Im pleased to announce "Mayor of the Avenue" - Susanne! This 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. Please join me in welcoming Susanne as The Avenue's March Mayor
What a total surprise, and an honor
1. What kind of birds do you have, age, species and names
I have about 60+ cockatiels, and about 23 mousebirds, not counting the babies I am handfeeding. My oldest tiel is a fallow, with a 1994 band. There are too many names to name. And 4 geese.
2. what got you interested in birds?
In 1993 someone gave us 2 normal grey cockatiels...Boogs and Sweet Pea. At the time I was a single mother with 2 young children, had a successful miniature business but was totally burnt out and looking for something new. I sold off the mintiatures business and re-invested in cockatiels and became a fulltime breeder. My tiels taught me so much and every day I looked forward to seeing my birds. And as they statrted having babies the wonderful surprises they gave me. For 10+ years I was very succesful but carefless and wound up in 3/05 in the hospital with a collapsed lung resulting from breathing in bird dander. This experience led me to research another species of bird that did not procduce dander that could be harmful to my lungs, which was mousebirds in 2007.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
TOTAL enjoyment, and the wonder of seeing a life life hatched
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Yikes!...I am drawing a blank because I have learned so much, and can't be specific, just to pass what I have learned to others in need, when needed. My cockatiels taught me alot, which I share on my website: Just Cockatiels! - Home
And my mousebirds are also teaching me, and I'm working on a website with info:
Welcome to the wonderfulworld of Mousebirds - HOME
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Slick...a pearl male cockatiel. if he was a person he would have that 'Would I lie to you' look on his face, and be a used car salesman. He was too smart for his good. he would want to come out of the birdroom (converted dining room) and if I forgot to put him back in he would lift the latch, use a toe to kick the door open and smirk when I discovered that he let all the birds out. If I used the net to catch them he always jumped in the net. And when I felt sad he would come over and crawl up my leg and lay his head on my chest and comfort me. Slick was too smart in using that big toe of his, and one day wedged the nestbox door open and flew away. Leaving Noodles behind. Noodles was good with the toes too, and leaned how to use it to wedge open the baby container and come out when he was little and being handfed. And when I got out of the hospital in 05 he was so happy to see me he gave me lots of birdy kisses.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
Right now all of the tiels are outside in flights due to I can't have them inside because of the dander to my lungs. Since we live in South Florida the weather is good year round for them. The mousebirds are kept in groups per species in an enclosed screened in patio attached to the back of the house. And the geese are always patrolling the yard.
7. Did you change things in your home to accomodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
When I first started with the tiels I could not stand to see them in cages. I hated to cook, and we never used the dining room, so I converted that into a big walk-in flight. Right now I have 4 mousebird babies I'm handfeeding, and since they have to be fed every hour I keep them with me in the bedroom, and at night they are in their little cage in the middle of the bed.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Nope...just several forums and Yahoo groups related to cockatiels and mousebirds.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
Several large, landscaped (with plants) walk-in flights.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
Yes...some white-headed and red-backed mousebirds. The only white-headed are in zoos, and the re-backed have never been imported into the US. I find both of these species very attractive and interesting.
11.Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds..
Oh boy I start off about 7-8AM, which I do a quick check of email and several forums and lists I am on. First stop is to put on a pot of coffee. The tiels are yelling so I will give tem some honey wheat bread, greens and millet to tide them over til I can get out to change food and water. The geese are honking, wanting to be fed, and the onkly way they will quiet down is with food. The mousebirds are clinging to the side of the cage like refugees, little eyes watching me as I try to get food to the outside birds. Then all their eyes stare at whatever I'm fixing for them, which is a little bit of bread, greens, apple and banana until I can fix them another plate of food in an hour or so. If there are handfeeding babies I will get them fed. This way all the birds have something to start with before I do their daily food. Once the birds are done it is time to relax, and have a 2nd cup of coffee and get back to the computer. The tiels are fine being fed one major feeding a day, and the mousebirds get 3-4 plates of fruite, etc. a day. And the geese are just plain beggers at the back door...
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
That their love isunconditional, with no strings attached.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
When I started breeding there was not much on the internet like there is today, and local experienced breeders were not willing to offer any advice. In a way this was a blessing because I learned on my own, many times at the expence of a bird, but learned that if I was more attuned with the birds and their needs they had alot to teach me. So, off hand I can not think of a thing I would've done differently.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I like to read and learn new things. I also love to take digital photos and edit them into informative collages.
For 12 years prior to the bird I made minature furniture. The link shows 1 type of unusal chairs I started making last year.
http://www.hornaments.webs.com/
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Listen and watch your your birds. They are ourt best teachers on what they want and need. And always remember: There are no 'Textbook Birds' Each bird is an individual with it's own unique personality and needs.
What a total surprise, and an honor
1. What kind of birds do you have, age, species and names
I have about 60+ cockatiels, and about 23 mousebirds, not counting the babies I am handfeeding. My oldest tiel is a fallow, with a 1994 band. There are too many names to name. And 4 geese.
2. what got you interested in birds?
In 1993 someone gave us 2 normal grey cockatiels...Boogs and Sweet Pea. At the time I was a single mother with 2 young children, had a successful miniature business but was totally burnt out and looking for something new. I sold off the mintiatures business and re-invested in cockatiels and became a fulltime breeder. My tiels taught me so much and every day I looked forward to seeing my birds. And as they statrted having babies the wonderful surprises they gave me. For 10+ years I was very succesful but carefless and wound up in 3/05 in the hospital with a collapsed lung resulting from breathing in bird dander. This experience led me to research another species of bird that did not procduce dander that could be harmful to my lungs, which was mousebirds in 2007.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
TOTAL enjoyment, and the wonder of seeing a life life hatched
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Yikes!...I am drawing a blank because I have learned so much, and can't be specific, just to pass what I have learned to others in need, when needed. My cockatiels taught me alot, which I share on my website: Just Cockatiels! - Home
And my mousebirds are also teaching me, and I'm working on a website with info:
Welcome to the wonderfulworld of Mousebirds - HOME
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Slick...a pearl male cockatiel. if he was a person he would have that 'Would I lie to you' look on his face, and be a used car salesman. He was too smart for his good. he would want to come out of the birdroom (converted dining room) and if I forgot to put him back in he would lift the latch, use a toe to kick the door open and smirk when I discovered that he let all the birds out. If I used the net to catch them he always jumped in the net. And when I felt sad he would come over and crawl up my leg and lay his head on my chest and comfort me. Slick was too smart in using that big toe of his, and one day wedged the nestbox door open and flew away. Leaving Noodles behind. Noodles was good with the toes too, and leaned how to use it to wedge open the baby container and come out when he was little and being handfed. And when I got out of the hospital in 05 he was so happy to see me he gave me lots of birdy kisses.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
Right now all of the tiels are outside in flights due to I can't have them inside because of the dander to my lungs. Since we live in South Florida the weather is good year round for them. The mousebirds are kept in groups per species in an enclosed screened in patio attached to the back of the house. And the geese are always patrolling the yard.
7. Did you change things in your home to accomodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
When I first started with the tiels I could not stand to see them in cages. I hated to cook, and we never used the dining room, so I converted that into a big walk-in flight. Right now I have 4 mousebird babies I'm handfeeding, and since they have to be fed every hour I keep them with me in the bedroom, and at night they are in their little cage in the middle of the bed.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Nope...just several forums and Yahoo groups related to cockatiels and mousebirds.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
Several large, landscaped (with plants) walk-in flights.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
Yes...some white-headed and red-backed mousebirds. The only white-headed are in zoos, and the re-backed have never been imported into the US. I find both of these species very attractive and interesting.
11.Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds..
Oh boy
I start off about 7-8AM, which I do a quick check of email and several forums and lists I am on. First stop is to put on a pot of coffee. The tiels are yelling so I will give tem some honey wheat bread, greens and millet to tide them over til I can get out to change food and water. The geese are honking, wanting to be fed, and the onkly way they will quiet down is with food. The mousebirds are clinging to the side of the cage like refugees, little eyes watching me as I try to get food to the outside birds. Then all their eyes stare at whatever I'm fixing for them, which is a little bit of bread, greens, apple and banana until I can fix them another plate of food in an hour or so. If there are handfeeding babies I will get them fed. This way all the birds have something to start with before I do their daily food. Once the birds are done it is time to relax, and have a 2nd cup of coffee and get back to the computer. The tiels are fine being fed one major feeding a day, and the mousebirds get 3-4 plates of fruite, etc. a day. And the geese are just plain beggers at the back door...12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
That their love isunconditional, with no strings attached.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
When I started breeding there was not much on the internet like there is today, and local experienced breeders were not willing to offer any advice. In a way this was a blessing because I learned on my own, many times at the expence of a bird, but learned that if I was more attuned with the birds and their needs they had alot to teach me. So, off hand I can not think of a thing I would've done differently.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I like to read and learn new things. I also love to take digital photos and edit them into informative collages.
For 12 years prior to the bird I made minature furniture. The link shows 1 type of unusal chairs I started making last year.
http://www.hornaments.webs.com/
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Listen and watch your your birds. They are ourt best teachers on what they want and need. And always remember: There are no 'Textbook Birds' Each bird is an individual with it's own unique personality and needs.
Thank you, this is such a GREAT place to be with so many wonderful people with their beautiful birds.
Congratulations, Susanne! We are all so lucky to have you on board with us. Thank you for taking the time to share your insight and experiences. 
