Shade
Crazy for Pois!
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
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 so delighted to announce Katy as December's Mayor of the Avenue.
I loved your interview and enjoyed getting to know you a little better!
1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?
3 1/2,GCC, Birdie
1 1/2, CAG, Bella
8 1/2, CAG, Cowboy
2-3, Maxi Pi, Gizmo
2. What got you interested in birds?
My brother has had a rehome CAG for many years and his antics have always made me want a grey. Several years ago however, when I was quite ill, some family and friends thought a bird would help lift my spirits. I would never advocate getting a bird for someone as a gift. In this case it worked out. Birdie was patient for awhile, but insisted on making a bond with me. I had been unmoving, facing the wall, for maybe weeks after I got her. She started to "click" once at me. Expectantly. After a while she'd click again. Expectantly. Finally she cracked me and I clicked back. So she clicked twice. And i clicked twice. This little communication she got me to participate in was an important step in my recovery. I think of Birdie as a service animal in a way. These days she bites the crap out of me every chance she gets. I think she may be jealous I added the other birds. But she has a giant cage and a world class bell collection and every evening when she's banging those bells, I know she's ok. So to sum up, I think my brother's grey got me interested in a general way, but Birdie showed me the depth of a relationship you can have.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Laughter, companionship, a link with nature- many things.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience. Did you ever hear the expression "the faster I go the behinder I get?" That's what it seems to me to be like. I have two rehomed birds, both very mistrustful. I would have to say that I eventually learned in both cases that trust must be built- and maintained very slowly. Some people might laugh if they really knew how slow we go around here. But these guys have been hurt. And it takes a lot. A real lot. To fix that. The other thing I've learned is not to be disappointed if the relationship doesn't turn out exactly like you hoped. My birds are wild animals. Aside from species differences, each bird is his or her own unique being. I've learned that I must adjust to their personalities, not the other way around. I'd like to point out, though, that I am still very young in the bird world, and have many observations and much learning yet to accumulate.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
I had surgery recently and was in the hospital for a week. When I got home and let Bella out the first thing she said to me was "I love you. " it was the first time she ever said it. We had been working on it- by that I mean I said it to her endlessly- before I went into the hospital. I was just amazed it was rolling around in her head all that time and seeing me was the impetus to blurt it out. Or maybe she'd been saying it to Cowboy all week, haha. I'll never know. But it sure was very good timing.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
I have an open plan kitchen, living and dining room. That's where all of the cages and playstands are. So when I'm awake we are pretty much together.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
I had to remove a few pieces of furniture.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No, just AA.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
An outdoor aviary. A really big one. Heated. So they could go outside in the winter. Maybe a retractable roof? No AstroTurf.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
This is an interesting question as there are a couple of species which in my mind were dream birds. GWMacaw, Hy, Hawkheak parrot. The more I thought about this question, I realized that it wasn't a particular species I craved, it was parront/bird relationships. I would read a story or view a video and say to myself "oh wow, wouldn't it be so cool to have Saroj's Chickie and Jojo?" As well as the rest of her awesome flock. Or the cuddleability of Roxynoodle's Merlin. The sheer beauty of Wendy's Jungle's Fancy. The intelligence of Saemma's Emma. Milton da Too visiting nursing homes, Da Queen and Lord Maxwell getting the Chinese take-out before Anne and Dub. JAM's hysterical characters. I could go on here for a long time- and don't want to offend anyone by omission, but every parrot has something unique to offer and it's been helpful for me to learn to love your guys for what they do offer- not what they don't.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
Well, they wake up at dawn of course. I've been having trouble sleeping lately so I usually sleep past that initial cacophony and get up at 9.. (They have pellets) then I start my coffee, do a quick paper change and any other emergency cleanup necessary. Then I make breakfast. When Bella sees me in the kitchen she's days " you want your breakfast?" Or sometimes "you want dinner?". She knows it is food but doesn't quite have the exact meal worked out yet. Sometimes the Greys just will not eat. They are like two kids and go up to the top of the atom and won't come down. So after a couple of hours it gets thrown away. I'm sure everyone here knows all about that. After breakfast I drink my coffee and just watch all of them. I don't work so I have this luxury. I love all of my birds but I admit I spend more time watching and taking photos and video of the two Greys. Watching them interact, becoming bonded in their own private language, has been amazing to watch. I've had Cowboy 6 months. When he first got here if I approached his cage for any reason, such as freshening water, he would scream and cry flap his wings, and fall to the bottom of his cage. So almost every day, from a comfortable position on my couch, I have watched Cowboy gain back his confidence, often using Bella's behavior as his guide for safety. I digress.
Usually at 4pm I make dinner for everybody. It's getting dark quite early here now, so it's not too soon after that I start to hear beaks grinding. The Greys are free to do what they want. Birdie gets covered last, as she doesn't like to get left out. Gizmo is adorable, putting himself to bed when he is ready. Gizmo came here in late May, and by July we were in crisis. My father died rather unexpectedly and I wasn't paying proper attention to anybirdy. In just a few days I took some nasty bites and one flying attack. I didn't think I could keep him. But an amazing group of members from AA helped me start over with him. We went back to ground zero. So when Gizmo puts himself to bed, just in the last several weeks he proffers his head so I can give him a scritch through the bars. I'm always terrified, because I know he can bite me faster than I can get my finger out. But I'm trusting him and he's trusting me.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
Birds are not dogs. They are not cats. I think non-bird folks often believe, incorrectly, that a bird would be an easier animal to husband, because they are caged. The vet bills alone underscore the differences. They are such complicated, untame, beings. Much research should be done, and seldom is, about the needs of a parrot or other exotic bird before they acquire it. I didn't. I hope my birds haven't suffered for my ignorance. There's still so much to know.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Unbelievably, I didn't quarantine Bella from Birdie when I got her. I got a certificate showing she had been tested and was free of certain diseases. But many months later I realize they had a booming grooming business and she was exposed to many birds. I read so many stories on AA about birds that are suddenly discovered to have a serious disease and I wonder if that could have, or still could, happen to us.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I love to walk on the beach with my dog. There are some places we can go around here where we can go sans leash. Jack goes crazy, running like the wind. He's a rescue terrier and anything I can do to shave off some energy is great. I also quilt, having only started about 3 years ago. My mom quilted, and it has been a nice way to hold on to some nice memories. And I read.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
AA is a place with so much experience. No matter what your question is
you will likely be pointed quickly in the right direction. That is so valuable. And however much I appreciated information I was given, especially when I first started lurking around, I made friends. I never, ever, believed I could make a real friend, one I would never meet in person, on an Internet forum. But I have. All of this is possible through the generosity of a few bird-loving people. So thanks to the admins, Jill, the mods, for running an amazing show.
I am so delighted to announce Katy as December's Mayor of the Avenue.
I loved your interview and enjoyed getting to know you a little better!
1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?
3 1/2,GCC, Birdie
1 1/2, CAG, Bella
8 1/2, CAG, Cowboy
2-3, Maxi Pi, Gizmo
2. What got you interested in birds?
My brother has had a rehome CAG for many years and his antics have always made me want a grey. Several years ago however, when I was quite ill, some family and friends thought a bird would help lift my spirits. I would never advocate getting a bird for someone as a gift. In this case it worked out. Birdie was patient for awhile, but insisted on making a bond with me. I had been unmoving, facing the wall, for maybe weeks after I got her. She started to "click" once at me. Expectantly. After a while she'd click again. Expectantly. Finally she cracked me and I clicked back. So she clicked twice. And i clicked twice. This little communication she got me to participate in was an important step in my recovery. I think of Birdie as a service animal in a way. These days she bites the crap out of me every chance she gets. I think she may be jealous I added the other birds. But she has a giant cage and a world class bell collection and every evening when she's banging those bells, I know she's ok. So to sum up, I think my brother's grey got me interested in a general way, but Birdie showed me the depth of a relationship you can have.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Laughter, companionship, a link with nature- many things.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience. Did you ever hear the expression "the faster I go the behinder I get?" That's what it seems to me to be like. I have two rehomed birds, both very mistrustful. I would have to say that I eventually learned in both cases that trust must be built- and maintained very slowly. Some people might laugh if they really knew how slow we go around here. But these guys have been hurt. And it takes a lot. A real lot. To fix that. The other thing I've learned is not to be disappointed if the relationship doesn't turn out exactly like you hoped. My birds are wild animals. Aside from species differences, each bird is his or her own unique being. I've learned that I must adjust to their personalities, not the other way around. I'd like to point out, though, that I am still very young in the bird world, and have many observations and much learning yet to accumulate.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
I had surgery recently and was in the hospital for a week. When I got home and let Bella out the first thing she said to me was "I love you. " it was the first time she ever said it. We had been working on it- by that I mean I said it to her endlessly- before I went into the hospital. I was just amazed it was rolling around in her head all that time and seeing me was the impetus to blurt it out. Or maybe she'd been saying it to Cowboy all week, haha. I'll never know. But it sure was very good timing.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
I have an open plan kitchen, living and dining room. That's where all of the cages and playstands are. So when I'm awake we are pretty much together.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
I had to remove a few pieces of furniture.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No, just AA.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
An outdoor aviary. A really big one. Heated. So they could go outside in the winter. Maybe a retractable roof? No AstroTurf.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
This is an interesting question as there are a couple of species which in my mind were dream birds. GWMacaw, Hy, Hawkheak parrot. The more I thought about this question, I realized that it wasn't a particular species I craved, it was parront/bird relationships. I would read a story or view a video and say to myself "oh wow, wouldn't it be so cool to have Saroj's Chickie and Jojo?" As well as the rest of her awesome flock. Or the cuddleability of Roxynoodle's Merlin. The sheer beauty of Wendy's Jungle's Fancy. The intelligence of Saemma's Emma. Milton da Too visiting nursing homes, Da Queen and Lord Maxwell getting the Chinese take-out before Anne and Dub. JAM's hysterical characters. I could go on here for a long time- and don't want to offend anyone by omission, but every parrot has something unique to offer and it's been helpful for me to learn to love your guys for what they do offer- not what they don't.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
Well, they wake up at dawn of course. I've been having trouble sleeping lately so I usually sleep past that initial cacophony and get up at 9.. (They have pellets) then I start my coffee, do a quick paper change and any other emergency cleanup necessary. Then I make breakfast. When Bella sees me in the kitchen she's days " you want your breakfast?" Or sometimes "you want dinner?". She knows it is food but doesn't quite have the exact meal worked out yet. Sometimes the Greys just will not eat. They are like two kids and go up to the top of the atom and won't come down. So after a couple of hours it gets thrown away. I'm sure everyone here knows all about that. After breakfast I drink my coffee and just watch all of them. I don't work so I have this luxury. I love all of my birds but I admit I spend more time watching and taking photos and video of the two Greys. Watching them interact, becoming bonded in their own private language, has been amazing to watch. I've had Cowboy 6 months. When he first got here if I approached his cage for any reason, such as freshening water, he would scream and cry flap his wings, and fall to the bottom of his cage. So almost every day, from a comfortable position on my couch, I have watched Cowboy gain back his confidence, often using Bella's behavior as his guide for safety. I digress.
Usually at 4pm I make dinner for everybody. It's getting dark quite early here now, so it's not too soon after that I start to hear beaks grinding. The Greys are free to do what they want. Birdie gets covered last, as she doesn't like to get left out. Gizmo is adorable, putting himself to bed when he is ready. Gizmo came here in late May, and by July we were in crisis. My father died rather unexpectedly and I wasn't paying proper attention to anybirdy. In just a few days I took some nasty bites and one flying attack. I didn't think I could keep him. But an amazing group of members from AA helped me start over with him. We went back to ground zero. So when Gizmo puts himself to bed, just in the last several weeks he proffers his head so I can give him a scritch through the bars. I'm always terrified, because I know he can bite me faster than I can get my finger out. But I'm trusting him and he's trusting me.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
Birds are not dogs. They are not cats. I think non-bird folks often believe, incorrectly, that a bird would be an easier animal to husband, because they are caged. The vet bills alone underscore the differences. They are such complicated, untame, beings. Much research should be done, and seldom is, about the needs of a parrot or other exotic bird before they acquire it. I didn't. I hope my birds haven't suffered for my ignorance. There's still so much to know.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Unbelievably, I didn't quarantine Bella from Birdie when I got her. I got a certificate showing she had been tested and was free of certain diseases. But many months later I realize they had a booming grooming business and she was exposed to many birds. I read so many stories on AA about birds that are suddenly discovered to have a serious disease and I wonder if that could have, or still could, happen to us.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I love to walk on the beach with my dog. There are some places we can go around here where we can go sans leash. Jack goes crazy, running like the wind. He's a rescue terrier and anything I can do to shave off some energy is great. I also quilt, having only started about 3 years ago. My mom quilted, and it has been a nice way to hold on to some nice memories. And I read.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
AA is a place with so much experience. No matter what your question is
you will likely be pointed quickly in the right direction. That is so valuable. And however much I appreciated information I was given, especially when I first started lurking around, I made friends. I never, ever, believed I could make a real friend, one I would never meet in person, on an Internet forum. But I have. All of this is possible through the generosity of a few bird-loving people. So thanks to the admins, Jill, the mods, for running an amazing show.
