“Good morning, Squeakers!” said Momanita. “I hope your winter cover kept you cozy.”
Last night Momanita tucked a heavy blue blanket around my rolly cage and wheeled me near the radiator. I fluffed my feathers to capture air. My body heated it and warmed me. The fluffy blanket blocked drafts. It also blocked the sunlight. I stretched my legs. Moving my muscles felt good. I slept grasping my perch.
“It’s morning already?”
To other hootmans this sounded like squeals and whistles, but not to Momanita. She MOSTLY understood cockatiel speak. I MOSTLY understood hootman talk.
“Yes, it’s morning, but I wouldn’t say ‘already’,” said Momanita. “It’s almost seven! You’d sleep till noon!”
“Sleeping till noon is my goal. Since I’m awake, I could use some cornflakes.”
I couldn’t get enough of my newest favorite snack.
“Let’s start the day with healthy oats,” said Momanita as she filled my seed bowl.
Momanita understood what I said, but sometimes she pretended not to hear.
Cage cleaning and dish refilling started our morning routine. It ended with treats before our writing session. I wrote and Momanita helped me type. (Her ten fingers worked better on the keyboard than my eight toes.)
Come Rain Or Come Shine
“Oh, no,” shrieked Momanita, “I forgot about the water!”
Momanita’s sounded like me when I alerted her that Sneaky Squirrel climbed into Cardinal’s birdfeeder.
“My water dish is here,” I said dipping my beak into the water. “It COULD use freshening. I like it colder.”
“Not YOUR water dish. Wild Birds’ water dish.”
Momanita filled a pitcher and dashed outside. Was she in a hurry! She didn’t stop to zip her jacket. I peeked out the window and spotted her pouring water into a dish. Once inside she rolled my cage near the window and we both gazed out. I shuddered at the snowy evergreens and dripping icicles. Cockatiels didn’t like freezing weather. At least THIS cockatiel didn’t.
“I could use cornflakes right now.”
Momanita had been so concerned about Wild Birds’ water dish, she forgot about me.
“Here they come!” said Momanita. “They waited and didn’t search elsewhere for water.”
Through the frosted window, I spotted Cardinal perched on the edge of the water dish. He dipped down for a drink like I had. Junco hopped close and waited his turn. Before long the Mourning Dove pair toddled toward the water.
“Each day I clean and fill the water tray for Wild Birds,” explained Momanita. “There’s a heater at the bottom that keeps the water from freezing.”
An electrical cord snaked out from the dish to the outlet.
“So Wild Birds drink from the heated dish because the pond is frozen.”
“Yes, that’s right,” said Momanita. “That’s why it’s important I tend the drinking dish daily. I wonder how else Wild Birds find the water in the winter.”
When Momanita wondered, she thought of questions.
When she thought of questions, she looked for answers.
When she looked for answers, she needed my help.
“Let’s find out,” said Momanita as she placed my writing nest atop the rolly cage.
I climbed out of my rolly cage into my writing nest. Momanita climbed the stairs to HER writing nest. She scooted her chair to the computer and tapped the keyboard. I perched atop the writing nest and preened.
“Think about water,” Squeaks.”
Cornflake thoughts filled my head. I made room for water thoughts as Momanita read.
Drops In Many Buckets
“When birds eat, water is released from their food,” continued Momanita, “but seed and dried fruit have little moisture.”
“How about cornflakes?”
I dropped a hint about my forgotten snack.
“Most of the year water flows freely and birds drink from streams, ponds, and lakes,” said Momanita, “anywhere water collects.”
Except for Momanita’s heated dish, water wasn’t so free outside.
“During the winter, birds drink from dripping icicles and melting snow,” said Momanita. “If that isn’t available near them, then they must fly and search for it. Flying long distances requires energy.”
“Can’t they eat snow?”
Sometimes I have to settle for Wheat Chex when I really want cornflakes for a snack.
“Eating snow requires energy to turn it into water so their bodies could use,” said Momanita. “They need energy to keep warm.”
A thick wool blanket helped keep me warm. I shivered thinking about eating snow.
Watering Hole
“Wild birds need water to help digest food, clean their feathers, and remain alert . . . “
“For terror birds!”
I trembed as I thought about the great horned owl that perched in the white pines.
“So, a shallow heated dish of fresh water in the winter is a small thing I can do for our Wild Bird friends,” said Momanita. “We should write about that after you’ve enjoyed your cornflakes treat.”
“Let’s write about how small things we do might be really important to others.”
I nipped at the cornflake Momanita held between her fingers.
To other hootmans this sounded like squeals and whistles, but not to Momanita. She MOSTLY understood cockatiel speak. I MOSTLY understood hootman talk.
.Check out Momanita’s book OPERATION HOPPER.
Momanita and I read about water for birds in the winter. You might want to read about them, too. https://birdfact.com/articles/do-birds-drink-water
Anita Borgo 