Well not exactly but it was back in December 1999 that I first discovered the delights of the Budgerigar. My new girlfiend, Drena, had 1 lonesome Budgie in a cage called Betty. Now Betty used to have a pal called Tilley, but unfourtunatly, had died a couple of months previous. Chirpping like mad at most times, I actually found this little solitary bird a bit of a pain.
Not long after this, I had a distressed telephone call from Drena to say that Betty had pegged it in the night. A small service and buriel were performed, but Drena was still upset. I was due to see Drena in the next couple of days and set about a cunning plan to turn up with 2 new Budgies. Enter Fred and Harry. I purchased them from a large Pet Store in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, UK. They traveled in my car for the 2 hour journey to Hull, which is on the East coast of England. What a surprise they were to Drena, who loved them every bit as she had Betty and Tilly. I however, I was once again distracted from the sound of the television by their endless squwaking.
A few weeks passed and we visited a local Pet store and purchased a little Sky Blue, who we named Bluey. After Bluey Wilkinson, a speedway racer from yester-year. Bluey was then followed by Jessabell. It was then that I deceided that a new and bigger cage was in order to allow the birds as much freedom as possible. The cage looked so big with just a few Budgies in so more birds were needed. Durring a visit to Stoke the purchasing of, Mork & Mindy.and Buzby and Bettsey. Then Lucy, given by Drena's friend 'Jo' came to stay followed by Beano (Albino). So now nine birds lived in the living room. The cage that we had, was the type that the top opened out. So the birds could fly around the room at will, which they did 24/7. By now I had got used to the noise and wanted to get my own Budgies to have back home in Stoke.
I purchased some Budgies in Hull, one Sunday afternoon. 2 birds from Do It All DIY Pet World and 2 from a local pet store out of sympathy. I had seen the 2 birds in the local pet store and they were kept ina very bad way....One was a feather duster and the other had scaley face. What a disgracefull place this was. I got Drena to report them to the RSPCA on the Monday.
Well as you will know the feather duster died a few weeks, but with the right treatment, CRUSTY, beacame a picture of health, and is still with us today.
From there more purchases, and in the end I had 13 Budgies in my front room, flying free. This was a crazy thing. Even more mad when Drena came to stay with her Budgies. In that time durring the summer of 2000 I learnt to lip read. I had too. I didn't hear the television for 2 months. I had to get an aviary. So I set about ordering the 6'x6' shed and building the outside flight. Now, you got to understand that I have never built anything in wood, but I was very pleased with my efforts, even down to the cut price mesh.
The big day came and the birds were relesed into the aviary. Peace at last.
Now the idea was that Drena would take her birds back after the summer, but the fact was that the birds all took on a whole new characture. From so call ed caged birds to being in an aviary was amazing. They were really active.Drena did not have the heart to seperate the birds and take them back to Hull and a deal was struck. I would get Drena a pair of LOVE BIRDS?
