Monthly Molt Decemember 2009

Welcome to the Christmas Edition of the Monthly molt, a newsletter by and for members and friends of the Cen-Tex Bird Club.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY FLIES HIGH.
Your humble correspondent has heard nothing but praise for this year's Christmas meeting/luncheon/gift exchange held December 6 at the Cameron Park Zoo. The food was wonderful, the gift exchange was fun and exciting and the fellowship was the best thing of all! We were glad to have new junior member Jessica with us, and she brought her father, Freddy, along as her guest. Welcome to both of them!
SANTA IS ALIVE AND WELL AT BELLMEAD HEB
Sherry may have gotten my Santa cookie jar in the gift exchange, but I found one just like it at the local HEB supermarket. Now Santa and a Christmas tree cookie jar that came from Goodwill adorn my dining room table. At least now those old red plastic flowers that had cat hair stuck to them are history.
BIRDS AND BOOKS-2010 SERVICE PROJECT
During our brief business meeting at the December meeting, we discussed going to the libraries in both Temple and Waco and doing programs for children. These programs will probably be in the summer when the libraries are entertaining a lot of kids. I know the children's librarians in both cities and will discuss this idea with them.Also, Sherry has a lead on a nursing home that would like to have a program.We have enough members and interesting birds that we can do some great programs. Local TV and newspaper outlets might cover the programs.
JANUARY 2010 MEETING IS IN THE OVEN
Our first meeting of the new year will be on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at Collin Street Bakery, just off the interstate at exit 338A in Waco. We will meet in the private room they have there. For our program, we will work on some more of the questions for our new bird owner's manual. Maybe after we finish the manual, we can put it on the club blog.Please notice that this meeting is on the SECOND Sunday of the month and not the first Sunday, our usual meeting day. The general consensus at the December meeting was that the first Sunday, January 3, was too close to the New Year's holiday and many people might be out of town or watching football.
NEW BIRD SQUAWKS IN BELLMEAD
Member Tom welcomes Lacey, an umbrella cockatoo, to his nest in the Waco suburb of Bellmead. She is two and a half years old, talks some and is well socialized to humans.
GREAT DANE COUNT:
Tom has sold one puppy and has five remaining. They are just now six weeks old and look so cute with a bow around their neck under the tree.
ECLECTUS UP FOR AOPTION
Sherry has a young female Vos eclectus available for rehoming. What a nice Christmas gift this feathered friend would make! Sherry lives in the Robinson suburb of Waco. Give her a call or e-mail for more details.With luck, I may have some little green English budgies hatched around Christmas day. About six weeks later, they'll be ready for their new homes.These birds are the only ones I know of that are available right now. If you know of others, please let us all know.
SHARE A PIECE OF YOUR MIND
Barbara sent everyone an e-mail recently asking what topics you'd like to hear about at programs in the future. Also, she would like to know what kind of program you might want to present or who you would like to procure as a speaker. Please respond to her questionnaire and help us have programs tailored to your needs and interests.
WHICH EXIT DO I TAKE NOW?
Rachel Pohl, one of our newest members, has a pet store in Austin. Since various members are in Austin now and then, I'm asking her to respond to all people receiving this
newsletter and give us directions to her store and the hours of operation. I will probably be in Austin within the next month and would like to visit her store. Rachel, thank you in advance.
MAY YOUR BIRDS ADORN YOUR BRANCHES
One of my favorite holiday pictures is of one of my double yellow heads sitting on a branch of the Christmas tree. May you have happy pictues like that all throughout this holiday season. So, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year to Everyone!!!

Our next meeting is here already!

Come join us at the Cameron Park Zoo for today's meeting at 2pm in the conference room!

A new plan for the September meeting!

It has become neccesary to cancel our September meeting! Instead we are meeting up at the Alamo Exhibiton Bird Club's Fall Mart. Don hooked us up with a club table and we will have items available for the cost of a donation. Stop by and visit us!

The Monthly Molt

SEPTEMBER MEETING DATE CHANGED! Those persons voting were 100% in favor of the 13th, so be at the zoo at 2:00 p.m. that day for our regularly scheduled September meeting.
Here's our agenda for the September 13 meeting:
Call to Order/Welcome Reading of the Previous Minutes Treasurer's Report
Our Next Field Trip
Our Next Charity Donation
Our Next Table at the Next Temple Bird Show
Our Next Year's Officers
Other Business Buy-Sell-Trade-Giveaway
Program-New Bird Owner Manual
Visiting the New Zoo Exhibits
Adjourn
NEW WINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!!! Please join me in welcoming several new birds into our club flock. Frances has a new baby blue fronted Amazon, Speedy, and Tom is a daddy again. It's a magna double yellow head this time, named Toni, or maybe Tony. Don't ask about his chihuahuas. Did Sherry get a PAIR of eclectus??? Frances also has a beautiful new green budgie that came from ME! You know Carolyn and Gary have more finches for Bob the Grey to watch. Amanda and Tommy will have more new additions to their ever growing and diverse aviary. In about a month, I will get a baby blue and gold I'll finish feeding out. Maybe you can help me with a name. Does anyone else has something new? COFFEE, TEA OR KOOL-AID? We need someone to volunteer to bring refreshments on September 13 and another person to bring libations. Remember we can get ice at the zoo, so that's not a problem.
OUR NEXT FIELD TRIP- I believe the San Antonio show is September 26. Someone suggested we rent a van and go down there like we did last year. Or, do you have other ideas? I was thinking about the Topsey Exotic Animal Ranch about 30 miles west of Gatesville, but that may be too much like the zoo. Bring any ideas you may have to the next meeting.I am sending this newsletter to the Exalted President of the San Antonio Club. Maybe she will verify the date for me and arrange for us to get in for a reduced rate or receive some other concession at their show. I'm waiting........
INDOOR PICNIC RESULTS IN FULL CROPSAt least my crop-and stomach-were full after the second annual indoor picnic at Park's on August 15. Of course, I always eat too much when I go there. We had a good meal and meeting. I noticed a lot of humans handfeeding and utensil-feeding a good bit that day. It was good to have two of our junior members present as well as a smattering of us old hands.
VIOLET BUDGIES NEED REHOMINGI have two male violet budgies, hatched in mid-May that are the last of my this year's birthings. Ask me about the club discount if interested.Other people may have available birds. Let us know via e-mail or a call. ADIOS until September 13, that is! Or sooner perhaps.

A great toy making website

I wanted to pass along a great website I found last night. http://www.cheepparrottoysntips.com/index.html
There are directions and pictures of everything from tasty foraging treats to toys to playstands. Check it out!

Summer Time!

I hope everyone is staying cool! We just returned from vacation and are still unpacking. We are in a flurry of appointments for our Matt, who turned 10 today :) So, unfortunately, we will be out of town for the picnic. I hope everyone has a great time!!
On a side note, I am looking for a female cockatiel as a companion for our adult male. Also, if I forgot to include anyone in the invite to sign up to join here, please let me know. I can easily send out another invite. Enjoy the picnic everyone, and we''ll see you in September!

A neat website

I thought I would pass this along. I met these folks last year at Parrot Festival. This site is full of really good articles and information. Enjoy!
http://avianenrichment.com/

Rescue donations

A woman I know, Anna, runs a rescue in New Mexico, called Macaw and Cockatoo Rescue of NM. Anna takes all birds from all over the country. A few weeks ago a woman in San Antonio flew three cockatoos to Anna. The owner needs to rehome all her birds. Anna and a crew have driven to San Antonio and today, are taking the owner's remaining 7 birds. I had hoped to go and help breakdown, clean, and pack up everything for the drive back to NM. Since I was unable to go and help, I am sending a package to NM. The rescue, like most needs toys and food. Anna said that tiel sized seed and Zupreem fruitblend pellets are needed, along with toys. If anyone has anything they wouldn't miss, please let me know. I can meet in Temple or even at the zoo to pickup:)
http://www.abqparrots.org/

Hello

Hello to everyone out there in cyberspace birdland,

I hope y'all had a nice Father's Day and are enjoying our WARM Texas sunshine.

Does anyone want violet budgie, green budgie or yellowside conure babies? I should have white fronted Amazon babies soon. If interested, contact me at donstiles1@windstream.net.

See you soon and Happy 4th,

Don Stiles

A link to Helen's blog, The Adventures of BillyMax, has been added! You can find the link on the right hand side. Check it out and see what Helen is up to!

Welcome to the Cen-Tex Bird Club blog! We are a great bunch of bird owners and breeders. We meet at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco every month. Come back often and look for updates!

There will be no meeting in July while we all celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. Enjoy this hot weather!