Good to see you posting again, Zita. I hadn’t realized you had broken another bone. Get well quickly!
This is especially for my fellow net citizens from down-under. I came across this pic of a magpie plus its sound here: http://www.juneauphotos.com/index.asp?r=1019
The author of this site puts up some fabulous pics and I’ve found it very interesting since my cousin took a recent holiday trip to this area. If you’ve got time then explore his link to the bird songs.
However, here’s a link to the real bird– the Aussie variety of course! Just how different is that! http://www2.abc.net.au/science/birds/asp/query.asp?Action=Display&id=69

Summer is winding down and just last weekend the stark reality struck home that the redwings and many other birds have left us.

Usually we are well into fall by now, but this has been an unusually wonderful late summer. It was 26 celsius degrees here today.

So now we are settling down to the winter birds which don't migrate. I saw the most touching sight this morning at our feeder - two baby cardinals, must have been both male as they were red. There was a baby mourning dove on our deck as well. They must have had two families again this year. Really special.

Thank you for sharing here Belle, that was real special.

I am able to watch the birds on the front lawn as I sit at my computer

I noticed that the birds were looking to see how they could get a drink from the fishpond, but of course it is impossible. I made it that way so there was 'no fishing'!

I remembered a suitable shallow dish that I could put in amongst the rocks, and have enjoyed watching the starlings and blackbirds getting a drink.

I believe it is important to have water available in our gardens for birlife as well as cats.
They often come in to the garden just for a drink.

Another delight is to have the hose on on a hot day, the birds seem to come for miles to enjoy a 'free shower', or a make shift birdbath on the footpath.

Being spring here, we are experiencing an influx of lost fledgings at the animal hospital. They can take anything up to 40 birds in a day, and are always looking out for volunteers to help rais them for rerelease.

About 10 years ago I heard a terrible comotion out the front door and went to investigate, and there was Bobby the cat trying to catch a lovebird in the bushes.

I rescued it from the drooling jaws of this overfed cat, and took it inside. I remember I had something in the conservatory I quickly overturned, and put the 'beak' under it while I went to the shed to get the spare cage. If you have never had your finger attatched to the beak of a love bird!......................... it takes your breath away.

I had never owned a lovebird before, and not wanting it to be lonely went to the pet shop and bought one the same colouring. We were unable to find the owner.

So, I suddenly had a pair of noisy lovebirds inside which my doughter promptly named Gabbie and Gobbie. Gobbie - german for government - Vanessa was learning German at the time - was perfect choice of a name, as he sure ruled the roost.
We had them inside for about 6 years, and then the heat got more intense in the daytime, leaving it very cold at nigh. Not a good place to have birds, and one got quite sick.
So I took the cage and hung it out in the small avery. They enjoyed being out there with the other birds, and seemed to be much more vocal. After a few years of that, I suddenly hit on the idea of Allan building a wire cage in the corner of the avery to allow them more room, and put in a small tree. It had a hinged wire door on front, and the lovebirds liked that even better.
Recently I went out to the avery and the lovebirds were looking at me from the perch, but not from their cage - they had somehow got out and was with the other birds - canaries with delecate legs, cockatiels, small finches and one budgie.
I very quickly got the net and caught them and put them back. I particlarly noticed the look in their eyes as they hung their heads, disappointed at being 'back'. But I couldn't take the risk of the other birds being hurt.

A few days later, I went out again, and there they were, large as life on the perch with the other birds. And very happy too, I might add.

So this time I did a more thorough investigation and discovered the ledge they were getting on in order to squeeze through the small hole to freedom.

I stood there and debated, will I take the risk, or won't I, and I remembered the 'look' I had got last time I put them back.

"Alright," I said," you are on trial, and you had better behave yourself! No picking legs!"

To help keep their beaks occupied I keep them supplied with fresh willow branches every 2 days. I have an endless supply at the end of my street in a local park. I keep the dog walkers track cleared of branches!

Well, they have been there a month now. For a start, the other birds wouldn't go near them. Terrified of those large beaks???? But now they are one big happy family. There has been no trouble at all and they are one big happy family. I have never heard the lovebirds so vocal in all the years I have had them.

I haven't dismantled the smaller lovebird cage, but opened the door back, and they still like to go in, especially on hot days, to keep cool. The canaries particularly enjoy going in there for food.

Thank you, Zita!

I appreciate your sharing all of this with us.

Another week has gone, making it 4 weeks the lovebirds have been together with all the others.
I can't tell you how happy they are in their new enviroment.
The talk and chatter so much better, and are not so afraid of me now they are in the bigger avery.

I made sure they had a fresh supply of willow for Sabbath, so their beaks will be happily occupied!

Another 3 weeks have gone by, and the lovebirds are just loving their living quarters with the big birds. I have watched them closely, and there has not been one incident where they have attempted to peck another bird, or even get cross!
Cockatiels, lovebirds, budgie, finches and canaries all living in perfect harmony.

Actually, when I go and do my neighbours back garden 2 doors away, I can hear the lovebirds from there, they are so happy.

If only people were like that!

I took a look in the nesting box in the larger avery today, as I heard a very suspicous noise. Infact, I had heard it for the last couple of days, but couldn't see anything.
Well, today Mother and Father were off the nest, and there was a baby cockatiel with enough feathers on it to tell me it is going to be cream like it's mother!

A delightful suprise.

Zita, first off Avery is a Label Company. Aviary or Aviaries is/are large cages for birds.

How large are your Aviaries?

I kept birds for many years. I had mostly Toucans and Finches. At one time I had 7 toucans or toucan type birds. They are extremely messy and also extremely rewarding. They recognise you from strangers, and they greet you - like in the evening after work when you get home. Their cages for the final 2 birds were 6 x 16 feet and 8 feet tall. I had to keep the two separate.

The finch cage was 12 x 24 feet and 8 ft tall. I used ½ x 1" welded fence fabric for all of the cages. This is made from 16 gage wire and looks very spiffy. I always drew blood when working with this stuff. All aviaries had running water. The toucan cages had water that would turn on for a minute every day and empty into a dish washing plastic tub put about mid level so they could drink and take a bath. The finch aviary had several drip waters that dripped day and night. That also watered things.

Only the finch avairies had trees planted inside. I had too many birds to accurately count. This is because some of the birds were in constant motion all day long. I'm not kidding here. But I estimate that I had a total of 55 birds at one time.

The Toucans were: A Toco female, a sulphur breasted toucan male, a Swainsons toucan, the original "Ford bird" toucan - Cuvier's Toucan. Then there were the Toucanettes. I had a Curly Headed Toucanette, which has flat plastic looking head feathers which look like those fake plastic wigs women would wear instead of fixing their hair. This is a totally un-natural look. This was an extremely rare bird. Then there was a Emerald Toucanette, and finally a Scarlet Rumped Aracari Toucanette. I called him Ubiquitous. He usually never moved much.

Of the finches I had Cordon Bleu (breeding pair) Red Eared Waxbill, St Helena WB, Orange Cheeked WB, Java Rice birds -- illegal when I bought mine. Venezuela Scarlet Cardinal - a reversed crest = prettier than the American Cardnal - which I also had illegally. Black crested finch. Pekin Nightengales MF pair - they never stopped moving.

I made lots of mistakes that resulted in deaths. I was unaware at the time.

i know so much about birds I could talk for hours about them and all the adventures and misadventures. But its getting tired and I'm late.
--Ðøug ™

You are quite right about my spelling of 'avery' Doug - of course I 'knew that,' but somehow fingers didn't understand! I looked back, expecting it to be a one off mistake, but it wasn't!

The larger aviary is 30 ft long by 4 ft wide by 6 ft tall. Originally it was 20 ft when we first got it as a disused aviary - the owner had become quiet elderly and it was no use to him. It was no mean feat getting it onto the property in one piece and in place - half consisting of an enclosed house, the other half the flight. A few years later, my father built a 10 ft flight on the other end, and it made such a difference, particularly to the larger birds.
There was a time when I owned 60 budgies, so I know how quick you need to be to count the birds!
I have a birdbath on a pedestal that needs to be changed every day along with their other drinking water. It certainly would be great to have running water!
They love their trees, usually I change them in the winter when we trim our own trees and have suitable branches. Over them I drape willow which I pick about ever 2nd day. Keeps the beaks active and stops them wrecking the aviary.
The smaller aviary was built because I had a couple of sick birds in the large aviary, and needed to keep them away from the others so they could recover and not be pecked to death.
Then when the cockatiels bred in abundance, I put some up in the smaller aviary. This one is 7 ft by 7ft by 6 ft tall.
I hate it when the birds die for no apparent reason, healthy one day and dead the next. It doesn't happen very often, fortunately and there has been only one occasion when I forgot to feed them and we had a cold snap.
I enjoy the 'welcome home' I always receive from the birds, and particularly the 1st calls in the morning before light. sometimes our conversations go on for so long, neither of us giving in, always answered, never ignored, birds a my wonderful friends.

Zita, your aviaries sound interesting. I havent been on here for a few days.

I dont have any birds now but when I did it was a very rewarding hobby. And I recognise that I made a lot of mistakes. I think I got almost every bird before I had a cage for them. Sounds funny but true. The first canary I got I bought a cage for him - but then proceeded to make a largeer cage all out of bamboo. It took a long time. Now we can buy these bamboo skewers in stores by the pack. I sure could have used them when I made that cage. I had to cut mine all out of long bamboo poles.
--Ðøug ™