Website and Contents Copyright 2010 ©
Letters to the Editor   Front Page   News   Feature   Sports   Green County   Obituaries   Past Issues  Classifieds   Photography  Weather
SEARCH:    
Home | Letter to the Editor | Classified Ad | Delivery Complaint | Subscribe | Advertise | Contact Us
Budgies and Carolina parakeets   
By Dorothy Gessert

Recently I wrote a column on the parakeets that once lived in great numbers in the eastern and southern parts of the United States and even into Colorado, northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. According to my information they are now extinct. The current issue of Bluebird (formerly Sialia) journal of the North American Bluebird Society arrived in my mailbox last week with a cover picture of a “budgie” at the entrance of a nest box and a feature story inside the magazine. It notes that budgerigars are often called budgies or known as parakeets—familiar as caged pets. It states the parakeets are found wild in Florida, but perhaps not for much longer. According to this information taken by permission from an article in the June-July 2001 issue of North American Birds written by Florida ornithologist Bill Pranty the bird still lives wild in supplied houses in Florida. It states the bird is an introduced species native to the interior portions of Australia. The first “budgies” the story says appeared in the central Gulf region of Florida in the 1950s. About 30 years later the population crashed and is not expected to recover due to competition from house sparrows and starlings. Reduced size of the nest box entrance helps keep starlings from getting in, but not sparrows. This is the same problem experienced in providing bluebird nest boxes here in Wisconsin. The Florida birds apparently live in the yards of the folks who supply water in bird baths, commercial bird seed in feeders and nest boxes for nesting. Part of the decline of the species is believed due to the fact that many people who provided nest boxes no longer live in the area and there has been a major reduction in nesting places. According to the story the first “wild” budgies appeared in the 1950s in the Gulf region of Florida. My story information was that the “Carolina parakeet” (I know no reason for calling them “Carolina”) numbers were down to only a few in swamp forests of Florida in the 1890s, more than 50 years before the budgerigars from Australia appeared “wild” in Florida. I wonder whether the much earlier abundant (1800) Carolina parakeet was introduced from the Caroline Islands? Sailors are known to have kept pet birds such as parrots. This could also be the reason the early information calls the birds parakeets. Budgerigars or “budgies” are Australian according to the most recent story. And 50 years elapsed between sightings of the east Carolina parakeet in Florida swamp forests searched by ornithologists and the appearance of “budgies from the open interior portions of Australia” in residential areas in Florida. It would seem someone released the most recent birds in hopes of reintroducing the species. My dictionary lists a parrot as bird of an order including parakeets, cockatoos, lories and macaws with a short hooked bill and often bright feathers. I’m wondering whether it is possible the Florida birds are the same species more then 100 years apart introduced from separate locations of the world. The earlier information I had form Wildlife Federation writers and a bird artist who tracked the last parakeet in ornithological writings believed changes in habitat accounted for the greatest losses of the parakeets. Mr. Pranty notes in his more recent observation of budgies population that loss of nesting places contributes to the drop in numbers of the budgies, “a few of which escaped (?) captivity and multiplied in the wild (in bird houses provided).” We will probably be hearing more on this subject as time passes.

BIRD NOTES On Thursday I saw two juncos eating sunflower seeds in my yard. The first juncos seen this fall, they always arrive on schedule. As I write this on Friday a few robins are in the yard and “my” bluebirds are still with me. The great crested flycatcher mentioned last week hasn’t been seen for several days. Just before the front moved through and the weather changed flocks of warblers flitted in the birch tree branches and after a short time moved on. I didn’t recognize their sounds (not good at that) and I didn’t get identifying marks. Some yellow-rumped warblers were much more visible drinking at the birdbath, on the ground, in the garden and in the birch tree before they moved on. I don’t know whether I missed them during migration or the numbers are down. I didn’t see white-throated and white-crowned sparrows this fall, very few song sparrows.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: People doing good need not worry about being caught in the act.
Don’t let others steal your joy   
By Michelle Welsh

This spring, when we learned that we were expecting another baby, there was great joy and excitement at our house. We were thankful for answered prayers and our outlook was rosy and positive.

Then I visited a doctor who cast fears into my life. Oh, she didn’t mean to. She was just covering herself legally, I suppose, but her words and attitudes weren’t at all what I had expected when I innocently sat awaiting her entrance. Her first concern was my age. I’m over 35 where apparently your risks go up for having a baby. I know several people who have had healthy babies after 40 so while this news dampened me a little, I wasn’t going to let it worry me. After all, as my husband points out, I’m 36—really ancient. Her next concern was that I had had a previous Caesarean. Actually, my first son was Caesarean and I had two natural or VBAC births after. The last pregnancy had no complications and everything went rather speedily. She quoted studies but couldn’t give me her recommendation. It appeared to me that she wanted me to have another Caesarean. I balked. Recovery is longer for one.

True to my nature, I researched the subject and found that VBAC births are safer and that my risks weren’t as bad or as life threatening as I had been imagining from the conversation with the doctor.

Once again, I was feeling joyful. Morning sickness—all day sickness really—was over and I was feeling fine. I was a little tired and I drank a lot of water but I was assured this was normal. I’d had a test that said I wasn’t diabetic so I was thinking that this pregnancy was going to be “smooth sailing” like Isaac’s.

Then at 28 weeks, I started a series of tests and weekly (some biweekly) visits to the clinic and the dreaded gestational diabetes monster raised its ugly head and once again, I lost my joy and let myself succumb to my fears and worries.

I read an article by Dr. Charles Stanley, a Baptist minister, who said, “Fear is a joy killer. Satan tempts us to doubt God and fear Him. We should have a reverent fear of the Lord. However, we also should remember with deep love and affection that He loves us and wants our fellowship. He provides the courage you need to establish goals and to reach each one . . . whatever your need is, God is the answer.”

Joy is a choice. We don’t have to let our negative thoughts bring us down. We can push them aside and choose to find the positive. For example, I don’t like taking my blood four or five times a day to check my sugar but it isn’t that bad. I have a new doctor and he is very supportive and encouraging. He doesn’t think I’m old and he believes I can have this baby without surgery. He has three sons too so he understands what my home life is like as well.

In Psalm 56:3-4, David says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.”

I can cry my sadness and disappointments. I have emotions, after all. God understands. I just don’t have to get stuck there. I can reach out to God for strength. I can remember that He gives me hope, not despair. I can remember that He is in control. I can trust Him and know that He knows the outcome and that He will be with me through it all, that He wants good things for me. I can remember that it pleases Him to give us the desires of our hearts because we love Him. He knows the desires of my heart. He is looking out for my welfare and the baby’s. Everything will be just fine.

I don’t have to listen to negative people. I can be thankful for those who have offered their help during my time of need and know that I am truly blessed.

I have to focus on the positive promises and not dwell on could be, might be statements. Having a baby is a blessing, a joyous occasion, something to shout from the rooftops about. Babies are love and promises for the future. Thank you, God!

Whatever your circumstance, don’t let anyone steal your joy! Hang on to it with both hands and when you need loving reminders, you can turn to God, your family and your friends. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and all alone, you’ve probably lost your joy. Grope around if you have to so that you can find it again.

As Dr. Stanley says, “True joy is not dependent on our circumstances. It is dependent on our Lord and Savior. He never changes, and His love for us will never end.”

We just have to remember this and not let anything steal our joy.

Have a great week.
Home | Letter to the Editor | Classified Ad | Delivery Complaint | Subscribe | Advertise | Contact Us
Website and Contents Copyright © IndReg.com in cooperation with NewsAffinity.com 2010: All Rights Reserved