Aviary keepers good run

KOWHAI Park aviary keeper, Brian Day, is hoping an impressive run of successes at regional caged bird shows will continue at the national event in Taranaki later this month.

The long-time keeper at the popular Feilding attraction is a noted breeder of Bengalese finches and has won the “Best in Show” ribbon for this class at four of the five shows he has entered this season.

“I’m just hoping my luck will hold for the nationals,” said Mr Day, who has been breeding and exhibiting finches for more than 50 years and is president and life member of the New Zealand Zebra Finch Society.

After claiming top prizes at the Wellington-Porirua, Levin, Palmerston North and Hawke’s Bay shows since May, he has the Wairarapa event this weekend as a final preparation for the national final in Waitara on July 25 and 26.

The last time Mr Day won a national title was in 1972.

“That’s the one I would like to win. Some people can win them all the time, while others do well in the regionals but come nowhere at the nationals. It’s the luck of the draw.”

Mr Day said he had been able to concentrate more on showing his birds this year because he was not judging and was excited that his successes were not just with the one bird.

“There’s quite a lot involved in breeding birds to certain standards and it’s not just a case of taking a bird out of the aviary, chucking it in the show and hoping it will win,” he said.