Democracy for New Mexico

Sunday Bird(less) Blogging

I know, I know. I haven't featured any real Sunday Bird Blogging for some weeks now. There's been little opportunity for taking new photos of our parakeets or Bosco, the peach-faced lovebird. The family photographer was out of town and/or we've been busy with other things, so I'm giving you more canine shots this morning. Well, Bailey IS a bird dog breed:

You may recall Barnum (the chihuahua) and Bailey (the yellow lab) from last Sunday's post, the dogs who were along for the ride at Mary Ellen's week-long family reunion at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I couldn't resist the photo above of Bailey, sneaking food out of Barnum's tiny food bowl. Ah, stolen food always yields the most tasty morsels.

And stolen afternoon naps are the tasty morsels of any vacation:

Bow wow wow, zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Sunday Barnum & Bailey (Bird) Blogging

Since our digital camera is on its way back from North Carolina today with the photographer in the family, I couldn't get any new pictures of Bosco the peach-faced lovebird or our numerous parakeets for my traditional Sunday Bird Blogging. Instead, here's a couple of the dogs that shared the beach house on the Outer Banks this week during Mary Ellen's family reunion vacation. That's Barnum on the right (6-month-old chihuahua) and Bailey (yellow lab) at left, above. And here's a particularly charming shot of Barnum (who has green eyes):

By all accounts, the two were quite the beach buddies, although the surf at Corolla Beach was a bit much at times for Barnum. And no, despite their names they're not circus performers. Well, except maybe in their own minds....ARF!

Sunday Bird (Balloon) Blogging

With the start of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta pumping even more hot air into the city than our homegrown political rhetoric this weekend, I had to put up a couple balloon shots. And of course they had to be bird balloons:

The local Blog.Espen has a couple photos from this year's Fiesta, including one of a special shapes balloon that is a tree populated by parrots. There are even real birds flying near the balloon.

I haven't actually been into Balloon Fiesta Park for a few years. I have to admit I liked the event much better when it was smaller and less commercialized. Come to think of it, I liked Albuquerque much better in those days as well, when it too was smaller and less commercialized.

I experienced my first Fiesta in 1980, when you could wander over to the site at dawn without horrendous traffic jams and people sold t-shirts off the backs of their pickups. Many more balloons cruised East, over the NE Heights, because there was still alot of undeveloped space for landing. Or they landed in the streets, not yet gridlocked with traffic. I recall an informal event where balloons competed in flying over the Sandias, if you can believe it. And you got most of your balloon pins from actual balloonists, if you were clever.

Now, of course, there's a permanent field with a brand new balloon museum on the site, and a "VIP" deck and tons of concession booths and a massive RV park for tourists. Still worth a visit every few years, just for the rush of being on the field next to all that color and the whoosh of the blowers as balloons are filling and rising all around you. But it just ain't the same. Like Albuquerque itself, the Fiesta is getting more and more glossy and "developed" by the year. And I think we're losing something in the transition. But that's just me.

Sunday (Dirty) Bird Blogging

Given all the political corruption that's increasingly being laid bare here and around the nation, Bosco the peach-faced lovebird has been spending alot of time cleaning his feathers:

After all, he doesn't want to feel like a dirty bird, despite living in a place and time where crooks and liars of every stripe populate the positions of power. Can't blame him, can you?

After getting all cleansed, Bosco then insisted that we allow him to again plug the mayoral campaign that focuses on clean government and representing the ordinary people vs. the interests of the powerful and the wealthy:

You've gotta start somewhere! (Click images for larger versions.)

Click to see Eric Griego's excellent new tv ad. If you'd like to see this ad run as many times as possible between now and the October 4th election, Bosco urges you to contribute $25 or as much as you can afford to the Griego campaign TODAY!

Sunday (Hurricane Relief) Bird Blogging

People have been asking how the parakeet babies born this Spring are doing. Here they are with Whitey, their albino mama:

That's Hambone, the eldest, on the right, followed by mama Whitey, Peanut, the youngest, and Jumbo, the middle chick. They are all very healthy and lively, but have been worried about their avian friends, as well as others pets and animals in the Gulf states following Hurricane Katrina.

Here are a few links where you can make a donation or volunteer to help the thousands of pets and other animals caught in the chaos that is the aftermath of Katrina:

The Humane Society of the United States

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Noah's Wish (Unique animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to rescuing and sheltering animals in disasters throughout the United States and Canada)

Best Friends Animal Society

United Animal Nations

Sunday (Political) Bird Blogging

Bosco the peach-faced lovebird, being a loyal member of DFA-Democracy for New Mexico and a passionate progressive, is doing all he can to get Eric Griego elected as Mayor of Albuquerque:

Bosco is also a strong supporter of Marianne Dickinson, running for City Council in District 7, and he gets into being a progressive netroots activist. Here he's making a visit to Marianne's website to make a donation:

If a lovebird can be this active, think what YOU can do! Just some of Bosco's favorite campaign websites:

Eric Griego for Mayor

Marianne Dickinson for City Council, Dist. 7

Ike Benton for City Council, Dist. 3

Chris Catechis for City Council, Dist. 9

Albuquerque Living Wage Campaign

Common Cause Campaign for Open and Ethical Elections Code

(Click on photos for larger images.)

Sunday Bird Blogging

Bush and Armstrong may have been enjoying themselves with Mountain Biking for Millionaires over the weekend, but Bosco the peach-faced lovebird believes Bush Is Over:

Yes, Bosco is a strong supporter of Gold Star Mother for Peace Cindy Sheehan and all the other committed souls who are still camping out in Crawford while Cindy herself spends time in the hospital with her mother.

Bosco, ruminating on one of his oat groats, told me to urge everyone to hang in there -- a tipping point may well be coming in our long and winding road to peace and getting the people to see that the BushCo Emperor has no clothes.

(Click on photos for larger images.)

Sunday Bird Blogging

For today's version of Sunday Bird Blogging we have a family portrait of the mama parakeet and her young brood of sons and/or daughters:

Above, from left, that's Hambone (eldest), Whitey (albino mama), Peanut (youngest) and Jumbo (middle sibling), all hatched during the week of May 9th, each a couple of days apart. That makes the oldest chick (Hambone) about 12 weeks old. We won't know their sexes, usually indicated by the "ceres" above their beaks, for some months.

In this one we have, from left, Jumbo (middle sibling), Whitey (mom), Peanut (runt) and Hambone (first-hatched). We think Jumbo is jumbo because he/she got alot of the food meant for Peanut the runt. Hambone is named that because she/he was so eager to get out of the nest box and get some attention. He/she has more yellow in his/her feathers than the other two.

The runt, Peanut, is the most aggressive and assertive of the brood. Jumbo, the middle kid, is very mellow. Hambone is very playful and inquisitive. Whitey, the mom, is regal, dignified and generally very patient with the energetic antics of her offspring. Peanut likes to groom mom's head.

All three take after their beautiful green dad, Queenie, who has been moved in with our other parakeets, Ginger and Georgie, in a separate cage so he and Whitey don't mate again. Experts recommend that parakeets (proper name: budgerigars) breed only once per year so we're taking no chances. This despite the fact that it is fairly unusual for pet parakeets to successfully breed.

(Click on photos for larger versions. Click for the Sunday Bird Blogging archive.)

Sunday Bird Blogging

Bosco the peach-faced lovebird loves to climb, when he's in the mood. Here he is climbing a hanging toy on his own private "window gym" we've constructed for him:

Or is he actually running away from the TrueMajority liar, liar, pants on fire Bush sticker on our window? You be the judge:

(Click on photos for larger versions.)

Sunday Bird Blogging on the Conejos

Bosco the peach-faced lovebird really enjoyed our four-day camping trip to the Conejos River in Southern Colorado over last weekend. So did we! Bosco travels in vehicles in a small cage specially designed for that purpose, but when he gets to his destination, he returns to his regular large cage:

He came out often to perch on our hands, shoulders and even our heads, but mostly he hung out in his cage greeting the multitude of hummingbirds that were attracted by his bright colors, and driving out flies and bees with zeal:

By the way, the parakeets held down the fort at home while Bosco was out camping with us and did just fine. And remember the runt of the baby parakeets that hatched earlier this year? The one we didn't think would make it and who was very slow in its development? Take a look at Peanut now, snoozing on the swing with his albino mama, Whitey:

Peanut is still the smallest of the three surviving babies, but is the most assertive of the bunch and generally bosses the other two around. And he or she is the closest to mom as well. We won't know if it's a mama's girl or boy until some months down the line when the baby birds' ceres, at the top of their beaks, turn blue or pinkish brown.

(Click on photos for larger images.)

Note: You can see the entire series of Bird Blogging posts by clicking here or clicking on the topic in the list down below on the right-hand sidebar under Categories. You can click on other topics to revisit posts on those subjects, or view any month of posts under Archives.