Ace of Spades Pet Thread, April 20

Good afternoon and welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Thanks for stopping by. Kick back and enjoy the world of animals.

Would you like a treat?

Let's relax a little with the animals and leave the world of politics and current events outside today.

It all started with a pet parrot

Here's a blog post on the Huntington interactive bird guide.

Henry E. and Arabella Huntington were fond not only of the books, art, and plants that comprise The Huntington's collections but also the birds that visited or lived on their property. In their day, a reservoir that served as an irrigation source for the expanding gardens also provided a waterfowl refuge, and a large aviary filled with tropical birds stood between what are now the Huntington Art Gallery (formerly Henry and Arabella's home) and the Rose Garden Tea Room (once Henry's billiard room and bowling alley). One of Arabella's cherished pets was an Amazon parrot named Buster, who had the distinction of living indoors with them.

Today, the large flocks of wild parrots that have established themselves across the Los Angeles area in recent decades have joined a dazzling array of birds that add beauty and wonder throughout The Huntington's gardens. Thanks to bird-friendly horticultural practices, the landscape offers avian guests a range of food sources as well as shelter, nesting materials, and assorted water features, including fountains, ponds, streams, and even a lake. In addition to year-round residents, including house wrens and ravens, seasonal visitors such as cedar waxwings and white-crowned sparrows make annual appearances. And where birds flock, so do the people who appreciate them.

Photo of Buster the Parrot taken around 1916.

Today, the large flocks of wild parrots that have established themselves across the Los Angeles area in recent decades have joined a dazzling array of birds that add beauty and wonder throughout The Huntington's gardens. Thanks to bird-friendly horticultural practices, the landscape offers avian guests a range of food sources as well as shelter, nesting materials, and assorted water features, including fountains, ponds, streams, and even a lake. In addition to year-round residents, including house wrens and ravens, seasonal visitors such as cedar waxwings and white-crowned sparrows make annual appearances. And where birds flock, so do the people who appreciate them.

An interactive guide and other digital resources are described. And there's more. Do you know about anything like this where you live?

Observing birds locally can be as easy as taking a walk with your phone, and regional conservation projects are just a screen tap away, Hyatt said. Visitors can contribute to field studies by sharing photos of the birds they see in The Huntington's gardens and elsewhere through such community science apps as eBird and iNaturalist.

Because most digital photos contain date, time, and location information, they provide researchers with valuable data points. By aggregating many individual observations from across a region, scientists can study wildlife population dynamics.

Those who want to get involved can upload their bird photos as part of the global 2024 City Nature Challenge. This friendly worldwide competition is held annually to record as much biodiversity as possible. Organized by the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, it prompts people in cities around the globe to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people. Taking place April 26-29, the four-day global "bioblitz" is an excellent opportunity to channel one's inner naturalist, observe the surrounding bounty of wildlife, and enjoy connecting with others who share a fascination with the natural world.

There's also a Los Angeles Free-Flying Parrot Project.

"Birding serves as a reminder that life extends beyond our cultivated surroundings and transcends individual concerns," Hyatt said. "It encourages us to slow down and live in the moment. Birds often go unnoticed--even with their inherent beauty, drama, and silliness. I aspire to change that perspective. Engaging in birding offers an opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the richness of life that surrounds us."

More information, photos and credits at the link.

Sometimes you need a little push from a friend.

Tortoise helps out overturned friend pic.twitter.com/hsEns1Ug2C

— Epoch Animal Lovers (@EP_AnimalLovers) April 18, 2024

you ever just pic.twitter.com/8T8vcVRnaS

— Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) April 20, 2024

In answer to requests for pictures of the infamous Owlbert, here he is in the trees. He happens to be hooting quite loudly outside right this second. I know he is male because I have seen him next to a female, and he is smaller. Smaller is relative, however, as Owlbert is a big guy. He loves a good (dead) mouse as a treat. As owls don't build their own nests, we purchased an owl condo for him. In return, he leaves his regurgitated bones under it, and sometimes by the pool. We do not have squirrels in our yard now, and he did eat our neighbors chickens once. Okay, twice. But he was sorry!

-Piper

Well, Piper, you are taking birdwatching to the next level there. Owlbert is fascinating.

My brother and sister kittehs like to keep me company while I paint but never at the same time. This is the brother kitteh Bogie on current duty.

polynikes

Good cat, Bogie!

Hi KT, here's another picture of Robert the Cat, because why not. Here he's enjoying the ocean view.

BeckoningChasm

Robert is a beautiful cat who is lucky to have you in his life!

Great pets today. Thank you for sharing them with us.

If you would like to send pet and/or animal stories, links, etc. for the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, the address is:

petmorons at protonmail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Until next Saturday, have a great week!

If you start feeling nostalgic, here a link to last week's Pet Thread, the Ace of Spades Pet Thread, April 13.

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.