SOME OF THE BIRDS I'VE KEPT & BRED:
I've kept and bred birds since the age of 16. Of course as children we had the typical childhood pets such as dogs, cats and the family Budgie/s. I purchased my first birds being a pair of Galahs at the age of 16, and had kept and bred many birds over the years including Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Budgerigar, Zebra Finch, Love Birds in particular Peach Face; Java Sparrow, several types of Quails, Turquoise Parrot- Normals, Red-bellied and Full Red-fronted; Princess Alexandra Parrot (Princess Parrot), Crimson Rosella, Crimson Finch, Gouldian Finch and Cape Barren Goose.
Of course the quality of my bird cages and aviaries improved greatly over the years, and having to move birds and dismantle aviaries, move and rebuild set-ups from one rental property to another and then eventually to our own block was always a challenge, so I liked to keep my aviary set-ups small enough to manage these moves.
Above and below: Another earlier aviary set-up on a small suburban block in Cranbrook. Shown here are the Turquoise Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Princess Parrot, various Quails avairies, and on the other side of this small suburban backyard is the Zebra Finch Aviary.
A couple of the most terrible photos on the planet of some of my Zebra Finches. Obviously it appears as though I've used a flash in these photos, probably couldn't help it with those old cameras, but I've made it a rule these days never to use a flash with any wildlife particularly birds.
The multiple nesting box used in the Gouldian's aviary was used first in the Zebra Finches aviary, and as with all nesting boxes were made by my hubby.
One of our temporary aviary setups on Connemara Course, Kelso:
Above: Taken from upstairs. We had to enclose the aviaries in shade-cloth to protect the birds from snakes, rodents, wild birds; and to prevent escapes. A little while after these photos were taken we built on a large shade-house at the back of the aviaries to house some of the 10,000 odd plants we propagated from seed, cuttings, etc.
Green arrow points to a pair of Pale-headed Rosellas.
Above: Taken from in front of the Crimson Finch aviary (not seen in this photo), looking from Crimson Rosella aviary.
Above: Taken from second Turquoise aviary. 6/10/94 Cock feeding Hen. Next aviary to left is the Gouldian aviary.
Above: Left small aviary, which hubby built from scratch is the Crimson Finch aviary, Right - Crimson Rosella aviary.
Above: Crimson Rosellas - Hen (R) Cock (L).
Above: Princess Parrots - Cock - closest, Hen - behind. Most of the dowel perches in all aviaries were replaced with natural perches when we found suitable ones, but left a few smaller dowel perches in corners of aviaries.
Above: Gouldian aviary, 3 birds out of picture, 2 in nesting boxes and one at entrance to single box at right from what I remember.
Above and below: Temporary Gouldian Finch aviary.
Above: Nesting log 2nd Turquoise aviary. Hen peering out of hole. Blue thing on top of log is nest inspection lid.
Above: Cock bird, 2nd Turquoise aviary. Preparing to feed babies.
Above: First Fledgling out of 3 from nesting log - 1st Turq aviary. Taken: 24/10/94.
Above: (L) 2nd fledgling - male, (R) 1st fledgling female, from nesting log.
Above: Cock bird about to feed fledglings. Those dryish looking clumps pegged onto front of aviary were fresh seeding grass heads which were given several times daily especially in breeding season, on top of their commercial diet of seeds, pellets and soft foods, and any fruits and vegies they would eat such as silverbeet, corn and apple, etc.
Above: 1st Turq aviary. Normal hen front, Red-bellied Turq rear.
PERMANENT AVIARY SET-UP ON OUR ACREAGE BLOCK:
Above: Permanent aviary set-up on our block. We removed all the ginger on the right in 2002 over several days and replaced it with "White Sapphire" pebbles 17/8/02 and Mondo grass.
I built a small set of steps at the second post which will lead to a small jetty and a pagoda-like building which hubby built over the water.
Above: Permanent aviary set-up and renovation of pond to a slightly more semi-formal look with an oriental flavour - Year 2000. Plantings were small then, which allowed visits from a variety of larger waterbirds such as Yellow-billed Spoonbills, Great, Intermediate and Cattle Egrets, White-faced/White-necked Herons; Cormorants and Darters, also had visits from a variety of ducks, the occasional Jacana, and several species of Kingfisher.
One of our Cape Barren Geese enjoying a swim. This was our pond in 1997/98 (only shows some of the pond) before we undertook renovations in 2000. As we didn't have the materials - rock, timber, etc; at the time to set the pond up as per one of my original designs. More on that on "OUR ACREAGE BLOCK" page.
One of our Cape Barren Geese enjoying a swim in our pond. 1997/98 (Prior to pond renovations in 2000).
One of our Cape Barren Geese enjoying a swim in our pond. 1997/98. I think.
Shows one of the bridges Hubby made. There is a 10 metre long creek (one of two creeks) beyond the bridge. The Pale-vented Bush-hens usually have their nest at the end of this creek.
Above: This is Mr Cape Barren Goose who has come inside and sat on a nice soft towel. They would often come inside for a visit and some human company, and no surprisingly they never pooped inside!!!!.Their enclosure was up the back yard past the aviaries and they were 'herded' there each evening - they knew the 'routine', but were allowed the run of the yard and pond during the day.
