Heinz 57 varieties.

I had my naughty Swedish maid, Barry, bring up my copy of Cage and Aviary Birds with my massage oil after tiffin this afternoon, and had a good peruse while she worked on my peroneal muscles (look 'em up - not as dirty as they sound). As always, checking for potential vagrants on sale in trade. Normally, in fact always, this is very disappointing. Plenty of parrots, Diamond Doves, Japanese Quails etc, never anything juicy like a Citril Finch, or a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Superb ('Spreo') Starlings are back in trade in a big way though, if you have £290 the pair, but are not going to get the blood racing on a misty day at Portland. I expect. Yellow-fronted Serins ('Green Singing Finches') seem to be going through the roof (£155 pr). To appear in C&AB I think a species really has to be heavily in trade. I mean, you can pretty much get anything through the white van trade, but mainstream legit trade eventually appears here. For example, Mugimaki Fly turned up here during a period when they were for sale in C&AB, which probalby means there were a lot around. Since the early 90s it has completely dropped out of mainstream trade, and sure enough there have been no more occurrences. Only a coincidence, of course :-)

Other things this week...
Siberian Bullfinch cock, £65
Mandarin Duck, £40 pr
Red-crested Pochard £35 pr - dirt cheap
Black Kytes (sic)- £750 each OUCH!
Gyr x Sakers £400
wait for it...
Gyr x American Kestrel £800... wtf? I mean WTF????? What the hell is that... and WHY??? WHYYYYY!!!!
European Eagle Owls £150

and Wanted... Turtle Dove (don't we all)

The McKinney would approve... I'm listening to an Iron Maiden tribute CD that fell out of Barry's copy of Kerrang. It has Remember Tomorrow covered by Metallica which would appear to be the best thing Metallica have done in a studio for about 10 years. Also Flash of the Blade covered by Avenged Svenfold in a bodacious way.

Anyway, I'm off to officially midgie-free Skye for a week. Youse can all had away n' shite.