Not Much To Look At But Delightful To Hold

As I was admiring some Staffords in a flight cage, this young cock caught my eye. His body was snow white so I thought I would check out his head crest.

Well they aren't all show quality here either!! The best I can say for this guy is he is ready for Halloween, as he looks punk! In fact, I say a grade school boy at the beauty shop and he could pass for this birds twin!

His mother is a non-crested and with a different cock she threw the same split crest last year so looks like they are out of my breeding program! At least this young cock will make a cute pet!

Who Is That Masked Bird?

Can Halloween Be Near?

As I was making a final check on my birds, I snapped a few last minute shots of some Staffords in a flight just before leaving for the airport. I like to do this as I keep the shots filed in my head so that I can close my eyes periodically during the flight and see my birds.

I am leaving now for the Seattle show in Monroe WA and will be returning on Monday. I am looking forward to seeing some more gorgeous birds and visiting with old friends and new! Hope you will be there!

Treating Big Bird - Sunday Morning In Minnesota

On Sunday morning, the two Mikes - Mike Perez and Mike Nicholas, took me on a scenic highway drive along the St. Croix River, a tributary of the Mississippi River.


I was taken with the interesting Lift Bridges in Stillwater, Minnesota as we walked along the river bank.



Store fronts from the late 1880's and early 1900's lined the streets as we did some window shopping on the way to a local restaurant for breakfast. The architecture was fantastic!

This real cave is actually a store front too!


Halloween is my favorite holiday and I just loved this stores displays!


Lovely Polish pottery is one of my weaknesses. What a lovely sight!!


This bird cage was at a river bank hotel near the lift bridges.


Wood decorative in one of the shops that caught my eye.

The two Mikes treated me to a trip to Stillwater, Minnesota where we leisurely did some window shopping and had breakfast at a local restaurant. This is an interesting town with lots of neat period houses, large yards, and local businesses in interesting older buildings. No Wal-Mart or Chilies in this local town!

I really appreciated a chance to relax and enjoy the local culture after a couple of days of being intensely focused on canaries! Thanks so much Mikes for adding to a very special show and loads of good memories!!

This weekend is the 41st Annual Show and Exhibition of the Cascade Canary Breeders Association at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington. A full two days experience with canary and finch/softbill judging (Sally Huntington) and sale room open on Saturday. On Sunday from 10 to 5 the birds will be on exhibition and sales room open. In addition, I will be giving a canary seminar on Sunday morning and available all day. Come on out to the show and lets get together for canary sharing!

Select Additional Colorbred Canaries - Minnesota Show

Second Best Lipochrome, Rich Colored Yellow Intensive Cock - Cedric Rolvanen Exhibitor


Third Best Lipochrome, Beautiful Red Intensive Cock - Mike Nicholas Exhibitor


Fourth Best Lipochrome, Gorgeous Evenly Frosted Yellow Frost Cock - Cedric Rolvanen Exhibitor


Third Best Melanin New Color - Striking Silver Isabel Pastel Cock - Evon Van Ornum Exhibitor

Best of Its Kind Type Canaries From Minneasota Show

Best Canary in Show, Personable Blue Foul Fife Fancy Hen - Mike Nichols



Second Best Type Canary, Bronze Frost Stafford Crested Hen - Bob and Pat Jordan


Third Best Type Canary, Best Old Variety Canary, Sliver Broken Cap Lizard Hen - Jerry Noble


Fourth Best Type Canary, Buff Three Parts Dark Yorkshire Canary Cock - Paul and Darlene Witt


Fifth Best Type Canary, Buff Green Lightly Variegated Border Fancy Hen - Cedric Rolvanen


Sixth Best Type Canary, Yellow Clear Norwich Cock - Cedric Rolvanen

Fife Fancy Wins Best Canary at Minnesota Show

Blue Foul (white tail) Fife Hen Won Best Type Canary and Best Canary in Show - This small fife has a fantastic head and throughout the show she showed her stuff and never let down. Mike Nicholas Exhibitor




Fife Fancy was the most popular canary entered at the show! A total of 31 Very Typey Fife were entered! As you can see the quality was exceptional! Fife competition was fierce! Congratulations Mike on your Big Win!!


Best Colorbred Canary and Best Lipochrome Canary and Second Best Canary in Show a Red Ground Frost, exhibited great red ground color and a beautiful fine even frost pattern - Mike Nicholas Exhibitor.

I realized as I opened the tags of the top four canaries, that the first and second place were Mike's birds and he was outside. So I called him in and ask him why he was outside at this critical moment and he said "I was too nervous". So I ask him how could that be if two of the finally four were his birds? He confessed he did not know the cage number of the red frost was his!!


Best New Color and Third Best Canary in Show, a Gorgeous Gold Ivory Agate Opal Frost - Evon Van Ornum Exhibitor


Best Melanin Classic, a Beautiful Bronze Frost - Warren Launderville Exhibitor


Best Finch a Lovely Owl Finch - Eunice Roivanen Exhibitor - Laura Bewley Finch Judge

I spent a very enjoyable weekend judging type and color canaries at the Canary & Finch Club of Minnesota Annual Show which was held in Prescott, Wisconsin. Friday evening everyone attended a fish fry. I had never eaten wall-eye fish and it was so good, I can not believe how much I ate. With a very full stomach, I was fired up and presented a two hour canary seminar! Lots of good discussion and only the lateness of the hour caused us to quit!

Saturday was judging and the birds were beautiful and of very high caliber! I worked and talked about type canaries till about 1 pm and then after lunch I talked some more while I judged the colorbred!

I appreciated the warm hospitality and time spent talking birds! It was really special to meet and visit with some of the bloggers at the show!

One great policy of this club is that if any non-member buys a bird from a club member, they receive a free one year membership to the club!

This weekend I will be judging Type and Color in Seattle. Hope you can make it!

Big Bird Flying to Minneapolis

Beautiful Stafford watchs me leave for the airport.


German Roller enjoying the dim lighting.


Border playing in its swing.


German Roller swinging.


German Roller hanging out with its friends and Tweeting.


One Last Check Before Leaving Birds Alone For The Weekend

This afternoon I am flying to Minnesota to judge type and color canaries at their show in Prescott, Wisconsin. I have been preparing the birds all day and decided to take a few last shots to take with me in my memory of my birds having the weekend off.

Early this morning, I cleaned all water dishes and filled with fresh water. Then I refilled all seed dishes and gave the Staffords and colorbred extra Higgin's Proteen Red 25 and the German Rollers and yellow mosaics Scott's Petamine Breeding Formula, while the Borders got some extra gray and German millet. All cages also got fresh millet sprays and about 3/4 slice of fresh white bread. With all that food they could easily do fine for a week!

During my absence my husband will check and fill waters and will feed one kind of seed mix. He is not willing to do different mixes for different birds so I have prepared a general mix with some extra oatmeal and sunflower chips for him to feed in my absence. Days and night have been setting record low high temperatures and the extra oatmeal and sunflower will give them a little extra calories as I have not turned any heat on in the aviary.

Now with the birds taken care of, I am anxious to get to the Minnesota Bird Show! I would love to see you there but if you just can't make it, I will take a few pictures of the winners for you to see!