PPaillou farmyard scene Burghley House-FSS

PPaillou North Prospect of London taken from the Bowling Green at Islington. John Bowles 1752-FSS

The Nuremberg Lizard, a supplement

Posted on 20/04/202120/04/2021 by Huw Evans 1 Comment

It may be a coincidence, but the last two major discoveries concerning the history of the London Fancy and the Lizard canary have been made by European enthusiasts: Hein van Grouw (Netherlands) and Didier Mervilde (Belgium) in the case of the 1850 London Fancy, and Michael Monthofer (Germany) in the case of the Nuremberg Lizard. […]... Read More

Bird challenge Bells Sporting Chronicle-FSS

What’s in a name: the Fancy

Posted on 04/01/2019 by Huw Evans 2 Comments

London Fancy, Fife Fancy, Border Fancy, Irish Fancy, Scotch Fancy, the list goes on. Ever wondered why ‘Fancy’ was added to their names? Why not simply London canary, Fife canary, Border canary, Scotch canary?... Read More

A New way ety The Plague of Marseilles-FSS

A New Way of Breeding Canary Birds

Posted on 23/12/2018 by Huw Evans 4 Comments

It cost just 1s. 6d. (equivalent to 7.5 pence) when first published. Earlier this month a copy sold for more than 10,000 times as much. Not bad for a small book on breeding canaries.... Read More

Slow wingbeat

Posted on 28/03/2017 by Huw Evans 6 Comments

Fine Spangled Sort has been on the wing for 18 months. That wingbeat is about to slow down... Read More

It is dangerous to be right when men in authority are wrong

Posted on 20/12/201620/12/2016 by Huw Evans 3 Comments

“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” “When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion.” “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” (1) As you may have noticed, I am rather fond of starting […]... Read More

First Anniversary

Posted on 01/10/2016 by Huw Evans 9 Comments

Is today, so three cheers!... Read More

Bird’s eye view: the canaries of Midway

Posted on 29/07/201629/07/2016 by Huw Evans 6 Comments

I had never heard of the Midway canaries until I read Rosemary Low’s article in Cage & Aviary Birds (1). Midway is an atoll comprising two small islands in the middle of the Pacific ocean, but is widely known thanks to the name it gave to one of the pivotal naval battles of the Second […]... Read More

fine spangled sort

The London Fancy and the Lizard canary . . . for those who are very curious