Budgie relentless in destroying my antique wall clock

Skarila

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More of a rant here, but if anyone has any better ideas, I'd be really greatfull.

So, while I'm happy to see our budgie Csilli awake and very active, I am absolutely NOT happy that she is absolutely relentless in going to a very certain spot. All. The Time. And I mean it. Every 30 seconds, I kid you not.

To fill in the story. The antique clock is a Gustav Becker type meaning it has a flat top, and there is perhaps 5-6cm space between the clock and the ceiling. The clock was here already way over a year, and it was never interesting to her, until recently. I inherited the clock from my grandfather, so it's not going anywhere.
Pascal, my conure, would often just land on it briefly and go his way, or just perch on the lower part of the clock while I work, as the clock is right above my desk. However, Csilli, being a little destructive dominatrix, she's in for the destroying the wood. After I noticed she REALLY wanted to have it destroyed, I actually went as far to install her some wooden blocks in her cage, and attach it very firmly so she can destroy that, and she is destroying it happily. However, she really wants the clock so bad, and she wants to hide in the spot all the time. At first we covered the clock so she'd at least stop chewing it, but instead she'd crawl to the back of the clock and chew from there. Then we started putting some boxes there, but she'd always toss them down. Theeen we tried to stuff the gap with some clothing and bags and stuff, but she STILL is flying there, ever so relentlessly. She simply KNOWS she is not allowed to go there, and she is now going as far as flying to the exactly the same spot every 30 seconds to no end. A loud clap will usually shoo her, but lord. I cannot keep her closed all day, but I also cannot have her crawling up there. I went as far to check for eggs as I am super afraid that she already laid some eggs and is trying to get back there. I'm out of ideas how to break her habit of going there all. the. time. To me, it's simply incredible how stubborn she is to go to that same spot, and nothing seems to be helping. I went as far putting some brightly coloured clothing there, which dettered her for full 5 minutes, before she decided to land again and trying to dig her way there. Just by writing this post, she landed/tried to land before I clapped at least 30 times. I don't mind her perching anywhere else, just for the love of everything that is saint, just not my clock..!!!!

She's not hungry for any straightforward interaction from us, if anything she's shying away from me (I wonder why.... >>) but from Pascal also. I really have no more ideas what to do...

</rant>
 

LaManuka

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Got one word for you Skar - nesting. They get *really* obsessive when they're broody and I'm pretty sure she sees your clock as not only the ideal nesting spot, but also a bonus in that it provides lots of lovely nesting material too when she chews it up! You have my every sympathy as I am currently spending most of my day chasing the Crown Princess out of her fave nesting spots too. Every time i turn around she's got her fuzzy little butt sticking out of a gap in my couch as she tries to burrow her way in there. Fun times!! :rolleyes:
 
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Skarila

Skarila

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✻RIP - 28 YO Zeleni the mischievous IRN
✻RIP -Sunny the budgie
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Put something scary by, or near it? I have a rubber Parrot shaped squeeze toy Salty is terrified by. I put that near Tinkers food bin, as he is always trying to get in there. I think he would rather drink Draino than go near it.
My partner tried it today, and what a fail it was!! We have a parrot statuette for garden that I never used in the end, it's around 20cm big. Pascal is very much afraid of it but Csilli didn't mind it after 3 minutes of scouting the place. I made a mean joke that I will buy a rubber snake. ....perhaps that really might help.
 
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Skarila

Skarila

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Got one word for you Skar - nesting. They get *really* obsessive when they're broody and I'm pretty sure she sees your clock as not only the ideal nesting spot, but also a bonus in that it provides lots of lovely nesting material too when she chews it up! You have my every sympathy as I am currently spending most of my day chasing the Crown Princess out of her fave nesting spots too. Every time i turn around she's got her fuzzy little butt sticking out of a gap in my couch as she tries to burrow her way in there. Fun times!! :rolleyes:
Why are the girls such troublemakers?? I was also afraid that she is quite broody - often I see her digging in her food bowls which I discourage. It's interesting to see her brooding now in the begining of winter when we barely have any sunlight!
 

LaManuka

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Why are the girls such troublemakers?? I was also afraid that she is quite broody - often I see her digging in her food bowls which I discourage. It's interesting to see her brooding now in the begining of winter when we barely have any sunlight!
Oh i don't know Skar. I've had budgie and cockatiel hens before but none as broody as the Crown Princess! Budgies in the wild are spring/summer breeders when food is more plentiful but from what i can gather their domestic Euro cousins can and do breed any time, probably because there's no shortage of food. And your clock is probably the closest thing to a nesting box or tree hollow that your hen has seen.

Good luck, Skar, maybe that rubber snake idea might just work!! :D
 
D

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I would think the rubber snake or those popular hamster toys from a few years back that moved and made noises on their own would work!

When we moved to our current house we had a problem with ducks visiting our pool. Swimming in the pool, bathing in the pool, and of course, pooping in the pool.

After shocking the pool several times, we finally read about a humane solution. A really large alligator floaty. Didn’t work. Then I read about using anything with VERY LARGE EYES 👀. I gave my husband the mission on a Wal-mart run. He brought home a huge poo 💩 emoji floaty with enormous eyes. (He swears that was the only large-eyed floaty.) Never saw the ducks again. It only took 2 years for that thing to blow away in a storm.

To make a short story long, maybe try a large-eyed creepy toy. Those elves on shelves strike me as a candidate, and tis the season! I suppose if all else fails, you could cover or move the clock.
 
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Skarila

Skarila

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✻RIP - 28 YO Zeleni the mischievous IRN
✻RIP -Sunny the budgie
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I would think the rubber snake or those popular hamster toys from a few years back that moved and made noises on their own would work!

When we moved to our current house we had a problem with ducks visiting our pool. Swimming in the pool, bathing in the pool, and of course, pooping in the pool.

After shocking the pool several times, we finally read about a humane solution. A really large alligator floaty. Didn’t work. Then I read about using anything with VERY LARGE EYES 👀. I gave my husband the mission on a Wal-mart run. He brought home a huge poo 💩 emoji floaty with enormous eyes. (He swears that was the only large-eyed floaty.) Never saw the ducks again. It only took 2 years for that thing to blow away in a storm.

To make a short story long, maybe try a large-eyed creepy toy. Those elves on shelves strike me as a candidate, and tis the season! I suppose if all else fails, you could cover or move the clock.
Well, might as well put a huge googly eyed poo on the clock xD, Right now it just looks so terrible, covered and cluttered with all kinds of stuff just to keep that 40 gramm of mischief away from chewing off the clock. First I might truly try pasting a paper snake with googly eyes, if that doesn't work, guess I'll have to order quite a few of the rubber snakes and place it there. I pray that truly does the trick!!
 
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Skarila

Skarila

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Update:

So I remembered I have this woolen belt thingie. So I slapped some googly eyes (don't ask me why I have those) and hung it onto the clock.

Meet Snek and Long Boi the two headed snake
IMG20211130110444.jpg


I truly truly hope this might work, at least for a day.
I am seriously out of ideas... :')

IMG20211130110717.jpg


IMG20211130110736.jpg


IMG20211130110759.jpg


IMG20211130110805.jpg
 

LaManuka

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Update:

So I remembered I have this woolen belt thingie. So I slapped some googly eyes (don't ask me why I have those) and hung it onto the clock.

Meet Snek and Long Boi the two headed snake
View attachment 32570

I truly truly hope this might work, at least for a day.
I am seriously out of ideas... :')

View attachment 32571

View attachment 32572

View attachment 32573

View attachment 32574

Oh lol! Please let me know if Long Boi works, and I hope he does. I may have to give it a try with The Crown Princess! :D
 
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Skarila

Skarila

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Oh lol! Please let me know if Long Boi works, and I hope he does. I may have to give it a try with The Crown Princess! :D
Well Martina, seems to work, for now at least! Will let you know in the evening (or well....morning for you) if Long boi is doing his job right!
 

LaManuka

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Well Martina, seems to work, for now at least! Will let you know in the evening (or well....morning for you) if Long boi is doing his job right!
Skar if that thing works there will be several of his cousins on the payroll here by tomorrow!! :D
 
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Skarila

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✻RIP -Sunny the budgie
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Update:

All my hopes and dreams can go to the trash...!! Csilli is way smarter than she looks! Yesterday during day and evening she was very reluctant to land there, but today - no problem, she was there. She even somehow managed to go under the cover. Incredible.

I guess step two is to buy realistic looking rubber snakes and put them there!
 
D

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This bird is a genius.
I saw a most obnoxious musical twerking Santa on Amazon, but she probably wouldn’t even be phased by it!
7326E304-0EE6-43FA-8E8C-FFDBC23088B5.jpeg
 
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Skarila

Skarila

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I simply give up.

I had to take the clock off. Horror awaited me - she chewed on it much more than what I anticipated. I feel so sad and heartbroken. I'll have to put it into our work/study room, even if it really doesn't suit for the clock to be there, but at least it will be safe from this troublemaker's shredding beak.

Just when I thought the mess and the need to shout and shoo the bird will be gone, she is really testing me and my temper and my wits, constantly digging in the food bowls, tossing the expensive pellets out. Drives me mad!!! Not only in her bowls, but she goes to Pascal's too!!! So I had to take out the bowls from Pascal's cage, he knows if he is hungry he will go to his playstand and eat it there. Csilli today learned that she can land on the playstand too. I was away for 30 minutes just to have my lunch, and what did this witch do, she tossed ALL the food out from the tiny wooden bowls from the playstand. I am REALLY furious with this bird, she is nothing but a troublemaker and I am at my wit's end.
 

IcyWinteRose

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I simply give up.

I had to take the clock off. Horror awaited me - she chewed on it much more than what I anticipated. I feel so sad and heartbroken. I'll have to put it into our work/study room, even if it really doesn't suit for the clock to be there, but at least it will be safe from this troublemaker's shredding beak.

Just when I thought the mess and the need to shout and shoo the bird will be gone, she is really testing me and my temper and my wits, constantly digging in the food bowls, tossing the expensive pellets out. Drives me mad!!! Not only in her bowls, but she goes to Pascal's too!!! So I had to take out the bowls from Pascal's cage, he knows if he is hungry he will go to his playstand and eat it there. Csilli today learned that she can land on the playstand too. I was away for 30 minutes just to have my lunch, and what did this witch do, she tossed ALL the food out from the tiny wooden bowls from the playstand. I am REALLY furious with this bird, she is nothing but a troublemaker and I am at my wit's end.
Oh no! Sounds like you have your hands full with this one. Deep breathes, you'll make it through, somehow!
 
D

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“All creatures great and small, the Lord, God, made them all”….even the annoying ones. 😊

It’ll be ok! Our birbies are all (as my husband describes Rico the LSSC) “flying toddlers with wire cutters”.

You have a particularly spicy toddler! There are days when they can be incredibly frustrating. Sounds like Csilli has a LOT of personality and in the grand scheme of things, I know she means more to you than the clock!

I remind myself of this when they chew the wood work, crack cell phones, take buttons off remotes, chew through all clothing (I immediately change into holy parrot clothes when I come home), poop on work clothes which isn’t discovered until at work, shriek when you REALLY a need a nap, pull out nose hairs, blemishes or moles (they are really excellent dermatologists), and, of course, dropping game. This is a classic favorite of all human toddlers, psittacines, and cats. Glass bowls on tables make a LOVELY noise when hitting a tile floor. And the animated people faces and WORDS OF POWER that are spoken (#%^*+=, etc) are a most wonderful thing to behold! (Birbies will have you say WORDS of POWER as often as possible as to learn them themselves)

I suppose in the end, things are things. Messes can eventually be cleaned up. And it’s our relationships that matter. That’s one of the few things we take with us after this life.

When we look into those bright eyes full of love and mischief, you know we’d never have it any other way!
D0A6AB63-763B-44E9-B564-F26C650C0D86.jpeg
 

LaManuka

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I simply give up.

I had to take the clock off. Horror awaited me - she chewed on it much more than what I anticipated. I feel so sad and heartbroken. I'll have to put it into our work/study room, even if it really doesn't suit for the clock to be there, but at least it will be safe from this troublemaker's shredding beak.

Just when I thought the mess and the need to shout and shoo the bird will be gone, she is really testing me and my temper and my wits, constantly digging in the food bowls, tossing the expensive pellets out. Drives me mad!!! Not only in her bowls, but she goes to Pascal's too!!! So I had to take out the bowls from Pascal's cage, he knows if he is hungry he will go to his playstand and eat it there. Csilli today learned that she can land on the playstand too. I was away for 30 minutes just to have my lunch, and what did this witch do, she tossed ALL the food out from the tiny wooden bowls from the playstand. I am REALLY furious with this bird, she is nothing but a troublemaker and I am at my wit's end.
The nesting instinct is strong with this one..... :rolleyes:

I know the feeling and you have my EVERY sympathy!
 

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