For the Birds - Tribute to Ocean Blue, Beloved Parakeet

Episode Two

Camas, WA  I started this series as I way to learn to take care of our recently acquired and beloved parakeets Ocean Blue & Sunny Jewel .  Sometime in April, I acceded to one of my granddaughter's wishes to take her to the local PetSmart - she had already lobbied grandma into considering getting her a new pet.  Perhaps a fish 

Sunny Jewel

As soon as we went inside, she darted toward the fish section and had already selected one she liked.  But as I was ready to call a clerk to help with the fish, from the corner of her eyes she saw Ocean Blue.  It was love at first peck! She stopped looking at the fish and right there and then, she wanted Ocean Blue.  Once that was decided, she turned to selecting a parakeet for her sister.  She chose Sunny Jewel.

As we got Ocean Blue & Sunny Jewel settled in their new home, Ocean flew out of the cage.  It took us a few minutes to get her back in, but in the process, my granddaughter was able to take an iconic picture of Ocean Blue in my hands

Since then, Ocean has been more sociable, while Sunny seems more energetic and aggressive.  Ocean loved her Millet. I got to the point that I would approach her with a branch of Millet in my hand  and she would start chomping right away.  Often she would grab the branch with one of her feet, as she would use her other foot to grab on to the cage or perch.

Iconic picture of Ocean Blue 

Ocean loved to peck at an oversized mirror on her perch.  They made that their main bathroom.  As soon as I cleaned the perches, they would start pecking at the mirror again 

BEFORE-AFTER mirror on a perch 

I built a little platform with a two inch thick giant pine bark.  Sunny can spend hours shaping the bark, while Ocean was more deliberate.  She would join in once in a while but not overly enthused 

Yesterday, besides the cage cleaning mid morning, spending a couple of hours outside to get fresh air & introducing baby spinach to their diet, all seemed normal.  Never lethargic or symptomatic of anything  that indicated there was anything wrong with Ocean

Bark Platform- Sunny's favorite pastime

In fact,, Sunny plays a mean game of Keet Basketball.  Yesterday I was fortunate to catch both going at it, using their own basket. 

This morning as I uncovered their cage to say good morning, the place was unusually quiet.  Sunny was standing on their favorite high perches, next to a warming perch.  I could not see Ocean, then got that feeling. As I looked around the cage, Ocean was lying on the floor next to their bath tub & water tub.  Ocean has gone to Bird Heaven  to join Angel.  Angel paid us a short dying  visit this summer. 

While we will surely miss our beloved Ocean Blue, our attention turns to Sunny Jewel.   How is she going to cope without Ocean? Does she know Ocean is dead?   She is currently more subdued - she knows something is different.

RIP Ocean Blue

Angel and Ocean Blue now in Bird Heaven

Sunny Jewel busy working on her bark, while Ocean Blue pecks at her favorite mirror

Tribute to Ocean Blue and Sunny as seen by my granddaughters