NORFOLK FOREIGN BIRD ASSOCIATION - 1998 OPEN SHOW

The show was a great success and had one of its largest entries ever at 448. Judges engaged were G Taylor, K Garrett and G Lockington for Foreign and P Cannan for Zebra Finch and Bengalese.

The Lovebird section received an excellent entry of 66 with several high quality birds on display. D Watlow had a very successful day in the current year bred section staging the two leading exhibits. These were a very good normal Peach Faced which went on to become third best Lovebird, and a Pied Peach Faced. Third place was taken by J Read’s Lutino whilst fourth went to S & P Fisher with an Abysinnian.

In the adult section S & P Fisher took the leading award, and best Lovebird in show, with a Red Faced. An excellent Fischers took second place and second best Lovebird for Mr & Mrs Ellis. Third best went to a Red Eyed Cinnamon benched by J Read with fourth best being S & P Fisher’s Abysinnian. The final award went to D Watlow’s Cinnamon Peach Faced.

The Parrotlike section contained 56 entries, and again the quality of the leading exhibits was excellent. S & P Fisher had an outstanding day. In the current year bredd cestion they took the two leading awards with a Yellow Fronted Kakariki and Canary Winged Parrakeets. B Sheldrakes’s Green Cheeked Conures were third best with a Yellow Turquoisine owned by Mr & Mrs Ellis fourth.

The leading adult entry was S & P Fisher’s African Ringneck which also went on to become best bird in show for the third consecutive year. Both feather condition and steadiness of this bird are outstanding. A Vernal’s Hanging Parrot was second best adult and second best Parrotlike, again for S & P Fisher. Another African Ringneck was third best for T Warelow and a Rock Pebbalr fourth for B Sheldrake. The final award went to S & P Fisher’s Canary Winged Parakeet.

Entries in the Australian section were slightly down at 47. The leading exhibits in the current year bred section were owned by D Nudd being a Hecks Grassfinch and a Cherry Finch, with the Hecks going on to become second best Australian. D Brown took the award for third best with a pair of Bicheno Finches whilst L Barnsdale was fourth with a Cherry Finch. In fifth place was a Yellow Headed Gouldian belonging to D Nudd.

Best adult Australian, and best Australian was L Barnsdale’s pair of Hecks Grassfinches. Second best was a Pintailed Nonpariel owned by D Brown whilst D Nudd’s Cherry Finch was third. Other leading exhibits were Long Tail Grassfinches and a Chestnut Breasted Finch.

Seedeaters totalled 102, and T Warelow staged the leading exhibits. From the common section, his very good pair of Blue Billed Mannikins were judged leading exhibits, with second place going to N Prentice’s Green Singing Finch. The next two specials went to C Stock with Java Sparrows and Blue Billed Mannikins with the final special going to C & S Allaway’s St Helena Waxbill.

The leading current year bred common awards all went to L Barnsdale with two pairs of Chocolate Silverbills and a pair of African Silverbills. The first of these exhibits was also third best common seedeater. The other current year bred awards went to B & J Rudling with a Green Singing Finch and the Red Eared Waxbill owned by T Warelow.

Best rare seedeater, and best seedeater in show was won by T Warelow with a Black Cheeked Waxbill. Running this exhibit very close was C & S Allaway’s Red Crested Finch. A Black Capped Waxbill was third best for C & S Allaway whilst T Warelow was fourth with a Red Winged Pytilla. The final award went to a Queen Whydah benched by Mr & Mrs Coe. The only current year bred rare seedeater was a Desert Bullfinch owned by D Brown.

There were 11 nectarfeeders benched. Leading exhibit, and second best foreign in show was C & S Allaway’s well coloured Beautiful Sunbird. The same exhibitor also took second best with a Scarlet Chested sunbird, with the same species taking the next two awards for N Elliston.

C & S Allaway took most of the softbill awards, winning best with a Touraco, third and fourth with Zosterops, and fifth with a White Naped Yuhina. A Stripe Throated Yuhina won second best for Mr & Mrs Coe. The only current year bred softbill exhibited was an Orange Headed Ground Thrush owned by C & S Allaway.

The number of junior exhibits was disappointing with the leading entries being Miss Jackson’s Peach Faced Lovebird an D Lugo’s Hecks Grassfinch.

There were 103 entries n the Zebra Finch section. In the champion section, P Ankin took the two leading adult awards with Chestnut Flanked Whites and Normals. The two other champion adult awards went to D Webster with Penguins and B Rudling with Fawns. P Ankin also owned the leading champion breeder, again with Chestnut Flanked Whites. Following this exhibit, the other champion breeder awards went to T Stanhope with Fawns, P Ankin with Normals and D Webster with Pengiuns.

The leading novice breeder exhibit, and Best Zebra Finch in show, went to J Moss with Chestnut Flanked Whites. The same exhibitor also won the awards for second and third best breeder with another pair of Chestnut Flanked Whites and Fawns. The final novice breeder award went to A Coles with Normals. J Moss also took the two leading novice adult awards with Chestnut Flanked Whites and Normals. R Hunt took third place with Fawns and A Coles fourth with Chestnut Flanked Whites. Best junior Zebra Finch went to Miss Jackson.

One again the number of Bengalese was disappointing with D Brown winning the champion award, R Hunt the novice and D Lugo the junior.