A Love Story Filled with Joy and Sorrow.
When we stumbled upon Casa Alegria, our dream house, it felt like a fairy tale come true—complete with a magical pond adorned with water lilies and playful turtles (but that’s a story for another time) and a charming aviary bustling with canaries and parrots.
At first, I hesitated about keeping birds in the aviary. It felt like caging them, and my heart ached at the thought.
But after visiting pet shops around the island and witnessing the heartbreaking conditions those little canaries and finches were kept in, I realized that moving them into my aviary would actually give them a better life.
Soon, I discovered that many bird owners on the island created loving homes for their feathered friends, and I found myself falling head over heels for these small, vibrant creatures.
Ziggy, our carpenter’s partner, was a true bird whisperer, and she opened my eyes to the enchanting world of avian life.
The colors, the melodies—every chirp and trill transformed our home into a real Garden of Eden.
As time went on, our aviary flourished with over 250 birds! It was a colorful cacophony, but soon it became a little too cozy.
Ziggy and I found ourselves on an adventurous quest, trying to catch the exuberant birds that were starting to crowd the aviary.
In 2017, Ziggy had to part ways with her beloved birds and joyfully entrusted them to me.
Watching those feathered friends settle in and raise a new generation was a joy like no other.
Each day, I was enchanted by the sight of canaries feeding their tiny hatchlings—pure magic!
But, as life often goes, tragedy struck.
A family of rats found a way into our aviary one fateful night, and in a heart-wrenching moment, nearly 60 birds were lost.
It shattered my heart, and though I tried to replenish our flock, changes in the law left me with few options.
Despite our efforts to secure the aviary, the rats continued their assaults.
Eventually, I had to make the painful decision to let go of the canaries and finches.
Today, our aviary has transformed into a sanctuary for larger birds—like “King George,” our regal Golden Pheasant, some playful Dutch Bantam chickens, and two Mandarin ducks (but that’s a story for another day!).
One thing is certain: my love for singing birds remains unwavering.
They’ve filled my life with joy, and who knows? Perhaps one day I’ll reclaim that magical aviary, filled with the sweet songs of my feathered friends once more.
