31 Bird Scene - September & October 2016 by Theparrotsociety

BIRD ISSUE THIRTY ONE: SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

19 Clubs are Exhibiting at this show. Exhibition stock includes Irish Fancy, Fife, Gloster, Old Variety, New Colour, Lizard, London Fancy, Norwich, Border, Budgerigars, Lovebirds, Zebra Finches, Bengalese, Waxbills, British Birds & Hybrids, Java Sparrows and as pictured Australian Finches.

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION GUYANA’S NORTHERN AMAZONIA BY VICKIE LILLO

21 ISS ST UE O 3 20 CT 2 O 16 OB UT ER

LES RANCE INTERVIEWS IAN GROVES ON HIS JAVA SPARROW COLLECTION

FR EE

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CONTENTS BIRD SCENE: SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

CONTENTS DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

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JAVA SPARROWS Les Rance interviews Ian Groves on his Collection.

GUYANA’S NORTHERN AMAZONIA By Vickie Lillo

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION 9TH OCTOBER 2016 By Les Rance

YASHA’S GREAT ESCAPE By Richard Strudwick

ON THE COVER

BIRD ISSUE THIRTY ONE: SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

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THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION

LES RANCE INTERVIEWS IAN GROVES ON HIS JAVA SPARROW COLLECTION

GUYANA’S NORTHERN AMAZONIA BY VICKIE LILLO

9TH OCTOBER 2016

21 ISSU ST E O 32 20 CT O 16 OB UT ER

THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

BIRD SCENE: Issue Thirty One: September / October 2016 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL, England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245 Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org / E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org The views expressed by contributors to this magazine are not those of The Parrot Society UK unless otherwise explicitly stated

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INTRODUCT

Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@

his is now the thirty first edition of Bird Scene, so we are now well into the fifth year of the life of this on-line magazine, the first FREE on-line bird magazine produced in the UK. At 48 pages this is quite a big read! From a technical point publishing on the net allows us to use images that are too small to print in a paper magazine. For on-line publishing we can work at a picture resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi) whereas if we want to reproduce an image in our monthly Parrot Society magazine we have to work at 300 dpi, over 4 times the resolution. Also the images do appear brighter as can be seen in this issue where the Java Sparrows look as they could leap out of the page! Every time we post the Parrot Society magazine I cringe at the cost and after the recent changes when postal costs increased further the distribution expenses have become very costly, I just do not know how smaller clubs with limited funds will be able to continue printing a member’s magazine, maybe E-magazines are the way to go? As a result of increases to

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the costs of both postage and printing I am really pleased that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the last four years about this way of communicating with bird enthusiasts and I am sure that this knowledge will become more and more valuable as we see further increases in costs associated to paper magazines. Not directly related to Bird Scene but a project that has been helped tremendously from what we have learned about on-line magazines is work I have undertaken to produce our Parrot Society magazine (which has been published for 50 years) in an on-line format for overseas readers this is especially appealing for members in Ireland who have to pay high postage costs to receive the paper magazine. This version is now available for 2016, for more information please email me at les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org Regular readers will know that Bird Scene has been produced to publicise The National Exhibition held each year at our October Sale Day/Show and to

TION

BY THE EDITOR

LES RANCE

@theparrotsocietyuk.org promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. Previous editions are still to be found in an archive at the foot of the Home Page of our website and if you would like to see earlier versions then do please visit the Bird scene archive at www.theparrotsocietyuk.org. In this edition we have an excellent article on Java Sparrows being kept in England by Ian Groves, I do thank him for the work he has invested, without such enthusiastic keepers we would have little to publish. A year ago there were a spate of thefts, which has now been ongoing for over a year now from exhibitors keeping valuable show birds, there is strong evidence that exhibitors are being followed home after shows so it is suggested that you keep a close lookout for cars following you on your homeward journey, please

see the advice that John Hayward gave on this serious problem in the 18th issue of Bird Scene by going to the archive at the foot of our Home page website. Also in this issue is a very interesting article by a new contributor Vicki Lillo on Ecotourism and Preservation of Psittacines on the Pakuri Indian Reservation in Guyana. Do make sure you see the article on The National Exhibition which is being held at Staffordshire County Showground on Sunday 9th October, not far off now! I do trust that you enjoy this edition.

JAV SPAR A RO PAGE WS 06

Photographs © Neil Randle

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FEATURE

Ian Groves

LES RANCE INTERVIEWS IAN GROVES ON HIS COLLECTION OF

JAVA SPARROWS Why I wanted to keep Javas. Javas were one of the first birds that I had as a child. My parents, not into animals in any way, indulged my brother and me with reptiles, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish tanks and aviaries. Dad built the first one and it took over half the back garden and, through a work contact, sourced our first birds - hand-reared cockatiels. We soon expanded the collection and Dad decided that redcrested cardinals, Pekin robins and Java sparrows should be part of the collection... and as he was paying.... Javas have always appealed to me in several ways. Mainly the crispness and smartness of their appearance. The delicate greys blending through the body into a suffused pink to be bracketed with a black head and tail. Then the stunning BIRD SCENE 07

white cheek patch topped off with that coral pink beak. They always look immaculate; like little soldiers on parade. They also have that jaunty demeanour so much like the House Sparrow, hopping around interested in everything. Equally though, they are frustrating in that I find mine to be very nervous of change and they will take a couple of days to use a new perch in the aviary. Other factors are that they’re hardy, sociable and free breeding, all of which are a boon to a busy commuter. How did I find/purchase the birds To be honest I don’t remember where I got the initial nucleus of this group from. It was definitely a pet shop or dealer and

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I’m also fairly sure that they were at a bargain price; I didn’t source them privately and haven’t been to a show since Alexandra Palace in my childhood. (That dates me !) How do I house them My birds are all housed in the garden where my husband has converted half the garage into a birdroom. I have three flights with inside and outside areas. One flight houses Cockatiels and cock budgies, a second hen budgies, a pair of Bourkes and hen zebra finches; the largest flight houses my flock of Javas and the cock zebras (and the odd hen that has managed to find the one gap in the wire between them!)

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The aviaries all have gravel floors and the perches at each end are covered against the weather. With the threat of six weeks of snow that we had late last year, we spent a small fortune on additional polycarbonate sheeting and clad the entire top half of the the aviary against snow, rain and wind. I think the birds have benefited from the additional protection. The birdroom has a small oil-filled

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radiator to keep the frost out. The birds always have lighting through until around 9pm and a nightlight after that. A few of the zebras like to sleep out at night but during the winter I like them to go into the heated birdroom and shut them in for extra warmth. For Christmas, my in-laws bought me some infrared security cameras which are now installed in the birdroom so that I can watch the birds from wherever I am

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in the world (subject to bandwidth or 4G allowances!) and whatever time of the day it is. This has certainly helped me understand where the Javas sleep and why the zebras want to sleep outside.

What I feed them on They’re fed on a fairly staple foreign finch mix enlivened with millet sprays, sundry greens (either sharing my salads or perhaps weeds from the garden such as dandelion). Occasionally some apple but they don’t seem that keen. Being a frequent visitor to Brighton, I am the despair of my friends for picking up armfuls of cuttlefish from the beach on a day out.

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How do I breed them I always have a few nest boxes available in the inside flights for the Javas to roost in, but during the summer I put up a shelf of boxes in the outside flight across the back wall. It takes about 10 budgie boxes which seem to work well giving enough choice that I’m not aware of squabbling. I haven’t previously made much change to their diet during breeding in the past (they’ve seemingly ignored egg food), but having recently read a book on avicultural diets by KC Lint of San Diego zoo (Feeding Cage Birds) I’m starting to

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augment their diet with mealworms and trout pellets. Time will tell. What colour Java Sparrows do you like I started with 6 birds (4 grays and 2 silver) and now have over 30 from that original core. It’s not been a meteoric explosion but enough to keep me happy. I do like the wild grays for all the reasons I outlined at the top and the silver is a muted form of that still showing those distinctive patterns. I don’t like the whites as they don’t exhibit those exciting contrasts.

I started with 6 birds (4 grays and 2 silver) and now have over 30 from that original core. It’s not been a meteoric explosion but enough to keep me happy.

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VICKIE LILLO

GUYANA’S NORTHERN AMAZONIA: LOKONO-ARAWAK AMERINDIANS OPEN ECO-LODGE ON PAKURI RESERVATION, A 240-SQUARE MILE ‘PARROT SAFE ZONE’, AS DECREED BY TRIBAL LAW

2003 – Tribal Council – Pakuri Arawak Territory, Guyana With the national government’s sanction allowing the exportation of over 30,000 parrots and macaws per year into the

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foreign pet trade markets of Europe and Asia, Guyana faces the eventual extinction of its 30 species of psittacines. Twenty-two of those species make their home on the Lokono-Arawak reservation

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DONATE TO OUR CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

of Pakuri, living side by side with 1,700 Amerindians. One of those tribesmen, Damon Corrie, heir to the Hereditary Chieftancy of the Eagle Clan, and proud of his birthright, petitions the currently-

elected Chief to protect the parrots nesting in tribal territory. Protect them for the enjoyment of future generations and for the thousands of birdwatchers and eco-tourists worldwide whose visits will

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help generate much-needed income for these indigenous peoples of northern Amazonia. Penned by the international Foster Parrots Ltd. and named after a deceased board member who fell in love with Guyana’s birds, the Nancy Lewis Cullity Parrot Protection Act is signed into tribal law. “I, David Mark Simon, duly elected Chief/ Captain of Pakuri Arawak Territory, do, on this 17th day of September 2003 hereby decree that all hunting of parrot/macaw species for ornamental uses, food, re-sale or export from the 240 square miles of Pakuri Territory/St. Cuthbert’s Mission reservation lands will henceforth be illegal and deemed contrary to the values and our spiritual link to the land that has sustained our people since the dawn of time… Exemptions to this law will be made for: Those who wish to keep a parrot/macaw as a companion with the provision that these captive specimens will be given a semi-free existence and the freedom to wander among the trees and in our village. Any and all parrot/macaw feathers used in traditional/non-traditional crafts or for ceremonial purposes MUST be either naturally molted feathers by living specimens or from naturally deceased specimens.” Signed into Official Tribal Council Law, Date: September 17, 2003 signed: David Mark Simon.

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2016 – Ayonto Hororo Eco-lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary – upper Mahaica River, region 4 Fast forward almost thirteen years later, to 2016, to the 50-year anniversary of Guyana’s independence from Great Britain. Damon Corrie’s vision has finally come true – the new Ayonto Hororo Eco-lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary has officially opened and the first week-long sightseers have come to the Pakuri Reservation on holiday. These privileged visitors – my husband Gustavo, son Nicolas and I – have come to this pristine wonderland, considered part of the Amazon River Basin, to go ‘birding’ and ‘field herping’. To view hoatzins and channel-billed toucans, green macaws and hummingbirds in their natural habitat. To traipse over grassy plains and through virgin thickets of evergreen forest in search of snakes and lizards, amphibians and invertebrates. We plan to go angling for monster catfish and peacock bass. Maybe even piranhas. And let’s not forget the halfday domestic flight into the interior, on a 13-passenger Cessna…where we’ll be soaring above endless vistas of ‘broccoliflower’ trees, on our way to Kaiteur Falls. Best of all, while we marvel at the thrilling daily exploits, this professional travel writer and her family intend to become immersed in the customs and fascinating spirituality of our Amerindian hosts.

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Upon arrival at the Eco-lodge, we are treated to a delicious repast of curried tapir over rice and yucca, a typical Lokono meal. According to Damon, “The Arawaks are meat eaters. They eat meat with lunch and dinner.” Only a few of the remaining tribesmen still hunt the traditional ways – with bows and arrows or dart guns – killing pacas, peccaries (Old World pigs), wild turkeys called ‘marudies’, and agoutis. And with every hunt, Damon continues, “We give thanks to the Creator. We also give thanks to the animal that has sacrificed its life for our sustenance’. I find myself pondering such a wonderful philosophy every time I savor a bite of steak or munch on a chicken breast. All of the meat to supply the

needs of the Eco-lodge is purchased from these native hunters or at the local village store. Varieties of fish plucked from the life-giving Mahaica River, along with an abundance of fresh eggs, round out the protein menu.

These privileged visitors – my husband Gustavo, son Nicolas and I – have come to this pristine wonderland, considered part of the Amazon River Basin, to go ‘birding’ and ‘field herping’. To view hoatzins and channel-billed toucans, green macaws and hummingbirds in their natural habitat.

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Besides the nice accommodations, authentic home-cooking and personalized laundry service, the Ayonto Hororo homestay provides an opportunity to view wildlife up close. Behind the eco-lodge, a dozen or so land tortoises cavort amongst the low-growing papaya bushes. “These are the only two species of terrestrial turtles in Guyana,” our proprietor maintains, “The yellow-footed, and the red-footed. Either of them makes a great pet.” Nestled inside a carapace of bone, these cold-blooded vertebrates lumber over the close-cropped grasses near the patio. I pick up the one with the garish red speckles on his front and hind legs, and yellow flecks atop his head – he looks as if he’s been ‘bedazzled’ with crimson nail polish and gold-colored gems. 18

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A few minutes later, Damon appears toting an ivory sack and sporting a Cheshire-cat grin. A tug on the drawstring brings forth a juvenile red-tailed boa constrictor, eagerly attempting to wiggle out of the canvas bag. Zigzagging towards a nearby soursop tree and the tall weeds at the edge of the property… serpentining towards freedom. Our indigenous host steps between the snake and its impending freedom, completely unfazed as the boa slithers over his toes. “It senses heat,” he comments, pointing to an inquisitive rooster making a brave approach. “That’s why they don’t eat carrion. They have to sense something as ‘prey’.” He laughs, “They need something to stimulate that tiny reptile brain.” A self-taught herpetologist and expert admirer of parrots, Damon and his Arawak

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brethren ‘have respect for living animals of all kinds,” and wouldn’t dream of hurting anything, not even the oversized, hairy wolf spider that enjoys hanging out in the shower with each one of us on a few occasions. Suddenly, I hear a squawk…from an orange-winged amazon bobbing her head gaily up and down. The leaves of the decorative shrub rustle from her furtive dance. “Let me introduce you,” Damon smiles. “This is Laura. She’s one of the exotic pets here at the lodge.” The parrot is swaying in tempo to some inaudible melody that only she can hear. She preens for my camera: the coal-black eyes sparkle, while the jaunty yellow crown atop her forehead begins to jiggle. I hear myself saying, Pretty bird. Laura is a pretty bird. am taken back to my childhood and my beloved pet parakeet Chipper. As I dart back and forth snapping delightful pictures of the psittacine, I am filled with admiration and pride toward my new Lokono-Arawak friends. Proud that former Chief David Simon had the gumption to sign the Nancy Lewis Cullity Parrot Protection Act and be the first indigenous nation in all of Latin America to safeguard its avian treasures. Proud that Damon Corrie had the foresight and the dream of an ecotourism enterprise capable of delivering such a grand Amazonian adventure in a country that many people can’t even locate on the map.

Along the Shores of the Mahaica River With our Amerindian guide Cleveland ‘Buddy’ Simon manning the tiny motor on our aluminum johnboat, and Erb ‘Ducky’ Simon navigating up front, Gustavo and I meander along the black waters of the Mahaica River. In search of bird-life. Near the shore, an egret wades in the marsh, hunting for tiny crustaceans and mussels amongst the red mangroves. A black-billed ani, nicknamed ‘old witch’ by the Lokonos, perches on a naked tree limb, looking on. A trio of green-rumped parrotlets apparently lost in gossip, chatter vociferously; their noisy banter shatters the early-morning solitude along the river. We pass by quickly, nonplussed; we are after a more regal sighting – the national bird of Guyana, the hoatzin. We follow the Mahaica for several miles, to the nesting area where Damon, Buddy and Ducky have all seen the ‘Canje pheasant’, as the locals call it, season

I hear myself saying, Pretty bird. Laura is a pretty bird. am taken back to my childhood and my beloved pet parakeet Chipper. As I dart back and forth snapping delightful pictures of the psittacine, I am filled with admiration and pride toward my new Lokono-Arawak friends.

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FEATURE after season. Raising its chicks in elaborate roosts in the heart of buttonwood trees. Mukka mukka (wild arum) bushes proliferate along the water’s edge. Being the hoatzin’s favorite food source, both the verdant spathes enshrouding white spiked flowers and the arrow-shaped leaves beckon to the clumsy stink-bird. With a pair of bovine-like stomachs full of ‘good’ bacteria, the unique Canje pheasant can only digest buds and leafy vegetation…no seeds, no fruits. Just verdure. So, as the bird harmlessly ‘chews its cud’, like a cow, this ‘good’ bacteria forms a methane gas which the hoatzin belches up without warning. Immediately, putrid vapors waft through the tangled undergrowth. Ducky’s nose twitches at the rank brume. ‘She’s here.” Buddy cranks the engine off; the john-boat slowly eases into the cluster of ité palms and water lettuce. We dodge the fibrous fronds as the inky water laps against the side of our skiff. Further and further…deeper and deeper, we penetrate into the bowels of coastal forest. With the recent rainy season’s daily deluges, the Mahaica is swelled way beyond its banks and light paddling propels the boat effortlessly into the labyrinth of interlaced greenery. I don’t really like it in all these weeds, I tell myself. But I want to be a birder, and if this is what it takes… Luckily, for me, I manage to dodge the thorns of a kongopong tree AND a steady stream of cutter

ants climbing along a highway of strangler fig roots. As I flick a beetle from the sweaty hairs on my arm, my husband points towards the overgrowth. “See her?” I nod and, together, we strain to catch a glimpse of the hoatzin. A dozen pictures later and we have retreated back into the main current, headed toward Ducky’s house along the riverbank. “I have a surprise for you.” The ‘surprise’ turns out to be Ashton, a gorgeous yellow-crested amazon, and family pet. Per the stipulations of the Parrot Protection Act, the bird is allowed to spend his days untethered, welcome to flitter from treetop to treetop to treetop, if he so desires. At the moment, however, he is sitting contentedly on a picnic table, surrounded by ornamental grasses and shrubbery purchased in Georgetown. The lemon-colored plumage on his head waggles in the humid breeze BIRD SCENE

of midday. Gustavo extends a finger to the psittacine and Ashton approaches without a care in the world. Too bad we can’t linger here, in this well-tended garden, much longer…storm clouds are brewing and another early afternoon downpour threatens. Savanna and Tropical Rainforest, just outside gate at Eco-lodge Just beyond the entrance gate to the Eco-lodge property, we begin our trek… tramping along the muddy lane that leads into the reservation. After last night’s pounding thunderstorms, the access road has become more of a riverbed of soft loam. We climb the embankment just past the giant breadfruit tree and arrive at the savanna grasslands. Dappled by hardy Dakama trees growing out of the white sand, the plains offer little in the manner of shelter from the broiling sun. But I am prepared for the heat – I have my broad-brimmed hat, my dampened ‘cooling’ towel draped around my neck, and plenty of 50 SPF sunscreen slathered on my face, arms and legs. We scan the distant tree-line, at the start of the rainforest, in search of wild animals. Nothing. The rampant rains of the past few days have driven the Mahaica beyond its banks (to about 6-feet above flood stage), and even the open savanna shows sign of torrential excess. Pools of water snake across the sandy soil.

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Noon draws near and we seek respite from the heat under the flowering branches of a cashew tree. Thwack, thwack, Buddy severs the ‘handle’ from the succulent cashew apple and pries the nut from its kidney-shaped shell. Sucking on the sweet juice, which tastes like a hybrid of mango and grapefruit, we are suddenly distracted by a flock of parrots cruising overhead. Screeching and cackling in raucous fashion, but unfortunately, too high up in the air for a decent photograph. No matter. It just feels fabulous listening to their natural prattle, watching them glide freely, without fear of capture, across the cloudy northern Guyana sky. With my thirst quenched by the cashew apple and my enthusiasm resuscitated by the sight of the psittacines, I am ready to continue on, into the tropical rainforest jungle. Trudging along a narrow trail often obliterated by decomposing leaves or puddles of rain run-off. Through the palms and mimosa trees we wander… catching a glimpse every now and again of an orchid bloom sandwiched amidst the bromeliads and liana vines, in our quest for lizards, snakes, and giant frogs. Outskirts of Tribal Village, Pakuri Reservation Nightfall has already descended and the trail to the tribal village is lit only by Damon’s headlamp and the weak beam of our flashlights. At the first home on the

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right, we cut across the grass and head towards the backyard. I am so busy looking down at the ground for any signs of unexpected slithering that I haven’t realized yet that the most beautiful scarlet macaw is serenely sitting on a tree bough, studying our approach. “Don’t be afraid. He’s very friendly,” the Amerindian woman assures me. “You can hold him,” and before I know it, the hefty parrot has been deposited into my hands. Wearing a mantle of exquisite blue, yellow, and vermilion red, the bird quivers ever so slightly, perhaps sensing my unease. Gustavo coaxes him onto his forearm and the scarlet macaw sidesteps his way - with attitude - to my husband’s shoulder. A flap of his enormous wings amidst a flurry of feathers, and the majestic psittacine is straddled between the two of us. One razor-sharp talon bites into my flesh and that formidable nut-cracker beak is only inches from my face. Now, this is indeed the genuine Guyana…the mysterious, sometimes haunting, playground of northern Amazonia. A ‘wild’ and untamed land, presenting the rawest of nature, where we have the rare privilege of seeing, and interacting with, the royalty of the rainforest’s winged population. Lovely parrots and grandiose macaws, like the ones only seen in magazine slicks or on TV, rollick in front of our eyes. Damon 24

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Corrie’s dreams of aspiration for his people have finally come to fruition. Foreign visitors from all around the globe can book a week-long holiday at the Ayonto Hororo Eco-lodge on the Pakuri Reservation, in the only English-speaking country in the Amazon River Basin and delight in the biodiversity of the LokonoArawak territory. After all, the most valuable asset toward saving the planet for our children, and our children’s children, plus slowing disastrous climate change is to protect the world’s rainforests. With every passing year, the forests dwindle further, and the wealth of creatures, great and small, who call the jungles their home, have less and less ‘living space’. The only way to halt the decimation is through education. Indigenous education. Being taught that “living animals of all kinds, we have respect for. All animals have a spiritual significance in dreams or visions, and a separate practical life lesson to teach in the waking state, when you observe the living animal going about its normal life…every insect, reptile, amphibian, bird, fish, mammal, arthropod, etc.” Our Amerindian host elaborates further, “The traditional way of living (the Lokono-Arawak way) did not reduce nature to a mere ‘commodity’ to be used or abused for the pursuit of money.” Eloquently put, Damon Corrie. That also means no big-game hunting trips on the reservation, no trophies for the wall.

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Postscript: Writing a New Chapter in the Lokono-Arawak‘s History Books I went to Guyana with a single purpose in mind: to see the wonders of the Amazon, from the tallest trees to the most minute of insects foraging along the forest floor, and do it, if possible, on a pauper’s budget. I had already ascertained that travel within the country would be expensive. With few roads, most of which are poorly-maintained, trips to the interior would either require lengthy journeys over shoddy dirt roads which cost a lot of TIME or repeated air travel which costs a lot of MONEY. We didn’t have much of either to spare.

Then I came across First Nations Vacations under a Google search and I found what I was looking for. A homestay vacation in a brand-new ecolodge, with all transportation included – between the airport and the 60 or so miles to the reservation – and a flight to Kaiteur Falls. Twice the height of Africa’s Victoria Falls and five times as high as Niagara. Food was included (three meals a day)…fishing, hiking, birding, biking was included too. Temporary tribal tattooing, mastering indigenous skills and learning how to live off the land…all of that was part of the total package. And so much more. I didn’t expect to arrive

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as total strangers, be welcomed by the entire Amerindian nation as friends, and leave feeling like family. Priceless. Once we decided to slake our thirst for adventure, and booked our holiday, we realized that we were able to help provide a viable income to Arawak tribe members. With unemployment nearing 60% on the reservation, the Lokono men are often forced to contract on for 3-4 months at a time with the large lumber and mining companies, the very companies threatening to ruin their tribal homelands. Every visitor contributes directly to the Arawak community by rendering part-time employment to four indigenous tribe members – two vehicle owners to serve as drivers, one for each leg of the round-trip to Cheddi Jagan

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airport; one lady (unwed mothers get priority) to cook meals and hand-wash clothes, and one male to serve as personal guide and escort for the duration of the visit. The Village Council receives an $8/day per person stipend, which goes into communal funds and the Chief receives a $5 one-time fee per person for the official greeting, which is traditional tribal protocol. Woodcarvings, sales of palm basketry souvenirs woven by Amerindian women, and miscellaneous snacks and refreshments purchased in the village additionally aid the community. Every single tribe member who provides a service for the visiting guests is entitled to a share of the pot. Right down to the families with extraordinary pets – like monkeys, peccaries, or macaws - who

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allow travelers access to their homes to photograph these animals. We mustn’t wait any longer. Now is the time to help the Lokono-Arawak nation merge into the 21st century, and write a fresh, new chapter in their history books. By safeguarding their psittacines and showcasing their rich spiritual culture, the Amerindians of Pakuri should have a successful formula for operating their new eco-tourism enterprise. An enterprise that can raise them out of the poverty they face daily on their reservation, a crime-free and disease-free reservation, I might add (no malaria, no yellow fever). The ground-breaking has already been completed. It only takes that first small step and a man with a dream to move mountains. Or to save the world’s parrots.

We mustn’t wait any longer. Now is the time to help the Lokono-Arawak nation merge into the 21st century, and write a fresh, new chapter in their history books. By safeguarding their psittacines and showcasing their rich spiritual culture, the Amerindians of Pakuri should have a successful formula for operating their new ecotourism enterprise. Ayonto Hororo combined homestay EcoLodge and Wildlife Sanctuary, Upper Mahaica River, Region 4, Guyana, South America; e-mail: damoncorrie@yahoo.com; website: www.guidedculturaltours.com. All-inclusive package: 7 days/6 nights – 3 meals daily, all tours and excursions included, along with round-trip transportation to and from the airport, as well as domestic air travel to Kaiteur Falls. Cost: $1000/person, minimum 4 persons. Note: Parties will NOT be combined, so you’ll have the trip of a lifetime specifically tailored for your group of family and/or friends.

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Established 1902

perfect

Seven ways to keep your lovebirds healthy, happ y and fertile – Page 20 SAID

QUOTES & DONE FROM AND PICS A SPRIN SUPERB G DA STAFFO Y AT RD SE

E PAGE

Fabulous rare finches

A birdkeeper’s guide to keeping scarlet rosefinches – Page 13

Massive Allvariety BirdWoking Leis specialist Tr ure Centre, ade Sale Kingfield Ro ❖ HUGE BIRD ad, Surrey & BIRD PRODUCTS SALE AT GU22 9BA WOKING LEISURE ❖ IN CONJUNCTIO CENTRE, SURREY N WITH ANOTHER ❖

SUNDAY 8TH MAY 2011

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BUDGERIGAR PRIVATE SALES TABLES SOCIETY EVENT AT FOR BIRDS ONLY SAME VENUE RUN UNDER DEFRA ❖ INVITES TO GUIDELINES NATIONAL AND SPECIALIST SET UP SATURDAY CLUBS TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES AFTERNOON/EVENING OR EARLY SUNDAY ❖ NOT EXPENSIVE MORNING – WE WANT TO FILL THIS LARGE HALL DOORS OPEN 10AM ❖ COME TO SURREY SUNDAY MORNING - & TAKE PLENTY OF MONEY ❖ AT LAST, SOMETHING IN THE ❖ PLENTY OF FREE SOUTH – SO SUPPORT PARKING IT!

FURTHER DETAILS & BOOKINGS

fredwright@freeuk

.com

FRED WRIGHT, 31 REDFORD AVENUE, WALLINGTON, SURREY SM6 9DT TEL: 020 8401 6979

STANDARD UK RATES: per issue £1.70, 51 issues £86.70. Contact us for overseas rates.

WANTED

RE-HOMING YOUR PARROTS IN A BREEDING ENVIRONMENT

Founder member of The Parrot Society requires

ALL HAND REARED PARROTS ALL PARENT REARED PARROTS ALL BREEDING PAIRS AND SINGLES

COLLECTION IFORREQUIRED YOU DELIVER MOBILE: 07949 447282. HOME: 01670 822789 E-MAIL: parrotjohn1@btinternet.com

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Most parrot-like birds. Good prices paid in cash. Parakeets,

Conures, Cockatoos, African Greys, Cockatiels. Also Exhibition quality Budgerigars and Canaries. Delivery appreciated or we can collect.

Weavers Coving, Towcester Road, Whittlebury, Northants, NN12 8TD T: +44 (0) 1327 857594 / M: 0770 2277 246 (Guy) M: 0796 2099 830 (Lee) / F: +44 (0) 1327 858965 E: info@skybirds.co.uk / W: www.skybirds.co.uk

eggfood

Developed with & recommended by Top UK Bird Breeders

Top Athlete, Coach & Champion Budgerigar Breeder Geoff Capes understands the importance of balanced, nutritional diets for rearing top class birds. “ I swear by the importance of soft food. I use & recommend Supablend eggfood, which is suitable for all birds.” Geoff Capes Supablend eggfood is made from quality ingredients. We even bake our own egg cake specifically for our eggfood. We only use fresh eggs (not powdered), which provide a superior source of protein. Our eggfood is available in DRY, MOIST and BIANCO varieties.

Recommended by Geoff Capes

10 Kg bag DRY £24.00, MOIST £26.00 5 x 1Kg boxed: DRY £13.99 , MOIST £14.99, BIANCO £17.99 1 Kg bag: DRY £3.50, MOIST £4.00, BIANCO £5.00 Delivery from £6.99 for up to 25 Kg

www. supablend.com 01332 831300 www.supapets-online.co.uk

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THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION 9TH OCTOBER 2016

06 30

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rogress with the background tasks associated with this year’s National is excellent and all the entry wrist bands, car parking passes and Officials badges have already been sent to the Show Secretary’s so that they can distribute them to exhibitors with their cage labels and lifting cards early in September. Our sponsors, Johnston and Jeff are again providing excellent rosettes that I am sure will be greatly appreciated by the winners as they are of very high quality, the best current year rosette is bright red and the specials are a vivid blue. If you are lucky enough to win both they will be a beautiful addition to your bird room. The Parrot Society can only thank the bird club officials that have all worked so hard to increase the number of exhibits year on year and made this exhibition the success it has become. We were pleased to announce that the London Fancy Canary Club, who joined our canary clubs last year for the first time are again exhibiting their

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member’s birds this year. The Parrotlet Interest Group who also joined the ranks of exhibiting and their birds will again be in The Parrot Society section where there is a good sized show schedule cater for these miniature gems of the parrot world. Ten years ago The Parrot Society started out on a venture of hopefully rebuilding “The National Exhibition” that had been run up until 2003 at the Birmingham NEC. The defining factor was whether it was possible for all branches of our hobby to jointly pull together and ‘make it work’ after

recording such a success in the first year the question was then whether the enthusiasm would be sustained. It has indeed worked each year since the first Show in 2007 the numbers of exhibits have increased and we are working hard to ensure that even more varieties of exhibition quality canaries are on the show bench for this year’s event. By combining this exhibition with the already highly successful Parrot Society October Sale Day at the superbly equipped Staffordshire County Showground a large proportion of the exhibitors were familiar with both the BIRD SCENE 33

location and the available facilities. UK bird exhibitors now view this event as the premier ‘all variety show’ on the UK calendar. We are delighted that the exhibition is obtaining increasing support from both continental judges and breeders who travel long distances to attend this event it is exciting to think that in a very short time this exhibition has been able to attract these dedicated fanciers from all over Europe. The continental influence is not only limited to the fanciers, there is an increasing demand from continental traders to attend this event, further increasing the range of 34

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products available to all our enthusiastic visitors. As it is located on the A518 only a few miles to the east of junction 14 of the M6 so vehicles can quickly arrive at the Showground. Arrangements are well in hand for this year’s Show on Sunday 9th October 2016. A meeting with representatives of all the supporting clubs was held at The Quality Hotel Coventry on Sunday 15th May. Each time we organise this Show we aim to improve both the exhibitor experience and that of the viewing public and the points discussed at this meeting prove

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invaluable in ensuring improvements continue to achieve these goals. “The National Exhibition” has been kindly sponsored once again by Richard Johnston of Johnston and Jeff, who has supported us from the start. This year their generous sponsorship has also financed additional new judges stands to help with the requirements of our new clubs. The added attraction of bird seed also kindly donated by Johnston and Jeff Ltd as prizes can only help increase the numbers benched. We are indebted to the management and editorial staff of Cage & Aviary Birds magazine for the production of a

very well designed insert, with our contribution being the collation of the information from all the exhibiting clubs. The supplement appeared in their 31st August 2016 edition and as previously carries advertisements from all the exhibiting clubs and details as to who to approach to obtain the Show Schedule for your chosen species. This supplement has now become a feature of “The National Exhibition”. Since the show took on the name “The National Exhibition” in 2010 the demand for trade space has significantly increased, with some new traders making their first appearance BIRD SCENE 35

this year. So whatever your bird keeping requirements they will be on offer at Stafford on 9th October. The Sandylands Centre and half of the Argyle Centre will again be used to accommodate the exhibits with the ‘booking in’ and club stands filling the remainder of the Argyle Centre. This facilitates the management of the exhibition during the judging of the birds and allows both exhibitors and general visitor’s access to the exhibition at the earliest possible time on the day. 36

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The Parrot Society Council members hope that all the exhibitors and the officials of the specialist exhibiting clubs have a very enjoyable day. The Parrot Society would like to thank the clubs for all the kind words and support that you have given us. It will make this year’s “National Exhibition” a pleasure to be involved with.

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£ WANTED FOR CASH £ £ £ £ £ £ ££ £ £ £ £ ££ £ £

ALL TYPES OF PARROTS, COCKATOOS, MACAWS AND PARAKEETS

£ £ £ £

££££ £ £££ £

ALSO BUDGIES, CANARIES, FINCHES, COCKATIELS LOVEBIRDS, SOFTBILLS, GMR’S, TOUCANS & MYNAH BIRDS ALSO ANY TYPES OF EXOTICS, MONKEYS ETC PLEASE CALL RON ON 0161 273 5447. IF EX DIRECTORY DIAL 1470 FIRST.

£ ££ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

££ £ £

WE ARE HERE

£ 38 :PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE 44

MANCHESTER PETS AND AQUATICS, 66 STOCKPORT ROAD, ARDWICK, MANCHESTER M12 6AL

£ £ £ £

£ ££ £

4 :PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE

Rosemead Aviaries www.rosemeadaviaries.co.uk

Rosemead Aviaries & Animal Housing Quality Aviary Panels 1”x 1” Aluminium Box Section

In filled with Quality European Wire Mesh – Aviaries made to measure Contact us with your requirements.

T: 02920 577145 | M: 07792 133615 | www.rosemeadaviaries.co.uk 54 Grand Avenue, Ely, Cardiff, CF5 4BL

BOOKS AND PRINTS: AFRICAN POICEPHALUS PARROTS Print & Booklet £16 plus p&p UK £5, p&p world £10 THE MANUAL of COLOUR BREEDING PRICE REDUCTION!! on remaining copies, now only £20 each plus p&p UK £5, p&p world £10 THE ROSELLAS PRICE REDUCTION!! On remaining copies, now only £5 each plus p&p UK £5, p&p world £10

The Following Supplements & Titles are now out of print and unavailable:INDIAN RINGNECK PARRAKEET (Supplement to Manual) LINEOLATED PARRAKEET (Supplement to Manual) COCKATIEL (Supplement to Manual) BREEDING THE AMBOINA KING (CD) GENETICS WIZARD

Cheques/drafts in BRITISH POUNDS STERLING ONLY payable to: J&P Hayward Carterton Breeding Aviaries, Brize Norton Road, Carterton, Oxon, ENGLAND OX18 3HW Tel: 01993 841736

BY RICHARD STRUDWICK

YASHA’S GREAT ESCAPE 40

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t was a very warm, sunny, September morning. Due to our carelessness, Yasha, our hand-reared Amazon parrot, flew outside into the garden. I chased after him but he had vanished. My partner Maria and I, made an immediate panic search. Failing to find him I contacted Exotic Direct Insurance. Of course I wasn’t covered for an escape but they arranged an immediate call from John Hayward of the National Theft Register, who also logs lost birds. He gave us great advice and much reassurance. We made up some flyers and circulated them within the village. At home Yasha copies me whistling and particularly likes whistle calling the dogs. We sometimes have whistling competitions whereby, I at one end of the house and Yasha at the other, whistle to each other. I tried whistling around the area for him but there was no reply. Later than day Maria located Yasha on a tree nearby merrily whistling and saying

At home Yasha copies me whistling and particularly likes whistle calling the dogs. We sometimes have whistling competitions whereby, I at one end of the house and Yasha at the other, whistle to each other.

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After an hour I had heard nothing and was giving up hope of him being ok. I made the decision to go home. On my way back… suddenly…I heard him. I was so thrilled and ran to him.

“Hello” to her whilst busily shredding leaves. After remaining with him for over an hour she returned home to bring a familiar object, his cage, but by the time she returned he had vanished. Calling John for further advice, he said the best times to locate Yasha are sunrise and sunset, so I searched again that evening. Only by hearing his calls was I able to locate him at the top of the highest tree in the area, but it was impossible to see him. Dark came and I returned home. As a pilot I had to leave at 5am the next morning so Maria went to search for him at sunrise. She managed to make contact with him briefly and then again he vanished. For the rest of the day she heard nothing. I was back later that night and the next morning I set out at 6am. I walked the area for over an hour whilst whistling to Yasha as I went. I have never realised how many noises there are at that time in the morning. Aircraft having taken off from Heathrow, even though quite high by the time they reach over head of us, still filled the air with sound, and as one

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died down another was right behind it. The odd car would rumble noisily past, and worst of all the birds were singing as loud as they possibly could. After an hour I had heard nothing and was giving up hope of him being ok. I made the decision to go home. On my way back… suddenly…I heard him. I was so thrilled and ran to him. Again, however, we began another conversation. Me at the base of a huge pine tree and him at the top. Maria came to join me and we kept him talking and whistling for about 30 minutes before he again fell silent. Shortly after that, we managed to located him again, so I called John for further advice. He stated that lost Parrots find it almost impossible to fly down and yet time and time again people stand at the bottom of the tree and expect the Parrot to fly vertically down to them. I felt a bit silly telling him that’s exactly what I had just done! So we stood as far as we could from the tree and tried to entice him to us. After quite a while he braved his first attempt and flew towards us but he just couldn’t descend enough and circled back to the same tree. A while after he tried again but sadly ended up at

…lost Parrots find it almost impossible to fly down and yet time and time again people stand at the bottom of the tree and expect the Parrot to fly vertically down to them.

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the top of the tallest tree in the area. I then spent about two hours talking to him but he wouldn’t budge until he finally flew again, this time to an oak tree which, by coincidence, was next to my house. We realised that in our area there were no open spaces for him to descend as we were surrounded by trees. Although not recommended, I put a long ladder up the tree and climbed about 20 feet to a

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secure point. Yasha was still about 30 feet higher than me perched at the end of a dead branch. I really wanted to climb to this branch but felt it wasn’t safe. We taped his bell to the end of a 20ft window cleaning pole which just made it to the bottom of the branch he was on. When he saw this he carefully made his way along and down the branch. But he was scared of the white fluffy mop on the end so we quickly replaced it by taping

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Once home he ate a bit of watery fruit but must have been exhausted as he couldn’t keep his eyes open, pushed his head in his back and fell asleep.

his familiar cage perch to the end. Maria was shaking his multi coloured parrot food in his bowl. He got very excited and almost took off again but to our relief he again walked down to the perch. I then pushed the perch into his belly to make him hop on. The pole was really wobbly so I slowly lowered it vertically to me trying to hold it as steady as I possibly could. We were so relieved when he reached me and I held him to my chest. It took some

time but in the end it wasn’t so much us capturing him but a joint effort between him and us. Once home he ate a bit of watery fruit but must have been exhausted as he couldn’t keep his eyes open, pushed his head in his back and fell asleep. I think he was relieved to be home as well. We would like to thank John Hayward for his help, advice and being available whenever we called.

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Budgies, Canaries, Cockatiels, Conures, Finches, Large Parakeets, Lovebirds, Parrots, Quail, Small Parakeets, Softbills, Chinchillas, TRADE E Degus, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Mice, Rabbits, M O C L E W Rats, Hamsters Weavers Coving, Towcester Road, Whittlebury, Northants, NN12 8TD T: +44 (0) 1327 857594 / M: 0770 2277 246 (Guy) M: 0796 2099 830 (Lee) / F: +44 (0) 1327 858965 E: info@skybirds.co.uk / W: www.skybirds.co.uk

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Great Western Exotic Vets Qualified Specialist in Bird Medicine. Marie Kubiak, Elisabetta Mancinelli, Pru Harvey M’sRCVS A Specialist service to all bird keepers. Full diagnostic, treatment, hospital and surgical facilities for birds 24/7, including ultrasound, x-ray, endoscopy, fluorsocopy In house laboratory – results in 30 min. Routine consultations 7 days a week. Licensed for Bird exports. http://www.gwev.co.uk Tel 01793 603800 Email exotics@gwreferrals.co.uk 10 Berkshire House, County Park Estate, Shrivenham Rd, Swindon, SN1 2NR

ALL ASPECTS OF CAGE AND AVIARY BIRD MEDICINE INCLUDING IN-HOUSE LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS

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SOUTH BEECH VETERINARY SURGERY

C.J. HALL B. Vet Med. M.R.C.V.S. VETERINARY SURGEON Member of the A.A.V. and B.V.Z.S.

COU

Neil Forbes DipECZM(avian) FRCVS

The Bird Food of Champions T: 01275 463496 www.aejames.com

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NO 1 PARROT FOOD

A traditional and sound base food mix, made to an enhanced formula. Composition: striped and white sunflowerseed with safflowerseed, whole maize, whole oats, paleskin peanuts, monkey nuts, pine nuts, chillies, flaked maize, flaked peas, puffed maize, puffed wheat, naked oats, buckwheat, and red dari. Feed with fresh fruit and veg. Avian nutritionists, breeders and bird-keepers are learning ever more about the food needs of these splendid birds and the nutritional benefits of some foods vs. others. Hence, even a traditional base mix should be upgraded as our knowledge grows. This excellent formula has 16 ingredients. It should be fed with fresh fruit and vegetables, or can be blended with Johnston & Jeff's Fruit, Veg and Nut Mix.

THE FINEST BIRD FOOD CONTACT: JOHNSTON & JEFF LTD., BALTIC BUILDINGS, GATEWAY BUSINESS PARK, GILBERDYKE,EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE HU15 2TD T: 01430 449444 www.johnstonandjeff.co.uk mail@johnstonandjeff.co.uk Johnston & Jeff foods are only sold through retailers. Please contact us if you need information on your nearest stockists, our mail order partners, and for information and feeding guides. We reserve the right to add to the composition of our blends if we find a better grade or wish to enhance the menu. Please check our web site for up-to-date details.