I have been watching (and visiting) the outdoor aviary at a private (Charter??) school here in Brentwood. In the aviary, which is hardly a fancy build, they have four ring-neck doves, a dark color pigeon with both a red and a blue band one on each leg, plus a cockatiel (female from the colors) and a small parrot which I judge to be either a senegal or a Pionus. I happened to stop by to see how the geese they have in their small barnyard, and that is when I discovered the birds.
The aviary is exposed on all four sides with some wallboard with the wire netting in places. I noted that the place looked neglected, by my standards since I care for 13 birds. Every few days I go to check on them and I see that the 3 or 4 small bowls of water are all dirty and some have algae in the bottom. I spoke to the man who is the original and present owner of the property, which once was the family home decades ago.
He knows me quite well as a few years ago I complained (even to Animal Control) about the geese they were keeping and that the pens were much too small for the size and numbers of the geese. There is a public trail running alongside this barnyard type property. They still have the geese and a huge sow plus some pheasants and chickens. All supposedly for the children (very young toddlers up to jr. high school.) to see. Passersby, runners, etc. use the trail and can see the animals. The owner proudly showed me a run which he had constructed so the geese and sow have a place outside their pens for exercise; he even gave me a moment of credit because I had complained about that few yrs back.
I am about to make a strong complaint with him again about the birds. He told me that when it is "very cold" they are put inside in a room. We are already having very cold, damp nights but I do not know whether they have been inside or not (I doubt it.) He said there is a person responsible for the birds, but I will complain that whoever that is (a woman according to a Mexican handyman I saw there today, Sunday; he told me she never is there on weekends.) I have been worrying every night about the parrot and cockatiel especially, since they are NOT wild birds. He said they have been there 4 years, but I also doubt that.
There is no shelter arrangement for these two birds to go in out of the cold or wind. I have E-mailed a carpenter yesterday to try to get an estimate on a simple shelter house for inside the aviary, but have not heard from him yet, and I do not know whether the owner of the school will accept my idea. But the birds do not have adequate protection from the cold and it bothers me greatly. I also feel angry that whoever has "their responsibility" does not take care of the birds. They certainly should have fresh water once every day, as you will agree. I will take all these things up with the man who owns the property and does a lot of the maintenance from what I observe. Incidentally, Dr. Speer's children attended there when the same couple had the school as now, but they are now attending college. I have considered asking him about this but don't want to make an issue just yet as they
might try to tell me not to go on their property if I anger him. Is there anyone
in Mickaboo who lives in this area (Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley, Pittsburg etc.) who would be willing to go over with me to see this arrangement? I feel very concerned for the birds and wonder if they could have or get rheumatism from being out in the cold nights. I am sorry to trouble you but I want to see what can be done to better their living conditions. I left the Mickaboo & CSAA folders with him; along with some cockatiel and pigeon foods. My tel. no. is
925-516-4869. Thank you for any help you may offer.
Beth Pforr, Brentwood