So Buckbeak, the parakeet, is in the office most of the time now, except when we let him out in the living room. Then he goes right into the ficus tree, and stays there, looking like the parakeet equivelent of a guy who feels like the king of the world.

One of the main reasons why we opted for the office as his permenent location is because he seemed to enjoy hearing the "wild" birds in the backyard. They come to our bird feeder on the back porch which is right near the office window and give pleanty of opinions. At least I guess that's what they're doing, since I don't speak any bird languages. But since they are chattering all the time, I really do think.....

they must be discussing the quality of the seed, why the place was closed last week ( I declare that they looked every bit as disappointed as The Hub and I do when we try to go to someplace like Bob Evans after 9:00 at night) how the hatchlings are, and who is hogging the bathroom in the birdhouse.

I thought maybe Buckbeak would pick up some backyard bird talk and call to the other birds outside. That happens a lot with parakeets. Instead, what has happened is that, since a lot of the birds who come around the feeder are fledglings, THEY started "speaking parakeet".

So we have now had two different occassions on which we were sure that Buckbeak had gotten out only to see some tiny innocent wren on the feeder!

I guess that bird feeder is sort of a form of "bird welfare" that doesn't force the mother birds to get up off their tail feathers and really beat the bushes for something to eat. Moreover, it corrupts the young, who, as anybody my age or older will tell you, have everything just handed to them nowadays. How are those fledglings ever gonna learn to forage if they have this seed laid out for them, just a short flight away from their house. I mean, do Republicans have bird feeders?

Of course, I'm a liberal, so I can have mine up without worrying about any ideological conflict. Still, those guys eat a LOT of seed, and the household budget committee had better launch an investigation into price gouging by seed manufacturers, or form a sub- committee to locate some coupons. I don't think I can raise taxes on the birds - they're giving it all they've got in terms of fertilizing the vegetable and flower gardens around here.

At least international relations are improving - now that the wrens speak a little parakeet!