HOME PAGE
 BREEDS PAGE
 HANDREARING
 Chick Hatching

Emails from DAVE NICHOLSON, 
PRESIDENT of the AUCKLAND METRO BIRD CLUB, NEW ZEALAND

I am publishing these emails, so that any of you who would like to get in touch with Dave,
no matter where you are in England or the rest of the World. .   you can!

The Emails are in reverse order 
i.e. the latest is at the Top and the first at the bottom of the page

*+*+*+*+*+*+*

EMAILS> > > 
Thought u would all be interested in seeing the following replies to my emails from
Dave Nicholson
President, Auckland Metro Bird Club, New Zealand
who wrote into the Cage and Aviary Birds in March, asking for people to get in touch.
I sent him a chatty email re: England and our Club etc., and gave him our website address: 
He would like to hear from any Bird Keepers, Members of Bird Clubs, 
esp. any of you who are into Showing birds to get in touch - just to compare notes

So, please do email him 
Click on Email Address below
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 12:49 AM
Subject: New page on S.P. Website

Do you have a Red Mite problem in N.Z?
To all Email Members
I had an enquiry re: Red Mite, so have researched them and created the following page on Red Mite on the Website
Click on the link below and it will take u 2 it.
 
 

From: Dave
 Sent: Monday, April 11, 2007

Kia ora Babs,
Many thanks for your prompt replies & your excellent page on the red mite....in Auckland with its humidity etc they seem to be a real pest!   
Will try some of your methods. 
The last breeding season, I had to fully immerse x4 10 day old Rollers in mild soapy water & scrape the mite off them...twice! 
Happily they all survived & will make them the bulk of my Roller attack on the Shows this year! 
They are very tame which I think helps on the show bench.
I brought back 2 Iced White Canaries for a friend & 1 Roller Hen for me from Christchurch over Easter. 
In the short time away, I noticed big changes in my canaries so that they are all basically thru the moult now with the first show in Huntly about 85kms away May 5/6.
We have our monthly meeting next Wednesday where I will circulate your mite pages.
Thanx for publishing my emails.
Better get to work soon on the article on the Bird Scene in NZ that Cage & Aviary want.
 
Cheers,
Dave.

----- Original Message -----

From: Dave
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:19 AM
Subject: RE: Bird clubs in the uk - Solway Parrot

Hi Babs,
Many thanks for your follow-ups. It's still sunny but we have had a lot of flooding lately with almost tropical rainstorms. My aviary had 2inches of water on  the floor!

 

I have printed the bulk of your email & published your fine website address in our monthly newsletter. 
You have done a fine effort & well deserved for the accolades in Cage & Aviary!
We don't get that publication regularly ...air mail costs & sometimes the relevancy of the info is not ideal.
 

I went to a Finch sale yesterday...Gouldians $70-$120 pr ( 25pounds-40 pounds?), cordon bleu, parrot finches, cubans in particular. 

The big Bird Auction comes up end of this month (about 1000 birds up) & then the Shows start.
 I will probably go to 5 Shows including the NZ National which is about 600kms away.... we have to travel quite long distances as our country is long & narrow!

 

What do you do with your Kakariki...we don't like the European habit of trying for weird mutations with our native birds!

Do you name them..Tahi (1), Rua (2) & Toru (3) would be good names for your chicks! Yes, I speak Maori!
 

Luckily we don't have Bird Flu or animal lobbyists who make things difficult but our Club leads the way in proactive marketing. 
We are thinking of a strategy to reward members who regularly come to meetings & help out with fundraising, rather than perhaps penalise those who don't but only join so they can get their rings & officially show.

 

Our Club grows steadily & I am looking forward to our Show mid-June when of course your breeding season will be in full flight! We will be enduring rain, cold, rugby etc!

 

Will check out Skiddaw....my geog knowledge of the UK is still ok.

 Ka kite ano, e hoa manu (See you soon, my bird friend)
Dave.
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 1:43 AM
Subject: RE: Bird clubs in the Uk

Hi Babs,
Many thanks for your reply It's 28 degrees celcius here at present
 

Your website is fantastic! I have spent ages looking at it but it's now back to work! I will put the refs to it in our April newsletter because there is a wealth of useful info.

 

Shame that your sale was cancelled...what do you charge people for their table or is it done according to how much they sell?

What do you charge per cage for your shows & how much do the public pay?
 

Keep up the good work! Also enjoyed the Lake District pix...I went to school in London for 4 years as a teenager due to my father's job...collected butterflies!

Cheers,
Dave.
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Dave
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 11:09 PM
Subject: FW: bird clubs in the uk

Kia ora  Babs, 
Many thanks for your prompt reply & it was a great thrill that Cage & Aviary printed my email almost the day I sent it.
 

Whilst Wellington is the capital of NZ, Auckland is the largest city at 1.2 million. In a total population of 4.3 million, that represents a huge percentage, but it does not necessarily mean that gaining or maintaining Bird Club members is any easier. In fact, it is perhaps easier in smaller more community-minded towns to keep any sort of Club going!

 

We have about 65 financial members, including 10 juniors. 
We have an Annual Show (16/17 June) & have moved to the wonderful arts Centre building in the latest school to be built in NZ. It is right opposite our 3rd biggest shopping complex so we are hoping that with these 'advantages,' we can get more of the public through the door.

 It is a 2day Show with judging starting at 8.45am & I want them to push through their work quickly so that we can open to the public at noon-5.30pm then 9am - 1.30pm the next day before prize giving & de-benching at 2pm.

 

It costs 50cents (about 20p) to enter each bird with prizes running from $3 (1 pound?) to about $15 (5pound) + rosettes/sashes/cups/certs/diplomas etc. 
We have several major sponsors who contribute cash (Best Bird & Runner up in Show $75 & $25 with trophies) as well as product which we give to all exhibitors.

 

We would be interested to know more about your Show scene. 
How many, how do you market (we use radio/papers/supermarket notices/local schools/vet surgeries/malls etc), what are your prizes worth, cost of bird entry & to the public, duration of the Show/opening hours, do you have problems in getting judges, how do you compensate them etc.

 

Also, what does it cost to join your Club, what do you offer & how do you raise funds. 
Our Club costs about 4pounds for juniors & pensioners, 6 pounds for family, partnerships or single.
We send out a monthly 6-10 page newsletter, hold monthly meetings usually with guest speakers, have a book/showcage/video library & have a few outings. 
We rely on our Show to raise money & hold a grocery hamper raffle in liaison & run about 3 sausage sizzles a year.

 

The only national Bird magazine has recently stopped publishing due to lack of support but it keeps its Finches & Softbills mag going.

 

If any of your members are thinking of coming to NZ, then do let us know.
Sorry that this may seem a mass of questions, but we are interested in swapping info & even trying new ideas.
 
Please do keep in touch or circularise this email to your Members.
 
Kind wishes,
Dave Nicholson
President, Auckland Metro Bird Club, NZ.

 

 

 

 

 

-