The Endangered Species Act in Danger

Forty-five years and a lot of success stories later, we could be seeing the end of the Endangered Species Act. At least, if the changes proposed are put into effect, we will see the end of the act’s usefulness to our wildlife and to humans as well. If you don’t accept climate change as a thing, you’re going to be surprised when the ocean rises, the storms get stronger, and life as we know it ceases to be.

2018 Christmas Day Bird Count

Ready to spend Christmas Day outside, counting everything with wings? The Audubon Society would really like for you to join in this all-volunteer event in your area. And there are lots of things to look at to get in the mood and prepare to be a part of history. This will be the 119^th Bird Count, and every year this event becomes more important. More and more birds are endangered by a complicated mix of climate change, habitat destruction, and pollution impacts.

The Best of Maynard

If you are new to my blog, let me introduce my double yellow Amazon, Maynard. He’s around 30 years old and I am at least the 7^th person to provide him with a home. I believe he will be with me for the rest of his life. That is my hope. He was shuffled around so much because 1.) the original purchaser didn’t know much about keeping birds, 2.) people tend to dislike being lunged at and possibly bitten when he had been nice a few minutes ago, and 3.) he’s too noisy to keep around anyone who needs to sleep during the day, like small children. Oh, and 4.) the man who gave him to me died less than a year later.

Holiday Treats for Birds

Ever eat a pine cone? As Euell Gibbons used to say, many parts are edible. And there are parrots and other birds who consider pine nuts an important part of their winter diet. But others might not get that excited about the treat. I did know a Red-lored Amazon who liked to break a scale off of the cone and use it to scratch himself. It’s late in the season, really, to collect the cones now, but that probably depends on where you live. Here in Southern California, many pine trees are just now dropping their cones. The way to make them ready for your parrots is pretty simple, especially if you get a good return of happy, quiet, play for your investment.

A Plethora of Conures

He falls asleep in a plastic jar on top of his cage, after playing with everything and investigating all four sides of his cage. I transfer him back inside the cage in the plastic jar, switching it out for a similar one there. When he wakes up, he crawls inside a cereal box. That’s where he sleeps through the night.