BirdTalk E-volution

Okay, so many have been mourning the loss of BirdTalk magazine and I have been sorta keeping my mouth shut, perhaps I need to vent and finally give my perspective.

I remember when BT began (Yep! I’m showing my age! But I learned to read at 2... :-) ), it was ground-breaking, I couldn’t wait to read the issues and would race with anticipation to the bookstore, pet store, etc. to get the newest copy, at last a color magazine for the bird-lover! I remember reading the articles and really enjoying them, granted, I didn’t read each and every issue or article, but as with everyone, I chose those articles that I enjoyed and it improved my understanding and broadened my interests. BT was the magazine that affirmed my passion for South American species and macaws in particular, those gorgeous centerfolds filled my mind with birds I wish I could/would one day own. Granted, other publications existed, but none had the quality of photos or contributors that BT had, I anxiously read articles from such notable people as Sally Blanchard, Kashmir Csaky, Irene Pepperberg, and yes, my friend Patricia Sund.

Approximately two years ago I noticed a significant change in the magazine, it had become noticeably smaller and the ads seemed to be getting more prominence, that change was beginning. As a print professional I saw the changes in my field and the Domino-effect had begun, it was obvious that many publications were going to fold and for many, it was only a matter of time based upon their resources and readership. E-volution has taken its toll, and not just for periodicals, but for books, advertising, and all other printed media, many publishers began to fight for their existence, but the inevitable was in the horizon.

E-volution has its pros and cons just like any other facet of life and we have to accept and adapt with it, and professionally, I am still trying to adapt. The major pro in my opinion is that we are conserving resources like trees, water, and the energy required to produce printed materials, the major con is the job loss and the ripple-effect that spreads. I take great pride in trying to become paperless, I encourage those around me to try to do the same, I keep PDFs on things that I need to store, I only print what I think is necessary. I honestly believe in the long run we will all benefit when we conserve natural resources, and I have hope that we will all find new ways to survive in the changing world.

I feel like I was late to adapt to an iPad, my lovely husband Joel had one, most of my friends had them, and I even tried one for 1 day before returning it. I tried one again a couple months later and I now believe it is one of the best devices ever created, Steve Jobs proved his genius with it, I love the iPad, I am writing this on it and I now believe I could live without my iPhone more than this great achievement. To anyone who has been reluctant to try an iPad, I urge you to give it a try! The iPad has made me more of a reader, it has increased my productivity, and it has given me more mobility in this brave new world. Again, in my opinion, we will see the demise of the laptop and desktop in our lifetime, and tablets will evolve to meet more of our needs and play larger roles in our lives.

Back to e-volution and our beloved BirdTalk... How many of us actually read a magazine cover to back? How many of us actually take time to research topics in depth? How many of us take pleasure in having another magazine that will eventually be boxed or put into the recycling bin? Personally, I Google topics and if necessary, I take notes to create a document for reference. BirdTalk was a victim of our new way of viewing and processing our media, it simply could not change, it fell on its knees trying to keep up with the boards, forums, groups, and all, it got bruised and battered and finally realized that it was time to give up. Now, we must give it the respect it deserves and either move on/adapt, or we try to give it a new life in the electronic world and band together in the effort.

Given how we share and retrieve/find information; is a media like BirdTalk really necessary? I don’t think so, we Google for images and content all the time, we no longer have or need an information hierarchy such as a library, heck, we can do research in McDonalds or Starbucks and it can be just as valid as if it were done in an academic environment.

So now what? In my opinion, we need to realize life has changed again, we need to hope that those brilliant minds we enjoyed reading will share their wisdom and gifts with us in an electronic world, blogging or participating in forums and boards. We need to look back and realize we were part of an era and that we can be proud we led the way to what is now online, and we need to look ahead. I believe the best is yet to come... Farewell BirdTalk, thank you for so many wonderful years, you will be fondly remembered...

'Til We Meet Again...

Late December of 2003 my family grew, Joel came in and he brought in two dogs, one stayed with his mother, the other came with him—her name, Froste. Froste was a lovely girl with eyes as black as coal and a coat that was blinding white, her personality and character filled a room and no one could resist her.

On July 6, 2012, it was time to send our sweet baby home, her body finally had enough and she made it clear that she no longer could survive on Earth, she knew she had people waiting for her in heaven, and she knew we needed an angel to look over us. Froste, you will be missed everyday and the tears we now shed will eventually be smiles remembering your spirit and love, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life.

Look, Listen, and Learn...

Wings Over the Rainbow—need I say more?!! Aviculture has seen rocks thrown many times but when do we stop and address the whole picture? When do we realize the problem, put the stones down, and help all those that are in need? When do we start trying to heal the issues and not say “Nope! I would never do that!!” and say “Yes, it happened; what are we going to do to fix the whole picture?”

Every aspect of life has its' crazies, but they should never be allowed to become the Pied Piper, they must be recognized and put into perspective. Those that have an illness, such as hoarding, should be given compassion and help, and we need to realize that, excuse the cliché—the road to hell is paved with good intent. Those zealots that are casting stones must look at the whole picture—from beginning to where it is today, and realize, we could all follow those footsteps if we are not careful. I seriously doubt WOTR started their mission with poor intent, but things happen, and sometimes we just can’t find our way out of situations once we’re in too deep.

Am I defending WOTR? No— I am trying to make a point—this is not the first case like this and it will not be the last. I can think of a lot of rescues that could easily head down this path, I hear a lot of people snickering, and I hear a lot of people passing judgment, well, shame on them!!! Think about some of the rescues you know; do you honestly think they’re perfect? Think about those we all respect, and realize they are run by some incredible people, but not all of us are so great or given the support, energy, or resources, some of us are one person trying to do good work and just can’t do it all the time. We are human, and we all make mistakes sometime or another.

Aviculture today is in a state of shambles, we are attacking breeders, rescues, etc., and Facebook is allowing us to spread the word along with other social media, we need to band together and extend a hand, not continue the abuse by shaming our fellow souls. Yes—I want to see the birds that were confiscated placed in better accommodations, yes—I want to see tighter standards for rescues, and yes—I want all birds to have a wonderful quality of life but I will not persecute and promote hatred in a community that has already so much of it going on. Halos are not available at the dollar-store so those that think they have one better take a close look.

Friends, we all know who the truly reputable rescues and sanctuaries are—whether they are large or small, we need to support them and back them but we also need to be realistic with those in trouble and ourselves. Not all of us can be super-parronts, speaking from experience, I learned my limit the hard way and I know that my limit for companion parrots is two, two macaws that have my respect, love, and commitment, and if necessary, I would take a third, but I honestly know that by my standards, that is my limit. There are days when I honestly believe Maggie and I would be better off if she was a single macaw, but I also believe she needs to have another bird in the home to help her through the days I am not available for her.

Please, listen, think, and hopefully learn from this tragedy, lets give purpose to the suffering these animals had and help them see a better future…

Peace.

Bird Cookbooks? Huh? I just buy Hartz Bird Seed!!!

In our quest to find balanced nutrition we as companion humans for our parrots go through many trials and tribulations and some can be quite extreme, the avian educated strive to find that perfect balance of protein, fats, carbs, fiber, vitamins, etc. and we often feed our parrot better food than we feed ourselves—heck, who does't enjoy an occasional Macdonalds, Wendy's, KFC or White Castle?!! Would we ever think of giving our beloved macaw, grey, ekkie, etc., a slider? Well... maybe just one bite but...

As many of you know, I love, love, love Bountiful Harvest from My Safe Bird Store, Kathie has truly hit a home-run in my opinion with the blend and I think it is very well thought out. I also love and adore the idea of Chop, I think it lends itself to flexiblity and we can formulate what our birds want and need, make a huge quantity, put it in the freezer and thaw as we need it. Granted, both of these foods or their concepts are from good friends of mine, Kathie Hahn and Patricia Sund, but even if they weren't, I would still believe in them and use them.

Okay...back to the main purpose of this entry, folks, we always strive for diversity in our lives and our birds deserve the same, and we as their companions are obligated to bring to the table a cornucopia of flavors, tastes, and textures. The internet can provide us with many, but some of us are still a bit old-fashioned in certain areas and we still like those bulky things called books and some of us when we think of books, we think of cookbooks!!! Ahhhhhh what interesting books they can be and many people collect them and I totally understand why—they're addicting!!! Again, I digress...

One night I was on Facebook—that horrible place!!! and I was discussing various parrot cookbooks that I believe in and use, one is actually a must for everyone that has parrots, that is The Healthy Bird Cookbook. It has been revised a couple of times and I consider it a great stepping stone for culinary adventures, I am lucky enough to have it in hardcover and now it is available in paperback and hmmmmmm...maybe if I get an e-reader or an iPad, I will have to have it there...

The second book I mentioned is Gourmet Bird Food Recipes and someone sorta gave me some flack about this book and now, since looking at some of the recipes, I had it coming, but folks, there are some really good ideas in there and if you use common sense, it is a nice addition to you avian library.

The third...well, this a new one for me and a couple of friends turned me onto it and I can't thank them enough for it, it is an outstanding book that supports a great organization that we all need to stand behind, Nourish to Flourish produced by Phoenix Landing. The first night I had it, I read it and I am very happy with it!! Now, I have to say there are two cookbooks every avian library must have, The Healthy Bird Cookbook and Nourish to Flourish, do not deny yourself or deny your companion parrots, these two are very strong books that are well written and jam-packed with great ideas! I cannot emphasize it enough!! You... Yeah you!! Go order these two on Amazon, now!!!!

Of course, we can all browse the internet but we all should have resources at our fingertips that show we still value the quality of a bound book, they are something of substance, a piece of a dying art (God! I hope not!) that will allow us to enrich our companion parrots lives as well as our own. We can benefit ourselves and our friends that are blessed to share lives with companion parrots, we can bring gifts of food to our friends that will hopefully encourage them to break out the cake pans, etc., and join in an art.

Nowadays, I am becoming more and more interested in avian nutrition, I never thought I would see that, but as I have cut down on my flock and have found a very special blue chicken I want to give my girls the best I can and the best variety. At Casa de Blue Feather Butt, we get sprouts on a daily basis, we get all sorts of goodies and the benefits are obvious, we have alert, curious, interactive birds that make life even more enjoyable than I could imagine, we have shiny feathers, bright eyes and healthy attitudes... Yes, diet can and does make a huge difference! Bon Appetit!

The Balance

Okay, let me first say this—not all bird breeders are evil!!! Second, not all rescues are wonderful, and third—weigh the facts and needs out and make a rational, informed decision.

Folks, I am seeing more and more radicals in the animal rescue/sanctuary gig and it is becoming alarming. I used to believe in many of these people, but as time progresses, I am beginning to think their cause has eroded their gray matter and they have become zealots—overlooking common courtesy and sense just to prove a point. We all know who they are— they’re the ones that are well on their way to joining the happy patients at Shady Acres enjoying the comfort of padded walls,  meals with spoons instead of forks, and receiving 10,000 volts to the temple.

Lets be fair and realistic, bird breeders and sanctuaries/rescues have to learn to coexist, you can think what you want, but enough of this demoralizing public behavior, it’s time for all to grow up! I know of several breeders that I believe in, and I know of a handful of rescues/sanctuaries that I believe in, and the reason I say a handful is because of the behavior they have exhibited in recent months. Do you really want to alienate people so they don’t choose adoption? Many rescues/sanctuaries have utilized social media, i.e., Facebook, for their cause and instead of being fair, they have twisted things and become hateful, posting some of the most offensive images I have ever seen. Where does the line get drawn? If I was a parent and my child saw some of the images these people put up, there would be a major can of whoop-ass coming to their door, and these “people” think it’s funny or necessary to shock and repulse people…Where does the line blur? One individual told me it was their job to inform the world of injustices…hmmmmm…where do I get an application for that job? Can I see the resumé that one needs for that position? Here I thought everyone could be an asshole at times but preferred not to be…What was I thinking?!

Prior to the economic downturn, rescues/sanctuaries were far and few between, and the ones that did flourish and prosper were the ones that deserved to, Best Friends, Gabriel, Phoenix, Bird Lovers Only, etc., they’ve worked hard, earned a reputation, and maintained a level of dignity that I respect. These are the folks that still deserve our recognition and money, along with a few of the smaller up-and-coming groups that have maintained civility and common sense. Support a person based upon ethics and how they represent themselves, don’t let words clutter your judgment, let actions be your stimulus.

There is a cliché, The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions, and this is what I believe with many of the rescues/sanctuaries that are popping up. They start with great intentions but eventually will crumble due to their own arrogance, ignorance, and anger. We cannot save every bird, I am sorry, but this is my opinion, some of them have become so destroyed that we have let them go—humanely. What God created with love, Mankind has blemished, and we need to recognize our mistakes and move forward with hopes of a better tomorrow. Let today serve as an example of what tomorrow should be and we need to work together.

I honestly do believe we need to “Opt to Adopt”, but many people are not ready to do that, and they need to take the steps they feel comfortable with. Who is anyone to tell another how they should spend their money? I encourage adoption as much as possible, I tell people that “what used to be” and “what is now” are very different and that many excellent birds are in need of homes and should not be overlooked based upon old perceptions or beliefs. We need to encourage adoption through kindness, not bullying, the world has enough violence, we need to ease people into the adoption process and welcome them as they do and we need to have breeders who educate the consumer.

Many breeders have gotten out of breeding, and I give them credit—they have recognized the current state of aviculture and have taken steps to fix the situation—kudos to them! Many breeders are still dedicated to producing excellent babies, and we need to support them, we need to be fair and honest and recognize that eventually and even now, there is a need for these folks, we cannot and should not damn every breeder! We need to weed out the bad ones, and support the good ones, just like we need to do with the sanctuaries and rescues, we need to come together in a realistic manner and not scatter because of our politic.

I know many breeders I am proud to know them and they are my friends. I know of many rescues that I am proud of and happy to call my friends, I believe in balance—think about it.

Farewell 2011

Farewell 2011, you were a very confusing year with a lot of highs and a lot of lows, and for the most part, I will not miss you. 2011 was a year that for the most part I would love to put far, far behind me and I think I share that sentiment with many, the world became a more turbulent place and we lost many great minds.

In my family, I almost lost my marriage and it proved that what I thought was solid is not, but Joel and I have decided to keep our committment and work through our problems. We had the birth of a lovely little boy, Charles Robert Casey who has warmed my heart in some cold times and we have continued to delight watching Lily grow, both reminders of how life really is wonderful if you can view it through and with the eyes of a child. We also had the announcement of two more babies on the way, both with lovely parents, Jaxson due in February, and another who we don't know the sex or name of due in August.

Charles Robert Casey

Lily Englehardt

The world lost Steve Jobs and on a personal note, I lost my step-father, Jerry. Many of my friends had parents pass and we all comforted on another knowing that our loved ones were in a better place, but our hearts ached. You all may be gone from our sight, but you will never be forgotten...

I have also found many blessings this year in the form of friendships, some new, some rekindled, and some that have endured years, thank you for your support and love. One friendship that I am proud of has been between Glenn Burch and Joel, Glenn almost passed away in 2011 from a disease that we had almost forgotten about, AIDS, and Joel has been assisting him in his recovery, may Glenn continue to improve...

My wish for 2012? My wish is that J and I continue on the path we have found recently, we seem to be heading in a great direction, may we all find what we truly need in life and may we all have a better year than 2011.

Help Your Neighbors...

I have an idea, an idea that will make us all better if we follow through and make our voices heard. Many of us are “independents”—we are toy makers, writers, designers (hint! hint!), accountants, etc., and we all have a skill, trade, or profession that we offer. Many of us have been earning or trying to earn a living through our wares but some of us have faced layoffs, unforeseen disasters, a reduction in income or other circumstances that have created a need for us to try to make a living through alternative measures. I would like to create a blog page where you can “advertise” your skills and hopefully we can all benefit.

We all need to face the needs of our neighbor, in the avicultural community we are a nation of many faces and skills, we need to band together and help each other—many of us have been forced into reducing or parting with our flocks for a variety of reasons—lets extend our hand and open our wallets to those we share a common thread with. I want to take business away from the “Big Box Stores” and bring it to the small independents that are getting killed in this economic disaster.

What skill do you have? Are you willing to trade services?

An Anniversary

Three years ago today my beautiful blue baby girl, Miss Maggie, came home and my heart was filled with joy because a dream had been fulfilled. The week prior, I found Maggie on a board and the person who had her wanted a Palm Cockatoo instead, she was in Arizona and I rushed to get all the things she needed to my home, I got the cage, perches, macadamias, etc. and then we waited for that day.

Saturday, November 22, 2008 Maggie (then Venus) left Arizona in the morning and arrived in Illinois by afternoon. Joel and I drove to Ohare Airport, my heart was racing, my hands were sweaty, and the tears were welling up, all the while I was wondering what the future would hold for us and how this soul would become a part of our family. First contact! The baggage handler brought out this dog carrier, the front was covered with a towel and taped down, I rushed to take the tape off and there was this beautiful face—this beautiful blue face with those huge dark eyes, the tears came forward and a smile with those tears, my dream had been accomplished thanks to my grandmother who I named Maggie after.

We brought Maggie home and got her into her cage and within moments I handed her a mac nut which she eagerly accepted, Joel followed and she wove her life into ours. The phone was ringing—calls from dear friends and family confirming her arrival and the day was one of the most momentus of my life and changed my future. Maggie became a central force in my life, and to this day I cannot believe she is home with me and that I share my life with a Hyacinth. People, time, places, etc., all change but somewhere along the path of life we strive to find an anchor—something or someone that focuses us, that is there when we need them—Maggie has become that in my life, she makes me smile everyday and she has changed my life in so many different ways.

Maggie has changed how I view many things in my life, especially aviculture—I no longer feel that one is good, and more is better—I honestly see the day coming when I seek the perfect home for my other birds and devote my spare time to her and other pleasures and endeavors. I have begun to realize that life with a special macaw can be rewarding and that I shouldnt feel the need to have a variety of birds to justify my presence in aviculture—there are many people with one bird—a very lucky bird that is the center of their companion humans life that enjoy prosperous and rewarding lives, Maggie will be that macaw for me.

My beautiful blue baby, you have made your dad's life a pleasure, you have lived up to and surpassed every dream he had of sharing his life with a Hyacinth, there are only a few phrases that can express the way I feel... Thank You! You are one of the loves of my life, and you make everyday special for me—your companion human loves you so very, very much and looks forward to a long life together.

A Call for Action

Normally, I like to keep my blog light in tone, but I have been watching things happen and I feel the need to change the tone with this entry and I hope it will give all of you reason to think and hopefully act. I am bringing issues to the forefront that concern me and perhaps concern all of us—not just those in aviculture, and I want to see how many of us will be willing to voice your concerns as well. My friends, we are at a pivotal point in our lives and the history of our hobby and if you reside in the U.S.—our country.

I was on the phone with a friend of mine the other day and we were discussing the future of aviculture and what we thought has to be done, this friend—a very wise woman—mentioned the idea of having a summit. The purpose—to bring breeders, rescues, sanctuaries, and others together and discuss the current state of aviculture and where we need to direct it. In the past year or so, we have seen battles between breeders and rescues and the majority of us who are truly concerned about birds are leaning towards the concerns of the rescues. Five years ago, another friend of mine—another very wise woman, mentioned that one day we would reach critical mass in the U.S. with far too many psitticines and not enough homes for them—that day arrived a year ago and we need to address this issue and figure what is the best future. We have hit critical mass, and human and psitticine are paying dearly for it.

Sanctuaries and rescues are at capacity, and breeders need to stop producing birds when we already have too many. The sad fact is, many of us never really thought about the life-spans of our pets, we never considered what decades meant, many of us were used to mammalian pets and thought of years with a maximum of perhaps 17 years before our pets would pass. Many of us also did not take into consideration that we would be growing older and our pets would still require care at the same time that we would require more. We weren’t bad—we just didn’t look into the future and consider all the variables and many of us never thought the economy would dive the way it has. Yes…I am bringing the economy into this equation, I know many of us have danced around it, but it is a serious factor in what is going on. Our birds may be our passion but they can be a costly passion, although many times worth it!

The U.S. is not in need of anymore baby Blue and Gold macaws, Umbrella Cockatoos, Goffin Cockatoos, Moluccan Cockatoos, and so many more common species, we need to get those in need of homes placed before we even think of producing more. We also need to educate the bird-buying public before they make a purchase and they need to be aware of all the consequences of their purchase. Breeders need to take responsibility—they simply cannot churn out more babies in hopes of them finding homes, they need to cut back awhile and find other means of income while aviculture adjusts. I seriously doubt we will ever see days like those in the 90s or early 2000s again, where breeders could produce chicks and place them while they weren’t weaned, breeders are going to need to start realizing that they over-produced and wade through what the upcoming years will be like. Breeders, also keep in mind, when availability is low and there is a demand—you can ask more for the babies you produce, OPEC has learned this and so should you!

Another problem is money—sanctuaries and rescues depend on donations and presently not too many people have expendable funds, we all have felt the pinch somewhere and when we feel that pinch, charity starts at home unfortunately. We are already seeing sanctuaries turning away birds, we are already seeing waiting lists for placement into rescues and sanctuaries, and we are seeing people who entered aviculture with the best intentions realizing they made mistakes with the size of their flocks, and I am one of those people… My heart truly feels for rescues but I also fear that many are not being run effectively and they also will need to address some not-so-pleasant topics including euthanasia. No one in aviculture wants to address euthanasia, but many dog and cat rescues/shelters have been dealing with it for years, and it’s sad that aviculture will now more-than-likely have to deal with it and make some very tough decisions of who will be allowed to survive and what souls we will put to rest to end the madness that man has created. Do we save those that are easy to place or do we save those that have a larger monetary value? Do we even consider rehabs and try to place these birds in their native habitats? It may be a serious alternative… Ahhhhh… perhaps we should look at this?!

With so many species we consider pets on CITES, perhaps we should consider rehabbing with hopes of returning these birds into the wild. Is that far-fetched? What would such an undertaking require? Who would participate and oversee the movement? If we truly love our companion parrots, we should also aid in their return to wild populations, and we should take measures to ensure their safety for decades to come.

Yes, the future of aviculture is uncertain and in flux—we need to address issues now—while we can prevent more disasters. We need to create a dialogue between all parties in aviculture and find a solution and some of us need to possibly do some adjustments. Take a look at the snippet below… pretty scary.

“According to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the US captive parrot population could swell to 100 million by the year 2020. US breeders now hatch 2-5 million parrots yearly, and an additional 15,000 birds are legally imported. Despite our long-term ban on wild-caught parrots, illegal imports remain a problem.  The US Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that 20,000 parrots illegally enter the USA from Mexico each year, with at least 5,000 smuggled in from elsewhere! “

In closing; where do we start? Can we face the challenges that are already here and the ones approaching? Can we put aside our fuzzy feelings and face the brutal truths? Can we find solutions that are acceptable to all? My friends, we have much to contend with in the upcoming days, months, years, and decades, we have so many variables coming into play that the task may seem daunting, but if we are the stewards of our beloved psitticines, we need to do what is best for them now and in the future. We need to put aside our differences and think about the needs of our feathered loved ones, and we need to do it soon—very soon!

The World Lost a Friend...

Yesterday, October 5th, 2011 the world lost a friend, the light of a genius was extinguished and Heaven has gained another wonderful soul. The man I am talking about is Steve Jobs of Apple Computer, Pixar, etc., and I am still in shock, we all knew it was coming given his condition, but we thought Steve could beat pancreatic cancer—he could do anything! He changed the way we live, and yet God took him, and now there will be iPods, iPhones, iTunes, Macs, and iPads in Heaven and angels will be blessed with his charismatic presentations. We lost a man who dared us to do things differently, we lost a visionary who made the unreal possible, and we lost someone that we all benefited from.

I will never forget the first time I saw Steve Jobs present a keynote—I was amazed at his finesse and I also fell in lust...yeah...I thought he was hot in a very different way. Without doubt, Steve was the ultimate showman, when he strutted across the stage we all watched to see if he was gonna pull something out of his pocket, we hung on his words, and we waited with anticipation for his next stroke of brilliance. If I am not mistaken, the first keynote I watched was for the iPod...and I remember thinking "This thing will never change music and the way we listen to it!!", well, within a year the name iPod became synonomous with a portable music player, and no one else could come close.

My first Apple was an LC that my grandmother bought for me in 1991, later I watched eagerly as new products to be announced and I fell in love with the marketing, the design, and the "American Dream" that Apple forged. I remember the brilliance of the 1984 Macintosh Ad and I remember the candy-inspired iMacs, I remember the first Mac laptops, I remember the iBook and thinking it would last forever... so many computers ago...now, I use a MacBook Pro and I could not imagine my life without it...

Joel called me to tell me the news—I simply could not believe it and I lit a candle. I wanted to to toast him, but instead I spent the time remembering his brilliance and the loss we have all suffered.

Steve, you were taken away too soon, but your legacy and name will be with us for generations to come. Rest in Peace.

Diet Quest...

As good parronts we strive to find the perfect diets for our companions, we shop, we formulate, we observe, and then we repeat the process in hopes of one day getting it right. We go through countless seed blends, countless pellet brands, and we beat ourselves up when our beloveds don’t eat the fresh or baked foods we offer them, we become the temperamental waiter at the five-star restaurant. Our quest seems to be the impossible until one day we strike that vein of gold and we are rewarded for our efforts—we then put our anger and admiration towards those that say “my birds eat everything I offer!” aside and we become one of those happy people—ideally that “right food” will be the perfect blend of fats, proteins, and vitamins, and we will see the reward in perfect feathering and twinkling eyes, the feather-pluckers become pretty again, and the sun shines.

I have always thought the above was possible and I was actually believing I struck that vein, but then I questioned who was content; me or the birds? At that point, I started my quest again and perhaps I may be jaded or fooling myself, but I actually think I have found some dietary components that will work for me and my flock and will take me forward for years. We all need to find what works for us, but more importantly—we need to find what works for our birds.

Along our quest, we meet many people, we meet salespeople, hobbyists, newbies, the elders, the wannabes, the dedicated, the ones who make promises they know they can’t fulfill, etc., but we also meet some really wonderful people, the people we hold dear—the people we respect and want to know for the rest of our lives. I have been truly blessed, I have met many of these people—in person and on various internet boards and sites.

As I think I have said before, I don’t promote products or people unless I really believe them and feel that people would benefit from them—that’s the case with My Safe Bird Store who is owned by Kathie Hahn, and Patricia Sund (see Parrot Nation) who turned me onto Chop. The key to our birds happiness is variety—in behavior, foods, and experiences, it is our obligation to meet these needs and these two fine people help make it easier.

My Safe Bird Store is an online business that offers products that are safe and excellent quality. Bountiful Harvest Blend is a great product that MSBS offers, its complete, nutritious, varied, and surpasses anything else I have found in years—I am completely sold on it!! I have used Fiesta, Harrison’s, Zupreem, Pretty Bird, and a multitude of other foods and I feel that this blend can replace all of them for all the right reasons—it is balanced,  healthy, natural and birds seem to go crazy over it. I have been feeding Bountiful Harvest now for about 3 months and I have seen significant improvement in my birds, all of which I will attribute to the above dietary changes. If anything is to be gained by others on this blog, I hope this is one of those things… You owe it to yourself and to your flock to try it and put some time into converting your birds over to it.

My next new favorite food is Chop, Patricia Sund turned me onto this, and it is without a doubt ingenious because it almost guarantees our birds will get a smattering of everything, it really is a great way to get diversity of fresh foods consumed. I been making Chop now for a few months, and again, I have seen significant improvement in my birds health—significant!! The premise is simple, make it small enough that a bird can’t pick through it and they will inevitably get a bit of everything, makes total sense; doesn’t it?! Below is a recipe I made recently, but if you go to Patricia’s website, you will see, you can make variations that will meet the needs of your flock. For those of you who are not familiar with Patricia, make it a point to know her—she is truly a class act and a good soul, her blog is insightful and fun to read.

2-3 bunches of greens (kale, collards, spinach, mustard, etc.), I shred these.

3 bags of 13 bean soup mix (remove the seasoning packet, and the lima beans) soak over night, then simmer 'til tender—but not mushy, chop in food processor

4–6 bags of cooked brown rice (do not cook the time specified on the box, undercook a bit.)

5 cups cooked quinoa (do not cook the time specified on the box, undercook a bit.)

2 boxes of whole grain pasta , chop in food processor (do not cook the time specified on the box, undercook a bit.)

4 red peppers, 4 green peppers (sliced in food processor)

8 carrots (grated)

6 zuchinni (grated)

cooked pumpkin cubes with cinnamon (chopped)

brocolli (chopped)

2 5 lb bags of mixed frozen veggies

Greens and beans! The base

A little red pepper to add nutrition and color

Quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta

Carrots! Starting to look mighty festive eh?!

A bit more green... brocolli!

One of my favorites...zuchinni! 

To capture the Fall season, a bit of pumpkin with cinnamon

Some green peppers and frozen veggies...

This is only part of the clean up!!! Believe me, there was more!!!

Put into freezer bags and take out the night before what you need or take out what you need and defrost it in the microwave and let sit for a couple of minutes, mix to avoid any hot spots.

I always have sprouts around so when I prepare it for the birds, I add sprouts, melon, kiwi, strawberries, peaches, pomegranite, apple, blue berries or some grapes and some oatmeal to make it even more vitamin packed.

Chop is a recipe that is only bound by the imagination, the more healthy foods you add, the better it will be, the more flavorful it is—the more your birds will enjoy it! Make this food a fun food, make it a time to spend with your bird(s) while you’re mixing it, they will see what you’re doing and it will make them inquisitive about it and get their first bites of it—remember praise is a great way of making even the most apprehensive bird curious—at least it is with my gang! Bon appétit!

Pretty Bird

Every once in awhile we find items we would love to have, I venture onto Ebay and look once or twice a week—sometimes they're bargains, sometimes they're not, but our avian obsession drives us. Just recently I found one of those objects... The bidding started at $1400 and ended at $3600, I keep saying—I wish I had the money!

Height: 13". Width: 9". Weight: 15 lbs. The one Macaw Vase comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the president of Lalique and hand-numbered as #94 of 99 exemplars in clear crystal.

"Building on the rich heritage of company founder and visionary Rene Lalique, Lalique today returns to the natural world as a source of inspiration. The tropical jungle is home to the fiery Macaw, the namesake and inspiration for Lalique's 1999 Limited Edition Macaw Vase."

"The commanding Macaw Vase features two magnificent Macaw heads, plumage shining, extending from either side of the vase. Delicate plumage, sculpted in satin-finished crystal, covers the body of the vase. The shape of the vase further evokes the exotic Macaw: it curves and tapers, echoing the shape of the bird's own body."

"Lalique's master artisans pay tribute to the myth of the Macaw, considered to be a symbol of solar energy, by depicting the bird in five brilliant colors: red, jade, green, turquoise, amber and clear. The bird's satin-finished color complements the luminous clear finish of the vase, making the Macaw Vase as radiant as its natural counterpart."

"Standing over 13 inches tall, with a width of 9 inches, and weighing nearly 15 pounds, the Macaw vase is a dramatic representation of an inspiring creature."

"Because of the complex nature of of its production, only 99 Macaw vases will be produced worldwide in each of the five colors. Each Macaw vase will be a hand-numbered, limited edition." 

Bella Embroidery & Tracy Hylka

A dear friend of mine runs/owns Bella Embroidery, Tracy Hylka. Tracy and I have known each other for years and I love her work, infact, I usually wear her caps because she always comes up with something I have to have, this is no exception... This has already become one of my prized possessions! Thank You Tracy!!!

Bella Embroidery can be found on Facebook and I cannot recommend her work enough, she is a great friend!

Logos, The Good, The Bad...

Recently I have notice something, good logo/graphic design is very sparse in the avicultural community, in fact, it practically doesn’t exist but, when it does, it sticks out like a rose in a sea of dandelions. I bring this to attention because for the most part, we are a creative bunch but when it comes to good design, most bird people might as well be color blind and mentally challenged when it comes to aesthetics. I really think most parrot people art too cheap to invest in good logos or they think too highly of themselves to consider paying for a professional, yet don’t you dare step on their toes—you’ll hear about it... well.. too bad and if this pisses you off, perhaps you may learn something.

It amazes me how many parrot people think they are visually talented when the reality is they are truly graduates of the Helen Keller School of Art and Design. They don’t realize that a logo is the first representation many will have of them or their company or perhaps they think that being cute is still hip—sorry folks, when we grew up schlock lost it’s cuteness. Perhaps some of them think that the colors they use (picture puking Lucky Charms cereal) is clever and inviting and they don’t realize, if it can’t work in grayscale, it only gets worse in color—especially when you really don’t have a sense of color. Perhaps some of them think we are still kids and we love cartoons? Whatever the reasoning, it’s wrong!

When I pondered opening my own parrot related business, I knew the importance of logo design, I realized that many people would not know me personally so I had to set forth a representation of who I am, I am not a cartoon, I am a tasteful adult who happens to have a passion for parrots and aviculture. I still watch cartoons occasionally, when I’m sick and such, but I am proud to have gone through puberty and learned adult sophistication, I have learned much in my years and although I value my childhood, I am happy being a grown-up. I am a gay man and I love the Pride Flag but I don’t need rainbow colored logos, in fact, they make me wanna burn my Pride Flag!

Okay, here is some good design in my opinion, these are carefully planned, beautifully executed and in my opinion, very tasteful. I really like these and I am happy that someone had the brains to do these. Bravo!

One word... Spectacular!

The only question...Sanctuary or Greenhouse? or both?

Very, Very nice! A stunning logo!

One of my favorites!! God! I wish I did this one!!!

It works well for what he's trying to communicate...

Starting to become a bit too much but holding back...

Clean, simple, elegant

Well done!

Interesting... and has become very recognizable.

Very, very nice!

All three are beautiful... very professional... A very nice representation of Dr. Karen Becker!

Gorgeous!!! Beautiful color, nice form and very inviting!

Bordering on schmaltz, but still working and I like it!

Sophistication! 

Okay... Not avian but should give you an idea...

It could use some cosmetic work... but still functional!

Okay... so big money plays a part in this one, but it doesn't need to!!!

Another one of my all time favorites!

I really find this interesting...

This was done by yours truly for a company I had pondered opening...

The alternate version—not many people liked this, yet I did... and no, I was not being biased!

Okay... lets look at some real schlocky design... feel free to laugh, snicker, etc. I personally find it offensive as a design professional. If your logo is here, consider it a wake up call and a commentary and perhaps a good reason I will not endorse your products because although I love kids, I don’t want to patronize them. You do not support my profession, I won’t support yours... I am appalled how many people think they can design a logo and instead of creating visual assault, for crying-out-loud, just use type! The saddest thing is, I like some of the people that did some of these and yet they are really, really bad—open your wallets, you want people to buy your stuff, pay for a designers skills. 

Makeover seriously needed!!!

Technicolor crapola!

Only if the King is a kid!

I'd expect much better!!!

I really love these characters, I love the faces but it just doesnt cut it as a logo...

More Yuck!!!

About as disappointing as a faked orgasm!!

.

If your logo made it on the schlock list consider doing something about it...it’s never too late to change and you may actually benefit from it. Do yourselves a favor, hire a design professional...it may pay off in the long run...