Conservation of the Future

If you are a fan of the movie Silent Running, you know that the world in 1972 believed humans were going to do Really Bad Things to Planet Earth and have to launch into space all remaining plants and animals to save them. And then blow them up anyway. Oops! Spoiler. Rachel Carson started opening eyes with her book, Silent Spring, ten years earlier. But I have to wonder if any of this created a feeling of inevitability and therefore became self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Trouble with Canaries

I love canaries. I love their songs, their nestings, their chicks, and their sweet nature. But they just aren’t the bird for me to raise. Like Lady Gouldian Finches, they are too delicate and need too much special handling.

Fall in Love with Conures

Conures are small South American parrots related to macaws. Also found in southern Mexico and the Caribbean, they pack a whole lot of personality in their small bodies. Regardless of type, they are clowns, they are affectionate, they are social and they are vocal, as long as they have been hand fed and raised with lots of people around them. YouTube has a ton of videos showing these sweet birds being cute.

The Noises My Flock Makes

Mike and I can’t help but smile when our Congo African Gray, Jessie, blows us a raspberry. She also burbs in a very disturbing way and clicks. Seven or more clicks in a row. She imitates the microwave timer, the coffee pot done signal, and the toaster. Just walking past her cage can illicit a bit of communication.