Livefood
For the Australian parrots, finches and button-quails in my 'partially mixed' aviaries in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne (Mitchell, G, 2008. Australian Aviculture 62, 186-90), the major source of livefood is mealworms.  These are purchased commercially but maintained on bran in wooden containers such that some reproduction can occur. Also in these containers (that are kept in a cool place) are pieces of newspaper and hessian bags in which egg laying by the beetles occurs. Sources of moisture are cut potatoes, broccoli stems, carrots, etc.  I do add a tablespoon or so of calcium carbonate (as a fine powder) and a good quality vitamin mix on a regular basis but have no evidence that these additives are nutritionally useful.  Mealworms are fed regularly to the birds (though not every day) plus blowfly maggots, aphids and termites (microwaved) very occasionally.
       Over the years I have noticed that the inhabitants of the aviaries do take additional livefood not intentionally supplied by me.  These include the following:
For Button-quail. Earthworms, European earwigs, springtails (see below) and occasionally cockroaches, spiders and small snails from the deep litter that I maintain in the Black-breasted Button-quail (B-b B-q) and Painted Button-quail enclosures.  I am not sure whether they consume the slugs, slaters, pill bugs or Portuguese millipedes that can be plentiful in the litter. They take and pulverise the soil-dwelling large white curl grubs of Christmas beetles (Anoplognathus spp.) and mole crickets when they are lucky enough to stumble upon them.
For finches. Flying termites on summer evenings prior to a storm when they emerge en masse over an hour or so from wooden fences, tree stumps etc. Most of the finches can take the flying termites on the wing, or after knocking them to the ground, the Double-barred and Red-browed Finches being as good as any at catching them in mid air.
      For Red-browed finches. Small spiders on the wire or in corners.  A sure sign that the red brows are feeding nestlings is the systematic searching they undertake of all the wire mesh and all the nooks and crannies presumably for small spiders as well as insects caught in spider webs.  This finch species is the only one that I have seen engage in this activity.
In regard to ants, I have not witnessed any quail or finch take ants though they will steal material (including ant eggs) being transported by the ants.  
      Perhaps the most unexpected observation has been made recently in regard to the diverse range of live food that is harvested by birds within a planted aviary in which some attempt is made to create 'natural habitats'. Namely, mosquito larvae -i.e. 'wrigglers'.  I have two sunken bathtubs that span the flights that make up the aviary and in summer, and despite small numbers of mosquito-eating fish present, there are always wrigglers in the water and particularly around the edges of the bathtubs. Three finch species have learnt how to harvest these larval mosquitoes by simply plucking them out of the water, one at a time - the Pictorella Munia, the Red-browed Finch and, perhaps more surprisingly, the Painted Firetail Finch, (Emblema picta).  Initially, I thought the birds were sampling some of the duckweed at the surface of the water but, whilst several species including large parrots will do this, it is definitely the wrigglers that are being taken by the three finch species.  It is known that Pictorellas in the wild spend time on rocks, near waterholes and streams and take insects from amongst the rocks and at the water's edge.
      Whilst Red Brows will take most forms of livefood 'with enthusiasm', the emblema is much more selective. Emblemas seem to ignore the mealworms and up until this recent observation on wrigglers, the only other sources of livefood that I have seen them show any interest in are termites and springtails. In regard to the latter, I do scrape up moist litter from beneath particular trees in the garden or neighbourhood that, in the warmer months, and provided it is definitely moist with fine soil present, will contain large numbers of springtails and several other invertebrate species. If placed in a heap in the aviary (and out of reach of the B-b B-q and Painted Quail that will flatten it within minutes), the finches including emblemas will spend a lot of time systematically working over the heap and very efficiently chasing down all dislodged springtails. (Of course, if the B-b B-q has young at foot then they definitely get priority!)
      Whilst on B-b B-q, and bearing in mind the amount of material that is turned over when they create their circular scratching 'arenas', it is somewhat surprising that no finch species has yet learnt to capitalise on this (akin to the pilot bird and white-browed scrub-wren closely following a lyrebird scratching about in a Gippsland forest).  Presumably the pickings do not compensate adequately for the 'sand in the face' or a 'mote in the eye' that the opportunist would have to endure!  Then again, if the young B-b B-q put up with it, plus being kicked out of the way regularly, why not the opportunist?
Water
      When making their visits to the water bowls or bathtubs, the quail and parrots take two or three sips, definitely a couple more at the end of a hot day. This intake of water increases dramatically (at least 4-5x) when the females are laying eggs.  In fact, a sure sign of egg laying is the increased frequency and duration of drinking by the female relative to the male. This makes good sense as the water content of eggs is high but I have been struck by just how much extra water is consumed.  If the same thing occurs in ratite birds, then the mind boggles as to how many litres of water are consumed by female ostriches, emus and rheas at the time of egg laying.  If water suddenly becomes limiting during this time - and it must on occasions considering some of the environments that these birds live in - it might affect the number, fertility or hatchability of eggs. The same could apply to our avicultural species in the wild, though this would be a rare event in aviaries I suspect.

Dummy Run
    I have been keeping birds (aviary and domestic poultry) for over 35 years (to the best of my knowledge) and breeding canaries for over a decade. A few pairs are kept with a pair of Cockatiel's (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Zebra finches (Poephila guttata) in a patio aviary and another small aviary. I had an Uncle that used to breed canaries, so it was with that memory that I used plastic 'dummy' eggs to increase my chances of fledgling a greater number of well grown youngsters.
      This is carried out by swapping freshly laid eggs over with plastic 'dummy' eggs daily, until the usual completed clutch comprising of between four to five eggs have been laid. I usually store my fresh eggs in an egg carton, with each egg resting on tissue. Each 12 hour the eggs are rotated 180 degrees, to prevent the yolk from resting in the same position. Once the last egg has been laid, the hen's own eggs are then returned to her nest and incubation then starts on the same day, with the end result being that all chicks should hatch on the same day, fourteen days later. All chicks then have a good start in life, being the same age and size during the rearing period. They therefore have an equal chance of survival, instead of the last chicks hatching several days after the first have hatched. From time to time, you do encounter the odd 'runt' that doesn't thrive as well as the others in the clutch. So long as they have all hatched at the same time and the parents are given adequate food there should not be any problems. Supplying foods such as a good quality seed mix, greens (silver beet, endive, spinach), seeding grasses, milk thistle, boiled egg and canary starter (egg and biscuit mix). It is then up to your breeding pair to do the rest.
Sharing House
      In 2008, I was about to move house in late winter/early spring, so breeding any kind of bird was going to have to be put on hold, whilst the move to another residence was made. A shuffle around of aviaries and cages was made prior to the move and this is where most of them stayed until much later that year. I had a tame female cockatiel in an all wire
bird cage measuring 600mm x 430mm x 400mm and I ended up introducing a pair of canaries to this modest accommodation. I had previously bred with this pair of canary's two season's prior in the patio aviary and all three birds appeared to get on well. By now, it was very late in the year to start breeding canaries due to the hot weather approaching. It was obvious to me that my other hens were keen in the patio aviary to breed, as they were observed daily to be picking and shredding the newspaper liner at the bottom of their patio aviary.
      Being a curious bird keeper, I decided to put in nesting pans and nesting material to see what would eventuate.  I thought that I would also put in a nesting receptacle in for the pair in with the cockatiel in the cage. There wasn't a lot of space to play with, so I placed the nest pan as high as possible in one corner to allow the hen as much privacy as possible.
On the Move
      The hen in the cage was the last to construct a nest, however all hens had started laying within a day or two of each other.
The thing that was different for the hen in cage this time was that, apart from now living and attempting to breed in a much smaller space, every afternoon the cage was brought inside the house for the night, a distance of approximately eight metres. The cage was then of course moved back outside again the following morning!
The hen concerned had only laid three eggs this clutch, so the first three were removed and replaced with dummy eggs. As no fourth egg appeared on day four, her three eggs were returned to her nest. The previous season, this hen had produced a clutch of five eggs and reared all five chicks in her last clutch for the season.
       The chicks hatched on day 14 as expected and my next challenge was to be able to get the parents their canary starter mix, hard boiled egg and various supply greens daily, without 'Tuta' (Aboriginal for Parrot) the cockatiel eating it before the pair of canaries had a chance to feed. Two containers were introduced for the canary starter mix and boiled egg to ensure that Tuta could not be in two places at once! The canaries once again proved to be excellent parents unperturbed by their 'new' breeding cage and the three chicks grew quickly.
Hot Spell
       I was fortunate that the weather was kind for the incubating and rearing period, with only one hot day when the temperature was just over 40 degrees. My wife had put wet towels on the outside of the cage to help cool it down during the day, although on reflection they probably could have benefited more by being brought inside the house - as they were well and truly accustomed to this practice twice daily! Later that afternoon, when it was cooler I attempted to return the fledged chick back to the nest. However, it was obvious it had other ideas and this prompted its two nest mates to also fledge. They were slightly premature, as they were 14 days old and I usually find that healthy well grown young fledge on day 17 or18.
The cock bird was showing his annoyance with ruffled feathers, brought on by the chirping of his brood as they fluttered around the cage. The following morning all three chicks were perching well and Tuta didn't appear bothered that her cage had now well and truly been taken over by the canaries!
Good Result…considering
      I was not going to let the hen commence another clutch, as I considered that I was fortunate enough to produce three healthy chicks as it was, under these circumstances. Probably a wise decision, as the young had fledged two weeks prior to the Adelaide heat wave occurring in late January. The other point of interest was that there were children generally playing near their cage, both outside and inside the house.
And what of the other two pairs in the small patio aviary that didn't get moved around twice a day?
One pair hatched five young and lost four at an early age, fledging one. And the other
(a first season hen that I bred the season before), only produced the one egg, which unfortunately was dead in the shell upon hatching. All nest pans were removed after this.
Precautions
      The only precaution that I made during the 'bird cage breeding' exercise was to ensure that the cage was placed in the same position morning and night. And that the roof and side directly over where the hen was incubating was well covered for privacy. This was especially important of a night when house lighting and noise may have disturbed her.
Bird Intelligence
      Some readers would be aware of the intelligence of various bird species.  Research over the years has shown that crows and parrots have a superior level of intelligence within the bird world, having the ability to mimic, count and problem solve. Certain parrot species have also been likened to having a similar intellect to that of a young child. Bird shows at various Zoo's and wildlife parks, both in Australia and overseas is proof that birds can be conditioned to perform naturalistic behaviours, with a conservation message during the presentation.
Like mammals, 'tool use' is also evident in birds and this can be witnessed by the Egyptian vulture that is capable of using a rock to break open ostrich eggs to obtain a meal. Whether this is something that is mimicked and learned from older birds or simply an instinctive behaviour? Young and inexperienced birds generally have to put in the effort and practice to get it just right though before they can crack open an egg successfully. Parrots have an opposable grip, with the dexterity it grip objects with ease, in order to feed and play.
       I have observed my canaries holding down the stems of seeding grasses with their feet in order to stop them moving around, to eat the seed heads. I have also witnessed similar behaviours with reptiles and mammals using the same principles.
2009 Season
      I again attempted breeding the same pair of canaries, in the same cage and with Tuta in residence. The only difference this time was that the hen's first egg wasn't able to be removed from the nest shortly after it was laid.
Hen's generally lay early in the morning, anywhere between 6 am and 7 am. I decided to conduct another experiment, so I removed her first egg approximately 12 hours after laying, which was replaced with a dummy egg. I was curious if half a day's incubation would have any effect on hatching results. From memory, the clutch resulted in two chicks hatching on their due date, proving that the 12 hours of incubation prior to removal and storage at room temperature, did not appear to alter hatching results.
Once again, two dishes were used to feed them their canary starter mix and boiled egg, of which only the yolk was usually consumed.
Tuta, again proved that she was interested in the 'extra' tid bits that were on offer once the chicks had hatched.
       I watched with interest the relationship the male canary had with Tuta and visa versa whilst the hen was brooding her youngsters. The male would go from one dish to another in search of his favorite foodstuffs to feed to his growing family. If Tuta appeared at the same dish, there would be stand off with open bills and vocalisations to warn the other away.
Trick or Treat?
      One morning I watched with interest after feeding them their soft food mix and greens. Milk thistle heads were added into the same dish and the male canary was straight down to investigate the morning offerings. Tuta also made a beeline to the dish and I watched with astonishment of what occurred next. With Tuta's approach, the male canary picked up the thistle head and carried it away to a small D-cup container containing shell grit.
He proceeded to eat the thistle head whilst it was sitting on top of the shell grit. I was curious to know whether it was an accidental or a planned strategy by the male canary?
I removed what was remaining in both dishes and put in a single thistle head. The male canary came down and removed it from the dish, flew up to the D-cup container and dropped it inside, then started consuming it. The next time, I left a small piece of egg yolk in the dish, with him repeating the process. I was stunned to say the least! I repeated the experiment during the following week, with the same results.
Bad Parenting?
      The two chicks were reared and fledged, however on day four I observed the male canary chasing one of his youngsters. Under normal circumstances, the cock bird would either be putting his hen back to nest, or at least thinking of it. Either way he would still be feeding his recently fledged young. I removed both chicks, even though it was also the same one that he was chasing and being aggressive to. This may not have occurred last season, as possibly it was too late in the season and another clutch was not on either of the pair's agenda.
      The following day saw me purchase an identical cage and the two youngsters were removed from their parents and put on their own, next to their parents to observe how to feed. They young fed on the canary starter mix and boiled egg until several weeks later when they observed cracking seed for themselves.
From memory, the hen laid another clutch within a day or so after they had been prematurely weaned. I was still interested to know if removing eggs after incubation had begun had any effect on hatch rates, so I did not remove any eggs until later in the afternoon. Three young hatched and were reared this time. I was curious to see the reaction of the cock bird for this clutch to see whether he would behave as he did the last time. Fortunately he didn't and the three youngsters were left in with their parents until they had started cracking seed for themselves, several weeks old and tail feathers well grown prior to selling them to a bird dealer.
2010 Season
      At the time of writing, I haven't decided to return the pair of canaries concerned back into the small cage, to observe whether the male canary will 'remember' his feeding strategy. On the other hand I would also be interested to learn if he does the same behaviour whilst in the company of other breeding pairs of canaries.
      Canary eggs are extremely fragile and from all accounts generally start their incubation and development as soon as they are laid. Egg swapping could possibly be tested with other species that are renowned for large clutch sizes to increase survival rates of young. Choosing a species or individual pair that can cope with daily nest inspection for the first few days is undoubtedly the first consideration, along with a suitably sized dummy egg to be used as a replacement.
I believe that, no matter how long you keep birds for, there is always something to be learnt!

Products Mentioned in Text:
Canary Starter - A complete soft food for canaries
                         Superior product to egg and biscuit mixes

Manufactured by:
Passwell Pty Ltd
8 Oborn Road
Mt Barker SA 5251

By Tony Jochem, printed by CPF La Linia De Lutte, The Netherlands. Translated from Dutch into English by J P van Braam Houckgeest, M Sc. Soft cover, 13 chapters, 198 pages 220mm x 160mm, 120 colour illustrations. First English edition 2010,  ISBN 978-90-805935-6-5. Price 36 Euros plus postage.
     Tony Jochem, an experienced Dutch breeder of estrildid finches, has written Breeding Estrildid Finches book based on his own experiences of more than 25 years keeping, breeding and researching these ever-popular species with '. . . the aim to serve as a practical guide for hobbyists and breeders interested in keeping and breeding Estrildid Finches in particular.'  Despite his long involvement in bird breeding the author freely acknowledges he made many mistakes in the early days.  
     A book on African waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, mannikins and Australian grassfinches that are kept, nurtured and bred in the difficult climatic conditions of Europe and the United Kingdom, discusses many aspects of estrildid aviculture that is not applicable to finch breeding in Australia. However, if like me, you enjoy reading the literature about these delightful birds you will, I'm sure, pick up several tips, ideas and pieces of estrildid-wisdom from Tony Jochem's new book.  
    Upon studying this well-produced and well-illustrated publication my reaction was how many enthusiastic waxbill and finch breeders might think, 'I already have enough books on estrildid finches - why do I need another?'  However, upon carefully studying the text, embraced in 13 chapters, my comment in reply would be that learning is a constant and ongoing activity and the experiences of widely experienced aviculturists, who specialise in breeding finches, may provide other methods and techniques that have proven successful for the author. Tony, in his own words states, '… I have consulted several experts including a biologist, a bird veterinarian and an expert on bird nutrition.'
     The 13 chapters are headed, 'The start', 'How to accommodate your birds', 'Equipment', 'The birds' well-being', 'Food', 'Additives', 'Water', 'Birds', 'Reproduction', 'Diseases', 'Nomenclature', 'Recommendations for breeding' and 'Birdhouse design'.  This detailed list is complemented with a two-page index. The chapters are divided into approximately four sections - some more than others, for example chapter 4 has seven subheadings whereas chapter 7 has three subheadings.
          Including the beautiful firetail finch in a book about European experiences seems strange.  Furthermore, the nest is not as stated, 'dome-shaped with side entrance'; it is elliptical in shape and has a long entrance tunnel. Massive quantities of nesting material are used. (A photo of a breeding nest, and sketch of a cutaway of a breeding nest, were published in this journal, January 1984, p.20).
     The list of information within the 198 pages of this well-written book is extensive: almost too detailed to mention in this review. Suffice to say that whether it is about breeding, lighting in the birdroom, food components and menu composition, or the breeding period, it is informative and based on the author's own experience, including the trials and tribulations that can be encountered when trying to breed estrildid finches. As to be expected, and to ensure a steady sale of the book, it is well illustrated: and, where helpful, supported by colour photos of species featured in the text.
     The publicity about the book said it aimed to 'stimulate and help bird hobbyists to become breeders and get the most out of their hobby'. As this was probably only a European term I emailed the author asking him to clarify it and Tony kindly replied: 'Not every hobbyist is a breeder. There are birdkeepers who keep birds only because they are so beautiful.'
     Originally published as Kweken van prachtwinken (Dutch), the society thanks the printer, CPF La Linia De Lutte, The Netherlands, for our review copy.
Graeme Hyde

(1)    Big Mistakes and Other Issues.
      I had bred a good number of Madagascar Weavers (approx twenty young) and the aviary was starting to get rather crowded. I caught up most of the young and transferred them to a vacant aviary with plenty of fresh water and a large dish full of fresh seed. This was between 12 and 1pm and I did not bother to check the aviary again until 11am the next morning. To my horror most of the young were dead on the floor. Very distressed I picked up several of them to find that they had empty crops. As I picked a handful of seed, in frustration I asked myself “Why”? I threw the seed onto the floor of the aviary and immediately the balance of the young weavers flew down to eat the seed. Then realized I had put the food into a red container. What is the colour of a dominate male Madagascar? “RED”. When I changed the colour of the seed container there were no more problems. Answer – Do not use containers the colour of a dominate bird.
(2) Another Big Mistake
      I went to the bird sale in Gippsland to buy a Regent (Smoker) hen. There were a couple on display so I purchased one on the assurance that this “hen” was approx eighteen months old, and that the seller was to believed as she had a badge on. Two months later I had the most colourful “hen” smoker you could ever hope to own. You could have fooled most people that it was indeed a male.
(3) In the Days of Trapped Finches
       Coming onto the Melbourne market some finches proved difficult to breed. Many of the old time breeders would put Condi’s Crystals into the drinking water, claiming this would harden the water making it easier for the birds to digest hard seed. I believe that the Condi’s Crystal can be obtained from your friendly chemist shop.
(4) Nesting Materials for Parrots.
        At one stage I was able to obtain a large amount of fibre from Dicksonia Antarctica (soft tree fern). It held moisture very well and was quite pliable. Placing this fibre into the nest boxes of Scarlets, I found that I had 100% hatching from fertile eggs, against 60 to 70%. A dryer medium fern tree fibre may not be obtainable by most people; however a good substitute is coir blocks marketed as a garden product in any good gardening outlets.
(5) Sexing African Lovebirds.
       I have found that I can be about 90to 95% accurate in sexing these little jewels. It might take a little time but in the end if you have a delicate touch you will be successful. Firstly hold the bird in your hand belly up and using your index finger gently press into the pelvic bone. If the hen had laid recently the pelvic bone is quite open, should the bird in question be male there is no give in the pelvic bone. If the bird is a hen that has not previously lain the pelvic bone will slightly part (give). This has to be done very gently so as not to harm the bird. If your sense of touch is light you should be able to sex these lovely little birds with great success.
(6) Live Food.
       Many years ago I was asked by the Society to give a talk at the monthly meeting so I chose to speak on live food. At that stage bush flies were not around in large quantities and as such I had no knowledge in breeding these insects. So I will limit myself to some very easy methods of breeding or obtaining other forms of live food Maggots (Gentles such a nicer name) There are several ways to breed these that do not involve bad odours. Cook some potatoes and then mash them making the mixture quite moist. Place the dish in the sun till it forms a crust into which the flies will lay their eggs.
      Using poultry pellets, bran or pollard, again making a moist mixture and then placing it into a warm position, you will find that the flies will lay their eggs. It does help if you add a half to one teaspoon of blood and bone to these mixes to make it tastier for the flies. As these methods do not involve rotting meat, the gentles are clean to feed to your birds straight from the mixes. The last method does involve meat. Take a piece of liver approx the size of a match box and place it in a small dish and fill it with water to almost cover the meat. When this gets blown the eggs are kept moist and almost 100% success rate of hatching will occur. Place the dish over a larger container that has bran or pollard and clean the gentles in the normal way. By using such a small amount of meat there is almost no smell.
      One of the natural ways of supplying live food costs nothing. It is as simple as this. Put cloth/tarps beneath any shrub/ bush/tree in your yard/garden. After a period of time lift the product and shake it hard and you will find that the number and variety of insects that will fall is quite remarkable. The one thing to note is not do this when the foliage is wet. I hope that these suggestions will be of benefit to members.
      To finish of this epistle, I wish to advise in relation to my article ”The Jacarini Finch’ published in April1988, in which I advised that on one occasion four eggs were laid and all hatched and raised. In 2009 I again had a hen lay four eggs but unfortunately the nest was destroyed and all eggs lost.

      I must confess that, like thousands of Australians, I am a Baliphile. I have holidayed on the Indonesian island almost every other year since the late 1970s.  Other than being a great place to relax and experience a delightful foreign culture, it proves an ideal getaway spot for an aviculturist.
      Several well-known finches are common around Kuta, including Javan Munias, White-Headed Nuns and Spice Finches. All nest in the hotel gardens and feed upon the rice offerings at the countless small temples which frequent the area.   Hotel gardeners tell me that Strawberry Finches and Pin-tailed Parrot-finches also frequent the gardens although, despite diligent searching, I have never seen them.  Eurasian Tree Sparrows are another common bird feeding on the rice offerings.  I have noted Baya Weavers at Tanah Lot and the rare, for Bali, Java Sparrow in the rice paddies around Ubud.
      The Peaceful Dove is the most popular cage bird, hanging in ornate bamboo cages from house eaves. Its repetitious 'four o'clock' call endears it to Balinese bird lovers. However, because of heavy trapping in Bali, I have not come across it in the wild on the island.  Another favorite cage bird is the Hill Mynah. Its loud 'bee-oh' call and extraordinary ability to mimic human speech make it a much sought-after and expensive bird for the Balinese.
      A magnet for aviculturists is the Pasar Burung or bird market in Denpasar. It is a dismal place, crowded with dirty cages chock-a-block with birds, monkeys, palm squirrels, geckos, bats and fish.  It has an extensive range of foods for birds such as seeds, pellets, ant's eggs, crickets, mealworms and huge centipedes - which are fed to barbets.
Jewelry and all sorts of weird herbal medicines are also strange bedfellows of the birds on sale.
      Up until the late eighties a large variety of parrots were on sale. Chattering Lories, Red, Violet-necked, Black-capped, Red and Blue and lorikeets such as the Yellow-streaked, Weber's and Rainbow sub-species could be seen along with Lesser Sulphur-crested cockatoos, tiny Yellow-throated Hanging Parrots, Moustached Parrots and Vosmaeri Eclectus.  Trapping and Indonesian laws protecting these birds have greatly reduced the numbers on sale at the bird market.  The only parrots I saw in April this year were a few Chattering Lories, Hanging Parrots and large numbers of unfledged Moustached Parrots.
      It was the unfledged birds that inspired me to pen this article - but not the moustached parrots.
      At the end of the short street where the bird market is located is a small temple beneath a huge banyan tree.  Beside the temple and away from the bird market were two small groups of Balinese surrounded by large paper bags.  Every now and then they would open the bags and show their contents to the crowd of locals that surrounded them.  In the many times I have been to the market I have not witnessed this before.  In the bags, and still in their nests, were young Long-tailed Shrikes and Black-naped Orioles. While I was there, two young Shrikes sold for 25,000 rupiahs (about $3).  One of the sellers told me that he had caught the birds around Kintamani, which is on the edge of the Mt Batur crater.  They were selling the nestlings far cheaper than the adult birds available in the market and obviously the stallholders were not happy with them being there.  The nestlings were being hand fed with small crickets which had had the legs pulled off.  The orioles were also fed with balls of what appeared to be a maize meal.  The beautiful golden yellow and black orioles are commonly kept as cage birds in Bali, but I have not seen the shrikes in cages.

Guide to Bird Prices – 2010- 2011

      Suggestions are called from Victorian-based members for the next Guide to Bird Prices list, ie 2010 - 2011. The closing date is Wednesday 18 August 2010. All suggestions, either up or down, should be accompanied by reasons and sent to me at 125-129 North Mountain Road, Heathcote Junction, Victoria 3758; Email: grahoc@bigpond.com. In accordance with society policy specially selected subcommittees will assess all suggestions received prior to their final recommendations to the committee. Any member wishing to be on any of the subcommittees should contact one of the following committee members responsible co-ordinating this year’s Guide to Bird Prices list: Lou Dall’Est [03] 5782 0023, Ian Grant [03] 9398 3121(Parrots Rosellas etc), Colin Riddiford  [03] 9795 2981, Charlie Mizzi [03] 9544 6159(Finches,Softbills and Quails ect.).
   Remember: the list applies to Victoria only. It will be published in the October issue of Australian Aviculture.
Graeme Hocking
Secretary 

The society welcomes the following new members.
Please feel free to contact any of the people listed inside the front cover for advice. You are always welcome to attend our monthly meetings held on the third Wednesday of the month.

New Members that have joined the A S A from April to the end of June totalling Fifty Nine in number,
S Adem, B Argentino, R Becker, R Brailsford, K Brown, T Brown, S Cain, G Cini, D Curtis, M Davern, I Ellis, J Elphinstone, V Galea, T Hansen, D Hayhoe, M Henderson, O Henderson, R Henry, P Hicks, D Hill (A), J Holla, D Hunt, K Hunt (A), A Inge, G Jolley, Mrs Johnson(A), L Kane, W Kelly, G Kermi, J Lewis, F Lennecke, C Livingstone, H Mc Rorie, A Maric (A), A Martin, S Matthews (A),J Missen, C Norton, J Nugent, N Pattison, K Payne, B Pearce, G Phelps, M Pipkorn, A Pope, P Romney, C Sanderson, A Shelton, J Spisiak, T Stojkovski, A Stephens, J Streatfield, L Tait, M Thomas, N Vigor, T l Wan, K Wellings, M White, P White,

Obituary

CHARLIE BRIGGS Passed away 7/03/10
All members of our club were saddened by the death of our life member Charlie Briggs. Charlie started racing pigeons in 1964. He joined the society in 1974. Charlie kept several types of birds over the years, Gouldians, Stars, Bluefaced parrot finches, Neophemas, Princess and King parrots. Charlie held a position on the committee for many years and had great pleasure filling the role of supper steward. He was always available to have an active role in club activities and spent many an hour making nest boxes and carry boxes to sell at the bird sales. Much to his disappointment these interests couldn't be carried on due to his failing health and he passed away in March. Charlie will be sadly missed by all his friends in the Gippsland club.

During the first two weeks of September, 2010 the third annual Gouldian Finch Census will be held in the Save The Gouldian Finch research area around Wyndham, in the East Kimberley Region of Western Australia. This census forms part of our ongoing research and monitoring of this endangered finch in the Wyndham area that began in March 2007.
     The scope and nature of the Gouldian Finch work planned for this remote area of Australia was not without its own logistical problems. In 2008 the decision was made to establish a permanent research facility in the area, and the old Shire Hall in old Wyndham Port was obtained from the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley on a 21-year lease. Over the past 18 months the old Shire Hall has undergone a complete transformation and has been renovated to become the STGF's Wyndham Conservation Research Centre. For the first time researchers working in this remote, rugged area have comfortable accommodation, laboratory facilities and secure areas to store equipment. Researchers from Macquarie University now use this new facility as their base while studying various aspects of Gouldian Finch ecology on local populations. The annual census helps to monitor the movement and the overall size of the Gouldian Finch population within our study area.
     To gain an insight into the numbers of resident Gouldians in the research area we count the numbers of birds at waterholes early in the morning as they arrive to drink. During the 2009 Census twenty-nine people, including nine Kimberley Land Council trainee rangers, monitored and collected data from 21 waterholes that were within a 25km radius of Wyndham. This time of the year is chosen as the Gouldian Finches have finished breeding and formed flocks, which together with the shortage of water means they drink at the few remaining water sources making it easier for us to count them as they come in to drink.
     The 2009 count took place over four successive days with the counters being moved to a different location each day.
Counting started early each morning with counters being in place at their assigned waterholes by 5.30am; counting commenced at 6.00am and no one was allowed to move until we finished at 8.00am!
     Undoubtedly the highlight of the 2009 Count was the daily arrival of over 300 Gouldians in front of the Wyndham Shire Offices at about 6.30am each morning to drink from a puddle created by water run-off from the automatic sprinkler system that came on at 6.00am each morning. The mass of Gouldians arrived between 6.30am and 7.30am in groups varying in size from a dozen or so individuals, to flocks containing in excess of 50 birds. By 7.30am they had finished drinking and feeding on the lawn area, and departed.
'Too many to count', said a boggle eyed Wayne Southwell (one of the volunteers from Wollongong) who initially reported sighting in excess of 220 Gouldians drinking there!
Approximately 20-25% of all birds observed were adults; 75-80% were uncoloured juveniles. One flock containing 25 adults and 100 juveniles landed on the lawn area about 20 metres from us after drinking from the puddle and began feeding - we watched them for nearly a quarter of an hour. A phenomenal, sight!
     The official outcome of the 2009 census was that we believe that there are just over 400 Gouldians in the Wyndham study area - the overwhelming majority of which are juveniles (about 80% of the birds counted). This indicates that the population currently in the area in September 2009 is roughly on a par with that present at the same time in 2008. Although this in some ways is a healthy sign, we now need to find out what happens to the juveniles during the wet season.
The problem is that we go into the wet with a healthy population of juveniles, but large numbers do not survive to breed the following year.
     The other thing the census highlighted was how few of our banded breeding adults we recorded, which together with other measurements the researchers have made, may be indicating that the breeding adults do not survive long after the breeding season finishes.
     This year the number of volunteer helpers needed to successfully complete the census is fifty (50) people. At time of going to press we already have 25 volunteers so things are looking very good for the forthcoming September Gouldian Count!
     Applicants who are individual Save The Gouldian Fund members and/or donors will be given preference.  It is essential that each volunteer has a good pair of binoculars of his/her own.  Volunteers intending to participate in the census will need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
    This time we are expanding the area and number of water holes that we are going to cover to try and get a measure over a wider area, so we shall need many additional volunteers to successfully complete the task!

Sunday 5th September
• Assemble at Parry Creek Resort by 2.00pm.
• Presentation - Sarah Pryke - Update on what is happening to the Gouldian and habitat; plus an overview of the research projects.
• Induction - Mike Fidler - Guidance on what we are going to be doing for the following five days.
Monday 6th September
• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn.
• Rest of the day free.
Tuesday 7th September
• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn.
• Rest of the day free.
Wednesday 8th September
• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn.
• Rest of the day free.
Thursday 9th September
• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn.
• Rest of the day free.
• an evening barbeque at sunset at Bastion Lookout
Friday 10th September
• Bird counting at waterholes at dawn.
• Rest of the day free.
So if you fancy:
1.    a wonderful excuse to visit this spectacular area
2.    a unique opportunity to see Gouldian Finches in the wild together with 8 of our other native finches
3.    help in a really good cause
4.    meet up and make friends with some wonderful like-minded people
5.    get away from it all and chill out!!
For further information and registration please contact
David Myers
Save The Gouldian Fund
Communications Manager
email: dmyers28@hotmail.com
mobile: 0410 422386

      My finch aviaries are quite large, 12m long, 6m wide and 3m high, so replacing brush in the shelter area is a big job. I was looking for a method to secure large quantities of brush to the walls, but wanted a system that was quick and easy to replace. Something that I could replace brush sections if necessary at different times, without disturbing nesting birds.
      I secured the brush to the side and rear walls by first drilling a 5mm hole horizontally through the wall studs about 20 mm back from the leading edge. I then drilled holes in all of the wall studs from left to right. I thread 2.5 mm fencing wire through the holes, tying off at one end, and pulling tight, and nailing off at the other. This gives a single straight tight wire, 6 metres long. Lengths of cut tea tree are packed in behind the single wire and between each wall stud. The base of the cut branches sits on the wall noggings, and the wire retains the brush against the wall .I space these wires about 600mm apart horizontally, and continue to fill with brush. The result is a wall with a thick, layered covering of fresh tea tree.
      I also use a 2m. length of sheep yard mesh, 900mm wide (which is very sturdy). Any self supporting mesh could be used as an alternative. I suspend the mesh 500mm from the ceiling of the shelter with light chain at each corner. I then lay lengths of brush onto this “shelf”, to a depth of about 250mm. Many of my birds nest and roost in this suspended area. It appears that they can maintain surveillance of the aviary area, and still feel comfortable. Many of the birds don’t fly out of the shelter, even when I walk through the aviaries, cleaning, feeding or just admiring. This tea tree shelf also acts as an insulation barrier and helps regulate the temperature during the hottest days and cold nights.
      My banks of aviaries face east, for logistical reasons, so they catch all the morning sun. The sun moving though its seasonal track shines over the length of the aviaries from front to back. I wanted to draw the birds into the shelter area of an evening, for feeding and roosting purposes, particularly in the colder months. The rear wall (west facing) is 3m high. The wall is clad in zincalume wall sheets to a height of 2m. The top 90cm of this wall is covered with bird netting, and then covered with lazerlight opaque sheeting. The effect of this plastic ”window” is that the setting sun shines through and the birds fly into the shelter seeking the last warming sun rays, to a lighted area where a feed station is located. Many birds make use of the suspended brush area for roosting, while being warmed by the setting sun.
      I have found that having the “plastic window” across the width of shelter area (20m) helps regulate the internal temperatures of the shelter area. There is no condensation. There is ample lighting, even on nights of full moon. The birds don’t suffer from night fright, because there is light available front and rear of the shelter area. The birds don’t become startled and fly off into the night light, away from what would have been a dark shelter. The shelter is a very well lit area late in the day, which encourages the birds to seek warmth and shelter and feed prior to settling down for the night.