APRIL 1 2008
Still too cold and wet to start building yet. We're spending a lot of time planning interior stuff. Lots of traffic this week here. PJ and Verdi went home...we'll hope to see them next year for their annual vacation. Pirate macaw finally decided where he wants to live, and has gone off to move in with a couple other macaws down the road. A pair of pretty little budgies just arrived, and are sitting and scoping out the small bird room as I write.
I attended the Mid-American Cage Bird Society Bird Fair in March, and will be at TASC's show in Wheaton IL this coming Saturday...looking forward to meeting Irene Pepperburg.
As we move into spring, make sure all those doors and windows are secure...this is prime time for escapes....people have been used to winter, and forget to watch the openings.
Plans for the rescue seminar are going forward nicely. There'll be a toy-making workshop, with a make-and-take, by our pal Janet Walker. She makes all the cool home-made stuff that we amuse the birds and amaze the visitors with. Our fave vet and bass player, Dr. Jo Drahos, will be here to talk about health and quarantine. And, we'll have a talk about incorporation and non-profit staus from Andy Hosmanek, who's not only a great legal eagle, but a bird-keeper as well. He's married to the former Macawprincess of AOL message board fame. All three of these people have been involved with Iowa Parrot Rescue from the beginning, and have a lot to teach us.
APRIL 8 2008
Well, I didn't make it to the TASC show....came down with a cold that would make a Russian tractor whimper. But I'm all better now.
The big news today is that Charlie amazon has found a home! We had a call fom a person so nearly identical to his original loved owner it was amazing...and when she visited, he was pretty easy about it...so I moved him, cage and all, this morning. Looks like being a great match.
I'm very happy to say that our concept of cooperating-but-independent rescues is already working. Karen and Neil in Waterloo have been handling cockatoos, and have successfuly placed several. Katy and Roberta in Omaha have been doing educational programs, and are also taking referrals at that end of the world. All in all, very satisfying.
APRIL 14 2008
Due to a resurgenece of Abi's asthma, we sent the three tiels to Karen's place in Waterloo yesterday. Sunny will be permanent there, but Herky and Sweetie will be available for adoption.
Also, Ali the ekkie went to a fine new home yesterday...he likes his new mom a lot!
In other news, please note a change in phone numbers here....we're getting satellite internet and wireless phone, so the old landline number won't work anymore...new phone is 563-506-5479.
Finally, we now have Iowa Parrot rescue baseball caps available. They'll cost $15 + $5 for shipping.
APRIL 26 2008
The rescue seminar is a week away, and we're excited about it! It's going to be a huge amount of fun for us. The calendar of visits and appearances for the spring and summer is filling up nicely and I'll be around all over Iowa and Illinois...I hope to get to meet a lot of you.
It's been a wet spring, and we're still waiting for the ground to dry so we can start construction...we'll see when that happens.
New in the rescue this week is Draco, a youngish male BG macaw. He's had some nervous issues, but is basically a pretty good bird. We'll be looking for a special home for him. Incoming soon, we're told, are a white-cap Pionus from New Jersey and a Blue-front amazon from Wisconsin.
MAY 7 2008
The seminar was a huge success! People came from all across Iowa and Nebraska, and the sharing and brainstorming were awesome. Besides our own discussion sessions, we had talks from Dr. Jo Drahos of Riverside Animal Hospital in Muscatine, and attorney Andy Hosmanek of Iowa City. Janet Walker of Dubuque did a super make-and-take demo on great home made toys. There was a great deal of swapping of experiences and materials, and planning sessions were still being done by email after everyone went home.
The ladies in Bellevue NE, Roberta Barr and Katie Travers, have their rescue up and runnning, and have already re-homed almost 10 birds. Karen Fisher and her dude Neil of Waterloo are also in operation, with several re-homes under their belts. Ann Wykowski down in Keokuk has begun accepting birds, and is accumulating equipment for a larger operation. All three are preparing to pursue incorporation.
A year ago, I had hoped that some day there would be a network of small in-home parrot rescues across the Midwest, to deal with the needs of birds at a grassroots level. Today, that's becoming a reality, thanks to all the people who shared that dream and took up that challenge. We're movin' on, folks! More, more!
In other news...we pulled off two perfect rescues this week; both birds get to stay where they are! Both were birds who needed their keepers to get some new information and understanding...both owners came to us looking to place, and ended up discovering they could keep their birds. We're all happy.
MAY 19 2008
STILL too wet to start building! Very frustrating, but we'll manage. I (Mike) went to the MidAmerica Cage Bird Society fair in Des Moines yesterday. Many good vendors, lots of pretty birds. I got to hang out with the Roberta and Katy from Nebraska Parrot Rescue in Omaha (www.nebraskaparrotrescue.org), and also Karen and Neil from Waterloo. I was able to see and handle ET, our badly injured macaw!...Wow, is she better! Steps up for most people, lets some strangers pet her, has no balance or grip issues...just super condition....John and Peggy have done wonders with her.
I brought three birds home yesterday. One is a temporary care case...Sweetpea is an Orangewinged Amazon who's very nice...she'll be with us for a few months while a new home is arranged. Sonny is a Blue crown Conure, and Cher is a green Indian Ringneck...they haven't been socialized or handled, and will need a lot of work. I'll get pictures and more description up on them later. Two new birds will be coming tomorrow...a Mexican Redheaded Amazon and a Greencheeked Conure...no info on them yet.
MAY 26 2008
The new guys are sweeties! Rosie the RLAmazon is a good girls who steps up and flirts...and Baby the GCConure is a total sweetheart, a shoulder bird. We also had a new macaw arrive...Nikita is a girl who's very nervous around men, but seems to like women.
Sonny the BCConure has gone to a new home as of today. Draco the BG Mac has an adoption pending. Nikita is showing signs of getting close to being ready for adoption soon...stay tuned for details.
MAY 31 2008
Draco went home yesterday, but I'm off this afternoon to meet a woman from Topeka with two amazons to hand over...These are reported to be pretty old birds, so they may have to be permanent...we'll see what they are when we get them. Stay tuned for more info.
More delays on the building...it just NEVER seems to stop raining long enough for the ground to dry out. We also find that the county's building code is going to require somewhat more iin the way of inspections than we thought, and more complicated plumbing than I actually wanted to put in...well, the rule is "everything takes longer and costs more than you planned". We'll get there.
Ziggy TAG the Katrina-bird is becoming quite a hoot to listen to. As he comes out of his trauma, he's talking a lot, and has some very silly things to report. Meanwhile, Sammy the scarlet macaw has decided that it's OK for Abi to handle her if I'm not there, and wants to spend some of her time teaching Nikita BG how to play. The macaw gang in the 3rd floor is waiting for warm enough weather to go play outdoors, but we have a plague of gnats right now, and have to wait for them to diappear.
For those of you with conures and other smaller climbing birds, we have a new fave toy here....Timot cherryhead is in love with empty oatmeal containers...he crawls in and chews his way back out...great fun, and lots of fine vocalizing all through it. Abi'd special baby, Cosmo the Patagonian, is having a jealousy fit over the new birds, and is raising the roof much of the day...Patties are WAY LOUD!
Finally...I've been making a breakout as a media personality...woohoo! Had an interview on a Des Moines commercial radio station earlier this month. Then, Iowa Public Radio came to record a promo spot for their membership drive, and stayed to do what may turn into a whole feature, possibly even offered to Public Radio across the country. Check out KUNI, WOI, WSUI. And, last week, Ralph macaw and I went in to be interviewed on the Public Access Channel on Muscatine's cable TV franchise...I don't think I'm ready for American Idol (Idle?), but what the hey, it's all good publicity for the birds.
JUNE 12 2008
The first thing is this: WE'RE OK! There has been massive flooding all around us, and tornadoes nearly every night somewhere in Iowa, with 12 people killed in the last 10 days....but no damage here. We're on very high ground, and flooding is never a worry. Tornadoes, well...we watch the weather and wait. When the new building is in, it'll be nearly storm-proof.
The new amazon boys are pretty wild, but will step up on a stick...they're in good shape, and could be placed with someone who has amazon background. Nikita macaw is gaining daily, and is ready for a suitable home with macaw experience. We really need some good homes for the ringnecks.
We now have all the necessary permits in hand for the construction, and all the necessary contractors are in place...just waiting on the weather.
JUNE 15 2008
UNTIL THE WEATHER EMERGENCIES ARE OVER WE WILL ACCEPT BIRDS ONLY IN EMERGENCY....WE NEED TO SAVE ALL POSSIBLE SPACE FOR BIRDS DISPLACED BY THE FLOODS AND TORNADOES.
We sent 4 birds to a nice new home today....Baby, Rosie, and the two budgies all left...and we'll be waiting for updates on them.
JUNE 20 2008
We're back to business as usual...we took no damage from the floods at our palce, and didn't have to receive any birds because of the flooding...so, onward and upward!
JULY 1 2008
Much new business lately. I went to Des Moines last week to take Sweetpea Amazon to her new home, and to pick up Louie, a Harlequin Macaw. Louie isn't very social yet, but is progressing rapidly. I hope to have him ready for a home in a month or two. Today a pair of sweet little budgies arrived. We also have been advised of incoming on a Sun Conure and a Kakariki, which will be our first ever New Zealand parrot. They're both awaiting transport from over by Ames. We also have a potential home for Nikita Macaw, pending her interview with the people.
Still no progress on the building...because of the weather and such, all the contractors are way behind on their jobs. But that's OK...gives me more time to raise money for the finishing. Anyone know whare I can raise a quick 10 or 20K?
We did get a donation to bug-screen the old outdoor flight cage, which will be nice. The gnats have been so bad the last couple of years we've hardly been able to use it at all.
JULY 18 2008
It looks like we may finally break ground for the new building next week! The weather is cooperating and all the contractors say they're ready now. We could sure use a little more money...costs are naturally coming in higher than expected...they always do.
The project to fence in our timber and turn it into a nature preserve is progressing. 1300 feet of fence is newly built on the south side, and we'll apply for the designation in January. Then we can start working on removing the invasive plants, like osage orange and multiflora rose....does anyone have any old napalm?
Materials are purchased for bug-proofing the big outdoor flight...I hope to be able to work on that next week, if anyone in the area wants to have some fun hanging screen.
Nikita's adoption is off the table...she's decided on other arrangements. Also, the Sun conure was placed before they had to bring her...she went to some old friends of ours near Ames. We're still waiting for the kakariki. The new Louis Harlequiin is opening up a little...he comes out and sits on his door now while I do chores, but runs for cover if I approach him.
Had a great visit to the Humane Society in Dubuque this week...they do a summer Kids and Critters Camp that's very educational. Next week I'll be talking to a summer youth program at the Letts Public Library.
JULY 31 2008
Much business around here the last couple of weeks. The big one is that we're off and running on the building! The excavation is done, footings are poured, forms are set for the walls to be poured tomorrow. Of course, the expected unexpected snags developed...changes in sewer requiring changes in floor plan requiring changes in budget, etc etc. We'll be seeking more funding to handle the cost overruns. It looks at this point as if the basic structure of the building will be done in 4 to 5 weeks. CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES
Also tomorrow, we'll start putting the bug screen on the existing outdoor flight cage. Materials are on hand, and one of our adoptive parronts is coming to help kick off that project. Thanks to Bob for the help with that.
Another exciting development...we've been approved for an institutional deal on two pocket sized digital video cameras. We'll use them to document parrot behaviours, and to create educational videos for use in our ltalks at schools and clubs. BJ continues to support us on that project.
Among the birds, also a lot of changes going on. The ringneck males have become aggressive toward the females, so we've moved them into separate cages. Ki the blue ringneck is now sharing cage with two other females. The good news here is that Paulie ringneck is becoming pretty tame, and could be a nice adioption for someone. Abi has begun working intensively with Cher ringneck to get her over her fears. We've discovered that she really isn't afraid of people, just hands.
A very sweet male BG macaw came and went pretty rapidly. Snoopy (renamed Stevie) fell for a family that visited a week after he arrival. He's interacting well with their other birds, and that family has decided that they're going to transition into being a rescue. More recruits!
We will be fostering longterm a couple of greys whose home has been disrupted by allergies and family changes. Kiwi CAG and Lucy TAG are pals and live together. They're not used to strangers yet, and won't let me handle them...but they'll have each other, and the ringnecks and budgies are there to entertain them as well.
Louis Harlequin has demonstrated some really social behaviours. When women go into that area, he talks, shows interested body language, and approaches closely. He'll take treats from fingers, and sometimes allows pets on his beak. He clearly wants people around him, but doesn't understand about physical contact.
Abi's sweetie Cosmo Patagonian has moved into the cage with Timot Cherryhead and Lucy Bluecrown. Timot finds the girls a bit rowdy, and has taken up residence on top of the cage, where there's a playstand, food and water, rope perches, playstands, and a whole living area.
