Birds

An interesting hobby that I kept for many years was keeping birds.  I started off with canaries and Daddy built me an aviary.  They increased so much I was able to sell some, as well as enjoying their singing.  One year I caught a goldfinch and introduced it to the canaries.  The resulting cross resulted in the most beautiful singers but eventually spoiled their colouring. 

Next I added budgies and had some lovely colours. At one time I thought to tame one and had it in my bedroom but when I intended to put it back in the cage I couldn’t find it and put my foot right on it. I was sad and never tried to tame another.  Many years later when Esther kept budgies one had a stroke and its head was turned right round the other way so it could not reach its food.  Instead of killing it, which is often the way of wild things when one is ill or injured, they fed it and after a few days it came right again but its feet were never able to grip the wire properly. 

The Bargain Stores in Hamilton had a big aviary and imported a number of different finches, and I was often tempted and added strawberry finches and Bengalese ones to my lot.  My pride and joy though was a Chinese nightingale that did sing delightfully, but unfortunately did not have a mate and eventually died. 

The Bargain Stores also had a great light that revolved and lit the night sky for many miles. Though I don’t remember a black out being imposed here that light was very soon extinguished when war was declared.  Travelling by plane from the South Island many years later I realised just how visible even a single light was from above.