Aussie Finch Forum

Haven't been on for quite a while,I hope everybody is keeping well.The winter was pretty bad here once again and we've just had the coldest spring in 50 years.Things are picking up now and we're actually seeing some sunshine at last.All the plants in the garden are weeks behind except the clematis on my aviary that has gone completely nuts.
I think the cold weather has slowed my breeding results this year in my mixed aviary...A couple of rounds of Gouldians and Bichenos fledged now.Bourkes,Hecks,Diamond Doves and Diamond Sparrows all on eggs so hoping for some results from these.Stars just keep building nests but not a single egg so far.
This was in March from my kitchen window...



A bit better now thank heavens.










I've had comments in the past about how our birds manage to breed over here with our lousy weather.In Nottingham over the last few weeks we've been able to watch a live cam of peregrine falcons nesting in the city center on the university building.

Now this is what you call dedication...this was in March with the hen on 3 eggs.That bird deserves a medal





And this was taken a few days ago...All fit and nearly ready to fly.





Here's hoping your birds are as successful.





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Welcome Back and Congrats on yours breeding with the Gouldians and Bichenos and Good Luck Hope the eggs hatch under the other birds.

Long time no post Glad to see you back.
That March weather looked really hard, might be nostalgia but I dont remember March being as cold as that when I was a child.

Hiya!
Last two winters have been vicious like it used to be when I was a kid.We've had mild winters for twenty odd years....not used to it now.Everything is flowering late,makes for a late spring and poor harvests.A lot of the wild birds are struggling with youngsters to feed and hardly any insects about.I keep my bird table filled to help 'em out a bit.

I'm not at all jealous of the weather over there. I'm in Brisbane and I find midwinter more than cold enough but noting like you've got. It's an interesting fact that estrillids really are opportunistic breeders and aren't regulated by photoperiod. I want to clean out my aviaries at the moment but I keep missing the opportunity to do it because something is always nesting. I'm probably a bad manager or just a little slow. Another interesting observation I've made lately is that some of my gouldians have taken to roosting in cane baskets in the cold. Do you have species that don't normally build roosting nests taking to using nest in the cold?

Somebody be nice and put a roof on the poor falcons nest for her. Nice to hear from you again.
LML