other side?). As for bathing she has a bath at least every second day and has on a number of occasions hoped in the bath with me, she loves this in winter, nice warm water, but it can be painful for me, sharp claws and a inquisitive nature, likes to test new thing out by nibbling on them (ouch!)

She is like a kitten at times with her playfulness, she can be full on some times when she plays with me, she can get over excited which can be painful but she knows when she has hurt me and calms down and even snuggles up to be to say sorry. She will bite if she doesn't like something and has drawn blood a number of times, getting clipped is one thing she hates. She also has an aversion to thongs for some reason an attacks them with out warning (with your foot still in them - ouch!). I have to tell visitors to watch their feet. Most visitors are ok with her but she gets really jealous of my daughters friends and will bite them if she gets the chance (a very jealous bird). The things I have seen this bird do has astounded me, dance to music, whirl around like a top, sleep on her back. I do not ever regret keeping her as our pet, she has become one of the family. She is only locked in her cage if we go out, some bring a dog around or she is in trouble for not doing as she is told. Most of the time she gets up and out of her cage before I'm awake and will be sitting waiting in the lounge room for me. At night, well she stays up late most nights, at least till 10pm which is very late for a bird but she won't go to bed unless she wants to. We have ritual of saying good night as she will kiss me before she goes back in her cage and then kisses me again to say good night and huddles of to her nesting box. If I don't let her kiss me she won't go to bed and will get upset with me. She has slept with me one night, she would not go to bed, no matter what I did, so I took her to bed with me and made a safe spot next to me, she snuggled up in the crook of my arm and slept their all night. I was very worried I would roll over and hurt her but I didn't, similar to having a small child in bed with you, amazing. She obviously thinks I am her mate by the advances she has made towards me (bird sex :) ), that has me a bit worried but I try to ignore her sexual antics a bit by talking and playing.

She fell in love with Lilly our hand raised cockatiel, and they would preen each other for hours together, they definitely had a strong affection for each other and they had a special bird call they would use to attract each other. Sasha was a bit rough with Lilly but most of the time she was very gentle and loving to this little bird. She still calls out for Lilly nearly everyday since she passed away which is very sad. I hope to see this bird grow old and grey, and live a full happy life, she deserves every second of it. What a delight and a pleasure it is to experience her love and companionship. No other bird like her, an individual with her own wants, desires, loves, my third child, A permanent two year old.

Sasha -  ©2006 Rodney K. Burgess

You love me so much I am stunned, But I know I'm not the only one

Sarah has you on the run, you seem to be having so much fun

But when I look into your eyes, I see the hope of blue free skies, I see the love your feathers hide,

Rainbow your sitting on my hand, I've hand raised you to be my friend

Rainbow, Rainbow, why can't they see, you can't ever, ever be set free, Cruel as this, they all might seem

But nature plays a deadly hand, at the cost of such a precious friend

Your feathers ruffled our lives, when you kiss and snuggle tight

Rainbow, Rainbow, you can't be free, hand raised, I hope you never leave

Nature can be so cruel and unjust, she'd eat you up, you'd turn to dust

Rainbow, Rainbow, don't ever leave, my life would be a misery

Rainbow, Rainbow, I love you so, don't you ever, ever go

:(

Sasha(18/12/2004 - 5/5/2010)

REST IN PEACE MY LITTLE ONE, MY FRIEND, MY COMPANION, MY LOVE

08/05/2010 - 23.05 - I buried Sasha in the back yard next to my other lost loves ones on Thursday afternoon at 3.30pm. This was extremely hard for me as I had to wrap and secure her comfortably in her metal coffin and dug the hole etc. Lots and lots of tears but I did give her a big hug and kiss before I did this. I have got all the photos and video of her in one spot as I intend to do something with them. I find it very disturbing and horrifying to loose her six months after loosing her best parrot friend, Lilly.  Sasha was so intertwined in our daily life's, she spent over 80% of her waking hours with me for over five and a half years, from her unfeathered age of a 10 day old chick.  She was deeply in love with me and I was deeply in love with her.

For Other photos of Sasha with her best Parrot Friend Lilly click here - Together now forever.

I have some great movies of her which will be posted as soon as I get time, some have to be transferred from old VHS tapes.

Sasha giving me a preen		Sasha after her Bath

Having a Drink like everyone else is