July 26, 2006 [LINK]

Molting season: low energy

Princess and George began molting during our recent trip to South Dakota, so their cage and surrounding area is a bit messy with old feathers. They are constantly preening themselves as the new feathers begin to grow back, and they seem to be taking more baths than usual. Well, at least Princess is. It takes a lot of nutritional intake to grow new feathers, so we give them a special diet during this stressful period. Basil flowers are always a nice treat, too. Even so, they are both very lethargic, not singing or vocalizing very much, and not flying much, either. They will probably be back to normal by the end of next month.

With no eggs to care for, Princess is not as confined to the vicinity of her nest as she usually is. Today I was surprised to find her in the living room for the first time in several weeks, or months. Meanwhile, George has started resting under the dining room table again.