Hangover?

Taka experienced her first hangover today. I went out on the porch one afternoon and found her in this state. Haha!

This generation of Tiki and Taka aren't as friendly as the past one. They are slooooooooowly getting used to us, but tend to dash into their tunnel as soon as they see any movement. The one time we decided to take the tunnel out in hopes that their being exposed would take away their escape rout, making them like us more, was an epic fail. That was they day (two days after Jason and Luka had gifted me the birds) that Tiki frantically looked for a way out...and found it. He squeezed through an area of the bamboo sticks that was wider than the rest and found his freedom. The catch? Taka was too fat to fit through and was left behind...sulking and abandoned. I had a feeling she was none too happy about it, taking into account her silent, miffed posture. Jason was livid. Livid. We had only had the birds for two days and now one was gone. I reminded him that they are called "African Love Birds" for a reason, and that although Taka might be mad at Tiki for leaving her behind, he would most likely show up again, with his head tucked under his wing in shame at leaving her behind. Sure enough, at 4:42 a.m. no less, I heard Taka screeching out her reprimands and Tiki responding from a distance....but somewhere in the yard, at least. I watched him several times that morning flying around, trying to figure out how to return without being pounced on. I figured he would be completely repentant of his folly with the first growl of his stomach (as most men are, no?) and would eventually come back looking for food. And so I set up a trap. Another small cage with a mound of seeds, the door propped open by a rolled up piece of paper, with a string attached and pulled all the way across the porch, through the window, behind the bamboo blind, where observation would not be detected. Sure enough, he came back hungry, but in his desperation of trying to peck at the seeds dangling off of the sides of the big cage, he failed to see the mound of seeds in the little cage. At this point, Jason and I were switching posts, him at home, me at the café, and so he took over our little scheme. He put the little cage down on the ground with a trail of seed leading up to a ramp, leading into the cage. Tiki fell for it, Jason pulled my super string, and we had him back. Once restored to his home, I noted with interest that Taka preened and fed herself for the remainder of the day, without a glance in Tiki's direction.

The moment after the camera clicked.


Back in the tunnel, at a safe distance.