Parrot POW - Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

Mr. Spock, our cherry-head conure, just returned from a week-long stay at the bird hotel in South Florida while we were away. Even though he had his some of his favorite toys and snacks along with the company of lots of other beautiful and exotic birds, he still came home freaked out. This is unusual for our lively parrot; usually he is friendly and grateful for being liberated. Sometimes he would pretend to be mad for a few minutes, but would get over that quickly and return to his normal bird behavior.

This time though, for two full days, he was like a cat on the attack, or a like a cornered snake. As soon as I would get near him...his eyes would bug out, he'd back up, get a good footing, and lunge at me with the big beak snapping. Yikes! There were several near hits, and a few direct strikes on my finger. There he was...biting the hand that feeds him. By the third day (yesterday), he was as cute and cuddly as ever...snuggling up to the hand that feeds him. Welcome Back Mr. Spock!

Sanderling: A Very Cute Seashore Bird

The Sanderling could possibly one of the cutest birds ever. This is the small bird that you can see on a beach at the shorline. It might be mistaken as a baby seagull or some other young bird. However, it is most likely a Sanderling. South Florida beaches are abundant with Sanderlings who seem to love chasing waves.

The Sanderling is a common shorebird that turns up on almost every beach in the world. They are the cute little birdies that run up on the beach when a wave rolls in, staying just ahead of the breaker. Then, as the wavwe recedes, the Sanderlings sprint after the retreating water. They look like they are playing a game of trying to get as close to the water as possible without letting it touch them. They are actually waiting for tiny bits of food to be deposited from the ocean on to the sand for them to eat.

Bird is Back

"What kind of crazy grass is this under my feet?"

A Big Hello and a Loud Squawk Squawk Screech Screech from me and Mr. Spock, the Royal Cherry-Head Conure of Palm Beach County. We have been conspicuously absent during the past few weeks taking care of a bunch of things here at the nest. Thanks for all your emails to check on our pretty parrot during our absence.

South Florida is very hot and seriously steamy. But Mrs. Spock is happy at home in his comfort controlled environment. He is behaving and having a great time in his new habitat. He's still finding new niches to investigate, interesting ways to play with his myriad of colorful toys and mirrors, and taking cat naps next to his fuzzy purple sleep buddy. Even though the door is open most of the time, we find him going in and out of the cage all the time...enjoying the luxurious space.

So check back daily for the scoop. We have lots of good stuff to post. And...don't forget, Mr. Spock would love for you to make this your favorite page for doing all your Google and Amazon searches, and all kinds of shopping too. Have a Great Day!!

Birds of a Feather Swim Together

On a warm summer day in South Florida, everyone wants to be in the water., especially the birds. Ever notice that birds don't like to swim with humans? They swim with fish, snakes, frogs, mosquitoes, various reptiles, etc., but not humans. Hmmmm. What makes them better to swim with than humans? At the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, you can find up to 140 species of birds lounging in and about the water, like this sleek loner. I'm not sure what type of wild bird this one is. Do you know? Test your bird knowledge and click here to visit the Wakodahatchee Wetlands website and see if you can figure out which bird this is. When you do, let us know. Just click "comments" below and post your message (you don't even have to register). I asked Mrs. Spock, our Sr. Consultant, cherry-head conure, to help identify this bird, but since he doesn't get out much, he couldn't say for sure.

Flew in For Independence Day

Look who I found out in my South Florida backyard today. Mama Duck was resting with the chicks in the shade under an ixora bush along side the patio. Mama Duck got a little nervous when I showed up and made a mad dash with the little ones in to the lake and swam away. I'll find them again tomorrow.

Aren't they the cutest !

Empty Nest - Medical Leave of Absence for Sr. Consultant

Mr. Spock, our 25-year old cherry-head conure, just spent his second night at the vet's office for a nagging pseudemonas infection and a clogged nasal passage. Poor guy. After undergoing a 2-week course of daily injections, nose drops and mouth drops, one of his tiny little "nostrils" remains as corked up as a bottle of wine. Giving him the injections and meds was as hard on us as it was on him. That frightened look on his face when we approached the petrified parrot to bring him to the "treatment room" (AKA kitchen counter covered with towel)....what a heart breaker. Then there was the running around and away from us to the deepest depths of his cage and play habitats. He never seems to learn that he can run, but he can't hide from us. So Dr. Sam Backos (Uncle Sam to our ailing bird), decided to keep him at his avian hospital in Deerfield Beach, South Florida and work on manually unclogging that hole. I imagine this is something like sinus surgery for a human....eeeeshk. Otherwise, he seems pretty healthy right now.

As you may know, I rely heavily on Mr. Spock's bird editorial perspective when posting on www.talkingwithbirds.blogspot.com . I talk ideas over with him, generally in the evening, while drafting posts. So, while our Senior Consultant for www.talkingwithbirds.com is on medical leave, I am flying solo in writing. Therefore, there may be an extreme human presence detected in the posts until Mr. Spock returns from his leave.

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.

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.