Aussie Finch Forum

I wasnt saying it wouldnt be enjoyable, I would love to hear it all, just that the topic could be touchy with some outside groups

arthur wrote:Ray is a very interesting speaker . .

Sam, does the club have a website where a transcript of RA's talk might be reproduced?


Edit: Had a look but seems site is not current

I too looked for a website but what I found was clearly out of date (the meeting venue wasn't correct) so I fished out their magazine. I would very much like to video Ray (and others) at some stage talking about their experiences trapping finches (and those hook billed things too I guess) for posterity's sake - not sure if Tuesday's talk can be videoed but I'll ask. Once these blokes pass on, then all their knowledge of where and how to locate various finch species will be lost. Plus it's just interesting and is ultimately the reason aviculture exists.

Thanks Sam.
Famous name. Colourful history!

in the early 70's i bought quite a few birds off ray ackroyd. was into showing in those days and he would pick you out the good stuff. along with kevin devenie from better birds he supplied my first pair of magpie mannikins @ $50 a pair.
as i recall diamonds were $3 and bloods $6.50 a pair.......so they were pricey

One of the most interesting nights I've had for quite a while. I wont go into details, but I was pretty much nodding to myself throughout the whole talk thinking "that makes sense", and "that makes sense". His views on sustainable harvesting of wildlife are really common sense - Ray has either done it or has really thought through the practicalities of how it could be done - if the message can ever get through to the pollies.

I was interested in his views on importing (and exporting) finches - in particular the quarantine issues (and expense) for small numbers of small birds. A few really good ideas and again practical. Really good discussion starting stuff. Once I've had the time to digest it all and develop solid opinions I'm keen to get some action going. So stay tuned - especially if you're a Finch Society of Australia (FSA) member!

Ray is talking again at the Macarthur club's November meeting - highly recommended. We've also convinced him to talk at one of the FSA meetings in the new year.

wildbill - Kevin D. is a member of the Macarthur club too and will also speak at an FSA meeting next year.

Kevin would have a wealth of knowledge and anecdotes

Like Wild Bill I used to buy birds from 'Better Birds' in the '70s and a few of us from up this way would send birds bred to him . . Never a dispute

And like WB, obtained Magpie Mannikins in '73 . . not from Kevin but from a Maltese dealer who called his business 'Lane Cove Aviaries' . . $70 a pair.

3 pair almost caused a divorce . . A Holden station wagon was about $3.5k in those days and petrol was about 30c a GALLON

Oops . . this thread is about Re: Yinberrie Hills Gouldian Count Reaches 235

arthur wrote: . . not from Kevin but from a Maltese dealer who called his business 'Lane Cove Aviaries' . .

I grew up at Lane Cove - must have been before my time I guess. As a kid mum used to take me to sell/buy birds from a bloke at Gladesville - I think his name was Mr Wardrop or similar.
(Sorry thread starter).

Yeah let this go ,im enjoying it immensely ,love to hear just how hard it was then to get your birds ,and how the true breeders make the most of it ,and then the dolor factor or should i say the pound ,garyh.

good to hear about kevin. i also purchased a lot of birds from feather dale farm in sydney when bruce kubbere was the man. used to freight them via train overnight to orange in a shoebox lol. probably wouldn't get away with that now.
my magpie mannikins were short lived.
one got champion foreign finch and the lithgow bird show and some-how that night got out of its show cage and the next day ......all i had was an empty box. pretty sure it was knocked off! not sure what happened to the partner.
so that was 2 weeks worth of pay gone via the post office and the telegram delivery job lol i'd like to have a $ every time the old "B" the dispatch clerk yelled "get out on that run!" these days they would tell you what to do.

SamDavis wrote:Ray is talking again at the Macarthur club's November meeting - highly recommended. We've also convinced him to talk at one of the FSA meetings in the new year.

I was told this morning that Ray is unable to talk at the Macarthur club November meeting - replaced by a mini-budgie talk I understand. I'll post on AFF prior to Ray talking at the FSA next year.