Whenever I travel to Holland for The Lizarddag, I try to call in on Piet Renders to observe the progress of his great project: the resurrection of the London Fancy canary. I was there at the birth of the new London Fancy and have seen Piet’s birds develop to the point where they are no longer considered a fluke or a novelty, but are given due respect. The new London Fancy has a long way to go, but I can’t believe my luck to have witnessed its renaissance.
Here is a photographic record of my visit last week. Apologies for the colour of the interior shots, but I think you can get a measure of the quality of his birds.
Piet Renders and Harry Kapel
Piet Renders’ jonque London Fancy 2016
Piet Renders’ white over-year London Fancy
Piet Renders’ indoor flights
Piet Renders’ over-year mealy London Fancy
Piet Renders’ pensioners (birds over 3 years old)
Piet Renders’ pensioners in the aviary
Piet Renders’ jover-year cinnamon/brown London Fancy
Piet Renders’ Black Siskin x canary hybrid
Piet Renders’ over-year mealy London Fancy
Piet’s aviaries where he accommodates his pensioners
A spangle-back London Fancy bred by Piet in 2016
The dark underflue of Piet’s spangle-back
Footnote:
My thanks, as ever, to my friend Harry Kapel.