When Sarah, my grand baby was born my daughter bought a baby monitor. I’m way out of the baby loop so these monitors are new to me. I decided I need one too so when Sarah stays with us we can watch her sleep from another room. I bought a used Infant Optic DXR-5. I really like it. I bet I’ve dropped it or it’s been knocked off the table 8-9 times so far and no harm was done.
I got to thinking, maybe I should use the monitor and spy on my birds. Then I got to thinking it would be nice to have one that pans and zooms like the one Annie’s (Sarah’s mom) got. I studied a bit and bought the Levana Keera. It has a SD card and I thought, well maybe someday I might want to record the birds.
WOW! What I have learned watching the monitor. When I go into the bird room ALL the birds stop and sit still. Sometimes if I am in the bird room for a while cleaning or whatever, my pairs will eat but for the most part they just sit and watch me or hide in their boxes. This baby monitor has taught me more than I can even write.
I have one female that I thought was “scared” of her mate and was thinking of repairing them. She is ALWAYS in the box when I am around. She’ll peak at me but never comes out. I’ve learned when I am not around the heifer plays. She swings on her orb like a kid on a playground. I watch her sitting with her mate, preening. She’s just all over the place. She even dance-walks and prances. I had no idea she was so happy.
I have also been watching one of my males sit in the box from time to time while the female leans all the way in with just her tail feathers showing. Not sure what the deal is with this. I would love to give her a little shove but somehow I don’t think that would work even if I could. Something in the box doesn’t suit her yet is my guess. The male chewed the entry hole to the box so large that I’ve had to replace the whole front.
I have been watching them try to mate too. They practice a lot. I keep cheering them on. This is a pair that I wasn’t sure liked each other much. She’s one of my handfeds who is just now old enough to breed. She always jumps to the front of the cage when I feed them wanting a head scratch. Trying to break the bond with her, I won’t do that anymore. I just assumed she had rejected him for me and they may never bond. After watching the monitor, I am amazed at how devoted they are when I’m not around.
I am still watching and studying and learning. I truly wish I had known about baby monitors sooner. My birds are simply amazing.
