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 John as March'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)?
Today's flock consists of six birds. Two cockatoos, three budgies, and one parrotlet. Tika male U2 (19ish). Amanda female U2 (26ish). Whitey female English Budgie (14). Jaz male American budgie (10). Ash female American budgie (2ish). Hal (Jalepeno) male blue parrotlet (6ish).
There have been many others that are no longer with us.
And Major. 9 year old purebred Border Collie. Not a bird but hey, part of the flock anyway.
2. What got you interested in birds?
Always loved animals. I don't really know how I decided to get into birds.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
They never brought anything. Bunch of freeloaders. They just showed up with their baggage and said "we're here!"
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Share? Maybe someone should have filled the birds in about that part of the deal. They have no concept of the idea. Me me mine mine gimme gimme gimme. I give give give and they just take take take.
I've learned not to share the tv remote, the cellphone, the laptop and all the various cabling that seems to taste so good.
I've learned to share the wife. Ok who are we kidding. I had to give her up. For my personal safety of course.
I should have made way more money and bought a much bigger house that included a maid whose only mission in life was to cook clean and entertain my birds.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
The night Scummo died. He was my very first bird. A very special friend.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
We have 2 zones. The Zoo Zone which is the basement level of the house and the human zone which is the main level of the house.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
I gave them 50% of the floor space and divided it up into indoor aviaries and play areas.
We use the two levels for a number reasons. Trying to keep the mess somewhat contained. To help maintain some consistency in routine to stay on top of certain behaviours and promote independence. The wife is actually allergic to the birds and by sort of having two air environments (and multiple air filters) helps to keep that manageable.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
I am a hopeless addict. I went to this place called AA hoping to get some help. They're no help at all. They're all "pushers".
I volunteer some of my services to the humane society when they need a little construction work done.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
A giant heated glass dome. So I could create a year round jungle home for them.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
No. I don't dream of owning any specific bird. I love them all.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
We get up at 6am. The TOOs come out of the sleep room cages to the main area. The littles cages are opened and they also gather in the main area.
The little birds are very noisy, flying around in a mob in and out of all the aviaries. Amanda explores the floor and does some climbing. Tika hangs out on "his" couch chewing blocks, rearranging toys.
Everybody has something to eat and around 8:30am it's time to leave. I do the leaving routine so everybody knows what's going on. Everybody heads to their prospective place.
Around 4pm I arrive home, head downstairs, let everybody loose and start over. 5:30pm we head upstairs for bird dinner with the TOOs. Then it's off to the shower for the three of us. Sometimes they get wet. Sometimes they don't.
They spend 45 minutes playing with the wife (about all she can handle with the allergies) and then it's off to bed between 6:30 and 7. The budgies get to stay up until about 9ish so they can have more uninterrupted flight time.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
The only thing I want to share is "don't shop, adopt". Care for the ones already here.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Such a loaded question. I don't know I would have done anything differently knowing that the reward for all the hard work was a bunch of fairly happy and well adjusted birds ( as best we are able to anyway).
Had I known this was truly going to be the life time commitment to the degree that it is, I may have gotten a fish.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
Hobbies? What the heck is that?
In the past I have raced cars, dirt bikes, played hockey, tennis, baseball, cycled, travelled, partied and brushed up against the law the odd time.
These days I play with my computers and tech toys. Enjoy some fine food and friends and just generally drive the road of life a little slower and more relaxed.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
I would like to share the cleaning chores as well as the expenses for food toys and maintenance. Any takers?
I am so delighted to announce John as March'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)?
Today's flock consists of six birds. Two cockatoos, three budgies, and one parrotlet. Tika male U2 (19ish). Amanda female U2 (26ish). Whitey female English Budgie (14). Jaz male American budgie (10). Ash female American budgie (2ish). Hal (Jalepeno) male blue parrotlet (6ish).
There have been many others that are no longer with us.
And Major. 9 year old purebred Border Collie. Not a bird but hey, part of the flock anyway.
2. What got you interested in birds?
Always loved animals. I don't really know how I decided to get into birds.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
They never brought anything. Bunch of freeloaders. They just showed up with their baggage and said "we're here!"
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Share? Maybe someone should have filled the birds in about that part of the deal. They have no concept of the idea. Me me mine mine gimme gimme gimme. I give give give and they just take take take.
I've learned not to share the tv remote, the cellphone, the laptop and all the various cabling that seems to taste so good.
I've learned to share the wife. Ok who are we kidding. I had to give her up. For my personal safety of course.
I should have made way more money and bought a much bigger house that included a maid whose only mission in life was to cook clean and entertain my birds.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
The night Scummo died. He was my very first bird. A very special friend.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
We have 2 zones. The Zoo Zone which is the basement level of the house and the human zone which is the main level of the house.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
I gave them 50% of the floor space and divided it up into indoor aviaries and play areas.
We use the two levels for a number reasons. Trying to keep the mess somewhat contained. To help maintain some consistency in routine to stay on top of certain behaviours and promote independence. The wife is actually allergic to the birds and by sort of having two air environments (and multiple air filters) helps to keep that manageable.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
I am a hopeless addict. I went to this place called AA hoping to get some help. They're no help at all. They're all "pushers".
I volunteer some of my services to the humane society when they need a little construction work done.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
A giant heated glass dome. So I could create a year round jungle home for them.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
No. I don't dream of owning any specific bird. I love them all.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
We get up at 6am. The TOOs come out of the sleep room cages to the main area. The littles cages are opened and they also gather in the main area.
The little birds are very noisy, flying around in a mob in and out of all the aviaries. Amanda explores the floor and does some climbing. Tika hangs out on "his" couch chewing blocks, rearranging toys.
Everybody has something to eat and around 8:30am it's time to leave. I do the leaving routine so everybody knows what's going on. Everybody heads to their prospective place.
Around 4pm I arrive home, head downstairs, let everybody loose and start over. 5:30pm we head upstairs for bird dinner with the TOOs. Then it's off to the shower for the three of us. Sometimes they get wet. Sometimes they don't.
They spend 45 minutes playing with the wife (about all she can handle with the allergies) and then it's off to bed between 6:30 and 7. The budgies get to stay up until about 9ish so they can have more uninterrupted flight time.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
The only thing I want to share is "don't shop, adopt". Care for the ones already here.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Such a loaded question. I don't know I would have done anything differently knowing that the reward for all the hard work was a bunch of fairly happy and well adjusted birds ( as best we are able to anyway).
Had I known this was truly going to be the life time commitment to the degree that it is, I may have gotten a fish.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
Hobbies? What the heck is that?
In the past I have raced cars, dirt bikes, played hockey, tennis, baseball, cycled, travelled, partied and brushed up against the law the odd time.
These days I play with my computers and tech toys. Enjoy some fine food and friends and just generally drive the road of life a little slower and more relaxed.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
I would like to share the cleaning chores as well as the expenses for food toys and maintenance. Any takers?
Loved the interview! Congratulations John!
Enjoyed your interview immensely! 
