George and Martha Bickersons(Melopsittacus undulatus) caught Summer 2005
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During the summer of
2005, I was mist-netting House Sparrows at the Cook College farm. This was
a project on evaluating the use of House Sparrows as a surveillance tool
for arboviral activity. We (my technicians and I) were catching sparrows
at the cowshed. We spied the two budgies flying with the sparrows. I
caught the normal (green) budgie first, and named him George, after George
H. Cook (check out the stinkeye he's giving the camera in cowshed
picture). About six weeks later I caught the dominant pied budgie
and named her Martha. George was not positive for West Nile antibodies. I didn't test Martha. When I brought Martha back home, George went absolutely ga-ga. The first time they were together, they held onto each others bill for dear life, it seemed. They are now free-flying in my bedroom, staying primarily on the "Southern Belle", fake wisteria tree next to their cage. They yell at each other, groom each other, act like a jerk to each other, feed each other, avoid each other, sit next to each other, and all other behaviors of attraction and repulsion, usually in about 15 minute span. They are totally adorable and just a little nutty. My sweet baboos. |
