Quicksilver the African Grey Parrot Finds a New Cavity and The Red-tail House Breaker

On April 24th I was in the living room when I heard a strange sort of scuffling sound coming from the laundry room.  

Hmmmm.

I went in and... nothing.  

Well not totally nothing as Silver is perched on the laundry that had just come out of the dryer.  Not unusual.   It feels warm and he likes that.  But it doesn't cause a scuffling sound.

I check and there isn't anything with buttons under him as he has been known to give buttons a quick clip with his beak and watch them propel themselves off the clothing and into the wall or floor. 

 Ping!

That wasn't what I heard. Nope, it was a scuffle.  Or something rubbing or scraping, maybe?  

Wonder where Squirrel the cat is?  I reconnoiter.   Not stuck in the dryer....that's good.  

Ah.  Sleeping in his favorite chair.
 
Pyewacket?  Nope, she's also asleep...on the trunk by the window.

I give up.

Fast forward to April 25th.

THUNK!!! 

Geez....  Silver flies out of the laundry room and I go in.

There is a big bottle of liquid detergent behind the washer.   How did that happen?  
Who knows.

Now it is April 26th. 

Tink!  Whap.  Whap.   Again from the laundry room.

 Okay this is it!  SILVER.  Where are you and what are you doing?

He looks at me with the expression....
Just sitting here on my perch by the play area...thinking.

 Is it my imagination or does he look just a little on the guilty side?
Then he says, "Want some apple.",  a bit too quickly.

I look around.
 
My, my two boxes of Swiffers have hit the washer from somewhere and disgorged their contents.

I look up. 

AH HA!  See the top right shelf?  That's where the Swiffers used to be and if I'm not mistaken...

A Grey Someone has been up there moving things to the edge and  pitching them out.  Plus chewing plastic.  Very bad. 

I clear the shelf.  Out go the wipes, the plastic and other miscellaneous objects and I fill it full of  dust cloths, old clothes, you name it, and pack them in tight.  That way when Silver flies up there he won't be able to get a purchase and therefore will leave it alone.

That's the theory anyway.

I'd be tempted to let him hang out there and have a cavity for"nesting" but the more "nesty" things he does the more hormonal he gets.  Within 24 hours he'd likely be flying at anyone's head who walks through.


April 27th...

Silver!   What are you doing in the cupboard?

That's the...Just try and get me out expression.

  Silver gives me the binoc disdainful look.  Sigh.  Time for the stick.

No not to beat him with.  A extremely hormonal parrot is not in his right mind.  He will defend his cavity until you are dripping blood.  Therefore in the corner of the laundry room is a long piece of PVC pipe.  I take said pipe to hand and put it up in the cavity near Silver's feet.

As expected he puffs up his feathers, grabs the pipe with his feet, and bites it viciously.  While he is doing this I bring him down on the pipe, walk to his cage, put him and the pipe in, he gets off the pipe, onto his perch, I pull out the pipe and I close the door.

He says, "I'm sorry."  But I don't believe him all that much right now. And therefore he'll stay for ten minutes while I address finding something to put up there so he CAN'T GET IN anymore.  

In from long time contributor Robin of Illinois...
The Red-tail Housebreaker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMyE96LelnE

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne