High Fidelity

Halle Macaw listens to the classical station, something to keep her mind occupied and her mood quiet. Or maybe it's to keep my mind quiet. Hard to say. When I play louder, more upbeat music, she'll holler along. As I've said before, she loves the Hallelujah Chorus. Sometimes she'll hoot and whistle while I'm practicing singing along with my CDs, but she definitely has her favorite frequencies. We had a Magnificat concert, with four different works by that title, and though she seemed to enjoy the Bach Magnificat in D Major, the tessitura of the Rutter Magnificat is just that much higher and apparently much more appealing. And though I can play the CD and get something out of the experience, not so with this parrot. Live music is her thing. 

The same goes for visits. After screaming bloody murder when a guest arrives, she'll have a brief 'Hello' conversation with the new person, then settle in and put on her best manners. Sure, these aren't perfect, but she finds company stimulating, as long as nobody waves their hands around too much to make a point. But recently most of the 'visitors' to the house have been by Zoom, and though I've coached the guests to say Hello in a high animated voice, we get pretty much nil in terms of reaction. Screens just don't make an impression. So she'll sit on my shoulder and groom my face or try to remove my earrings, convincing my friends that either I've got a tame, even dull bird, or that my stories about her are mere fabrication. You'll just have to believe me. Or not.