Hi Tweethearts: My husband and I intend to visit New Zealand next fall, during the southern hemisphere spring. We are looking for recommendations on bird guides and guided bird tours. If you have any recommendations, you can email me at lized01 at Comcast dot net.

Also, anyone who feeds birds know that rats love dropped seed. We stopped rat poison because of the impact on the birds, so we have purchased two cage rat traps for live catch/release. On a neighborhood walk last night, we saw one of our 'hood's BARRED OWLS, who love to hunt our yard and who roost in a forest surrounding a nearby middle school. Said forest shall be the release spot for captured rats. I'll report back on the success of these traps, as I'm sure there are others out there dealing with rodent issues.

And if you have any enemies you'd like bothered, I'll be happy to add their homes to the list of release sites.

Good day, and great birding!
Liz Brown
Edmonds, WA.
lized01 at Comcast dot net