No Baby Bourke Peeps Yet

Bourke Parakeet, Peaches, is about to become a mother.
She is an opaline fallow hen with red eyes and very sweet.

I was able to candle two of Peaches' eggs. They are fertile. Since this is her first clutch she's very protective. I candled those two while she was briefly outside the nest box. When she hurriedly returned, I didn't get to inspect the remaining eggs as I didn't want to upset her.

 

I've had experienced hens that were not hand fed or hand tamed who allowed me to move them aside to see their eggs or babies without incident. They trusted me.

 

Peaches is hand fed and very tame. However, she will scold and peck at me if I simply place a finger on the edge of the door to her nest box. She's determined to protect her first clutch.

 

I looked in her box again this evening and don't see any egg shells. That's a definite indication that an egg has hatched. No hatches yet. Although, she did move a bit when she turned to scold me and at least one egg is dark and looks like it's on the verge of hatching. Perhaps tomorrow. Her first egg is 21 days old today. Our weather has been cool some days and that can delay hatching, which is usually 18 to 21 days for Bourkes.

Our male Bourke, Storm, is of Normal coloration, so we may end up
with a diverse clutch like this one from another pair a while back.

Since she and the male are inexperienced, it's possible that the first couple of eggs won't be fertile and only the later three will be. The first two were laid several days earlier than the others, which leads me to consider that possibility.

 

May all your birds stay healthy and happy,

Rosie (who also writes as Zara Heritage on Amazon.com.

My novel, Cast Me Not Away, is available as an eBook or in Print). 

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013O0VB6E

 

 



Peace and Blessings.

My Novel, CAST ME NOT AWAY, is Now Available

Link to Amazon:  CAST ME NOT AWAY

Historic Facts: In 1939 a secret program, Aktion T4, was instigated by the Nazi’s designed to rid Germany of all children deemed unworthy of life. Later, it expanded to include mentally or physically handicapped adults. It is estimated that over 275,000 died under this edict and it set the stage for the extermination of millions of Jews, gypsies, Catholics and other enemies of the state.

Through it, the Nazi’s determined that death by gas chamber was more efficient and less costly than lethal injection. Hitler’s Nazi Party was horrible and cruel to millions ...

but let us not forget that it first began with the children ...

 

SYNOPSIS of CAST ME NOT AWAY:  Fast forward to a time and place where the future meets the past, and the abortion/euthanasia movement reaches its inevitable conclusion. Family size is strictly regulated everywhere, not just in China. The unborn are routinely aborted and unwanted children are labeled as useless, and sent away to be gassed and their bodies incinerated.

In this time of darkness, Mira Hastings and Grayson Stevens join a cadre of other brave individuals who stand against this mountain of evil by putting their lives on the line to rescue ill-fated children from certain death. In a bold attempt to bring down the beast, they publicly expose the greed and corruption that drives the system. Declared enemies of the state, Mira and Gray are forced underground as they flee the wrath of a vengeful government. On the run they encounter danger at every turn. But, with the aid of a network of supporters, they also encounter hope, joy…and love.

God Bless our Children. There, but for the Grace of God, go we.

 

Peace & Blessings,

Zara (also Rosie)

For Zara Heritage Books Website, Click Here

 

 

 

Did Ancient Cultures Keep Pet Birds? Yes! Yes! Yes!

This was too good not to share.


My pet Rosy Bourkes.

Rosie.birds@gmail.com received an inquiry about where to find info on pet birds kept by ancient cultures. My husband, author E.G. Lewis, is a guru on ancient Roman culture and he answered for me. If you're also interested in pet birds kept in first century Rome ... here you go:

"My wife forwarded your request to me since her post on the Splendid Bourke Bird Blog was derived from one I did for my Sowing the Seeds Blog, here: 

 

http://eglewis.blogspot.com/search/label/Pets%20in%20the%20Ancient%20World

 

As you read it, you will notice that some of the conclusions are based on logical assumptions as much as anything else. The Bible references, Job for instance, assumes that if someone asks, “Can you make a pet of him like a bird?” it must have been a common practice. Alexander the Great’s connection to parrots is well documented. I conduct most of my research via the internet., but I can offer a few print sources.

The Amores by Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso…commonly known as Ovid. In Book II, Elegy VI, he laments the death of his lover’s pet parrot. A hard copy would probably be available at your local library. If you simply need the quote, it can be found here: http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/AmoresBkII.htm#anchor_Toc520535838 You can also download a copy at the site.

 Gaius Valerius Catullus, another Roman poet, mention his love’s pet sparrow in section 2-3. It can be accessed here:  http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:The_poems_of_Catullus

Here is one book I came across: Parrot Culture: Our 2500-Year-Long Fascination with the World's Most Talkative Bird, By Bruce Boehrer,  University of Pennsylvania Press.  It is available on Amazon as a used hardback for $2-$4. It is also available on Google books.

Finally, I’ll suggest another internet resource:  www.unrv.com  is a site entirely devoted to the Roman Empire. If you want to take the time to search out a page that deals with day-to-day Roman life, etc., or you can post a question and hopefully get several responses. I’ve used them for my novels when I can’t find an answer anywhere else."

 

Lastly, this is Gail again, here is a link to my husband's site on Amazon.com. He has nine books in print and as ebooks. Some are also now in audio. Blessings, Gail  

 

http://www.amazon.com/E.-G.-Lewis/e/B0037BDQGY/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1424720867&sr=1-2-ent

 

Author, E.G. Lewis. -- My husband, Ed,
with  our wonderful Chinook.

 

 

Exotic Bird Update From a Busy Writer Behind on Blogging

I can't believe the entire month has gone by and I've not posted anything. Going to squeak in a post on the last day of January just so the month's count won't be zero.

 

I'm busy editing two books. Cast Me Not Away should be perfect by the time it reaches print ... can't believe how long this book is taking. Began it in Nov., 2009. It's written, but being chopped and edited like crazy.  Zara Heritage is my pseudonym ... my real name belongs to so many others.



Potential Cover



Potential Cover

My Small Exotic Birds book is on hold until the novel above is finally done!  Which cover do you like best?

 

Meanwhile, all my breeder pairs want nest boxes. It's been sunny and warm as it usually gets every February on the Southern Oregon Coast. It's happening a little early this year. However, I'm making them wait a while longer. All our hens were allowed three clutches through Spring and Summer  and need a good long rest. Rosie raised 12 healthy babies last year, more than any of the others in 2014. We shall see what happens this year.

 

I've added a Lutino Bourke hen and am eager to hopefully see babies from her. Isn't she pretty? So is the mate I hope she will accept. Sweetheart is 3 years old. If 18-month-old Sunny absolutely refuses him, I do have a handsome male hatched early last summer, but he's still young.

Sunny and Sweetheart. Hopefully to become a mated pair.

Everyone have a wonderful 2015. May all your birds bring you joy, and if you're raising exotic birds, may all their eggs hatch and their offspring become beautiful, healthy birds.

Peace and Blessings for 2015.

 

 

Amazing Praying Parrot

A bird brain? Don't think so ... he's brilliant.

Catholics should especially appreciate this.

Love it!

Enjoy.

 

 

Peace & Blessings to All.

Visited Colleen's One-Stop Bird Shop in Eugene, Oregon

We said good-bye to our Lady Gouldian finches recently. They will be reproducing youngsters for Colleen at her One-Stop Bird Shop. We enjoyed our visit there. If you are in the Eugene, Oregon area, Colleen's One-Stop Bird Shop is worth a visit.

Entrance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I especially enjoyed seeing her pretty Rosy Bourkes.

This very light colored, young Bourke is almost Lutino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a link to her website with address and phone number.

 

http://colleensonestop.com/

Splendid and Turquoisine Parakeet Cross - A Question for Readers

A question for Readers: I know that if a canary is crossed with a green singing finch, their offspring will not be able to reproduce. They're essentially mules.

 

Is that also true of a cross between a Splendid Parakeet (or Scarlet-chested) and a Turquoisine Parakeet? Can their offspring reproduce? I'd guess not, but haven't found confirmation anywhere.
 



These photos are of a young bird parented by a male Splendid Parakeet and a female Turquoisine Parakeet. Photos were contributed by Miriana Loricchio, a bird breeder in Canada.

 

Anyone know the answer to our question?

 

Everything I've read confirms that Bourke Parakeets will not reproduce with any other variety of parakeet. It's interesting that Splendids and Turqs will accept one another as mates. I'm confident Bourkes and Splendids will pair off with one another too if another suitable mate isn't present. I've seen them do so, and even attempt to mate. But, fertile eggs do not result.

 

What about other interbreeding bird varieties? Anyone know of others that successfully reproduce? If so, can those younger birds choose mates of their own and reproduce with either of their parents' kind? I'd like to satisfy my curiosity.

 

Did you see my post about the Cockatiel and the Rose Breasted Cockatoo (or Galah) who presumably raised an offspring between them? If not, here is a link to it:

 

Are Galatiels Real?

 

Peace & Blessings

 

 

ROSIE BIRD DOES VIDEOS ON YOU TUBE

You won't want to miss the video's we produced and uploaded to You Tube.

A few were posted on this Blog in the past, but not all. We will continue to add more and more as we go along. We recently created a beginning and end unique for us that is added to several.

Have a look and let us know what you think! Click below:

Rosie Bird Videos on You Tube

 

Peace & Blessings to Everyone.

May your birds remain healthy, happy and live long lives.

 



Seed Eggs! A Bird Lover's Christmas Gift

Have to share an interesting Christmas gift that arrived in the mail yesterday. How fun is this? I ran right out and put them up. Didn't wait for the birds to find them before taking pictures.

 

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS.

 

Keep your outdoor bird feeders full!

 

 



Crocheted Birds, What Fun

A Splendid parakeet, Ring necked parakeet, Galah (or
Rose breasted cockatoo), and a Bourke in the wild color.

Came across a fun site on Facebook. This person crochets birds and sells them. To see more crocheted artistic talent, here is a link:

https://www.facebook.com/thecrochetbirdhouse?hc_location=stream

Assorted Budgies

Peace & Blessings

Bourke Parakeet Breeding Update, Including Visiting Horses

Below are the six Rosy Bourke babies produced in second clutches from Flame and Fuchsia and from Rosie and Pretty Boy. Elderly Rhett and Cherry hatched only one egg in their second clutch and that red-eyed baby only lived ten days.
 

Second clutch of 2013 Rosy Bourke parakeets.
These are parent fed, four from Flame and Fuchsia
and two from Rosie and Pretty Boy. Both sets of
 parents had a baby with red eyes this time.



Recently sold hand fed, tame Rosy Bourke parakeets.
Male on right is Songster. Female is Peaches.
Both went to new California homes last week.

Peaches on left is a hen. Songster on right is male.

 

Neighbor's horses escaped and paid us a visit yesterday. Took these photos of them grazing in front of our home. We have plenty of room for them to roam and they enjoyed running circles around the house.



 

 

 

 

 

They're very friendly and asked for treats, but I didn't give them any. Breaking out of their own fenced area is not to be encouraged. However, I enjoy having them visit once in a while...just don't enjoy the packages they leave.

 

 Blessings to you and all your pets,

and blessings to those that belong to your neighbors too!

 

Peace.

 

 

Number of Views To Date

Looked at the number of views to date -- 167,388 -- and decided to check out where they've come from.

The Splendid Bourke Bird Blog has received views from all 50 states in the USA, including Washington DC, and from 169 countries worldwide. Wow.

Go Bird Lovers!

God Bless All Babies.
Be PRO-LIFE.

Peace and Blessings.

New Pet in the House, A Puppy Not Much Bigger Than a Bourke

In the past I've written about cats and dogs getting along in households with birds. I've also written about losing our wonderful old Lab/Malamute mix, Chinook, that we got as a 7-week-old puppy in 1999.

Well, three months later we have a new dog. Although people keep telling me he more or less resembles a rabbit.

Considering "Sasha" as a name for him.

On Friday, May 3, we picked up another 7-week-old puppy. Meet our Peke-a-Tzu. Dad's a Pekingese and Mom's a Shih-Tzu. And, please pronounce it "sheed-zoo." People are even spelling it incorrectly these days, as well as pronouncing the name like a naughty four-letter word. Wrong.

When he's full grown he will be about the size of our Chinook when he was seven weeks old. We thought maybe a small dog would be easier for us to handle since we're older now than we were 14 years ago with Chinook as a puppy ... not as much energy and balance as when we were younger.

We didn't expect to get such a peanut, but he is fun and has brought smiles and laughter back into our home.

Now, to teach him to be safe around the birds. Chinook was 100% reliable. Will this one be? Hope so, but he has a lot of love and training ahead of him.

Peace and Blessings.

 

 

Hummingbirds, an Observation on Torpor

Dusk and time to replenish for the night.

You probably already know that hummingbirds survive cold nights by lowering their metabolic rate to conserve energy. This results in a state of torpor that makes them unresponsive. Except that they hold tightly to a branch, they may appear dead. In fact, if found on the ground someone might think they are dead. Don't toss one into a trash receptacle!

It may take up to an hour for a hummingbird to awaken from a state of torpor. But this post isn't to discuss the whys and wherefores for torpor. There are many other sites that cover that topic. This is about hummingbird behavior.

One morning I awoke to see a hummingbird in torpor sitting on our feeding. This had never happened before and I assume he arrived late while migrating, was very hungry and as it grew dark he had no time to search out a safer place to sleep. Although on the north side of our house, this feeder is in a sheltered corner.

The sheltered feeder where a hummer spent the night in torpor.
He slept later than others, but was left undisturbed.

I left the hummer alone, but watched as other hummers awakened and came to the feeder while he continued to remain immobile, unmoving and unaware. All seemed curious about him, but none disturbed him. This amazed me since typically one hummingbird decides a feeder is his and attempts to intimidate and chase away all others. All the visiting birds scrutinized the statue-like bird, but none of them touched or threatened him.

Hummingbird protocol? An unwritten law that you don't disturb a fellow bird during torpor? Probably.

If you want to know more about hummingbird torpor, I found this site enlightening.

A Link to "Lisa's Garden" about hummingbird torpor

Not the best choice in feeders.

Compare these two hummingbird feeders. The one below and to the right has a perch that circles the entire feeder. That is one advantage, but there's more. It also separates so that every bit of it can be cleaned. The one at the left (with birds) does not entirely come apart and it's impossible to get into every area to adequately clean it.





A recommended feeder that unscrews completely to allow
thorough cleaning of every nook and cranny.

Since mold is a problem in our area, a feeder that comes completely apart for thorough cleaning is very important. I recommend only hummingbird feeders that dismantle completely to allow every part to be cleaned between each refilling.

Peace and Blessings.

Zinc Poisoning in Birds

Received a sad email today. One of the 2012 hand fed Rosy Bourkes sold to a sweet couple in Salem, OR became ill suddenly. They took him to an avian vet, but he died in the waiting room. An autopsy identified zinc poisoning as the probable cause.

Though rare, birds--particularly small ones--are very susceptible to zinc poisoning. It doesn't take much to cause toxicity. Bourke parakeets don't chew as much as many of the other parakeets, but one toy with exposed zinc on a chain or bell can be harmful. Saying that, my birds all have swings with bells. However, they've had them for years, so I suspect they're safe.

A good resource on possible locations of zinc in the home is given at the Winged Wisdom website. No need to repeat what they've already written. Here is a link. It is worth reading.

Winged Wisdom Link on Zinc Poisoning

One other note...we have sorrow in our home too. Our malamute/lab mix of 14 years died last week. Haven't felt much like doing anything since then. He was a much-loved member of our family, from a seven-week-old puppy to a grand old dog. Miss him terribly.

Peace and Blessings.

 

Younger days...running free and happy on an Oregon beach.

 

A Bourke Hen Mix-up

Rosie and Fuchsia aren't related, but they look remarkably alike. Actually, Fuchsia is Rosie's sister-in-law. Her mate is Rosie's brother.

Some look-alike Rosy Bourkes. Others waiting to come
out and fly around, including Splendids in top cage.

Fuchsia is a feisty little bird who chases other hens...the only Bourke I've had do this. Rosie is sweet to everyone. Both are very tame, but Fuchsia seems jealous of others and goes after them. Hence, I usually don't let Fuchsia and her mate, Flame, out of their cage when the others are.

 

It so happened, however, that one day last week I did. Rosie used to have a split blue band on her leg that made it easy to differentiate between the two birds. Now that band was gone. She'd picked at it over the years and eventually was able to remove it. She still has her solid silver band, #4. Fuchsia's is #18.

My dog, Chinook, who is safe around
birds, and visiting Sammy, who isn't.

For a week, I wasn't able to let the birds out of their cages because of a visiting little dog (Maltese/Poodle mix) whose "mom" was in the hospital. For their safety, the birds stayed caged. (His owner is home now and recovering nicely).

 

It seemed odd to me that Fuchsia was suddenly so friendly. When the puppy went home and I let the birds out again, "Rosie" was acting like Fuchsia by chasing the other birds. "Fuchsia," still in her cage, made me stop and think. I adjusted the band on "Rosie's" foot and it read #18! Fuchsia had been living with Pretty Boy for several days and Rosie was in with her brother.

 

How I made that mistake, I'm not sure. Today, they are happily re-ensconced with their own spouses. Smile. Good thing it's not breeding season!

 

This pair is easier to recognize, smile. Sugar and Spice.
She is a Rosy Bourke hen, he is a Normal male Bourke.

 

Peace and Blessings.

 

 

Free Opportunity: WITNESS, by E.G. Lewis

My husband's wonderful novel, WITNESS, Book One of the "Seeds of Christianity" Series, can be downloaded for FREE during the next five days (until midnight PST, Thursday, 1/10/12). Go get it at the Link Below, and tell your Friends! Smile.

Click Here to download free from Amazon.com

Includes romance, suspense, and amazing details, with characters you will grow to love. Read how the Christian church began, and what both Jewish and Roman life was like in the First Century. An accurate, historical novel, excellently written.

Try it, you'll like it!

Peace and Blessings.

KINDLE FOR CHRISTMAS? Check out PROMISES and GENESIS PEOPLE. They're FREE for 5 Days!

My husband's Publisher is offering two eBooks FREE for the next 5 days. One is his. Merry Christmas!

 

For 5 days only, Wednesday, Dec. 26 thru Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012: Two FREE KINDLE eBooks.  "PROMISES," by E.G. Lewis or "GENESIS PEOPLE" by Sheila Deeth.

"PROMISES" offers Great Romantic Suspense. Link to Amazon.com for free book is below: 

 

PROMISES: 

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002S527E2

 

"GENESIS PEOPLE," Book One of the 5-Minute Bible Story Series, by Sheila Deeth. Remarkable stories for children and adults alike. Excellent!!! Link to Amazon.com for free book is below:

 

GENESIS PEOPLE:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANV941M

 

 

 

Peacocks Flying

I received these great photos in an email. I've seen Peacocks in zoo's and parks all my life, but never like this.

 

 

Beautiful.

Peace, Blessings and Merry Christmas.