by Randa Morris

Created on: May 01, 2007   Last Updated: May 03, 2007

When my son Joshua (now 18) was 3, he fell in love with birds. Every kind of bird, from penguin, to flamingo, owl to eagle, it didn't seem to matter. Whenever I took him out shopping, if he saw a figure of a bird, whether glass, plastic, painted, sculptured it was of no matter, right away he would ask me "Can I get that bird?"
Where many children of such a young age would ask for toys, or candy or gum, with Josh it was always birds.

I picked up an Audobon Field Guide to birds in our area. Before he turned 4 he knew the names and habits of every type of bird in Ohio, not to mention those that lived near his grandparents cottage on the lake, in Northern Michigan. His bird collection grew to the point where an entire wall in his room was covered with shelves, and every inch of every shelf was covered with birds.

After moving to Michigan, when Josh was about 7 he had his first opportunity to keep a real bird. One bird soon became 2 birds, which he cared for, and eventually was able to breed. Over time he accumulated more than 90 birds: parakeets, cockateils, finches, lovebirds, conures, even a rare Severe Macaw. These birds, set up in our large, unfinished basement, were a main source of interest and education for Joshua growing up. He learned everything about each type, how to care for, raise and breed them, how to know and to treat them if they were ill. By age 10 he began his own business selling his hand-tamed birds to several pet stores in our area.

At the same time that Josh was raising birds, my older son Jay had developed a love for fish. He purchased his first aquariums at yard sales. He bought a few pair of Fancy Guppies, which he learned how to breed and raise. By the time he was 12 he had expanded his "fish store" to the point that local pet stores were calling him to ask for his fish. This was because they were always healthy and well cared for. Over time Jay lined the entire basement wall with his fish tanks, while Josh's birds filled another large room. Together the two boys then began branching out even further. Both developed a shared interest and enthusiasm for lizards, which they raised together.

At this age the boys had a close relationship with the rangers at our National Forest outpost, which was just up the street. Their love of lizards also included salamanders and newts, as well as turtles. They both had field guides, which they took with them as they went off into the woods to search for creatures. They had a special notebook, which they used

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