How It Began

FINE, FEATHERED GRANDKIDS: The babies from Princess and Boingo's first clutch brought the number of budgies in my flock up from five to nine. Pictured (L to R) are: Isabel (who might actually be a male), Guacamole, Happy Periwinkle and Hoho.

No one starts out intending to become a "crazy budgie person." I bought my first budgerigar at age 16; and, like most bird owners, started with just one. When free of genetic defects and cared for properly, budgies can live for more than a decade. So, for most of my life, I've had only singles or one pair at a time. But then, something happened.

I acquired my mother's extremely smart male budgie Scooter, after a stroke left her unable to care for him, sadly. This gave me an odd number of birds. So, I bought a friend for the friend. But the odd bird didn't particularly like the new bird, and the new bird felt left out. So, I needed yet another companion. In my search for an older bird, I discovered rescue sites. There were budgies out there — many of them — in need of homes. Surely, I could take one more. After all, they're small. And they're so very cute.

I created a tiny flock, a family. They became my delightfully mischievous, feathered kids — part of my family. Anyone who's ever loved a pet of any kind knows how easily and unconditionally they fill your heart. Budgies aren't any different. One look and they're in.

Then, last winter, I became a "budgie nonna" for the first time. As hard as it is to believe, in more than 40 years, I'd never had a hen lay a viable egg. But, last Christmas, my little half-English budgie Princess went to town. She laid nine eggs, rejected five and hatched four. I had five birds previously (because my sweet Boris, a senior, had passed recently) and Princess' adorable, little babies brought my total to nine. Now, she's laying more.

I vowed that I would not part with my first clutch of "grandkids." I adore them all and both of their parents (the father's name is Boingo) are up there in budgie years. And their aunt Spooky, a white, clear-winged hen that reminds me of a little ghost, is approaching her later years also. But I must be practical. Princess is getting better at motherhood. If she lays nine more eggs and they all go to term, I don't have the time nor the space for 18 budgies. So, I will be adopting out most or all of the new clutch to loving forever homes.

If you live in or within driving distance of Los Angeles County, California's South Bay area, and are interested in adopting one or more hand-raised budgies, please follow this blog and message me. I will be creating a budgie adoption form very soon. I want these coming baby birds to go to good homes where they'll be loved and cared for properly, and given the attention they deserve. I will be selecting owners from the applications I receive.

This is what they look like now. Those tiny eggs have miracles inside.

PRINCESS AND BOINGO'S SECOND CLUTCH: So far, there are four.