I was doing the daily cleaning of the Finsterium this evening; door wide open, dirty paper out, clean paper in, dish of fresh water on top. I was leaning down to get a handful of Floor Snacks when Earl Grey zipped down to the floor, hopped onto the water dish, and took a drink. My face was at the same level as he was, about a foot away. So I froze, and watched him take several drinks of water. The night-time dish gets milk thistle in it, just in case any of the birds have liver problems. I'm not sure if the water tastes different, if he was really thirsty, or if Earl Grey has an easier time getting a drink from this smaller dish,** but he sure did take a lot of drinks.

Then suddenly, Oolong dropped down to the floor. She was a little nervous, and hid behind the dish at first. But after a few seconds, she reached her head over the edge, and got a drink. The two birds sat there for a couple of minutes, taking drinks, a foot from my head, no doors between us. Neat!

I remain concerned about Earl Grey, but I realize he's probably just old and fat. Which doesn't mean that he's entirely well — he sleeps a lot, he eats a lot, his poops remain chalky, he's pretty much stopped singing and the last time I heard his song it sounded wrong. But it does mean that there isn't much I can do. Oh, I spoil him with Floor Snacks, millet spray, cucumber seeds and other treats, and I put milk thistle in the water. But that's about all I can do. Except watch, and worry, and watch some more.

* The first Magic Moment was when I gave Peppercorn (Mélènge) half an hour of Warm Toasties.

** Note to self: put the small water dish in the Finsterium during the day to see if Earl Grey prefers using it to the big one.