Kelso was our last show of the season and once again Elizabeth came out on top. Best Scots Fancy in show.


 

It being the last show of the season, I exhibited her brother to give him some show experience and not expectng him to do so well but he beat the only competition and took
first in his class.


 

And their mother took first but against no competition but she showed well. As did this piebald or three-parts-dark adult cock, who won Best Flighted Novice at Blackburn. I do need to try to breed him this year - he's a great bird who shows really well but did not come into condition to breed last year.

And here are three photos of them at the show itself. Kelso holds its show in The Tait Hall - really lovely venue and decent folks running the club. All very well organised.

 

Not bad for a first season as an exhibitor.

 

The work starts now to get them into condition for the breeding season ahead.

Today was the Scots Fancy Specialist Club show at Blackburn, West Lothian. It is a little under a year since I acquired my stock and you can imagine my total shock, but delight, to enter the show and discover that Elizabeth had won four special prizes - Best Novice unflighted; Best Novice Clear; Best Novice Scots Fancy (for Blackburn) and overall Best Novice. Stunning success by this little hen. She won the cup for Best Novice. Truly great fun for me.

Her mother won her class

and her "cousin" (No 9) was second in his

and my unrelated to any of them adult male won Best Novice Flighted (over a year old).

He was the original bird which I bought. I hope he might breed this year coming.

Quite a haul of trophies in my first show season and it is only six weeks since I first entered the birds for show.

Musselburgh and Whitecraig Cage Bird Society show today. We missed out on Best Scots to John Morris of Aberdeen with a lovely ticked flighted bird. We did however, get four first place tickets for Elizabeth, No9/12 and two adults, one from 2010 and a deep yellow hen 2011 who seems to be in breeding condition in November! Next weekend is the Scots Fancy Specialist show at Blackburn where I don't think we will be placed at all. Some pictures from today - the winner of Best Scots is the first picture.

And now our birds

 

East Lothian Cage Bird Society show today in Haddington. Sadly no other Scots Fancies entered but we did well!

Elizabeth won Best Scots Fancy and Best Champion Scots Fancy even though I am a Novice. Bit unfair really.

Number 9 was first in his class on 1 as well.

He is looking better and better and is showing himself off very well now. Much more relaxed in the show cage.

Elizabeth also won a medal.

Next show is Musselburgh on 10 November, then the Scots Fancy Specialist Club show on 17 November and finally Kelso on 8 December. We will all need a rest by then.

Grangemouth Cage Bird Society show was yesterday but we did not get placed. Some lovely Scots Fancies on show and gave me ideas to aim for.

Not only did I never imagine that I would show birds which I had bred myself at the National Exhibition but to win in both Novice classes for unflighted cock and hen and for the hen to take Best Novice Scots Fancy is just amazing! I am delighted. The piebald cock is the brother of the single chick and he himself was a single chick whose parents tore out his tail just as he left the nest. He's come a long way. I knew the hen was good but I didn't know how good. A great day thanks to a friend who took them to Stafford for me.

Me with my winner yesterday.

Spent the day at Carlisle at the Northern Counties Scots Fancy Society show. Very educational and made me change my mind on which of my young male birds to enter for the National Exhibition next weekend. A firend is taking my birds to Stafford for me.

A very exciting day today - my first bird show where I exhibited the young hen (no 3) and her brother (no 6) at Loanhead & District Cage Bird Society annual show. Sadly there was not any competition but I don't feel that detracts from how well the birds handled their first gig!

No 3 won Best Scotch Fancy and Best Novice Scotch Fancy.

No 6 was first in his class - of 1!! Anyway he looked great and received some admiring comments from some new pals made at the show.

Now we are starting show cage training. We hope to attend 2 shows this year.

The birds take time to relax in what appears a small space but once thye do they are fine.

The yellow bird is number 5 and is a cock.

This is his sibling. His is not the best shape - not enough of a curve but he is young yet!

Numbers 4 and 7 are off to a new home soon so these are the last photos of them. I am excited about their new abode. I know they will be happy.

Some pictures of the youngsters- they keep moving just as I take their picture!

This is the ninth Scotch Fancy chick just separated from its parents this week after they attacked it and pulled out all its tail feathers! It is a sibling of the singleton (and the second single chick they have raised this season) and as you can see has a lovely yellow chest. Shame it has no tail but that will regrow!

It is the last Scotch Fancy I will bredd this year. The pairs have been nesting since January and they (and I) need a rest!

This baby will be joined in the weaning cage with three Rollers just leaving the nest this weekend. I then have a final nest of Rollers due to hatch this weekend and that will be the end of this year's breeding season.

Some pictures of the four chicks - with one Roller being weaned with them - at coming up for 5 weeks. I love this yellow with its green cap.

The cap is almost grey - it will be interesting to see how the colour moults in.

See if you can spot the little variegated one hiding and peeping out from his hidey hole!

Weaning of the nest of four is going well and the four have been joined by the singletonRoller for weaning. They all seem to et on. The mother of the four - who has produced 7 youngsters - wants to nest again but she's been laying since January so I am retiring her for this year.

We have 1 baby in the final Scotch nest - again a singl chick being reared by the parents of the last single chick. He's ten days old now so will be ready to leave the nest at the end of next week or early the week after.

Some pictures of the new nest of four who are leaving the nest this weekend and will be off to the nursery this week.

Ring number 4 was at the vet last week. He has had antibiotics and is making a recovery. It was really tricky getting the medication into him but we seem to have managed. He was really quite ill, fitting and looking pretty bad so it's a huge improvement. He's in isolation for now until I am sure he can't infect anyone else.

The singleton's parents have just hatched their first chick of their nest. I had tried to rest her but she was going frantic looking for a nest so I let them try this last time for this year. We are definitely stopping after this nest. They are tired and so am I!

And the nest of four new babies, 2 weeks old this week and really too many and too large for the nest. They will probably be out of the nest this weekend.

And here are the other three at 8 weeks of age. Now they are fully weaned they are not interested in egg food. All growing up!