I'm beginning to feel like a bird brain. By that, I mean, I have been learning so much about the Seattle bird scene, I'm fairly busting with it. (I should say that the pejorative term "bird brain" needs to be under serious reconsideration as science learns how sophisticated that tiny processor actually is.)

My last bit of bird 4-1-1 for the week is of a strictly retail nature. Parrot people on the Eastside took a hit when a fire destroyed Just Parrots Etc. in Renton last August. (All nine parrots in the store were rescued.) As one of only a few parrot-specific shops in the Seattle metro area, it was a loss.

It took five months, but owner Gayle Peters reopened Just Parrots in late January in the same Fred Meyer complex as before, now at 364 Renton Center Way, Suite C57, next to a shoe repair shop. It's been tough, says Peters, who reports that business is way down compared to August last year. She says some customers simply don't know she's open again. So I am adding my voice to the word-of-mouth grapevine to say Peters is back, selling parrot food, toys and other supplies -- plenty of great reasons for your African Grey to whistle, hoot, chirp or sing.

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