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 Alida as January'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)?
4 male Lineolated Parakeets (linnies) also known as Barred Parakeets.
Perrier, normal green, 5 years old
Boobert, cobalt, 4 1/2
Kye, turquoise, a little over 2 years old
Fynn, dilute cobalt, a little over 2 also
2. What got you interested in birds?
I've always loved all kinds of animals. But, as far as birds were concerned, growing up I preferred wild ones over pets. We lived in a 4 family house that my grandmother owned, with apartment buildings on each side. My grandmother used almost every available space in her yard to grow vegetables, flowers, fruit trees and we had many bird visitors. My favorite was the chickadees. They got so friendly that they would land on you.
The only experiences that I had with pet birds was 1)budgies at the local Woolworths, I heard chirping and when I went to investigate, there were a group of pre teen kids teasing the birds. When I confronted them, they laughed at me, but left. When I went to 'comfort' the birdies, they squawked at me and spit their seed at me! I was so hurt and didn't understand in my 7 year old mind why they were mad at me when I was trying to help them. The next experience was a few years later, when one of my grandmother's tenants moved out in the middle of the night and left their birds behind. It was a smallish cage full of budgies and again, every time I went by them, they would scream and spit their seed at me. So, it's safe to say, I wasn't interested in birds as pets for a really long time! Besides, I had my chickadee friends.
When I married, my ex wanted a bird, but I didn't want a pet that was going to scream and spit at me, so we winded up with a snake. At one point I said I liked the canary singing in a shop we went to, so the idiot brought home a canary. I was super sick at the time(post partum & chrone's/colitis) and the canary's song was like nails on a chalk board. I seriously thought I was going to lose my mind and we gave him (poor thing didn't even have a name) to an depressed elderly lady at church who had recently lost her husband. She named him "Happy" and he brightened up her days so much that she became active in church again. He was a life saver for her. A couple years later, I mentioned that lovebirds were pretty, and again, the dope brought home a lovebird. He was a peachfaced, that my son named Thomas. I was upset because I thought he would be sad without his mate, but he became very bonded to my son who was a toddler at the time. It got so bad that my son was the only one who could handle him or even put food/water in his cage. When my daughter was born, Thomas hated her with a passion and dive bomb attacked her every chance he got. The last time, he actually latched onto the back of her onsie and tore holes in it! He wasn't allowed out of his cage after that unless my ex was home and I could keep our daughter away. I started feeling guilty that he was locked up so much, sadly, before I could figure out what to do, he died.
The next bird came into our lives when my daughter was 9. We had been in the little petshop down the road that had a citron too named Dixie as the store mascot. She was a lot of fun to visit. One day we were walking around and I thought she kept saying "Hi" to us, so I kept absently saying "Hello, there Dixie" come to find out that it was a little turquoise, pale yellow&white budgie. I was like No Way(as in no way am I getting another bird after the last experience with Thomas) But, after we were home for like 5 minutes, I relented and after calling my daughter's Dr.(she had very bad asthma and allergies) we went back to the store and got Peatie. He turned out to be the best family pet ever! and I finally got to be in love with a feathered pet/family member! A few years later we got him a couple friends because we thought he was lonely, around the same time my ex boyfriend got a ferret. At first, things were fine, but eventually the ferret killed Peatie's 2 budgie friends and it was like she had bloodlust. We had several locks on her cage and the birds were in a totally different room with the doors locked and Charlotte still managed to get out of her cage and wedge herself under the doors and got into the bird cage and killed Peatie. We were so devastated that I couldn't bare the sight of Charlotte or the other budgies and rehomed the budgies to a coworker and Charlotte to my exbf gave Charlotte to a friend. I swore off birds right then and there, partly because I felt so guilty for Peatie's death and partly because I couldn't forgive Charlotte and step up for the other birds.
But then years later, I saw my first linnie on the cover of Birdtalk magazine!(Jan 2001) I was mesmerized and started looking(I just wanted to see one in person) but had no luck. They were being touted as the next budgie, but apparently that never happened (not the easiest to breed bird and more often than not, the parents aren't very good the first time around) I couldn't find anything about them on line and bird stores had never heard of them. I got to where I only did a cursory check, if I happened to be near a pet/bird store. In 2009, I finally saw my first one in person! They were cobalt and gorgeous! (and close to $600!)I thought I should be able to find more info online and started researching in earnest. I did find a breeder in a neighboring state, but my financial situation was pretty bad(identity theft) so I had no intention of getting one any time soon. That December, my daughter got me 2 as a surprise Christmas& birthday present. She had gone through all my research and set up the cage, food, everything! I wouldn't advise it, but they were the best 'present' I ever received!
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
I don't know why it is hard for me to answer this question.
Kind of like when someone asks you why you love them and you can't give them a straight answer, except to say "Because I do!" In many ways they fill my heart(and possibly soul) up.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Like almost everyone else who answers this question, Patience is a biggy! lol I've always had patience in most situations, but bird 'ownership' brings it to a whole different level. Another big one for me is that I want to make their life, as well as any other being in my cares life as good as I possibly can. Food,housing,toys,foraging opportunities,companionship, hands off if that's what they want,etc.
A surprising offshoot of all this, is that I have started eating better myself, exercising even! I still can't bring myself to pay $22 for a pound of organic dried goji berries for myself (though I do for the birds), but paying $14.99 for a pound of nonorganic goji berries to add to MY organic oatmeal is progress for me, considering I wouldn't even pay $3.99 for raisins.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
The night before my girls died(the 2 linnies that were gifts from my daughter that I mentioned earlier) they started screaming uncharacteristically and I jumped up and ran into the other room, as soon as they saw me, they stopped screaming and after taking a cursory look around, went back to the living room. They were quiet for the rest of the night. The next day, around the same time, the same thing happened. Thinking they were probably screaming to get me to go in the room, I ignored it.
They screamed for a minute or two and then were quiet again. About a half hour later, I went to check on them and they were both dead on the bottom of the cage. Willow was holding onto a bar on the bottom of the cage so tightly,we had to cut the wire. 
I don't know if I will ever forgive myself for not checking in on them when they started screaming.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
When I had the girls, they had a homemade hanging gym in my daughter's room, a small play stand on the computer desk in the living room and a happy perch in the shower, plus a play area that I made that could be moved room to room. The boys don't like to be handled so they live in my bedroom.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
My daughter laughed at this question.
Since I don't trust the boys outside of my bedroom, I have turned my bedroom into a birdroom (90/10 in favor of birdroom) I really should update pics in the cage/setup section. I have 2 GAG nets on one wall, a new Aronico net where the net I made used to be, and a Bird on the rocks net on another wall. There is a suspension ladder I made along one wall, that spans the entire length of the wall (I made that when the boys were first brought home as I was an idiot and had their wings clipped and they couldn't fly across the room so they used the bridge to get from net to net) They also have many things hanging from the ceiling from their jolly ball, atom, EWD flyer, to their pirate ship, boings, CBT tri swing and more! Part of the reason I find myself buying so much for them is that they don't like to be handled and I hope I can at least make their environment as enriched as possible.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Only AA. I was part of a linnie specific forum, but one day it just disappeared.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
That would be Saroj's flying room!
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
A lineolated parakeet was my dream bird for 8 years before I got to see one in real life and now I have four of my dream bird!
The Cape is my next dream bird, from what I can see, their personality would be a perfect fit and I adore that eternal smile!
Hopefully, in the next few years, I will be able to obtain that dream. (She will also be co-owned by my daughter)
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
Because they are mostly hands off, it starts out with me setting their mash on the top of their cage and opening the shades, turning on the lights and opening their cage. I usually leave the room, as they seem more comfortable coming out if I am not there. If I am off work, I generally get some household chores done, then I do what I have to in my room, clean up bird stuff, hedgehog stuff, the like. I keep my laptop in my bedroom and spend the majority of my time at home in there. Lately, Perrier or Boobert will land on me and say hello before flitting off. Sometimes they will talk to me and we have a serious discussion about...something. Most of the time, One will say "Donald Duck" another will say "Quack, Quack!" (not the sound of a duck quacking, but the actual word 'quack') They will do this if I am there or not, but sometimes, they all look at me expectantly until I say either Donald Duck or Quack!Quack! It's our thing.
We don't have a set routine, they get up anywhere from 10am to 11:30 and go to bed anywhere from 11:30pm to 3am.
I am mostly an insomniac and only get about 4 hours sleep a night. If they haven't put themselves to bed, I will turn off the light, count to 5, turn the light back on, and they will make their way to their cage 9 times out of 10. Occasionally, I have to do a repeat.
Boobert & Fynn share a betta bed, and Perrier & Kye burrow in the fleece on the bottom of the cage, under the paper. Sometimes all 4 will run around under the paper playing what seems like hide and seek before going to bed.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
That it's hard work, that it's a passion, a total commitment for their whole life, and possibly yours.
You can research for YEARS and still you WILL make mistakes. Accept your fids for what they are, accept their limitations and yours. Keep learning and researching. Forgive yourself and move on . (maybe someday I can take my own advice)
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Our earlier birds were on all seed diets and only occasional fresh foods. Plus, they only had a few toys and probably not very fun ones at that.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I like to read a lot. I also have a weird obsession with collecting Christmas ornaments even when I don't put up a tree. I don't party or go out and before I started spending $ on the birds, I collected ornaments. Walking the dogs on the beach is a favorite past time. Camping used to be fun, but haven't gone in a looong time.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Ummm...only that I didn't mean to write so much. Especially with the first question, but I didn't want to leave anyone out.
And I'd like to thank AA, the admins & roadies new and 'old', so much information, from food, to enriching, amazing vendors to DIY projects, the background, financial or otherwise,members ages, young and old and everything in between, doesn't matter, we're all here for the mutual love of our and each others birds. Thank you for being you AA!
I am so delighted to announce Alida as January'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)?
4 male Lineolated Parakeets (linnies) also known as Barred Parakeets.
Perrier, normal green, 5 years old
Boobert, cobalt, 4 1/2
Kye, turquoise, a little over 2 years old
Fynn, dilute cobalt, a little over 2 also
2. What got you interested in birds?
I've always loved all kinds of animals. But, as far as birds were concerned, growing up I preferred wild ones over pets. We lived in a 4 family house that my grandmother owned, with apartment buildings on each side. My grandmother used almost every available space in her yard to grow vegetables, flowers, fruit trees and we had many bird visitors. My favorite was the chickadees. They got so friendly that they would land on you.
The only experiences that I had with pet birds was 1)budgies at the local Woolworths, I heard chirping and when I went to investigate, there were a group of pre teen kids teasing the birds. When I confronted them, they laughed at me, but left. When I went to 'comfort' the birdies, they squawked at me and spit their seed at me! I was so hurt and didn't understand in my 7 year old mind why they were mad at me when I was trying to help them. The next experience was a few years later, when one of my grandmother's tenants moved out in the middle of the night and left their birds behind. It was a smallish cage full of budgies and again, every time I went by them, they would scream and spit their seed at me. So, it's safe to say, I wasn't interested in birds as pets for a really long time! Besides, I had my chickadee friends.
When I married, my ex wanted a bird, but I didn't want a pet that was going to scream and spit at me, so we winded up with a snake. At one point I said I liked the canary singing in a shop we went to, so the idiot brought home a canary. I was super sick at the time(post partum & chrone's/colitis) and the canary's song was like nails on a chalk board. I seriously thought I was going to lose my mind and we gave him (poor thing didn't even have a name) to an depressed elderly lady at church who had recently lost her husband. She named him "Happy" and he brightened up her days so much that she became active in church again. He was a life saver for her. A couple years later, I mentioned that lovebirds were pretty, and again, the dope brought home a lovebird. He was a peachfaced, that my son named Thomas. I was upset because I thought he would be sad without his mate, but he became very bonded to my son who was a toddler at the time. It got so bad that my son was the only one who could handle him or even put food/water in his cage. When my daughter was born, Thomas hated her with a passion and dive bomb attacked her every chance he got. The last time, he actually latched onto the back of her onsie and tore holes in it! He wasn't allowed out of his cage after that unless my ex was home and I could keep our daughter away. I started feeling guilty that he was locked up so much, sadly, before I could figure out what to do, he died.
The next bird came into our lives when my daughter was 9. We had been in the little petshop down the road that had a citron too named Dixie as the store mascot. She was a lot of fun to visit. One day we were walking around and I thought she kept saying "Hi" to us, so I kept absently saying "Hello, there Dixie" come to find out that it was a little turquoise, pale yellow&white budgie. I was like No Way(as in no way am I getting another bird after the last experience with Thomas) But, after we were home for like 5 minutes, I relented and after calling my daughter's Dr.(she had very bad asthma and allergies) we went back to the store and got Peatie. He turned out to be the best family pet ever! and I finally got to be in love with a feathered pet/family member! A few years later we got him a couple friends because we thought he was lonely, around the same time my ex boyfriend got a ferret. At first, things were fine, but eventually the ferret killed Peatie's 2 budgie friends and it was like she had bloodlust. We had several locks on her cage and the birds were in a totally different room with the doors locked and Charlotte still managed to get out of her cage and wedge herself under the doors and got into the bird cage and killed Peatie. We were so devastated that I couldn't bare the sight of Charlotte or the other budgies and rehomed the budgies to a coworker and Charlotte to my exbf gave Charlotte to a friend. I swore off birds right then and there, partly because I felt so guilty for Peatie's death and partly because I couldn't forgive Charlotte and step up for the other birds.
But then years later, I saw my first linnie on the cover of Birdtalk magazine!(Jan 2001) I was mesmerized and started looking(I just wanted to see one in person) but had no luck. They were being touted as the next budgie, but apparently that never happened (not the easiest to breed bird and more often than not, the parents aren't very good the first time around) I couldn't find anything about them on line and bird stores had never heard of them. I got to where I only did a cursory check, if I happened to be near a pet/bird store. In 2009, I finally saw my first one in person! They were cobalt and gorgeous! (and close to $600!)I thought I should be able to find more info online and started researching in earnest. I did find a breeder in a neighboring state, but my financial situation was pretty bad(identity theft) so I had no intention of getting one any time soon. That December, my daughter got me 2 as a surprise Christmas& birthday present. She had gone through all my research and set up the cage, food, everything! I wouldn't advise it, but they were the best 'present' I ever received!
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
I don't know why it is hard for me to answer this question.
Kind of like when someone asks you why you love them and you can't give them a straight answer, except to say "Because I do!" In many ways they fill my heart(and possibly soul) up.4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Like almost everyone else who answers this question, Patience is a biggy! lol I've always had patience in most situations, but bird 'ownership' brings it to a whole different level. Another big one for me is that I want to make their life, as well as any other being in my cares life as good as I possibly can. Food,housing,toys,foraging opportunities,companionship, hands off if that's what they want,etc.
A surprising offshoot of all this, is that I have started eating better myself, exercising even! I still can't bring myself to pay $22 for a pound of organic dried goji berries for myself (though I do for the birds), but paying $14.99 for a pound of nonorganic goji berries to add to MY organic oatmeal is progress for me, considering I wouldn't even pay $3.99 for raisins.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
The night before my girls died(the 2 linnies that were gifts from my daughter that I mentioned earlier) they started screaming uncharacteristically and I jumped up and ran into the other room, as soon as they saw me, they stopped screaming and after taking a cursory look around, went back to the living room. They were quiet for the rest of the night. The next day, around the same time, the same thing happened. Thinking they were probably screaming to get me to go in the room, I ignored it.
They screamed for a minute or two and then were quiet again. About a half hour later, I went to check on them and they were both dead on the bottom of the cage. Willow was holding onto a bar on the bottom of the cage so tightly,we had to cut the wire. I don't know if I will ever forgive myself for not checking in on them when they started screaming.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
When I had the girls, they had a homemade hanging gym in my daughter's room, a small play stand on the computer desk in the living room and a happy perch in the shower, plus a play area that I made that could be moved room to room. The boys don't like to be handled so they live in my bedroom.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
My daughter laughed at this question.
Since I don't trust the boys outside of my bedroom, I have turned my bedroom into a birdroom (90/10 in favor of birdroom) I really should update pics in the cage/setup section. I have 2 GAG nets on one wall, a new Aronico net where the net I made used to be, and a Bird on the rocks net on another wall. There is a suspension ladder I made along one wall, that spans the entire length of the wall (I made that when the boys were first brought home as I was an idiot and had their wings clipped and they couldn't fly across the room so they used the bridge to get from net to net) They also have many things hanging from the ceiling from their jolly ball, atom, EWD flyer, to their pirate ship, boings, CBT tri swing and more! Part of the reason I find myself buying so much for them is that they don't like to be handled and I hope I can at least make their environment as enriched as possible.8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Only AA. I was part of a linnie specific forum, but one day it just disappeared.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
That would be Saroj's flying room!
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
A lineolated parakeet was my dream bird for 8 years before I got to see one in real life and now I have four of my dream bird!
The Cape is my next dream bird, from what I can see, their personality would be a perfect fit and I adore that eternal smile!
Hopefully, in the next few years, I will be able to obtain that dream. (She will also be co-owned by my daughter)
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
Because they are mostly hands off, it starts out with me setting their mash on the top of their cage and opening the shades, turning on the lights and opening their cage. I usually leave the room, as they seem more comfortable coming out if I am not there. If I am off work, I generally get some household chores done, then I do what I have to in my room, clean up bird stuff, hedgehog stuff, the like. I keep my laptop in my bedroom and spend the majority of my time at home in there. Lately, Perrier or Boobert will land on me and say hello before flitting off. Sometimes they will talk to me and we have a serious discussion about...something. Most of the time, One will say "Donald Duck" another will say "Quack, Quack!" (not the sound of a duck quacking, but the actual word 'quack') They will do this if I am there or not, but sometimes, they all look at me expectantly until I say either Donald Duck or Quack!Quack! It's our thing.
We don't have a set routine, they get up anywhere from 10am to 11:30 and go to bed anywhere from 11:30pm to 3am.
I am mostly an insomniac and only get about 4 hours sleep a night. If they haven't put themselves to bed, I will turn off the light, count to 5, turn the light back on, and they will make their way to their cage 9 times out of 10. Occasionally, I have to do a repeat. Boobert & Fynn share a betta bed, and Perrier & Kye burrow in the fleece on the bottom of the cage, under the paper. Sometimes all 4 will run around under the paper playing what seems like hide and seek before going to bed.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
That it's hard work, that it's a passion, a total commitment for their whole life, and possibly yours.
You can research for YEARS and still you WILL make mistakes. Accept your fids for what they are, accept their limitations and yours. Keep learning and researching. Forgive yourself and move on . (maybe someday I can take my own advice)
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Our earlier birds were on all seed diets and only occasional fresh foods. Plus, they only had a few toys and probably not very fun ones at that.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I like to read a lot. I also have a weird obsession with collecting Christmas ornaments even when I don't put up a tree. I don't party or go out and before I started spending $ on the birds, I collected ornaments. Walking the dogs on the beach is a favorite past time. Camping used to be fun, but haven't gone in a looong time.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Ummm...only that I didn't mean to write so much. Especially with the first question, but I didn't want to leave anyone out.
And I'd like to thank AA, the admins & roadies new and 'old', so much information, from food, to enriching, amazing vendors to DIY projects, the background, financial or otherwise,members ages, young and old and everything in between, doesn't matter, we're all here for the mutual love of our and each others birds. Thank you for being you AA!
congrats Tika Lola! Great interview. 
I'm fascinated and very impressed by how much care and dedication you give your littles. 
