On the way home we stopped at the big Magnolia Bird Farm and I asked if they had Featherific. The clerk called over an associate who gave me quite the talking to on diet, sunlight, etc.
She told me pellets are actually not a good choice for birds, and that most seed mixes are full of trashy fillers but that parrots actually do better on a high quality seed mix and fresh vegetables, not pellets. I got a kabob for fresh veggies and a seed mix which she also told me how to ensure Vesper ate all of it and not just the tastiest seeds.
Vesper's biting had been getting worse and worse, and the third day Phantom was here Vesper abruptly began attacking him seemingly out of nowhere. I mentioned biting, and the woman said she could fix that in about a minute. She scooped Vesper off my shoulder and told me some things I thought I had known about dominance and confidence, the biggest one being keeping the parrot on your wrist, not shoulder.
That was about five hours ago and Vesper hasn't bitten either of us since.
I am convinced she was a witch doctor.
In the big aviaries we spent some time sighing dreamily over the exotic finches and adorable quail, and I purchased a pair of African silverbills, a species I have wanted and have researched for some time now. I can't get over how minuscule they are, and what a delicate shade of buff their breasts are. They make Vesper look like a gosh darned T-rex.