Bird Watching 10: Parenting

Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

Nesting birds have been extremely active the last 6-8 weeks. Several different species competed for the nesting box on the deck--house sparrows, house finches, blue birds--but the chickadee family won out. They are courageous and persistent little birds, and this pair raised a fine family of young. One of the hunting parents is shown here in the nearby beech tree. They love to eat the nasty little green caterpillars that infest the beech trees this time of year. The squishy wrigglers were transformed into handsome little Carolina chickadees. What an improvement!
G.

Lost and Found!

We came across an inspiring news story last week about a grey African parrot named Yosuke, who lives near Tokyo. Yosuke flew out of the house, and couldn't find his way back home. Luckily, he was not eaten by a hawk or an owl, but rescued by the police from a roof. The police took him to a local vet hospital, where he gave the vet his full name and address, and then went home to a tender reunion! The policeman interviewed seemed amazed at his knowing to give his name and address, which is silly. All psittacines are remarkable linguists. Consider the characterization of Polynesia the Parrot in the "Dr. Doolittle" books. Humans tend to credit parrots only when they speak a human language, and then claim the performance as mimicry! We know what we're saying--its just very hard to speak any human language through a beak. I don't speak a human language, but I am fluent in Budgie, Robin, House Wren, Cardinal, Crow, Woodpecker dialects, Canary, Lovebird, Red Winged Blackbird, and the trash-bird languages (ie, starling and grackle).
Geoffrey

A Fantastic Toy!

The humans bought me a wonderful toy this week! It's a little plastic bathtub with a cute rubber duck on the top. They fill it with lettuce and water, so I can eat a salad and take a bath at the same time! Even Geoffrey and Jary like it, and they are not very fond of baths. But it is mine, and I love it. Thank you!
Jay-Jay

Rain Forest?

Scarlet Macaw (http://www.fieldguides.com/perumanuwildlife.htm)
Photographer: Paul Thomas

We've had almost 9 inches of rain this month. (How do we know? Careful perusal of the newspaper and observation of the family rain gauge.) This would suggest that we are going to have climate change; we are hoping for rain forest conditions. Imagine the bird-watching opportunities! Australian parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus) are birds of the dry plains--and we have seen no other psitticines. If the backyard becomes a temperate rain forest, we will surely see parrots. We are hoping for macaws!
Geoffrey

Spick and Span

I preen my feathers every day.
The ones that aren't in beak range
Are taken care of by my buds.
So, I preen theirs in exchange!

Jay-Jay likes to take a bath.
We guys feel some temerity.
That's why we approach the sink
In birdy solidarity!

Jary