Drama in the flight cage

This is Zeus, a sun conure saying something rather rude to me, and Ricki, a gold-cap conure, who recently dumped their mates of 14 years to start a relationship that has produced eggs. The poor ex-mates are bereft and sad (they won't pair off with each other). After months of trying to convince them to go back to their original mates, I finally let them have their own nest box. In the meantime, I feel very bad for the 2 dumped mates and have been letting them spend extra time on my shoulder where I have heard many long discourses in conure on something.

The pairs always seemed so happy together. Both pairs occasionally had eggs, and more occasionally produced a chick that we would then find a home for. They played together and groomed each other, crawled out on to my shoulder together, slept together, well, actually all 4 slept in a pile together. I thought parrots mated for life. All are healthy. I am mystified.

I will point out all are captive bread for at least 7 generations (they came with "pedigrees").

It has all been very dramatic and everyone has been part of the family since they were chicks. Zeus is 16 and the rest are 15. Their lifespans are 20-30+ years.

In the picture, the happy couple is letting me know to get the camera out of their faces and myself away from the 2 eggs or they will chew me up!

Today I am grateful for my day, the parrots that I have shared my life with for many years, and the most excellent Volvo repairman currently working on my car fixing the check engine light (it was intermittantly on before the Volvo's excellent adventure).