A Nice Place For Birds in South Florida

Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, FL

Here's a photo of typical Florida wetlands. South Florida is in the midst of a serious drought. The special wetlands that are operated by the local water departments are so very important to our birds at a time like this. These wetlands are safe havens for the birds to live, breed, raise their young, play, eat, and just have fun. The "natural" wetlands in the undeveloped areas of South Florida are having very serious drying out right now. In a short time, the rainy season for our subtropical oasis will begin, then we will be watching our lakes and canals wondering if they will overflow in to our living rooms. But for now, I am happy to say that the birds who find these beautiful wetlands managed by our water departments, are happy and healthy.

Dessert: Baby Food for Big Bird

How does one select a new and delicious snack for a parrot? It has to be safe and nutritious, while tasting good enough to be a treat. What are the odds a sales clerk in the pet food store truly knows what tastes good to your parrot? Also, are parrots taste buds like humans? I only know that our bird likes most of the same foods we like, good or bad as that may be. Too bad choosing from the boxes, bags, and trays of bird treats from the pet food store is not as easy (or as much fun) as choosing from the cookie aisle grocery store. We can usually imagine pretty well how a super chunk chocolate nut cookie will taste. But as for the dry and grainy looking bird treats...who knows!

I know Mr. Spock, our gastronomic adventurous bird, will try just about anything in the world. He often surprises us with the choices he favors. I like our bird's treats to be a vacation from the ordinary. So when I select a new treat from the bird store, I wonder if Mr. Spock will think "wow...this new treat is sooooo deeeeelicious," or will he simply eat it because it adequate. That is why I rarely buy any new treats for Mr. Spock from the pet store. We have taken to creating our own recipes for him.

Treats became easier when our wonderful avian vet, Dr. Sam Backos, was found to be feeding Mr. Spock human baby food. Our bird loves it as a treat. It's easy to find, economical, comes in many varieties, and doesn't make a mess. "Graduates Finger Foods" by Gerber comes in yummy flavors: banana, cherry, strawberry, sweet potato, apple, and sweet corn. They are crunchy little star-shaped puffs of different colors. We like to mix and match them for variety. I have to confess that sometimes I find myself munching on them too. (I wonder if I can serve them to guests....hmmmm.)

Global Warming...Global Confusion? Which Way is Up for Migrating Birds?

This has been a strange winter, which apparently is still not over. There was just a major snowfall in the Northeast this past weekend. I recall hearing news of recent winter temps in March 2007 as high as 80 degrees in New York, while South Florida was experiencing 50 degree temps at the same time. If we humans are having trouble deciding what kind of jacket to wear, imagine how the birds must feel! After all, birds don't migrate by a pocket planner calendar. If the weather is saying summer, but it is really winter, how do the birds know if they are supposed to be coming or going? I don't want to make this point with lots of dry statistics. We all have common sense and can use logic, or even our imaginations to see what a problem this already must be for migrating birds. Sometimes we forget that people aren't the only Snowbirds who travel from north to south to escape the frigid temps and spend a wonderful winter nesting (or vacationing) in South Florida.

CONGRATULATIONS MITCH & KAREN!

"It Must Be Love"

I would like to say Happy 15th Anniversary to Mitch and Karen. These two humans are like more like Love Birds! We speak the same language. They celebrated with the annual renewal of their wedding vows. Send them your good wishes by posting a comment here. Just click comments below.

With Great Affection,

Mr. Spock
Senior Consultant http://www.talkingwithbirds.blogspot.com/

Parrots, Conures and House Guests

"Welcome To My Home"

Jekyll and Hyde could be one way to describe how Mr. Spock, our cherry-head conure, behaves when we have guests staying over. Our lovable bird usually starts out on his best behavior for about 1 - 2 days. He's calm, quiet, and spends most of his time keeping a low profile. The reality is that Spock is hiding out from the "strangers" and under the impression that no one can see him. This makes our courageous conure feel safe and gives him time to observe the new people. He forgoes the usual 'crack-of-dawn' crowing, he abandons clanging his toys in to the side of the cage to get our attention, and he skips the siren-like screeching that we usually hear as soon as we enter the house.

Once Mr. Spock has sized up the new humans and realizes they are not a threat to this proud parrot, he sends out that exact message via shock waves, usually early in the morning, with his 'rise and shine' ear-drum piercing cocka-doodle-doos. Then we know...that he knows...that we know...that Spock is back in charge of the household. Watch out now!

What have we learned? Parrots / conures are good on stake outs.

Finicky About Bird Food or Jelly Beans?

Some parrots and conures are choosy about the brand of bird food they will eat. Our cherry-head conure, Mr. Spock, is not only selective about the brand, but he has a pecking order (pun intended) as to which color he will eat first. It reminds me of how some people will eat jelly beans, Starburst, or lollipops in a certain order.

His favorite bird food is Pretty Bird brand medium size fruity pellets. There are four colors in the mix, and they have a nice fruity aroma. First to go is the purple, next is the yellow, then the red, and finally the green ones. Many times when we change his food, all that is left is a bunch of the green pellets. What's up with that?

What have we learned? Cherry-head conures are not color blind.

Technorati Tune In for TalkingWithBirds.Blogspot.Com

So what is this about? Well, talkingwithbirds.blogspot.com is taking flight and expanding our horizon. If we do this right, more bird people will have join us at Talking With Birds. Come back to www.talkingwithbirds.blogspot.com every day for updates, stories, and more bird photos. Technorati Profile

Migration...Birds of a Different Type

The annual Springtime Snowbird migration is officially underway. April is the time of year when these unique birds begin to tidy up their winter nests and embark on their journey north. As things "heat up" in subtropical Florida, the Snowbirds take to the road, rails and the air to make their way to more temperate areas of the US and Canada. The signs of it are everywhere in South Florida...it begins with the sudden appearance of car carrier trucks stopped at shopping plazas adjacent to the "55 and over" communities, loading up with Toyota Camrys and Lincoln Grand Marquis. The mass pre-closing of hurricane shutters across condo high rises along the ocean is another telltale sign of migration. Other hints of the northern migration include the shorter wait times at banks and restaurants, and talk among the birds about flying dates. The Snowbirds will be back in the Fall when places like New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Montreal show the first signs of dipping temps. After all, these birds don't have feathers to keep them warm.

What have we learned: Not all birds have feathers...and...some birds prefer to take the train rather than fly.

Bird Food: A Mediterranean Experience

What does Mr. Spock eat when he is not crunching on his Pretty Bird brand fruity bits? Well, tonight was falafel night. He had freshly made falafel with whole wheat pita bread, and topped with lettuce, corn, tomatoes, shredded carrots, couscous, and tahini sauce. We know he loved it, because his little red head was buried deep in his dish, chomping away until he had his fill (he eats like a bird you know).

P.S. These aren’t the tomatoes he ate. They are actually from Mom’s garden and just looked too good to not post.

What have we learned? Falafel is actually bird food that humans like to eat too. (Makes me wonder how the fruity scented Pretty Bird pellets taste.)