# Athena



## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

So I thought I would finally introduce my new tiel who I'm hoping against hope is a female! I purchased her last week, Monday the 27th from my bird store, Our Feathered Friends. They let me stay til after they closed to finish making my touch decision on which tiel to bring home. With the help of one of the guy's I think is more knowledgeable than the rest, here's Athena:








My Choices








The one who stole my heart








Very first day and was already stealing corn out of my salad








Sitting on my headboard








She doesn't sit still often...








Pretty smart...saw the birds crawling all over me earlier and decided to explore me and my stuff.

















Enjoying the warmth my reading light provides










So that's my pretty bird <3 Hopefully a girl, but with my odds most likely not! I'm doomed because I'm loving this bird regardless!


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Awww Athena is gorgeous !! Love WOW in the background too =D I played for awhile but waiting on Tera to go live in about 30 minutes


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

Athena is just gorgeous!!!  I can see how your heart got stolen!!!!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

RexiesMuM said:


> Awww Athena is gorgeous !! Love WOW in the background too =D I played for awhile but waiting on Tera to go live in about 30 minutes


Thank you!!!! I love my wow still. Darn addictions!!! What's Tera??


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

xoxsarahxox said:


> Athena is just gorgeous!!!  I can see how your heart got stolen!!!!


She's sweet as can be, too! She learned step up the first day. By the second day, she would step up onto my finger out of the cage. She watches the other tiels with me and she learns from it. This little booger sure is different from any I've had yet! I was a tad nervous the other day since I heard her make some noises, I started thinking Oh boy, now she'll never shut up and that makes her a boy. But she only responded with a few quiet chirps and remained quiet after. Keeping my fingers crossed for a girl!!! It'll make it a tad easier on my other females. If Athena is a girl, then that puts my total count to four females vs 8 males!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Aww so cute and gorgeous


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Its a new Action Mmo that just launched 37 minutes ago . Its pretty fun so far and a nice break from traditional Mmos like wow and everquest 2 and everquest 1
http://tera.enmasse.com/


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks lperry!!

I'm going to have to check it out when I'm not on my phone. I'm stuck to wow for a year. I did the buy a year and get diablo for free thing. My fiance made me! Lol


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

Mishkaroni, she (fingers crossed) is gorgeous! I can see why you fell in love with her!! And your ratio is better than mine lol! I have ten girls and three boys . If she turns out to be a boy I would glady take him in


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## Cryren8972 (Oct 3, 2007)

Beautiful bird! You did well choosing! =) And that looks like an amazing store.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Gorgeous tiel! Fingers crossed for you it's a girl!


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## ryanandvalerie (Apr 22, 2012)

we have an Athena as well and actually they look similar,we will have to post pictures of our new Athena and her cagemate Gibbs.Although at this point im certain the people we rescued them from hadnt an idea on sex,just assumed they were male and female.Im starting to believe Ryan in the fact that we have 3 females...anyhow Congrats on your Athena!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks all! 

Jaime- even if she is a he, I could never trade this amazing little bird! Tho, I cant think of anyone I'd consider over you if I had to 

Oh and the store is amazing! Thats just one side of the wall of toes. They have a nursery, bird room, huge section of cages, tons of food, different perches, ladders, food and water dishes...but I LOVE the bird,smell


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

I would have ended up with both. LOL


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

O MY GOSH...I was there on the 27th!!! We probably walked right past each other! Our Feathered Friends was one of the first places we went to in San Diego! I SAW Athena while I was there. By looking at the other birds they had there (if I remember correctly there was a normal grey male, a pearl male, Athena, and another pied right?) she is probably a girl, just my opinion. They only take hand fed babies (I inquired when I first started breeding) so all their babies are super sweet. Peaches, the orange cockatoo they have, was out and following me around. He didn't like my hubby lol. I can't believe we were in the same store at the same time and didn't know it!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

meaggiedear - i almost did but then i thought of the fact that i desperately want another wf lutino and there's no way my fiance will allow THREE new birds at this time since I already had three in January not to mention a baby hatch that i kept!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

roxy culver said:


> O MY GOSH...I was there on the 27th!!! We probably walked right past each other! Our Feathered Friends was one of the first places we went to in San Diego! I SAW Athena while I was there. By looking at the other birds they had there (if I remember correctly there was a normal grey male, a pearl male, Athena, and another pied right?) she is probably a girl, just my opinion. They only take hand fed babies (I inquired when I first started breeding) so all their babies are super sweet. Peaches, the orange cockatoo they have, was out and following me around. He didn't like my hubby lol. I can't believe we were in the same store at the same time and didn't know it!


NO FRIGGIN WAY!!! Hahaha. I was in the bird room like the whole time I was there after I got there around 5:15. They close at 6, but I was there til almost 7 making my decision and completing my transaction. I've brought them some good business these past few months so they've been very kind to me. But I've been going there since I was about 7! You are very right on the birds there and how awesome you saw my Athena!!! There was a normal grey male who was adopted there by my friends daughter who was definitely male. I know the pearl was male, and the other pied I was very keen on as well. I LOVE Peaches, the moluccan cockatoo, but every time I go there more recently Peaches teases me from the cage. By the time I arrived though, they had the birds all in cages. Normally I play with a triton cockatoo there...and I'm very much in love with it.
I'm so glad you went there though. That's my favorite bird store in San Diego and even though I work much closer to another, I only purchase through Our Feathered Friends. They breed themselves and when they use other breeders, you know you're getting a quality bird! I was a tad disappointed over their selection a few months back...the breeders did a horrid job at wing clipping...I mentioned it to them and haven't noticed the issue since.


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

What a small world !!!! If i ever visit cali again i will make sure i check this place out it sounds awesome like Sparky's here


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

My hubby was the one sitting on the floor by the smaller 'too's cage. The one that only likes girls? Yea he was holding her "hand" for like half an hour. We got there like right around 4:30-5ish and stayed for quite a while since the selection in bird stores out here in WA is pitiful. When we lived there, we bought from two stores, that one and Bird Crazy. I loved Bird Crazy because one of the ladies that worked there knew me by face (and the number of tiels I had lol) and would let us into the nursery to see the baby tiels she was raising. She also gave us a good deal on some of their "untame" birds (just because Daisy and Hopscotch weren't cuddly doesn't mean they didn't know how to step up lol). But I got Cinnamon from Our Feathered Friends, the first tiel I ever purchased and love that store for that reason alone. Have you been to the sister store in Escondido?


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

You will love it if you're ever in the area. They have a building. They're primarily located on the floor above the parking garage. But since they do boarding, they have the floor above and then I think their is residents on the very top floor. I just remember being wide-eyed and amazed my first time...wait, i still get like that when i enter their bird room!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

roxy culver said:


> My hubby was the one sitting on the floor by the smaller 'too's cage. The one that only likes girls? Yea he was holding her "hand" for like half an hour. We got there like right around 4:30-5ish and stayed for quite a while since the selection in bird stores out here in WA is pitiful. When we lived there, we bought from two stores, that one and Bird Crazy. I loved Bird Crazy because one of the ladies that worked there knew me by face (and the number of tiels I had lol) and would let us into the nursery to see the baby tiels she was raising. She also gave us a good deal on some of their "untame" birds (just because Daisy and Hopscotch weren't cuddly doesn't mean they didn't know how to step up lol). But I got Cinnamon from Our Feathered Friends, the first tiel I ever purchased and love that store for that reason alone. Have you been to the sister store in Escondido?


I'll admit, Our Feathered Friends is the only one I've been to. I know Bird Haven is their sister store is ESCO, but that's a very far drive for me. And Bird Crazy is right by my work, although I remember them being off El Cajon Blvd back in the day...unless that was another bird store which is now closed. Honestly because I live in the southbay (within 5 minutes of tijuana) i took business classes on the idea that I would open a southbay bird store for those of us that didn't want to drive out and about in the greater SD area.
Athena was kind of vocal right now for a few mintues so I'm kind of nervous that she's a he!!! DNA sexing looks like the path for me to figure this out, although at this point I wouldn't exchange her/him no matter what.

Well, we very well could've been there at the same time. Aren't their birds just the most awesome? I befriend a new big bird every time (except the macaws, they just don't like me!) Oh, were you there when they were clipping a macaws nails and the booger kept escaping and running around the bird room looking for his daddy? That was cute, but I still kept my distance!
I'm going to check out Bird Crazy asap because of you! They sound like a good store to browse and become friendly with, too!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes I was there when they were clipping him. I bet we smiled at each other while that was happening, macaws scare the crap outta me. The plucked 'too loved my hubby too lol.

Bird Crazy has most of their birds out and about on stands throughout the store which I really loved. Powder is a 'too there (not sure but I think she's a sulpher crested one) who is a resident there. She belongs to the owner and he brings her in every day for socialization. She usually says "Hi my name is Powder" when you try to walk away from her. Last week they had a 'too there that looked like a LARGE tiel, it was a cross between a sulpher and a rose breasted I think. 

I drove out to the one in Esco twice, once to see it for myself just because I was curious and another time to take my sister who had never been to SD before. Its a nice little store, in fact the way Our Feathered Friends is decorated now it looks very similar. One thing about Bird Crazy is that they don't have any baby tiels at the moment (made me sad) and the "untame" tiels were all gone as well. But they usually have a great selection of tiels (I've walked out with several lol.)


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

roxy culver said:


> Yes I was there when they were clipping him. I bet we smiled at each other while that was happening, macaws scare the crap outta me. The plucked 'too loved my hubby too lol.
> 
> Bird Crazy has most of their birds out and about on stands throughout the store which I really loved. Powder is a 'too there (not sure but I think she's a sulpher crested one) who is a resident there. She belongs to the owner and he brings her in every day for socialization. She usually says "Hi my name is Powder" when you try to walk away from her. Last week they had a 'too there that looked like a LARGE tiel, it was a cross between a sulpher and a rose breasted I think.
> 
> I drove out to the one in Esco twice, once to see it for myself just because I was curious and another time to take my sister who had never been to SD before. Its a nice little store, in fact the way Our Feathered Friends is decorated now it looks very similar. One thing about Bird Crazy is that they don't have any baby tiels at the moment (made me sad) and the "untame" tiels were all gone as well. But they usually have a great selection of tiels (I've walked out with several lol.)


I haven't gone in because I've browsed their site a few times and it says nothing about tiels. I am impressed that they have a live video feed in their bird room during business hours and I think an hour prior to opening to an hour after closing. But I will definitely be going in there this week...most likely thursday before I work at 1130. It's literally down the street about a block away so I really have no excuses to not go in! I do like how most of their birds are out because I'm a touchy person and it's easier to gauge personality outside of the cage than inside through bars where they might be more territorial!

I'll drive out eventually to ESCO to see Bird Haven to see how their selection may differ from Our Feathered Friends and just to experience it once. I like to go to O.F.F at least once a month because I feel so alive in there and it's so comforting. Who needs therapy when I can feel instantly better in there?!

The plucked 'too has been there for too long in my opinion. I wish someone would adopt him, or if they'll even lower the price, I'll take him home! He's very sweet. AYE! We were in the same room and didn't even know it at the time! I'm thinking back to that day...did you and your hubby take out one of the cockatoos?? Because I remember a couple doing that and I was quite jealous because that's one of my buddies. But then they put it back and didn't buy it so all is right in the world! And yah, that macaw had me nervous. My friends daughter ran to hide behind me, uh no, run to your mommy or you can stand in front and protect ME!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> .did you and your hubby take out one of the cockatoos?? Because I remember a couple doing that and I was quite jealous because that's one of my buddies. But then they put it back and didn't buy it so all is right in the world! And yah, that macaw had me nervous. My friends daughter ran to hide behind me, uh no, run to your mommy or you can stand in front and protect ME!


YES that was US!!! That was the one my hubby fell in love with because she kept holding his finger through the bars and he wanted to hold her (at Bird Crazy he can hold them all he wants lol). The lady told him that she only likes girls and sure enough, after about five seconds on him she ran to me. So then he fell in love with the plucked one because she liked him more. I wish I coulda taken one but we can't afford that much for a bird. That's gonna be my retirement bird lol.

Bird Crazy usually has baby tiels in one of their tanks against the wall (no babies currently lol) and then the "untame" ones in cages with the other caged birds. I will warn you, the "untame" ones are sold for a much cheaper price, I got Daisy for $40 (she's a lutino pearl, for a tame one there it woulda been $150) and Hopscotch for $30 and he was a pied. They usually get really big batches of untame birds about three times a year and there are some awesome steals there. Normal greys for $10, just saying lol.


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

YAY!!! So now I know I saw you two! So if you remember the tall skinny brunette pale girl in the little boys transformers sweater who hovered by the cockatiel cage almost the entire time...that was me!!! And that 'too is one of the sweetest birds there. When she's out she's a doll...and then a pain! I had to get help to put her back to her perch twice in one visit because she would not get off me and then jumped back to me when I didn't walk away fast enough! How do you say no to a bird like that? Oh, right, check your bank balance! That and an african grey are my retirement birds!

Uhm, so yah Bird Crazy I'm going to start stalking! If I can get an "untame" wf lutino for a steal I'll be most happy because in my experience they're sooooo easy to tame and have easy peasy personalities! But that has to be more legit that getting one off CL where you don't have a trade in or health guarantee the way I'm sure Bird Crazy does even if it's for ten days like Petco or Petsmart. WOW, I'm so glad you alerted me to this!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Uhm, so yah Bird Crazy I'm going to start stalking! If I can get an "untame" wf lutino for a steal I'll be most happy because in my experience they're sooooo easy to tame and have easy peasy personalities! But that has to be more legit that getting one off CL where you don't have a trade in or health guarantee the way I'm sure Bird Crazy does even if it's for ten days like Petco or Petsmart. WOW, I'm so glad you alerted me to this!


That's how I found Daisy...I wanted a lutino pearl SO bad and they had two tame ones but they were boys and SUPER expensive. We went in one day just to browse (we would do that several times a month) they had just gotten in a bunch of untame ones and low and behold there she was. The breeder lady that worked there gave her to us for $40 (I think lutinos were actually supposed to be $50 lol). So yes they have LOTS of steals.

I remember you, we almost ran into each other when that macaw got loose looking for his daddy. I had to stay away from the tiel cage otherwise I might've come home with a new baby and that wouldn't be a good thing lol. They're pricey at O.F.F but SO worth the price.


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

So we've unofficially met in person now. How funny that we were there the exact same time! I remember your nervous-ish face with the macaw it probably relfected mine!...if I wasn't so set on handling a tiel I would've bolted out of the bird room until the macaw was finished escaping!

Well, I'm definitely looking at Bird Crazy now and once a week til I come home with a wf lutino. I just saw an ad for $25 and up tiels on CL...last picture was a wf lutino...but I'm adamant about a female. I'm not looking for a replacement of my best friend, but I need to add females to my flock and I've had good luck with female wf lutinos in the past. Something about them just tugs my heart! Are Bird Crazy's prices for the tame comparable to O.F.F's prices of tiels? And as I have 5 tiels now for O.F.F i definitely know their price is worth it!!! Although, my Zeus was given to me at a discount because I was buying a young female. And my Chuck, I bought on tax day with his cagemate Calliope (RIP!!) a few years back and they were an amazing deal, huge cage, pellets, all their toys, their stand and the two of them for $100. Someone forfeited them and I just came along on the right day!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Don't you love it when you come along at the right time??

To give you an idea on prices of tame babies...I paid $150 for Cinnamon at O.F.F (she was a WF cinnamon pearl) and paid $120 for Fuzzy at Bird Crazy and he's a normal pearl male. So their prices are very similar. 

I was telling my hubby you were there and he asked if that's why one of the tiels was gone the next day (we went back after we found out Bird Crazy didn't have any tiels, we were really there for our tiel fix lol). I had completely forgotten one was gone, that would be the gorgeous Athena!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

Dang, your husband is most observant and yes, that was all me! Wait, actually a normal grey male was purchased by my friend's daughter that night...but I still take credit since they were going to go to Petco to get a tiel  Haha, talk about over paying for a bird...and I just don't like the overall conditions I've see their birds in, in the past. 

I need to make it the right time, by going all the time! But for me, someone who believes in everything happening for a reason and good things come to those who wait, I definitely like when things happen like that!

So the prices aren't too shabby then. I paid $200 for my first wf lutino from a breeder who ran a pet store in National City about 9 years ago...but then they felt bad because my Calypso had coloring to her so they sold me her sister for $100 a few months later. Both of them were hand raised/fed since birth practically. I just wish OFF or Bird Crazy would have a wf lutino while I was there because OFF has them priced at $140ish...still a savings to what I paid.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

If you want I know a breeder who breeds WF lutinos near SD. I got Hershey from him and he met me in the Bird Crazy parking lot (he knows the owner.) I could give you his email address. He hand feeds his babies and they are super sweet. Hershey is a big girl too (not cuddly because she was an aviary bird, but she also doesn't bite or anything.) 

You know, I didn't realize the male was gone too. I noticed one of the pieds was (most likely because I had noticed how pretty she was) and I was sad/happy at the same time. Glad they went to good homes!!!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

Ooooh, I would LOVE that. I've googled and googled to no avail and was just going to browse CL and the bird stores occasionally until the right one came to me and the right time. I was saddened that I came across an ad for one but I responded about 10 minutes too late as they had just agreed to sell to the person who called before me. Talk about timing!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

This guy has good prices, I got Hershey for $45 as untame and another WF lutino baby from him for $55 tame and handfed. I had replied to an add on birdbreeder.com but the girl had already been sold but the guy gave me this breeders email address instead. I'll PM it to you!


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## mishkaroni (Jan 6, 2012)

Oh thank you! I'm terribly excited at the prospect!


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