Snow

It's very unusual to get a lot of snow here on the Furness peninsular due to it's location getting protection from the sea and the Lakeland fells.  If it snows here the rest of the country must be having it bad. Night time temperatures are down to -10C and it's staying well below freezing during the day.  At this time of year my aviaries don't get any sun and keeping the birds with fresh un-frozen water is becoming a problem.  Tubular heaters give the birds some protection and they all appear to be doing OK....however, it's only December.

Buster likes it...

Buster's Birthday

It's Buster's birthday today...he's 5 years old.  Here are some puppy pictures...

Web cam back on line

I've rigged the web cam to look out into the aviary overlooking the millet sprays.
Follow the next box live cam link from my web site.....
www.grassparakeets.talktalk.net/

Opaline turk

Some photos' of the young opaline turk from the second round.  I'm still uncertain of it's sex.

The red chest is very dark even before the first moult

Some red feathers showing on the wing.  For opalines both cocks and hens can show red wing bar

Both cock and hen opalines have a large white under wing stripe

I will have to wait till this birds gets more adult plumage.  If it's a male there should be more blue on its head, particularly on the lore feathers (bit between beak and eye).

Storm fatality

Found the young RF normal turk I was going to keep dead today. I can only think it was something to do with the very stormy weather we have had for the past few nights. He was showing no signs of illness yesterday and was his usual lively self.  Perhaps he was just two flighty and got scared in the night.
I now need to re-think what birds to keep for next year.

Birds to keep

I've now decided which birds to keep from the turks.  The normal RF cock from the first round (will be old enough to breed next year with new normal hen) and the RF cinnamon yellow from the 2nd round (right in photo).  Although I do like the RF opaline (left in photo).

So these birds will be sold:-
2nd round
RF Cinnamon Yellow Opaline hen
RF Normal / yellow opaline cock
RF Opaline / yellow (sex unknown)
RF Cinnamon / yellow hen
1st round
RF Yellow hen

Tarn Hows walk

Dow crag & Coniston old man

Reflections over Tarn Hows

View to Langdale pikes

Tarn Hows

Buster

I like these pictures, but the resolution on the trees is just not there with my old camera. New Christmas present I think. 

Bonfire night

Buster gets stuck

Buster got over-excited on the walk I did at the weekend and ran straight into this marsh.  I had to pull him out with his collar.

The walk was up and around High Dam and Stott Park Heights adjacent to lake Windermere.  Some photos....

High Dam

Coniston Fells

Langdale Pikes

Lake Windermere

Buster, no worse after his ordeal

Red eyes

I had no idea of the sex the young oplaline turqs, until I took this photo.

I usually try not to use the flash as it alters colour and flattens the picture, however it has shown the two yellow opaline turqs to have red eyes. Their mother, second from the left, does not have red eyes. The young cinnamon on the far left also has red eyes as expected (normally it's hard tell as it shows up as a  dark plum colour in normal light).  I have to assume therefore that both the yellows are also cinnamons, which I had suspected for one of them.  That means according to sex-linked inheritance they are both hens. Pity because the one with the most red I was hoping was a cock.  I still don't know whether to keep this bird or the opaline on the far right with the very full red chest, which I still have know idea of the sex.

Edinburgh

Now the breeding season is at an end I haven't got much to post on the birds...so I thought I'd show some pictures I took in Edinburgh at the weekend.

Edinburgh Castle

Panorama of Edinburgh from foot of Arthur's Seat

 Edinburgh Castle from park fountain

View to Arthur's Seat from the Scott Monument

View to Castle and Princes Street from the Scott Monument

End of season

The last turq finally left the nest. It's very little and doesn't have the full red front (yet), although the yellow is not as greeny which makes me think its a cinnamon yellow opaline.  If so, it would be a hen.

I've now removed all the nest boxes for winter.

Some photos of the young turqs

A few pictures of the young turqs.  Notice their sore noses from hitting the mesh, these birds are so flighty compared to splendids and bourkes.

4 chicks have now left the nest.  Only the smaller yellow opaline remains. 

Normal Red Fronted Opaline...sex unknown

Normal Red Fronted ...I would have said a cock, but has under wing bars, must be a hen.  A big strong bird.

Red Fronted Cinnamon...has to be hen as dad is split and mum doesn't show cinnamon.

Red fronted Yellow Opaline...Sex unknown.  I would guess a hen.  Has a lot more red than her mum.

Which one should I keep?

2 Turqs fledged

Two of the turq chicks left the box today; the normal (hen I think) and the opaline normal which maybe a cock.  Unfortunately both the sexes have under-wing bars when opaline is present.  Also the red wing shoulder patch can show up on hens and not always on cocks.
The opaline already has a full red front and although it has smashed it's head flying into the mesh, that's not blood but red feathers on its forehead.

Update on bourkes: The two fertile eggs from Pinky and Perky were dead in shell.  Also, Rosie never even started sitting on her eggs.  That's it now, they'll have to wait till next year. Once the turqs all leave the nest I'll be removing the nest boxes for winter

25 days old

Both yellows are opaline.  The one on the left is brighter and does not have the usual shade of green, I suspect it may be a cinnamon yellow opaline.

A box full of colours

It looks like Neversink was right..I have opaline chicks, but I also have a cinnamon.

Top left - cinnamon
Top right -opaline yellow (golden yellow)
Mid right -normal
Bot left - opaline
Bot right - yellow (may also be opaline)
All should be red-fronted and I now know Rudolph is split for yellow, opaline and cinnamon...brilliant! Other combinations are also possible, I'll have to work them all out.

Opaline reduces the distribution of melanins (dark pigments) and increases the distribution of psittacins (yellows and reds).

Black - feather full of melanin, no psittacin and no structural effects
Blue - melanin in feather modified by structure, no psittacin
Yellow - yellow psittacin in feather, no melanin
Green - melanin in feather modified by structure (i.e. blue) combined with psittacin (i.e. yellow)
Red - red psittacin in feather, no melanin
White - no melanin or psittacin

In the turquosine parakeet patches of green are turned to yellow, giving a pied appearance.  The red shoulder patch is changed and can appear on both cocks and hens, sometimes it can be missing on the cock.

Turqs that have red fronts are effectively having the normally coloured yellow feathers turned red, so when added with opaline the red can appear in patches all over. Opaline added to yellow gives the so called golden yellow. Also hens can have full red fronts like the cocks.  Opaline can produce some crazy and amazing coloured birds.  It is a sex linked mutation and therefore must show in the plumage of hens but can be carried (split) in cocks.

As Rudolph and Goldie have very dense red colouring, I'm expecting a lot of red on these chicks.

Cinnamon is also a sex-linked mutation that reduces melanin to a degree turning all black pigment to brown.  As Goldie does not have the cinnamon mutation, the chick must be a hen according to the rules of sex-linked inheritance (see my website).

 
I was going to keep the red fronted normal cock from the first round, but now I may change my mind....wish I had more space!