at the Keston Foreign Bird Farm, Season 1933



53



from some of the species that we had anticipated, taking into considera¬

tion onr previous years’ averages.


The farm is situated, of course, in a very sheltered position, looking

due south, consequently from dawn to dusk the aviaries are bathed

in sunshine, and we noticed during the dreadfully hot days of summer

the Finches were inclined to come off their nests and leave the eggs

to look after themselves. The only species that did even moderately

well during July and August were the Bichenos. Of these a good many

youngsters were reared, and a cross between a double-banded Finch

(Black-rumped Bicheno) and a Binged Finch (White-rumped Bicheno)

seems to point to the fact that the Binged Finches are the dominant

species, as all the young had white rumps.


In previous notes we have said that these birds are rather difficult

to breed. After our experience this season we are inclined to think

this statement should be qualified. Provided one can obtain true pairs

(they are undoubtedly very difficult to sex) all they seem to us to

require is a “ Keston ” wire box, some clean grass and feathers with

which to construct their nest, and plenty of millet spray and flowering

grass when feeding young. We have never succeeded in getting them

to take any live food. The eggs are pure white and extremely small,

incubation takes fourteen days, and the young when they leave the

nest are grey. But the cocks usually have a faint sign of the black

band across the breast, and in consequence they could be sexed, we

believe, with greater certainty when young than later on when fully

adult.


All the Long-tailed Grass and Heck’s Grass Finches had young in

May, and not again until September, October, and November. At

the time of writing (15th November) there are two nests, one of five

and the other of four, just fledged. All these youngsters are good birds,

and the latest we can remember rearing. No doubt they have been

considerably helped by the very mild autumn, but we shall be curious

to see if they are as large, when adult, as those hatched in the spring.


Zebra Finches did very moderately, our average dropping to

approximately six young per pair. We have, however, bred a practically

pure white hen at last.


Two of our best breeding Buficaudas died at the beginning of the



