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September 2015 Mayor of the Avenue... Melissa (melissasparrots)

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expressmailtome

Ripping up the road
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Our "Mayor of the Avenue" award is presented to a member who exhibits the qualities that distinguish them to be an upstanding credit to the Avenue, a loving, informed, conscientious and caring bird parront and an all around good neighbor.

I am happy to announce that Melissa is September's Mayor of the Month.
I enjoyed reading your interview, and am sure that everyone else will as well!

1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?


I have a greater sulfur crested cockatoo named Ariel, Goffin's cockatoo named Cassie, Hyacinth macaw named Cosmo, 5 yellow naped amazons named Diva, Gremlin, Sprout, Ellie and Oscar, 3 quakers name Daffy and mama and papa quaker, 4 parrotlets named Emerald, Sapphire, Dori, and Gadget, and a red tailed hawk named Ace. Plus usually some babies hanging around. Ages for the current flock are anything from about 8 months old for a couple parrotlets up to 25 plus for the older amazons. Most of them run around 8-12 years old.

2. What got you interested in birds?

A couple things got me interested in birds in different ways. The first was as a little kid seeing the neighbor's blue budgie and sitting and watching it for hours. Prior to him, I never really thought of birds beyond those things that fly around outside. I never thought of them as something that has a smell, that breaths, that feels, interacts or has a personality. The budgie got me interested in pet birds and I got my first one(a cockatiel) when I was about 7 years old.
The second main event was going on a photography trip to watch the cranes and geese migrate near Kearney Nebraska with my dad when I was about 10. It was mind numbingly boring from a kid's perspective to sit around watching grown ups take pictures. But it was the first taste I had of the nature of really wild things. That trip gave me the first experience of nature that wasn't from outside the looking glass. I wanted from then on to be a part of it. To hold it in my hand, interact with it and have a relationship with it. Also to be able to set it free and just observe. To have it interwoven into my life.


3. What have your birds brought to your life?

A lot of joy along with a lot of mess, noise and frustration at times. Occasionally sorrow.

4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?

Patience and acceptance to a depth I didn't know existed. I've learned a lot about birds. I've also learned and changed a lot about myself to be a better bird owner. I no longer want birds because I want them to be affectionate toward me. I want to share my life with them so I can keep learning and enjoy whatever relationship they want to have with me.

5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?

Just one? I can give a few. 1. The time my mom told me my favorite cockatiel died and then watching her mate and chicks die over the course of the next month. It really drove home the need for quarantine and made me a germ paranoid bird owner forever. 2. Candling my first amazon egg and seeing life. I've known Diva since before she hatched. 3. The first time a hawk jumped to my gloved fist.

6. Where is your birds main living area?

Most of the pets are in my living room. Most of the untame or breeding birds are in my spare bedroom. The hawk is in a mews outside.

7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?

I drilled holes in my ceiling for bird toys, hung plastic shower curtain on some walls for easy mess cleanup, took down curtains because they just collect dust, gave up trying to keep everything clean and looking nice.

8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?

Not right now other than Avian Avenue. Sometimes I go to a falconry meet or mini meet and get together with other falconers. I'm on a facebook group for women falconers. I used to be a member of a local bird club, but never really got anything out of it. Thinking about joining NAFA.

9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?

An outside aviary. Also a hanging net for in the house.

10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?

Lots of birds. My main parrot species that I think is missing from my flock is a timneh grey. I've wanted one for about 20 years. The next bird to join my flock will probably be a kestrel or cooper's hawk though.

11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.

Depends on the season. Wake up and feed the pet birds their veggies and then go to work.
Come home after work and possibly touch up food bowls. If I have baby birds during the summer then the first thing I do when walking in the door is feed babies. Sometimes I come home during lunch to feed babies or bring to work with me. If its during the fall, winter, early spring then the first thing I do after work is load the hawk up in the car and go hunting several days a week. When done with that, come home, shower and finish up chores for the pet birds. Evening I give the pets their attention and time out of cage.


12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?

There isn't one right way to do anything and nobody is an expert about your bird other than you and maybe your vet. Everyone brings a different personality and different interaction style to their relationships with their birds. Don't get too judgmental about the relationship people have with their birds or the way they take care of them. What works is different for each person.

13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?

I wouldn't have ever taken my cockatiels to a bird show and brought them home to bring disease back with them. I would have given my fearful cockatoo space and all the time she needed because pushing her to make her less afraid of me just made it take longer for her to get past her fear. I would have budgeted for a mate for my hyacinth. I would have had more confidence in my animal training abilities with my first hawk. Second guessing myself just made for trouble.

14. What other hobbies do you have?

I'm a first degree black belt in taekwondo and getting there in hapkido. I kayak and fish during the summer. Hike around in the woods and fly my hawk during the winter. I like to read fiction novels.

15. Anything else you would like to share?

Enjoy your birds. Don't get too hung up on the day to day drag and second guessing yourself. Weigh them often, keep money in the bank for vet bills. Keep it positive and don't stop learning.
 

Clueless

Joyriding the Neighborhood
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Congrats.... the last three words are the words I live by.
 

webchirp

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Great post! Congrats!
 

cupoftea

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Woo-hoo, congratulations!! :D
 

Theresa

AKA TMS
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Congrats Melissa, deserved and way overdue :congratsbig::congrats5:
Below is my favorite part of the interview :highfive:

There isn't one right way to do anything and nobody is an expert about your bird other than you and maybe your vet. Everyone brings a different personality and different interaction style to their relationships with their birds. Don't get too judgmental about the relationship people have with their birds or the way they take care of them. What works is different for each person.
 

macawpower58

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Great interview!! Big congrats. :)
 

melissasparrots

Rollerblading along the road
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Thanks for the congratulations everyone. I was surprised when I found out I got an award.
 
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