We’ve named (and feed) only 4 at the moment

think that Edwin came indoors about 4 times today, more than in prior days. He was looking for seeds, he reckons he can get more of them when he gets close to me. Sometimes he sits on the doorknob, hoping to get my (or Rianne’s) attention.

Edwin is always last and sometimes first. Even in late September he’d stay until almost 7PM (6:57 today) and he can show up the following day at around 6-7AM.

The birds are good companions and they’re clean as long as they don’t do their “dirt” indoors.

Another bird, still unnamed, likes to sit on the window at the front and has zero fear of humans. It insists strongly on getting a jar of seeds.

I’ve not been writing much about birds lately. Tomorrow we plan to feed 70+ of them in the park. Weather permitting.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) 4.0 International

hen the last trees are cut down to make room for hyperscaler datacenters,
when the last rivers and lakes are dried up to refresh hyperscaler datacenters,
when air turns unbreathable by generators to power hyperscaler datacenters,
will there be any intelligence left to realize that we couldn’t breathe, drink or eat slop?

when birds can’t be heard because of the noise, when bees are gone,
when plants won’t grow and multiply for lack of water and pollination,
when animals, even humans, perish without food, water and oxygen,
what will be left to realize there was no intelligence in this foolish pursuit?

Copyright 2007-2026 Alexandre Oliva

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Healthy fish for healthy mind

ast night I added a fluorescent light for the fish, it is external to the tank, and so far it also helps illuminate the desk area at night (days are quickly getting shorter), so it is double-purpose ‘thingie’ really. There is a light switch that controls whether it is on or off, it is easy top use, and it is within arm’s reach.

The fish tank experience next to my own desk (not Rianne’s) began a week ago. So far, so good.

Still warm

expect that this afternoon we’ll go feed the birds in the park (seeing that it’s 24 degrees in mid-September and partly sunny).

Mid-September is supported to be cold and in some European countries snow can start. The climate is… weird.

All-in-one

s an argumentative and relatively opinionated person who loves to write a lot and who prefers to write very often, proofreading and sometimes ghost-reading – alas, never ghost-writing – is routine and mostly dull (but nonetheless necessary).

This year I experiment with a new approach of proofreading from the text editor while I feed the birds from jars^* (if not fed from jars, there’s growing risk that seeds on the ground will attract large flocks and cause chaos). Sometimes I feed one, sometimes two from the same jar (couples mostly), and today I held two jars to feed two birds that were not a couple and would likely fight one another using their beaks and wings. When Bot and Bot’s Friend (partner) eat from the same jar we call it “double room”, inspired by the double rooms in spas and treatments where the couple is in the same large room (“Double Room” or “Twin Room” – the latter also refers to room arrangements in hotels). Feeding two birds, a couple, with one hand can save time. At one point I discovered that with sufficient distancing I can also feed Sweepy and Bot’s Friend from the same jar. If they get aggressive, I will stop. They’ve learned from experience to cooperate and get along or lose the access to seeds.

Sweepy and Edwin are still being trained for ‘table manners’.

_____

^* This post was checked while feeding Sweepy.

Bewildering Manchester, rewilding the place

HE end of August marked the opening of a new coffee shop and then there was some heavy lifting in the area opposite it. About 20 men were working hard to plant trees and other plants.

Given the awful, outdated industrial nature of that area before the heavy investment in it, seeing the planting of trees there is really nice.

Oh, speaking of men gardening, we saw a very large truck driven by a lady, which is rare. Yes, bus drivers are female sometimes (more and more over time), with the same for trams, but seldom does one see a construction site with a female doing the truck’s manoeuvring, so it’s a refreshing sight, a welcomed change. They push social boundaries.

I’ve noticed that there’s a “Calico Coffee” in Mayfield Park, Manchester, which isn’t new, but I cannot (yet) find the name of the new one at the old train station (now Depot).

They know the face!

HE other day or about a week ago in Mayfield we tested the birds to see if they can recognise us and distinguish us (from the crowds passing by). Some birds did. When they see us – and they do in fact know the faces – they know food has arrived. No mnemonic like clapping necessary anymore.

One bird then follows the other. A flock forms.

Birds are smart.