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August 2004 Bird Person of the Month
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Our August Bird Person of the
month is Lydia Mercier, a brand new member to the seedcrackers club. I started talking to her several months ago after she found the seedcrackers' website. She was about to build a "dream aviary". She had lots of questions and so I felt I have been part of the process. The final completion was so impressive, I wanted to share it with everyone. |
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Congratulations Lydia Mercier
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Lydia and Dennis Mercier live in Casa Grande and
this is her story of her bird hobby.
Our hobbies:
Living in the county on nearly 5 acres of land and
having an energetic husband -now retired... has opened up our "Wish Box" to reality!
We have a Hen House and 20' chicken run for our 7
hens and one rooster.
"Babied" is an understatement when discussing
these 'ladies'.
Violet and Daisy are Barred Rock hens.
Lucy is a Red-Sexed Link hen.
Marion is a Buff Orphington hen.
Freckle is a Standard Cornish Hen
Betsy (Ross) and Martha *Washington) are
Americana Anacana hens. These are the
"Easter egg" chickens who lay light green-blue
eggs.
Mr. BlueHead is our Light Brahma rooster (so
called because as a chick, the vendor marked his little yellow head with an inked blue dot so we could tell him from the others!) These chickens will be one year old in mid-September.
Lucy is sitting on a nest of eggs now (first time
anyone's been interested!!) and we hope to have some chicks in another 18 days or so. |
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The Original "Bird" Light-of-our-Life is Otie, our 8 year old African
Grey parrot. Hand-raised from six weeks old, he's quite a character and talks a blue-streak! Anyone hoping to add a 'gray' to their family needs to be prepared for a perpetual 3-year old 'child' being there for the next 50+ years ...and one that seldom shuts-up unless it's bedtime! (laugh)
Otie has a large working vocabulary with such phrases as:
1. Open the curtain!
2. Time to go beddie. Get in your beddie!
3. Mandy! Mandy Mae! Come here, Mandy! (that's our dog)
4. Where's Bear? (that's my husband)
5. Give Mommy a big kiss. (then the big smooching noises)
6. Where's my baby-eggie? (this is his morning soft cooked egg)
7. Good Water!! (this is his command when his water is nasty)
8. What ya' doin', Little Buddy?
9. You da' man!! (My husband taught him that.)
10. He sings all the words to "Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing"
11. HELP! HELP! (this is what he'll say some of the times when I clip
his wings)
12. TOYS! TOYS! (this is what he says when I take him in to
Dalton's Birds on CC in Mesa)
and many others that I just can't think of right now and it's got to be
boring to add to the list anyway! (LOL) |
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Now we have the six ring-necked doves, six button-
quail that we purchased from Arizona Animals in Tucson on 22nd Street. and the lovely Gouldian adults, two babies ...starting to color out!!...2 shafttails...and 2 Cordon Bleu's that we got from you!
Can't wait to get the other in a couple of weeks!
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Builder: Robert Brackett of Casa
Grande. Phone number and more information is available thru us at 602-750-7372 Cost of material and labor: $3000.00 |
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Material used:
4" X 4" posts
4" X 6" posts
2" X 4" lumber
1/2" X 1/2 " galvanized 16-gauge
wire-mesh
fabric sunscreen
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Information for building the aviary.
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Their pet African Grey, Otie!
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Previous Winners
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Fall Feature Seedcracker!
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Congratulaions Linhda Miller!
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The fall feature bird person is
another new member to the club.
Linhda had joined the club a few
years ago and is now a new returing member. Welcome back Lindha. |
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I am excited to introduce her to
the other bird enthusists. Her first
birds were finches that she got
from me. She also adopted one of the 2 senegals that I had won a few years ago. Thus began her now huge bird hobby. |
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Linhda has many aviaries full of all
of the common finches, including, canaries, gouldians, owl finches, stars, cordon bleus and many more.
Her back yard is an unbelievable
zoo like experience.
She also has 4 pet birds. They
include, the senegal, BJ, an Eclectus, an African Gray, Molly, and a Mollucan Cockatoo, Nikki. |
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New Fall Feature Person -bottom half of page
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Linhda is shown here by some of
her many aviaries.
Below shows inside one of the
avairier with a view of the water falls of her enormous Koe pond. |
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Linhda had perfected this hobby.
You could truely say the birds are in birdie paradise! Each of the pet birds has an indoor cage and on out door cage. While outside they have a fabulous view of a Koe ponds and nature center. Soon they will even have a bird room addition!
below shows the Koe coming out
of the water to greet Lindha. |
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Nikki is the newest member of
Linhda's household. This bird was actually given to Lindha by an owner wanted to find the best placement for the 10 year old bird. He is an absolute character. He loves grooming. Shown here to come over to get nails filed. He plays catch, among other tricks and is a total entertainment for anyone to watch.
Below- Linhda shown with her
African Gray. |