Category: Birds

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Toxic ‘red tide’ algae bloom is killing Florida wildlife and menacing tourism

From: theguardian.com – full article here 

Fish washed up after dying in a red tide in Captiva, Florida.
 Fish washed up after dying in a red tide in Captiva, Florida. Photograph: Cristobal Herrera/EPA

This year 267 tons of marine life, including thousands of small fish and 72 Goliath groupers, have washed up along 150 miles of the Gulf Coast from the unrelenting bloom

With its long, white, sandy beaches, Sanibel Island off the coast of south-western Florida is usually a perfect place for families to enjoy these last days of summer.

This year, however, 267 tons of marine life, including thousands of small fish, 72 Goliath groupers, and even a 21-ft whale shark have washed up on the beach since July – thanks to a a disastrous “red tide” of toxic algae.

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Morty’s advice: SCREAM!

Morty - Sept edition

In the latest chronicle of Morty’s advice to fans seeking his sage advice, Chiyome and mates (of Twitter’s Flock Is Family) learn that there may be one sure-fire way of getting their ‘Phone Lady’ to put down her annoying (tech) appendage and pay more attention to them!

If this issue seems all too familiar to you too then you need to go to our Beneath The Cage Grate page and read Morty’s full reply to Chiyome and flock.  Get ready to raise your  roof and get the attention you deserve!

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Design Problems

by Sherri Moorer

Zack

I have poor spatial skills. I often joke that I would get lost leaving my driveway if I didn’t have to go to work five days a week. Most people think I’m exaggerating until they make the mistake of asking me for directions. GPS is a necessity of modern life for those of us who are spatially challenged. Unfortunately, it can’t help me with organizing cages, which is a challenge I face every time I get Zack and Bubbles new perches or toys, as I did recently.

Don’t get me wrong. Cages are much better than they were in the mid-1980’s when I got Samson, my first parakeet. They’re built efficiently with ease of cleaning, function, and bird comfort in mind. They’re also bigger, to provide more space for stretching out those wings to play, exercise, or laze around and beak grind while watching TV. You’d think the modern design would make finding places for those various perches and toys easier. Instead, it’s just enough rope to hang myself.

Read about Sherri’s spatial conundrums while attempting to outfitting Bubbles’ and Zack’s houses with new perches and toys on our Feathered Frenzy page.

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News on the Wing – August Edition

Visit our News on the Wing page to catch up on birdie and nature-related issues and items retrieved from social media over the last few weeks. For example, read and follow the Tweet about the plight of the Swift Parrot:
SWIFT PARROT SWIFT PARROT- @teamswiftparrot
Successive governments in #Tasmania have failed to protect swift #parrots from deforestation & .@Forestrytasmnia doesn’t meet .@FSC_IC guidelines. Read about it here: (link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/582ea0d1579fb3ef8b09706d/t/5b5a777d03ce64a70e7a6b2f/1532655490171/Webb+et+al_2018_policy+failure_swift+parrot.pdf) static1.squarespace.com/static/582ea0d… #EndangeredSpecies #politas #ornithology
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The Doctors Are In

by Sherri Moorer

The welcome home screams invited me into the offices of Doctors Zack and Bubbles, ready to begin their official duties as listeners and comforters of human sorrows after a hard day at work.

Zack & Bubbs 4-2018[20989]

“What am I going to do?” I asked, as I plopped in my recliner. “The phones won’t stop ringing. The emails are constant. The mail weeps with the death of a forest every day. The computers crash, the copiers and scanners jam, and the people! It’s questions, complaints, problems, and misdirected calls all day long. How can I do this until retirement?”

Find out what Doctors Zack and Bubbles prescribe for their most important patient, mom, on the Feathered Frenzy page.

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Morty is full of hot air – Turbo Jet (Vacuum) Air!

Greetings to all my favorite parrot friends! Alexa is in a mood after she rolled under the couch. She blames me for her clumsiness! Good help is hard to find these days!

Morty's advert

Recently, I received an interesting letter from a parrot owner.

Dear Morty,

I live in a three bedroom home and have ten parrots. I work 12 hour shifts and when I get home I am too tired to clean. It seems like every bird has the habit of throwing their fruit, veggies, seed, and pellets on the floor! When I go into their room at night, it is a filthy mess. I cant even get near their cages! Is there anything on the market that could help me? PLEASE DON’T TELL ME TO GET A VACUUM CLEANER! I have three. I am looking for a piece of industrial equipment. Price is not a problem.

Messy House

Read Morty’s hilarious reply on Beneath the Cage Grate page.

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