Remembering Dewey

I like to share memories of our “rainbow” budgies on what would have been their hatchdays.
This year I decided to share videos.

Today we are thinking of our darling Dewey on what would have been his hatchday.
Dewey was our second budgie. We brought him home to be a companion for Cooper. He was just a baby, and an awkward baby at that. It didn’t take long for him to win our hearts.
Dewey grew into a striking fellow. He was best buddies with Ozzie, and soon became the flock leader.

Dewey enjoyed his oats and would “bliss out” eating them. He liked to make confetti out of carrots, and play with his mirrored dice. He was an amazing flier – quick and acrobatic. What Dewey loved most though, was Sunny. He fell head over heels for her at first sight. He was a devoted boyfriend and was always at her side.

Dewey was such a wonderful little budgie. He was very gentle and a friend to all. Though he left us in 2014, we still miss his presence. He was a sweet, handsome fellow who left us with many happy memories.

Budgie Animation

Carmen Avis by Tales of Alethrion.

“Carmen Avis is an animated short film made in Skjald in collaboration with the music duo Ventus who has won several music competitions around the world. The project started in the very beginning of Skjald as an experiment where animation and dance performance meets live orchestra. It was an amazing journey and we learned a lot from working closely with a professional flute duo, modern dancer, orchestral composer, animation team, live action camera and a monstrous greenscreen. The film was part of the debut concert of the musicians where they played live while it played on a big screen.”

“The story: The musicians of this film and I had a friend with a rare stomach disease when we were kids. This disease made it difficult for him to play with other children and he spend a lot of time in the hospital. He passed away too soon and we made this little film dedicated to him about a bird that can’t fly.”

Ring Ring…

In a new study, researchers from Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow and MIT found that given the choice, birds would call each other.

Eighteen birds participated in the study (three dropped out early on). They were taught how to work with the smartphones and tablets, and were able to decide if they wanted to make video calls to fellow birds.

They found that the birds would initiate calls, and would “learn skills from their video friends, including foraging, new vocalizations and even flying.” The phone calls were especially beneficial for birds who were isolated. Two elderly macaws formed a deep bond through their calls.

You can read more about the study here.