Beak grinding....
Why is it I love that sound so much?
Perhaps because I know what it means... progress.
I look up from my laptop and there she is, tall and confident... proud and comfortable. She's happily resting high on her sleeping perch at the top of the cage, winding down from another exciting day. She feels safe from harm. There's a certain warmth in her eyes and a transitional level of contentment she didn't display yesterday. It's the first time I've heard her grind her beak since she came to me a week ago, and I can't think of any sound I've been yearning to hear more than this one.
Every day marks some notable form of progress and I can tell she's trusting me more and more as time goes on. Her apprehensions are still very high and she's considerably reluctant to come out of the cage, despite my hourly efforts to try.
We did share some dinner off my plate this evening. I sat on the floor with her cage door open. Eventually her interest in my food won out over her apprehension to get close. I took a bite, and then offered her some. Chicken, mixed vegetables and a bit of pasta. She really seemed to enjoy having a meal together.
I have held her many times but it's always been rather forced and under protest. I want her to trust me. I want her to know with no terms of uncertainty that she's safe with me. Aside from what I've been doing, I'm scrambling for ideas on how to earn that trust from her. She'll practically ask me to touch her. She'll take my hand and hold it firmly in her talon and I let her beak on my fingers... But she still won't step up. Not even for her favorite treat.
Bijou.
That's her name. Pronounced "Bee-jew", it's french for delicate treasure; rare jewel.
Seems fitting...
Why is it I love that sound so much?
Perhaps because I know what it means... progress.
I look up from my laptop and there she is, tall and confident... proud and comfortable. She's happily resting high on her sleeping perch at the top of the cage, winding down from another exciting day. She feels safe from harm. There's a certain warmth in her eyes and a transitional level of contentment she didn't display yesterday. It's the first time I've heard her grind her beak since she came to me a week ago, and I can't think of any sound I've been yearning to hear more than this one.
Every day marks some notable form of progress and I can tell she's trusting me more and more as time goes on. Her apprehensions are still very high and she's considerably reluctant to come out of the cage, despite my hourly efforts to try.
We did share some dinner off my plate this evening. I sat on the floor with her cage door open. Eventually her interest in my food won out over her apprehension to get close. I took a bite, and then offered her some. Chicken, mixed vegetables and a bit of pasta. She really seemed to enjoy having a meal together.
I have held her many times but it's always been rather forced and under protest. I want her to trust me. I want her to know with no terms of uncertainty that she's safe with me. Aside from what I've been doing, I'm scrambling for ideas on how to earn that trust from her. She'll practically ask me to touch her. She'll take my hand and hold it firmly in her talon and I let her beak on my fingers... But she still won't step up. Not even for her favorite treat.
Bijou.
That's her name. Pronounced "Bee-jew", it's french for delicate treasure; rare jewel.
Seems fitting...
