Time to Fly Read Online Free PDF Page A

day.
    Dr. Gabe stays behind to see patients.
    â€œKeep an eye out for E.T.,” I tell him. “If you hear a parrot talking in the yard, that’s him. Try to get him to stay in the yard until I get back.”
    â€œWell, I’ll be pretty busy minding the clinic,” says Dr. Gabe, laughing. “But I’ll do my best, Zoe.”
    Brenna, David, Sunita, Maggie, and I pile into the van. “We’re going to visit a friend of mine who’s an expert on parrots,” Gran tells us. “Maybe she’ll have some ideas about the flock that’s taken over our oak tree.”
    When we get to the zoo, we head past the monkeys, past the lions and tigers, straight to the bird house. As we near the building, Gran calls out, “Tasha!”
    â€œJ.J.!” A tall woman a little younger than Gran turns around and smiles at us. Her curly brown hair is touched by gray, and her green eyes are warm. She strides forward and gives Gran a hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
    Gran turns to us. “This is Dr. Tasha Timmons, a good friend of mine. She’s my brain trust when I’ve got bird questions.”
    We introduce ourselves, and then Dr. Timmons leads us into the aviary for a tour.
    First we go through a set of large double doors into an alcove. After those doors close, we pass through another set of double doors into a huge room with a glass ceiling. It’s like stepping into a jungle. We’re surrounded by lush tropical trees, vines, and flowers. There’s even a small waterfall. The air is so steamy and warm, I pull off my sweater and tie it around my waist. The zoo workers are better dressed for this tropical weather in uniforms of khaki shorts and green polo shirts.
    â€œCome on, this way,” Dr. Timmons says.
    We follow her along a path that winds around through the jungle. Colorful birds perch in trees above us, chirping and cawing and shrieking. The sound is wild and almost spooky. I’ve heard bird calls like this on nature programs, but here it’s the real thing.
    David ducks as a long-legged bird swoops across the path. “It sounds like a Tarzan movie in here,” he says. “Why are the birds making so much noise?”
    â€œLike most birds, parrots are very social, vocal animals,” Dr. Timmons explains. “They’re smart, too. As you probably know, with training some parrots can learn to say hundreds of words.”
    â€œOne of the parrots in our wild flock speaks English,” I tell her. “I call him E.T. because he says ‘Phone home.’ We figure he’s an escaped pet.”
    â€œOr an abandoned one,” says Dr. Timmons.
    Sunita shakes her head. “Why would anybody just dump a pet parrot?”
    â€œYeah, aren’t they expensive?” David asks.
    â€œThey are. Even so, some people become smitten with the idea of having a pet parrot and buy one on impulse, without learning about the reality of parrot ownership first,” Dr. Timmons says. “Parrots tend to be feisty, and without daily attention they get bored and develop bad habits like biting. Their powerful beaks can bite hard enough to crack a nut, so a nippy parrot isn’t something you want around the house.” Dr. Timmons pauses to point out two large parrots high in a tree. “Scarlet macaws, a mating pair. The female is new to our zoo, so we’re delighted she’s already paired up with our male.”
    We crane our necks and gaze up at the majestic red-and-yellow birds. I think I saw one or two in the oak tree that looked similar to these.
    â€œAs David noticed, parrots make a lot of noise, more than some people can tolerate,” Dr. Timmons continues. “And some parrots can live fifty years or more, so that’s a lot of squawking! Unfortunately, sometimes when people decide they don’t want their pet anymore, they just let it loose outside rather than making the effort to find it a new