Miss O. Branch
There is a strand of schoolboy humour based on people with funny names. Most are smutty, some obscene, but the likes of Annette Curtin, Warren Peace, Justin Case and Orson Carte, still make me chuckle. ... Read More
General
Bird’s eye view: Hall of Fame
Cage & Aviary Birds launched a quest to produce its own Hall of Fame this week (1). You’ll have to obtain a copy to read the rules, but in essence the aim is to find the ‘UK’s All-time Great Birdkeepers’. ... Read More
Lizard canary basics, part 12: head and shoulders
“The spangling is clear and distinct, each individual spangle being clear of another. It extends from the back of the cap in perfectly straight lines to the wing coverts, each succeeding spangle progressively larger than the one nearer the neck.” Extract from the LCA Description of the Ideal Lizard Canary... Read More
The Scott Archive: the Norwich Alliance show 1955
“Having paid my entrance fee I found myself in a very large and well lighted show hall and the sight that met my eyes was one to make my heart miss a beat – rows upon rows of the famous blue and black Lizard show cages! My immediate thought was that surely this must be […]... Read More
Bird’s eye view: maestros and monstrosities
There were two articles in this week’s Cage & Aviary Birds that caught my eye (1). The first, by Terry Kelly, was entitled Learning from the maestros. It was probably as succinct an article on developing a quality stud of canaries as I’ve come across.... Read More
History, part 15: I wonder what he meant by that?
When the great French diplomat Talleyrand heard of the death of the Turkish ambassador, he allegedly asked “I wonder what he meant by that?” (1). In its absurdity lies a truth: people are always looking for hidden meanings in what others say and do. ... Read More
Bird’s eye view: Double Dutch
The Dutch have always had an unusual approach to the Lizard canary. I’ve never understood why. ... Read More