I cleaned exhibits this morning, beginning with Humboldt to make sure I am not out there when the heat is blistering. Timiteo and his mate Chica were standing by the door when I began. I had to walk through the door several times and I dislike being bitten by penguins which is exactly what Timiteo likes to do to everyone. He becomes very defensive of where he is standing near the door. After he deficates, he begins to bend over close to the ground and tilt his head to look at me with only one eye. Sometimes, I will talk to him and evidently, this brings him to talk to me as well through his classic braying. If I am manuvering around him during the vocalizations, he tends to turn to face me as I move and sometimes peck me if he can. His mate is less interactive and generally moves away from me. I decided to move him inside so he would not be in my way and/or bothered by my cleaning around him. I put him in the holding area with Tortuga and baby Guillermo.
I continued cleaning making sure to avoid the birds that are molting as they are grouchy and territorial. I cleaned quickly as it was very hot outside already and one Humboldt penguin who has been having breathing troubles was due for a procedure. I went inside to help clean and feed big penguin before 10 a.m. As I cleaned the exhibit, Barry, the king penguin, decided to stay by my side. He wanted to peck at the scrub brush as I used it and makes the effort to bend his head far down to try and reach it. He also investigated my boots and pants. He doesn't mind me petting the back of his neck or putting my face on his shoulder and cooing into where I assume his ear is. He didn't call to me directly today but I think was calling when I had moved away from him and he didn't follow.
As I cleaned the bridge, I was hurrying to finish but was surprised with a visit from gentoo 18, Double. Double rocketed out of the water, the bridge is a rather high jump target for the birds, and as she landed, I was surprised and then she bowed to me right as she landed. Gentoo penguins bow as a greeting and they also make what some people call a hiss, but I would describe as more of an exaggerated exhale, similar to when you purposely breathe out to fog glass. I was very flattered to have her jump out of the water to greet me. She stayed with me for a few minutes as well because when I turned around she was still there. I put my face close to hers on one side and say, "Hi double" and she bows again. I then pet her on the back, which she I think expects because she hunches her head down and lets me pet her. It was a nice interaction.
On a side note, yesterday, I gave my friends a tour of PPC and I introduced them to Woody. I have heard some theories as to whether or not the birds recognize the individual keepers as individuals, or maybe they recognize our voices, or maybe they only recognize the baby talk in the usually higher frequency, or maybe they only recognize our outfits, or maybe they associate us with food, and maybe they know their own name and maybe they don't. Personally, I think they do know their own names. I am not sure how far along the recognition goes but they seem to know their own name and from experience with my pet bird, I believe it. Also, I think they at least recognize our voices because different keepers get different reactions from the birds. Case in point, yesterday, Woody was being a good little bird and just being his adorable self for my friends when my coworker came down the stairs. He didn't know I would be there because I was working at the bird house. Well, I had heard before that he could make Woody vocalize like an adult rockhopper. I only hear him cheep or just make short chirps. I asked my coworker to get Woody to vocalize for my friends and as soon as he starts talking to the bird, Woody begins the classic, very loud, very squawky, vocalization. Rockhopper penguins also will put their head down when they begin to call and I noticed that Woody did this too. He is beginning to act very much like an adult and only needs his distinct plumage to seal the deal. Maybe I take that back. He still does not eat out of the tray on his own. He will eat fish from the tray if you place them head out on the edge of the tray so all he has to do is grab the head and gulp, and usually only will do that if you are touching the fish, we assume he associates the ability to swallow with the white gloves we wear that normally hold the fish. Lately, we have not been feeding him and merely placing the fish in the way that he likes and maybe watching to see that he eats several, but then leaving him on his own. He tends to follow us instead of eat though. However, if you squat down and place the fish, he has been getting better, or maybe more hungry, and will eat the fish on his own, as we have known that he knows how to do all along. I do think that he has not been eating too much on his own because he acts very hungry around feeding time and even this morning I gave him a small herring and he ate it with no problem at all.
Today, we took Pedro, the Humboldt who has been in holding upstairs with breathing troubles, to have a procedure done. We took him to the hospital in a tub with ice in the bottom and throughout the procedure, placed ice packs on his feet, flippers and body. That makes the process all the more unique. We took some x-rays and they showed beautifully his skeleton and, more importantly and relevantly, his trachea. Also, his heart seemed to be blurry and not as distinct as it should be, while the nurse said she was having a hard time hearing it with a stethoscope. We attempted an ultrasound but it didn't work through the feathers and even when the vet plucked some feathers, there was no image. It is possible that we were trying to view his heart through one of his airsacs which would keep the image from showing up because it doesn't work through air.
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