May 2011
Dear Elephants, Humans and Birds, All the vets who diagnosed Aristophanes with a sinus allergy, due to none of the medical tests performed showing anything else. said that it was the first time they had heard of such an allergy in a macaw and this diagnosis was by default. I wish it would go away, permanently. The past few weeks have been good and he has not been suffering. His cere looks great and he is living like a normal, albeit captive, scarlet macaw. This can change overnight to where he is ripping at his nares and screaming in anguish. I suppose it itches him like crazy. Nobody knows what he is allergic to and the environment around him has not changed. Every time he gets a respite from the allergies, I find myself hoping and praying that he is finally cured and it is over....Maybe someday.
Zeke has been caged more than I like because I am very careful about him flying around with Simon, the new cat, still being so young and active. Simon is getting much better to where he is ignoring Zeke more as just being part of his surroundings, but I watch them all the time. A cockatiel is no match for a 6 month old kitten, so keeping them both in the same house requires a great deal of vigilance. Emma chases Simon all over the place. It is actually a form of play for both of them, but it is very funny watching the cat run from the pursuing Amazon parrot. Emma and Aristophanes like the kitten, but I think that they, as well as my dog, Lola, think that he is a black furry toy that I brought home just for them. Unfortunately, I think that Simon thinks that Zeke is his toy, and that is not a good thing. The wild birds are all over my feeders.
The goldfinches are particularly beautiful this time of year as the brilliant yellow of the males' summer plumage is so dazzling in the sunlight and there seem to be so many of them. I can watch them for hours and it makes me feel so good. There is so much beauty in our natural world if we just take the time to look for it. I saw a pileated woodpecker the other day at the feeder too. Wow, what a wonderful sight. I love watching them fly. Of course, I become melancholy when I see all these free birds living their lives and going about their business, because mine are captives and can never have the life that they could have had were they free and living where they should be.
Zeke and Aristophanes were born in cages. I am not too sure about Emma. Emma might have been one of those horrible unfortunates that was plucked from the wild when he was a fledgling and God knows what happened to his parents. When wild baby birds are pulled from nests, the parents are often killed if they try to protect their young. I read that in 1985, so many baby yellow napes were taken from the known nests in Guatemala, that no young survived to live freely. Once again, I reiterate that humans are a cruel and rapacious species.
Our program tonight is about America's symbol, the bald eagle. Here, too, is a species brought to the brink of extinction by human activities. This time it was not for the pet industry, but by the use of chemical pesticides. DDT, then widely used, almost caused the demise of this magnificent bird. Luckily the link was discovered in time. DDT was banned and the species is recovering nicely. We have many bald eagles who winter and even nest here in Sullivan County. I take my grandsons eagle watching all the time when it is cold and the rivers are frozen or, much better, partially frozen as 90% of this eagles' diet is fish. Elijah, my younger grandson, and I saw seventeen eagles at the Mongaup the last time we went. This was an incredible sight. We are so lucky to have these wonderful birds so near to us. Yoke Bauer DiGiorgio, Director of the Delaware Valley Eagle Alliance, will be our speaker tonight and I am sure that her program on Bald Eagles will be fascinating.
I want to thank club member, Les Kristt, for providing the computer equipment necessary for this presentation. Our program for next month, June, has changed. We will be having a presentation on parrot adoption brought to us by Donna Dwyer of the Connecticut Association for Aviculture. Laurie Hess was originally scheduled but cannot make it and Donna has graciously agreed to do this informative program on the great number of parrots who are put up for adoption for us. Also, there is so much involved in re-homing these poor creatures properly to where they will be happy, loved and find permanency. Donna has been here before with Dr. Amy Hopkins, of the CAFA, and so is no stranger to our club. We are very grateful that she is coming again and looking for forward to hearing her speak.
Our 25th anniversary dinner/party/meeting will be held on July 14th at Mr. Willy's Restaurant on Thursday evening, July 14th at 7:00. Mr. Willy's has been doing a wonderful job for us for many years. We will be provided with our own room and a full dinner with 3 or 4 entree choices. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Clum, the new curator of ornithology at the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society. This should be a spectacular evening. Imagine us being together as a club that does good things for birds for 25 years...WOW! Please donate generously to our silent auction which will he held that night as part of the evening's agenda. More about this exciting evening next month. Enjoy this program and take great care of your birds...........(and elephants)
With love,
Richie
Zeke has been caged more than I like because I am very careful about him flying around with Simon, the new cat, still being so young and active. Simon is getting much better to where he is ignoring Zeke more as just being part of his surroundings, but I watch them all the time. A cockatiel is no match for a 6 month old kitten, so keeping them both in the same house requires a great deal of vigilance. Emma chases Simon all over the place. It is actually a form of play for both of them, but it is very funny watching the cat run from the pursuing Amazon parrot. Emma and Aristophanes like the kitten, but I think that they, as well as my dog, Lola, think that he is a black furry toy that I brought home just for them. Unfortunately, I think that Simon thinks that Zeke is his toy, and that is not a good thing. The wild birds are all over my feeders.
The goldfinches are particularly beautiful this time of year as the brilliant yellow of the males' summer plumage is so dazzling in the sunlight and there seem to be so many of them. I can watch them for hours and it makes me feel so good. There is so much beauty in our natural world if we just take the time to look for it. I saw a pileated woodpecker the other day at the feeder too. Wow, what a wonderful sight. I love watching them fly. Of course, I become melancholy when I see all these free birds living their lives and going about their business, because mine are captives and can never have the life that they could have had were they free and living where they should be.
Zeke and Aristophanes were born in cages. I am not too sure about Emma. Emma might have been one of those horrible unfortunates that was plucked from the wild when he was a fledgling and God knows what happened to his parents. When wild baby birds are pulled from nests, the parents are often killed if they try to protect their young. I read that in 1985, so many baby yellow napes were taken from the known nests in Guatemala, that no young survived to live freely. Once again, I reiterate that humans are a cruel and rapacious species.
Our program tonight is about America's symbol, the bald eagle. Here, too, is a species brought to the brink of extinction by human activities. This time it was not for the pet industry, but by the use of chemical pesticides. DDT, then widely used, almost caused the demise of this magnificent bird. Luckily the link was discovered in time. DDT was banned and the species is recovering nicely. We have many bald eagles who winter and even nest here in Sullivan County. I take my grandsons eagle watching all the time when it is cold and the rivers are frozen or, much better, partially frozen as 90% of this eagles' diet is fish. Elijah, my younger grandson, and I saw seventeen eagles at the Mongaup the last time we went. This was an incredible sight. We are so lucky to have these wonderful birds so near to us. Yoke Bauer DiGiorgio, Director of the Delaware Valley Eagle Alliance, will be our speaker tonight and I am sure that her program on Bald Eagles will be fascinating.
I want to thank club member, Les Kristt, for providing the computer equipment necessary for this presentation. Our program for next month, June, has changed. We will be having a presentation on parrot adoption brought to us by Donna Dwyer of the Connecticut Association for Aviculture. Laurie Hess was originally scheduled but cannot make it and Donna has graciously agreed to do this informative program on the great number of parrots who are put up for adoption for us. Also, there is so much involved in re-homing these poor creatures properly to where they will be happy, loved and find permanency. Donna has been here before with Dr. Amy Hopkins, of the CAFA, and so is no stranger to our club. We are very grateful that she is coming again and looking for forward to hearing her speak.
Our 25th anniversary dinner/party/meeting will be held on July 14th at Mr. Willy's Restaurant on Thursday evening, July 14th at 7:00. Mr. Willy's has been doing a wonderful job for us for many years. We will be provided with our own room and a full dinner with 3 or 4 entree choices. Our guest speaker will be Nancy Clum, the new curator of ornithology at the Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society. This should be a spectacular evening. Imagine us being together as a club that does good things for birds for 25 years...WOW! Please donate generously to our silent auction which will he held that night as part of the evening's agenda. More about this exciting evening next month. Enjoy this program and take great care of your birds...........(and elephants)
With love,
Richie