Hello from a New Dad

[OP]

I must be a Dad as most of you seem to be Mums. A budgie came into my life just over a week ago.
I am retired and live on my own so I thought a bit of company was in order. I could have acquired all sorts of animals but settled on a budgie.
Hopefully it is a male, as I am at the very early stages of budgie keeping I had to take the pet shop owners word for it.
I have read & read through oodles of pages on the internet, in between nodding off, and realized it is a bit of a gamble with sexing young budgies.
I do have a number of questions which I will ask in the appropriate sections.
I look forward to contributing to the forums in due course.

[mizloco]

Hello dad welcome to the forum. Loads of great advice and people on here and a fair few are budgie dads too. Post some pictures of you budgie and the experts on here will let you know what sex he is. Oh and what's his name?

[Moogie]

Hello and welcome....i think you picked the best pet for company,you will have loads of fun with your new birdie...so glad you have joined all of us other budgie mums and dads and cant wait to hear more about you both

[stace]

If you're patient and you spend a lot of quality time with him, you'll have a cracker little friend.

[lousette]

Hi new Dad and welcome. Looking forward to getting to know you and your new birdie.

[OP]

Thank you for the warm welcome.
Pictures will be posted in due course, when I get back to sitting at the main PC. I have put some on there which I took with this new fangled smarter than I am smart phone.   At the moment I am sat in the conservatory, doors wide open, it is beautiful.
Joey, the budgies name, seems to be enjoying looking into the garden and whistling to the birds that come and go. Mindy you He didn't like the Magpie that flew in the garden.
Thank you once again.

[OP]

Well both Joey and I have had our tea, salad for me, seed for him. 
Here are some piccies.


Sorry about the orientation. I will put it right shortly. It's corrected now.
The URL address is clear from any nasties. It is my own computer.

[starrymist]

Hello Dad! A beautiful bird you have there. I'm a newbie here too. I've had my new little chap (chappess) Brodie, for a couple of weeks now. My last bird, Misty died after almost 15years of loyal friendship. I hope Joey brings you much love & companionship. Amy

[mizloco]

Joey is very handsome. Lovely colouring.

[stace]

Joey is lovely. He's not a young baby though. You can tell that because he no longer has the striped bars on his head. They lose these at around 4 months old, then it become very hard to tell exactly what age they are.

The pics are a teeny bit blurry, so it's hard to tell, but he looks male. You can tell from the colour of his cere (the bit just above his beak). A male is bright blue, and a female is a browny colour or sometimes a very very washed out blue/white colour if not in breeding condition. (with a few exceptions based on mutation, but not in Joey's case)

[Hezz]

Welcome, Joey and Dad.

[OP]

Thank you again, and thank you Stace.
I was wondering about his age, but I will start a new thread in the appropriate place so as not to hog this one.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Hi and welcome to forum Joey and Dad

[samwiseg]

Hi and welcome to you both! Lovely to see Joey he is lovely! Hope you manage to navigate round here ok, but if you have any questions or need any help just shout!

[rockysmum]

Hi Dad and Joey and welcome to the forum