I've always been enthralled with birds. My mother always had a canary. When I married, my mother in law had a parrot of some type. She didn't know what kind it was but looking back I think it may have been a conure and she had canaries as well. I started with Budgies, just one at a time. My then husband was not into having birds around.

Years later I got my first cockatiels then some budgies and decided to try my hand at breeding them. My goodness, they were all prolific breeders. I now have an aviary with cockatiels and a cage with only two Budgies. I got some Zebra finches and I guess we all know they are practically like rabbits. I soon had to separate the males from the females. I also have a Green Singing finch that is 14 yrs. old. I got him and a hen all those long years ago. Unfortunately the hen flew out of the cage and crashed into a window and broke her neck. Sad day for me and Freddie, her mate. I was not able to locate another one so he has his own place now next to my canary (separate cages). They are now trying to out sing one another! Very cheerful.

I also have MaiTai, my Goffin's cockatoo, who is the most amusing bird. I got him from my daughter who was breeding a lot of parrots at the time and I finished hand feeding him. He is also 14 yrs. old. I got him and the Green singers at the same time. He still calls for our Cocker Spaniel, Cody, who passed away several years ago. We have three other dogs and he calls them all Cody!! He talks a lot and knows what he's talking about. When I'm covering my birds at night, he says to me, Give my kissa. He always adds an A to the end of kiss. Or he says I want my kissa, in a very demanding tone of voice. When I give him his bath he say, Yeah, baba. Meaning baby. He sounds Italian. Too funny.

Anyway I'm a senior in my 70's now and keep saying, No more birds. But I have my eye on a lovely yellow canary with black circles around his eyes, who I would name Bandit, of course. He may be my Christmas present to myself. Lol! All in all I have 11 cockatiels, 1 Goffins, 2 Budgies, 3 Zebra finches, 2 Society finches, 1 Green Singing finch and my canary, Buttercup. They are a lot of work but I love them to pieces.

Marcia Stewart

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