Conservation and Controversy

We are used to seeing and hearing the phrase, “Fake News” in so many places these days. Anyone who refuses to accept facts against their own beliefs might resort to calling those facts fake. But to see that phrase come up in reference to a noted naturalist and his work to locate and preserve the hugely endangered Night Parrot hits a little too hard for bird lovers.

Daily Routines Without Boarders

I want to state clearly that I loved having my friend’s birds stay with me. I hope I have conveyed that in past blogs on the topic. But they did require a lot more daily maintenance than my birds and left me little time to do anything else. My friend came last weekend and gathered all her birds, her cages, and her supplies into a van and a trailer and headed off to Florida. My heart misses the songs of the Brazilian Cardinals and the antics of the Troupials, but I now only have two rooms full of birds instead of four.

Flight Lady Outside

Last week I had a great time imagining my perfect bird house, where many of the rooms were turned into bird flights. But of course, for optimal health, birds need to have some time in the sunshine. Window glass and screens filter out the most important UVA and UVB rays, so outside aviaries are super important.

The Flight Lady

Given a choice of a house of my own to decorate, I am convinced I would make every bedroom but one into a flight. One for finches, one for conures, one for the special needs birds, and perhaps Maynard might have his own room. Outside, I would build the largest number of aviaries that the lands would support. This imagines that I am strong enough and energetic enough to take care of all these rooms and flights. How perfect it will all be.

I Should Raise Ducks

The rain in my backyard stays mainly in the aviary. I can’t put down enough straw to make it dry under the open parts of the roof. I tried putting down a metal remnant from another cage, but when I stepped on it, it filled with water. I now have a half dozen pairs of sneakers lined up outside the door that need the mud hosed off of them.