Tinkerbell - Love of a flying grey parrot in Taiwan

[shanlung]

Pootspete,

Thank you.

YS more graduation photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlung/sets/1549325/




Yesterday, I managed to persuade Yingshiong to
tolerate
my wife Joy inside the flight room to take photos of
us
together.

The shots taken are better than the one I had taken.

There were three sequences of pure recall taken by Joy
standing behind me.

Use slide show at 1.6 to 2 seconds timing

Read the account in

www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/2005/12/10/


Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

[wings]

Wow! I just saw this thread last night. So cool Shanlung! I have to congragulate you on all of your hard work! Very interesting.

[Delphineous]

Welcome to the board - I certainly look forward to future posts from you. After reading your posts so far, I have some ideas for helping us train our Red-bellied Parrot, Ruby.

Best Wishes!

[shanlung]

My friends,

Thank you

We all learn and we all share.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yingshiong first entry into apartment





http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlung/sets/1596048/



Writeup in
http://www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/39415.html




Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

[shanlung]

Shama Yingshiong in apartment and getting on to shoulder








http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlung/sets/1632613/


Read writeups in

www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/40255.html

www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/40590.html


Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

[Birdmad Girl]

Excellent! Those are adorable photos!

[budgiebird]

wow! tink amazeses me! as does your dedication to her. its just amazing! im really blown away. im kinda scared to even attempt to try that, ever. 'cause one i accidentally let Bogie out of the house by carrying him out on my shoulder and he flew away! i was so scared! we lived in the woods and it was spring. and since he's blue he blended in really easily! i lived in fear for him the rest of the day while i was at school. but luckily and thank god for my mom, he came back casue we had put his cage onteh deck and my mom stayed outside ringing the bell. im so glad he came back . but now im kinda scared to try what you and tink have accomplished. i find it amazing that it can be down and may now even try it....or maybe not.

[shanlung]

Thank you!

Budgiebird,

Thats why I used a harness and leash that I designed. I had this heart stopping moment when my ball of grey flew off beyond the horizon after being frightened out of her life.

We played and trained more than what can be glimpsed in the letters on Tinkerbell. The current blog on Yingshiong can give you an idea of the training and playing Tink and I did together. If the writup on Tinkerbell made it seem like a piece of cake, that would be wrong and can be blamed on the summaries I made on what I have done with Tinkerbell.

:-) Even if those reports seemed so long and numerous, good if you have insomnia and need to read something to fall asleep.


Take my word, it aint easy. But you decide if thats worth it from the photos and reports that I wrote.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

New shots of YS hovering






Here are the latest shots, of YS hovering taking milli
from my hand
taken with flash to try to freeze his wings in flight.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlung/sets/1728286/

Write up in
http://www.livejournal.com/users/shanlung/42160.html


He is currently brooding in the kitchen now at this
time of writing.



Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

[Sir Peter of Canada]

I have not posted in this thread but have been following along...I am more and more amazed with each new post from you Shanlung. You are a very gifted bird person and your love and devotion to your birds shows through in a way so rarely seen. Thank you so very much for sharing your birds and experiences with us...TailFeathers became richer when you arrived...

[McDenny]

Shanlung I am amazed by all of your pictures!! Your Shama Yingshiong is BEAUTIFUL!! I love the long tail. I really enjoy all of your pictures!

[shanlung]

Hehot, Mcdenny,

I appreciate your comments very much. I am sorry for late replying. But if
you can see in the journal that I keep, the writings of YS took a fair bit of time.

I am unable to be here as often as I should and would like. But at major
events (which hopefully exclude the keeling over ) and things of interests, I do
try to let friends in groups here know about it. That include groups in Russia, Germany,
China , French and Arabian/Hebrew groups too.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


Shama Yingshiong songs

I managed to do some short recordings of Yingshiong
singing.

The writeup is in here.

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/50032.html

The songs of Yingshiong are in here.

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/shamasong.html



Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

[shanlung]

More Shama Yingshiong songs including his mimic of
Ivan meows

Read writeup in here
http://shanlung.livejournal.com/50861.html


The songs are here
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/shamasong2.html


Shanlung
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

[wings]

Shanlung good to see you updating us. I have a request for the recipe for the mash. I am very interested in it. I used the link on your site, but does not give the ingredients.


Thanks and nice to see you here again!

[shanlung]

Wings,

Thank you!

Sorry about that link. I got to check that and adjust if that did not lead you to that original mash.

In the meantime, perhaps you should have a look at the stuff that I prepared for Tinkerbell. And the basis of the YS mash for Yingshiong. A subset of that mash is used to feed the suris and millis and crickets. A bird feeding site was very frosty to me when I pointed out the diet I gave the suris and millis and crickets was better than what was proposed there for parrots.

The main difference with the diet for suris and millis was that I did not bother with the 3 days soak and wash cycle with the beans. But I did soak and wash repeatedly for one day.

That link is in Part 1
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/indexbegin.html

Under "Tinkerbell's special food preparation (was Mike's Manna and how the heck do you make so MUCH?"

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wmikemash.htm.

The first part of letter is my usual windy blab blab blab .

Then I get into explicit details of the mash, not Mikes mash , but very close to that.

Take a look and try a quarter recipe. Your birds enthusiasm will urge you to go the full way.

Do remember I am a lousy cook and did not know that a cup is a precise measuring device and not the teacup that I used.


Shanlung

[wings]

Thanks Shanlung, I'm sure others here will be interested also. I'm always looking for something good to give my birds.

[shanlung]

First failure at harnessing of Yingshiong

Folks,

While I posted the success of each milestones, I also
must post my failures as well.
Despite my earlier preparations for Yingshiong, the
actual harnessing of him was a disaster. The photos and details can be read
in "First attempts at harness"
http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2006/02/18/

Subsequent days recorded the recovery of
his trust in me.

I am plotting as to what other schemes I should try or to throw up the towel and just enjoy YS only at home. But giving up would mean such a loss to YS as well as to me, that he might never fly safely outside and broaden his experience beyond the walls and ceiling of the apartment.

Shanlung

[CritterLover]

Shanlung, I so enjoy your writing and your pictures. But especially your writing. In reading your livejournal, it was as though I was right there.

Best of luck with Yingshiong. I have no doubt that your great patience and care will ultimately lead to success. Thank you for sharing this and other journeys with us.

[shanlung]

Shama Yingshiong Chapter 1 ending - my last report



To friends of Yingshiong,

I do hope you enjoyed the time that I have spend with
Yingshiong the shama. That a shy timid aviary bird can
indeed bond with one that treat him as equal and
patient and can be a companion bird. That they
deserved more than just being kept in a cage or an
aviary.

Do remember that Yingshiong was old when he came to
me. You need not go and get a young bird to do what we
have done. You can do what I have done or even better
from the reports I left behind.

Perhaps I should not have tried it with Yingshiong at
all. In which case, no one in the world would have
guessed that a shy timid aviary bird is capable of
bonding to be a companion bird. Yingshiong also would
not have rediscovered flight and entralled all of you
with his behaviour , antics , mischief, love, music
and most of all, his magic.

In a few days, I will be working and living in another
part of the world. With the fear of bird flu, it is
obvious I cannot think of taking YS with me. My wife
will not be joining me there as there will be
restrictions on her there that she will not be used
to.

I hope you enjoyed our accounts and will look on your
birds with a different light, be their beaks be hook
or straight.

I am sorry in the short time I have left, I might not
be able to answer any of you. I have many things to
arrange in this short time left. But I do not think it
right for me to go without a word.

You know I yearned to be back with Tinkerbell. This
road I take may lead me indirectly back to her again.

You understand now why I decided not to go ahead and
re-attempt with the harness recently. I knew YS will
be more receptive the second time. But I knew I would
not have the time to follow through. I also had to
test out other parameters if YS is to be looked after
by my wife Joy. I knew there was this coming change
but it was not firm until last night.

*continued in the Live Journal report URL below*

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/58877.html


Shanlung

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

[Terry Ann]

Absolutely fantastic!! Thanks so much for posting!!

Terry Ann

[~Lori~]

I have followed your posts here and on other boards...I am so pleased that I got to share your experiences!!Thank you so much,ShanLung.Good luck with all your future endeavors.And we will all eagerly await when you can post again!

[shanlung]

After chapter 1 of Yingshiong



That report is here, and also as to where I will be.


http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2006/03/11/


Shanlung


http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

[shanlung]

Greetings from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

My apologies for not appearing here for some time as I was settling in.



That disaster of Tinkerbell flying away had its silver
linings.

Not only that lead me to harness usage and the
developement of a safe comfortable and light harness
(only 3 grams in weight) to take her out in, that lead
us to the Yu family who is looking after her and
taking Tinkerbell out as should be the case.

I just received some photos of Tinkerbell from the Yu
family taken on 23 Apr 2006.

Take a look at her and her state of
health in
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlun...7594124075215/

Just as fate brought us together, it may yet reunite
us once more.

In the meantime, I am content that Tinkerbell is with
people that love her too.

In that same folder, you will see a photo of Yingshiong now looked after by my wife.

I think that photo is the best photo ever taken of Yingshiong, or of any shama for that matter.

Feel free to disagree with me :-)


Shanlung


http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

[Birds on the brain]

Hi Shanlung...welcome back

Hope all is well with you, your wife and your wonderful birds

[shanlung]

Nedra :-)

Thank you!

On shama, parrots, owls , falcons and living fossils

Hi folks,

I have been back to shama YingShiong and am again in
Riyadh. I was snubbed by YS for a few days. My
report on that is in

Singapore and Yingshiong again 3 months after

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2006/06/17/

I forgot to take the photos I mentioned of owls and
travels in Laos and that in Saudi when I went back.
Even if I did, I did not have the time to upload them
when I was in Singapore.

To my nice surprise, the censors in Saudi lifted the
ban on Flickr so those photos are loaded into folders

Laos travels & Tinkerbell Legacy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlun...7594170336188/

"I was writing Tinkerbell Legacy during my travelling
in Laos in early part of 2005. Here are some of the
photos of Laos as when I first crossed Mekong to
encounters with the slaty headed parrot, the owlets
hold for ransom, the vernal hanging parrot that
featured in Tinkerbell Legacy, the owl that played
with me. I took photos of rats on sale in market in
2005. In 2006, it was found that those creatures were
very old, as old as fossil but still alive today ,
until they were killed for the market.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5082264.stm

These photos , the travels, and the Tinkerbell Legacy
were written up in

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2005/02/Start with
Ranting 01
"

Riyadh & falcons

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlun...7594170434840/


"
Photos of places around Riyadh and falcons.

The scenes were described in my comments at my wife's
blog in

http://shimmertje.livejournal.com/

during the period from March 2006 to June 2006



Warmest regards

Shanlung

[notredamebird]

Thank you ever so much for the link to your pictures and blog. I just did a little bit of reading there and I really enjoyed it.

Your photographs are amazing. I just had to smile with delight at the thought of traveling around with Tinkerbell, outside, in so many amazing places.