AS DECEMBER comes around, there is only the odd show or two left to complete the UK canary show season, and the majority of major winners have already been seen and assessed by most exhibitors, at one point or another. Or have they? The unseasonal long moult which many breeders are talking about this year may yet mean there are several new faces on our later show benches, which will extend the competitive interest we all share. I certainly hope so! My main thoughts, however, are focused primarily on next year’s breeding season.
At home in the birdroom, I aim on placing my hens into small flights, three or four to a cage utilising treble breeders wherever possible. My cock birds are in large 24in (61cm) single breeders, one bird to a cage. I find these practices helpful to avoid fighting, reduce stress and at the same time allow the birds to increase their fitness and activity levels over the next two or three months.
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The charm of the English Cinnamon
Despite its long and complicated history, the true Cinnamon canary is still with us – in the hands of a tiny group of breeders. DONALD SKINNER-REID reckons it deserves wider appreciation
Spangles: a personal overview
FRED WRIGHT relates a budgie story of over-exploitation, consequent problems and abundant potential for the future
New converts to old breeds
Old and rare canaries have a reputation for adding fresh interest and challenge to the hobby. PETE HOOK and NICK JOY agree, and explain the birds’ charm to Dave Brown
Themed aviaries are a hit with the public at annual Stafford show
DECORATIVE AVIARY DISPLAYS from a CBS and an online bird keeping advice group were voted in the top three by visitors for the inaugural Stafford Aviary Competition.
Pieds with potential
More than just a lesser variety, the dominant pied will introduce challenge and change into most studs, reckons CLIVE WAKEMAN. Here he discusses pairings to try and others to avoid
Club News
Welcome to the club and show pages – the bit that’s all about you Results: convention, specialist & rare and Breeder of the Year
Canaries Month by Month:
With Christmas around the corner, BRIAN KEENAN is well into his winter programme, and reckons he might deserve a nice outcross
The World's Best-Known Hummingbird?
Intensively studied, the gem-like Anna’s hummingbird is a welcome visitor to the gardens of America’s most populous state: California. Bill Naylor investigates its life history
The truth about the ‘flying toad'
Odd local names and weird superstitions can’t hide the beauty and elegance of the nightjar, a species that has made a fascinating subject in a few zoo collections, reveals BILL NAYLOR
The talent behind Pilsen Zoo
Rosemary Low meets the supremely gifted TOMÁS PES, the extraordinary leading spirit at one of Europe’s foremost zoos
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GOD SAVE MY PUBS
Tim Martin is fighting to keep Wetherspoons, his working-class British chain, alive. His detractors would bid it good riddance
LUXURY CAR BRAND JAGUAR TO GO ALL-ELECTRIC BY 2025
Struggling luxury car brand Jaguar will be fully electric by 2025, the British company said this week as it outlined a plan to phase out internal combustion engines.
AGAINST ALL ODDS
FILMING TOP GEAR AMERICA AT THE HEIGHT OF A PANDEMIC
World's Largest Dark Web Marketplace Taken Offline, Operator Arrested
WHAT'S NEW NOW / DARK WEB
Around the World by SCOOTER AND SIDECAR
On October 21, 2017, I found myself rid ing off from London’s iconic Ace Cafe on a Honda SH300i scooter with sidecar. Beside me was my childhood pal, Reece Gilkes. Our destination was the exact spot we were departing from, as the plan was to be the first to ride around the world on a scooter and s idecar.
FREAKED-OUT CRUISE TAKES CONTROL!
Gets COVID-proof movie set after wild virus rant
MIND READING
Brain-computer interfaces could revolutionize the way we live
Making Goals
Each composition Sue Miller paints has specific technical goals to enhance the overall vision
Master Showcase
THE ART OF THE PORTRAIT