Because I've been sick, I missed a day in our sessions. So I decided to let her hang out while I do homework in my room. I just finished one of the two classes I have homework for, and she's sitting on top of my laptop as I am typing.

Missing a day didn't seem to change much. While we went through a slightly different routine, she was still accepting of scritches, this time sooner than usual. Now, she's a bit tired and cranky, so I decided to leave her alone a bit. She spent a pretty good amount of time on my shoulder as I wrote, so she had plenty of time to play with my hair. I'll put her away soon, and probably have her out as I do more homework tomorrow.

She's still only accepting scritches while perched on my hand. I'm going to try and work on doing it on different surfaces. That way, once she's used to it, I can get a picture of her getting scritches.

Times like this, where I wish I can take pictures with my eyes.

It's been a while since I updated, so I'll let you guys know that Lucy's been making great progress. I've discovered that she's quite picky, as she only likes standing on my right hand, and only likes being pet by my left. Otherwise, she'll try to fight my right hand if I try to pet her, and she'll bite my left hand while standing on it. Ironically, I am left handed. I would think she would feel better standing on my steadier hand.

I have been trying to break her from being picky like that. She's started accepting right-hand scritches from my left shoulder, and left-hand scritches from on top my laptop. We're still working on scritches while standing on my bed, but she's getting better.

I think she might prefer left hand skritches, because while my hands tremble, my left is steadier, and I have better control.

I've also started trying to pet her while in the cage. She somewhat tolerates it, but still kind of fussy about it.

Today specifically though, we have made a huge accomplishment. Lucy actually stepped up onto my hand, AND let me take her out of the cage. Yes, she was nervous at first, hissed at my hand beforehand, but she came out, and after flying to the top of her cage, causing me to have to get her to step up a second time (which she didn't object as much to), I put her on my shoulder. She was prepared to fly back as I started walking away, but she still stayed on. I think she knew where we were going, since she's started enjoying spending time in this room. I always hear beak-grinding while she's on my shoulder.

I don't think I'll really be updating this very much any more, though if you're curious about our progress, somewhere in the near future, you're more than welcome to ask.

No, this is actually true. Birds pick the steadier hand.

Lucy must be a special exception then, because my left hand is my steadier hand, and she prefers to stand on my right, which usually trembles like crazy. Yet she prefers to stand on it, though since the tremble makes it hard for me to pet her, I can understand why she doesn't like getting scritches from my right hand. I have better control with my left, since I write with my left hand. I usually have to put my thumb on a different part of her head, to steady my right hand during scritches. Sometimes, she's ok with it, and sometimes she's not. She is getting better about it though.

Maybe she thinks steady hands are more important for scritches than for perches.

Well, to be quite honest, it is, in away, understandable. Along with my right-hand trembling, my fingers have a bit of a spasm, that happens only if I'm moving them slowly (like when I'm petting Lucy). This only happens on my right hand though, for whatever reason. It will cause me to do something like push Lucy's head down, or something. Not enough to hurt, but I'm sure it gets quite annoying.

She seems to be more understanding about it though, as if she's starting to know that I can't control it. During the times she will let me pet her with my right hand, she'll push her head into my palm, which having something solid to press her head against, helps a LOT, for control (which is why I usually had to put my thumb on a different part of her head).

She could just enjoy the little dark space my hand created when it's cupped. If I have to hold her on my chest, I cup my hand over her head, and she calms down.

Being in a dark space really does help calm birds down. If you have to towel a bird, covering the head can be very useful, and if you're bringing a new bird home it often helps keep them calmer if you put them in a box with airholes instead of a cage. I don't know why darkness has this effect but it does.

One would think darkness would scare a bird. When Lucy get's flighty, she flies more towards the light (literally. She'll land on my lamp). I heard that most birds (owls aside) lack something in their eyes, that wouldn't allow them to see very well in the dark.

That's what I'd think too, but it has the opposite effect. Maybe it's BECAUSE birds can't see well in the dark, so they tend to stay put instead of trying to go somewhere else. But cockatiels are notorious for night frights, which means that darkness doesn't deter them all that much from flying when they're nervous. But darkness helps calm them down in spite of that. I don't get it but it works.

Whatever works, I guess. I thin it might be a little bit of both, understanding my struggle with my right hand, and darkness calming. Sometimes, she doesn't always press it in the middle of my palm. Sometimes, she'll press her head into the space between my thumb and index finger. Whatever makes her feel comfy though, I guess.