I don’t know what’s worse, having other people underestimate you or underestimating yourself. Both kind of blow. Sometimes you underestimate yourself, yet you find that you could indeed do whatever it was that you didn’t think you could do. That’s very uplifting and a hell of a confidence builder.

Having had other people underestimate your abilities or reach just tends to make me mad. And bitchy. Well, at least that’s how it affects me. I get kind of upset.

And then there are the things I wouldn’t dream of attempting.

One thing that always stunned me were my classmates from high school who simply picked up, got married and began having children when they were 19 or 20. How did they do that? The entire concept terrified me. Kids? A husband? At that age? I was mystified, not because the entire idea made me want to whack myself over the head with a cast iron skillet, but because it just seemed so hard. I mean, Good God, there are easier paths in life to choose than that.

I asked a classmate friend of mine who ended up with three kids, probably before she was 25 and her answer, although probably entirely truthful, stunned me. She said, “When you’re that age, you don’t know you can’t, and so you just end up just doing what you need to do.”

“So, you chose to do it?”

“Not really; it just seemed like, well, that was just what you did.”

Oh.

Then of course came the, “If I had it to do over again…blah,blah,blah…but I would never have skipped the kids! I adore my children!”

Well, of course she does.

Naturally, I thought the woman had lost her mind starting around the time she underestimated herself and decided that getting married and having kids was her only option.

I guess you’re all wondering where the “Parrot Aspect” fits into this. Well, it does and it doesn’t. Life with parrots is a part of our life. And as I’ve always maintained, if it takes up a fair chunk of your life, then you might be doing it right.

That said, I’m all for cutting down the workload and creating more spare time so you can actually have a life. Because parrots should be a part of your life. They should enhance the quality your life and make it better. More fun.

The easier and more efficient something is, the more likely you are going to enjoy it. If you have happy, healthy, well trained parrots, then you’re going to like your life a hell of a lot more than if you didn’t. It might take some work and effort to get there, but once you do, you and your family and your birds will be happier.

It’s up to us to work out how to make that happen. And if you say you can’t, then well, I think you’re underestimating yourself.

I’m always open to new ideas about how to make life with parrots, easier, more efficient, happier, cleaner and more sane. If you have any brilliant, innovative ways of doing things, send them here! We could always use some new techniques, new methods, or a cool way to save time.

Photo courtesy of Janet Holt Hilton

Here we go. “It’s All About the Birds!” Interesting subject. Have you ever heard anyone say that?

I was having a talk with a friend of mine who is well-known and hip-deep in the business and this phrase came up. Highly-respected and considered an authority on a particular subject, this particular belief  came up and out came this comment from my friend:

“If I hear one more person say, ‘It’s all about the birds,’ I’m going to scream .”

I had to agree. I’ve always found that particular statement unnerving, because unfortunately it often comes out of the mouths of people who are doing their damndest in the industry to change things. To make things better. I hope they want what I want:

“Bring me the head of whoever originated the all-seed diet!”

“Round cages bite!”

“Convince the industry to get rid of the crap that can hurt birds.”

“Can we work on straightening out some of these misunderstandings between factions and try to get on the same page about a few things?”

But saying that “it’s all about the birds” when it’s not is a recipe for disaster. It can’t be about the birds because that’s not where the problems lie. The problems lie with the humans who think “it’s all about the birds.”

George Carlin did a piece a while back called, The Planet is Fine. It’s brilliant.

His point of view was that the planet will most likely shrug humanity off “like a bad case of fleas”  and the planet will merrily go on without us.

By the same token, birds left to their own devices in the wild and aren’t poached, messed with, have their habitat destroyed and their food sources decimated are fine. It’s us who need to change. If it wasn’t for us, they’d be just dandy.

It’s the humans who painted them into the corner they’re in. Now we’re all up in arms about a situation we ourselves created and we need to figure out a way to undo the damage.

I’m not denying that.  Artist Jackson Pollock once said about his work, “I deny the accident.”  I too “deny the accident.”

We began importing wild birds hundreds of years ago; poached the dudes right out of their homes and neighborhoods in the wild.

Uh oh.  Maybe that’s not such a bright idea. Maybe we ought to stop that. Honestly it was an accident! We didn’t know…

So the CITES treaty was written and signed and now the trade of endangered flora and fauna is regulated and controlled including birds.

Then we took to breeding them which is fine and dandy as long as every bird that was bred was wanted, loved, fed appropriately and well trained.

Uh oh.

Now we have birds without homes up the ying-yang and places like Phoenix Landing, Bird Lovers Only, Foster Parrots, and Gabriel Foundation scrambling for homes for these guys and the Oasis Sanctuary trying to look after and care for some of these guys that are homeless and some who will never find a home.

I won’t even begin to pretend to have all of the answers and all of the solutions. If I did, I certainly wouldn’t need my day job. There are people in this business with far more experience and who are far more savvy than me who have been working overtime trying to come up with a solution for this issue for years and haven’t managed to do it, so I don’t feel too bad about not having come up with a solution yet. The problems are far too complicated for me to even fully grasp.

 But I keep working on it. I keep trying to learn more and to figure out a way where everyone is happy, birds have homes, breeders aren’t left without an income and nobody needs to resort to poaching to try and get birds for companions.

So when my friend winced about this oft-used expression, I completely agreed because I’d had the same thoughts: It isn’t really “all about the birds” at all. It’s about us and how we managed to create a huge mess not only for them but for ourselves. Until we get a grip on this reality, we can’t possibly move ahead and solve these issues. Stop looking at all of the pretty birds and grab a mirror. Take a look at what you see.

You are now looking at what it’s all about. Sounds selfish doesn’t it? It’s not. The better educated you are about taking care of your flock, the better chance they will have of staying with you, surviving beyond you and actually staying in a home. The better training you give them, the easier it’s going to be for them in the long run.

The more you know about positive reinforcement training, a good diet, enrichment and all of the other details of caring for your flock, the better off they will be overall. You’ll be happier and so will they. But it’s up to you.

I’m still trying to understand all of the ins-and-outs of the issues. But for now, let’s just say I’m “Raising Awareness.”

Parker

I‘m of the belief that either you’re a “Grey” person or you’re not. Some “Grey” people like Greys and other species. And some, like me, really prefer just Greys. There is something about them that simply enchants me. I like other species of birds, but African Greys attract me like a magnet. I didn’t know I was that way until I began working with other birds. I’ve worked with numerous species, but so far I’ve either boarded or rehabbed and rehomed Cockatiels, Quakers, a Solomon Islands Eclectus, lovebirds, and other Greys. Not much really, but enough to know what I like.

I find Greys to have more expression, personality, and “soul”, if you will. They seem more 3-dimensional to me and I find I can read them far easier than other species. They have a quiet dignity that I admire and a nobility about them that I respect. I don’t find them aloof. Rather, I find them introspective and thoughtful.

I’ve read a lot about them through the hundreds and hundreds of articles and books by almost all of the leading writers in the field.

One thing became clear to me while reading their work: Raising a companion bird is not so much a science, or a pastime as it is an art. It is a creative work always in progress and it changes every minute. There are two participants in this work of art, the human and the bird, and sometimes the collaborators don’t always agree. But this is where it becomes a work of art. Both participants must come up with a viable solution or one of them loses out in the experience. The experience is the art, as well as the outcome, and both of the participants change as time passes. It is a fluid, moving entity.

Working that all out is a daily discipline and it takes a lot of time and thoughtful effort to get it right. And the more we learn, the better we get at it.

I thought it would take off. I thought it would be massive. I thought it would be the next Marley and Me.  I was positive that Irene Pepperberg’s book, Alex and Me would be a smash hit putting the book about the world’s worst dog to shame. It was big, but it wasn’t the massive hit Marley’s story was.

Irene’s book did respectably well. And I’m pleased for her. The problem is, for a book this damned good, this interesting and this well written, it should have gone to the top and stayed there. Well, it didn’t. And that’s just not right.

For as popular and talented as Alex was, and still is, people who loved his interview with Alan Alda on the TV show,  Scientific Frontiers should have trotted right out and bought the book to get the back story on how that television special came about. If you enjoy the film clips of Alex and Irene on Youtube, watching Irene work with Alex, Griffin and Arthur, you should race out and buy the book. It is simply wonderful.

Irene and writer Roger Lewin crafted a book that not only gives insight and detail into the story of Alex, it gives you the backstory of so many things we know about him. How did he begin to say “corknut?” Where did he get the word, “Banerry?” How in God’s name did Irene and Alex end up at MIT anyway? Do you want to know? Buy the book. It’ll tell you all about it.

Following her life from her childhood and first bird, to her education and ultimately her choice to forgo work in her chosen field of chemistry to study animal cognition and communication, Alex and Me is a detailed chronicle of Irene’s life with Alex and their achievements, accomplishments and difficulties.

The book takes you to Arizona where Irene worked as a professor, back to MIT, her old stomping grounds where she earned her chemistry degree, and on to Brandeis University, where her lab is now. In her book, she discusses the struggle to raise funds for the Alex Foundation that still goes on today, and her battle to have her research and work taken seriously.

It’s witty, thoughtful, and gives the reader a “bird’s eye view” so to speak, of Alex and Irene’s story. It’s not just an I-did-this-and-then-I-did-that tale. Irene’s book tells you not only what she did, but how she did them and why. It fills all of those questions you’d want to ask her if you had an hour or two to sit down with Irene and ask her anything you wanted to know.

For people interested in training their parrot, the book is inspiring. It also answers a common question Irene is always asked: “What was Alex really like?”

Well, let me tell you, from the sound of it, Alex was a real pistol. He had an attitude, confidence, and he was even a bit demanding. He also was somewhat of a bully from what I’ve been able to gather. In reading this account of Alex and what his personality was like, I had one constant thought nagging at me: “My God, this sounds a bit like Parker.”  And if you have an African Grey or two, you will see many similarities in your own birds.

Alex stunned the world with his ability and potential. And when he died, I know I wasn’t the only one who cried when I heard the news. I’ve seen person after person break down in tears right in front of Irene, trying to express how bad they felt when Alex passed away. I was emotionally paralyzed for two weeks after Alex died. This wasn’t even my bird, but it affected me deeply. However, I am pleased to know that I’m in huge company.

Alex is an icon, and will forever be remembered as “The smartest bird in the world.” He broke previously held scientific notions into pieces, shattering what it means to be human, and what it means to be cognizant. He changed many minds about the connection all creatures have in nature and in the world, including humans.

As Irene put it in the book, “…he (Alex) did leave me this great gift of what was once known and embraced, but was lost; the oneness of nature and our part in it.”

Irene’s book will answer so many questions you might have about African Greys, animal intelligence and the amazing story of Alex, a very special African Grey Parrot.

Alex and Me should be in every bird person’s library. It’s that good.

You can purchase your copy here: The Alex Foundation

I love going to shindigs like this. But sometimes my schedule simply prohibits it. Between the Blog, my column and feature writing at BIRD TALK and BIRDS USA Magazines, content work at the Bird Channel, my flying schedule, and the fact that I have three parrots and a dog, things get a little busy. But this is one I simply can’t miss. Organized in part by my friend Jason Crean, they have put together an event that looks like it’s going to be absolutely fabulous. I mean really, the line up of speakers is amazing, the vendor list is through the roof, and there is also a fundraising dinner for The Alex Foundation.

I’m from the area, so I contacted my friend Sandy from grade school and high school, and we’re having dinner on Friday. She lives in the area so what the hell! Why not add more fun to my fun? This event is big, and what’s more is looking to be an outstanding lineup of events. Mark Bittner is going to be speaking. Mark write the bestselling book, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I’m looking forward to meeting him. I enjoy meeting good writers, and although Mark and I have emailed, I haven’t had the chance to actually say “Hiya!”

Here’s the cover of his book:

Sy Mongomery will be there:

Sy wrote the book, Birdology, which I am reading right now and it is fabulous. She’s a wonderful writer and you’ll find yourself learning a lot about birds while you’re being thoroughly entertained by not only her subject matter, but her writing style. It’s simply marvelous! Here is Sy’s book:

I ‘m sure most everyone with a pulse remembers, Snowball the Cockatoo. Snowball danced his way into our hearts when he became a viral hit on YouTube, ended up on David Letterman and got signed to do a Taco Bell commercial. Snowball is making an appearance along with “Bird Lover’s Only Rescue” Director, Irena Schulz:

There are many other speakers and events, along with a TON of vendors. And of course I’ll be ramming around getting the skinny on ideas for the blog, the Magazines, and of course, meeting people. At the end of the day there is going to be a wonderful fundraising event for the “Alex Foundation.” There will be a dinner for Irene Pepperberg in support of her work with her African Greys. Here’s a photo of Irene working with her birds:

Here’s a photo of Irene and I hanging around talking at the Houston Parrot Festival. I think we were discussing the best way to navigate through airports or something:

So, I know I’m going to have a really good time seeing all of these people speak as well as talking with them. There will be lots more people there speaking and a ton of things to see and do. This is a huge event, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’d love to see you there and if you do come and see me wandering around, please stop and say “Hi.” I’d sure like to meet you! The event is this Saturday, Mau 22nd, in St. Charles Illinois. Details are at the link provided at the top of the post.

I live in Florida so I’m not referring to shoveling snow, nor am I the proud owner of a herd of cows that needs occasional upkeep. I have shoveled cow manure, but that’s another story. The precipitation we get is liquid, and a LOT of it at times.

I’m referring to cleaning Parker’s cage. Please bear in mind at this point in time that Parker rarely poops in his cage, so it’s not what you think.

My friend Bill makes these toys for my little dudes out of palm and tied with hemp twine. They are all-natural and Parker has taken to them like they were made of flippin’ caviar.  It’s a really good toy. They are crunchy, and although they take some work to shred, they eventually bite the dust under Parker’s constant gnawing.

Parker is just coming back to normal after being in breeding condition for about six weeks or so. It wasn’t a bad season at all this year. I don’t know if the cold weather had anything to do with it, but he wasn’t nearly as heinously obnoxious as he usually is. On the other hand, it might have been the pacifying effects of the toy Bill and I refer to as “Ty Styx.”

He will take this toy and turn it into shreds in about an hour or so, but the beauty of it is that the toy totally and completely engages him. He is quiet and intent on turning the “Ty Styx” toy into dust and shards of palm. He can saw through up to three in a single day, but man, is he quiet while he’s working on them, save for  lot of “crunchy” noises emanating from his cage. He is totally engrossed in working on that toy. I think it fills that “gnawing and chewing” need parrots have. It is enriching in many ways; it must be satisfying in some auditory way because it makes such a loud crunch when he bites down on it. The pieces that he shears off can be individually chewed on once it is separated from the stick, and he has to manipulate it because it’s hanging from the hemp twine.

This is Nothing. You should see it when he gets though with a Big Toy!

How frustrating and maddening to have this toy and no way to share it with the rest of the world! It’s a hand made toy and I’m just not sure it could be manufactured in bulk.

When I designed my last toy, “Ring Around the Rainbow,” I gave up after about two years of trying on and off just to get someone to just manufacture the shoelaces for the toy. It made me crazy. On top of that, I have no skills in manufacturing, distribution, sales and business in general. The only thing I could do was haul it to someone already in business and have them make it. I wanted to see my “Rainbow” toy made for birds because I felt it was important enough that our birds should have it, no matter who made it.

I took the “Ty Stix” toy over to Rick Horvitz at the “Golden Cockatoo,” a nice bird store in Deerfield Beach and tried it on a few of his birds: Some Cape Parrots, some Macaws, and a Grey. They loved it!

My friend, Christina Girodano tried the “Ty” on her Cockatoo and Macaws with the same result; they loved it. Sometimes it takes time for some parrots to get the idea of what to do with the toy. But once they do, there’s no going back.

Now if I could just figure out the “business end” of it, I might be on to something. In the meantime, I’ll simply continue giving Parker his “Ty Styx” and periodically raking out the remains from the bottom of his “room.”

I’m a lucky parrot person. Parker knows how to play with cheap stuff: like paper plates. In this footage, I caught about the last two minutes of about FORTY minutes of Parker messing around with a simple white paper plate. (Forgive the shaky video, I had just gotten the camera and was still learning.) I’m thrilled he is able to entertain himself. At this point he was getting quite worn out, so the play was winding down. I’ll try and get some footage of him in the throes of a real “attack the toy” mode another time! Roll ‘em!:

Got Parrots? Do a Cruise!

This looks like it’s going to be a blast! And it’s a fund raising event for the World Parrot Trust!

Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale on October 24, 2009 for 8 days  

Returning to Ft Lauderdale on November 1, 2009

 

• First Ever Fund-Raising Cruise To Help Save The Wild Parrots!                                          

  

  Check out World Parrot Trust website. 

  Information on Parrots

  Conservation Efforts 

  Pictures of Parrots

  Sounds Parrots Make

• Itinerary

  
  

  Day     Port of Call                          Arrival            Departure

  1          Ft Lauderdale, FL                                       4:00 PM

  2          Fun Day at Sea

  3          Cozumel, Mexico               8:00 AM           5:00 PM

  4          Fun Day at Sea

  5          Limon, Costa Rica              10:00 AM         6:00 PM

  6          Colon, Panama                    7:00 AM           4:00 PM

  7          Fun Day at Sea

  8          Fun Day at Sea

  9          Ft. Lauderdale, FL                8:00 AM

 Attend Our Speakers’ Presentations.  

Play Some Games.   

Win a Raffle.

 

Meet Other ”Bird” People.

 

We’ll have plenty of time while we are at sea to attend the presentations given by our speakers, and talk about our parrots.

Plus we are planning some fun time together to play some games and win some prizes. Our sponsors have donated some amazing items for lucky raffle winners. 

And, it is all for the parrots in the wild. Remember, if we don’t help, they will disappear forever!

• Pricing

  8B   Balcony               $1032.11*

  8B Balcony Single      $1764.11*

  8B Balcony Triple       $741.41*

  6B   Ocean View          $842.71*

  6B Ocean View Single $1511.11*

  4B   Inside                     $722.11*

   

  All prices quoted are based on per person rate.

   

  *A $50.00 per person charge added for conference expenses and donations to World Parrot Trust. Prices are only guaranteed as long as our block of cabins are available. Price could go up after that so get your $25pp deposit in. 

   

  Insurance is optional but strongly recommended:

  $99.00 per person – Balcony

  $89.00 per person – Ocean View

  $79.00 per person – Inside

• 325.00 due at time of booking. Final payment due August 3rd.

   

  *There is still plenty of time. Just  Go  Click  Dream  Sail  Relax  Enjoy 

• 
  

  .

I realize that I refer to Phoenix Landing frequently in some of my posts. Perhaps you don’t know much about them.  It was established to promote and protect the welfare of parrots, especially those with an extensive lifespan.Phoenix Landing (PL) is a non-profit parrot welfare and education foundation. But they do more than just place parrots. They sponsor research of wild habitats and natural parrot behaviors, provide educational activities regarding the care and needs of parrots, and from what I’ve been able to gather, throw some pretty good parties for their volunteers! They provide ongoing support for the families who adopt the birds of PL, providing ongoing support and education for them. Some of the events they have are “NOURISH TO FLOURISH”, A Cooking Class for Parrots, a Behavior Workshop for building a positive relationship with your Parrot, and my favorite: “Getting Jiggy With Junk”, a toy building workshop!

They have an eye to the future of these long living creatures and are working towards building a center for these birds in North Carolina. It will be home to an Education and Conference Center, where they will sponsor cutting-edge programs about parrot care for people nationwide. This Adoption Center will allow birds to meet prospective families and be housed properly until they are adopted. The Education and Conference Center will also be available to host other special events, such as symposiums regarding conservation or the environment. The Landing will also be the permanent home to some birds living in free-flight aviaries. Lastly, a small number of rentable suites will be available overlooking the flights.

You can become a Member!

Exciting stuff but it’s going to take money. Ann Brooks and her volunteers have managed to place literally hundreds of birds over the years, but there are still hundreds waiting for “a place to land”. And they could use your help. while I realize money is a little tight these days, there are other ways to help them. They have a “Wish List” of items that they could put to good use. Some of these items are: auction Items for their National Symposium in  November of 2009,  Avery Labels 8167 White, Full spectrum light bulbs and fixtures, especially OTT, Sturdy cages in good condition, and of course they can always use parrot toys! You can help by purchasing your supplies through them.  They get excellent deals from their suppliers so you can spend more money on your parrot, and your support also helps care for the parrots of Phoenix Landing. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Dr. Irene Pepperberg wearing the scarf I made for a PL Auction.

If you have a minute, please visit them at http://www.phoenixlanding.org/home.html and take a look at their very well done website. They have a ton of great content and I think you’ll enjoy what they have to offer.  And if you can, please give them a hand. I just love what they are trying to accomplish and I hope you can help them out. Thank you.

This little guy is terrific!