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G. H. Blair—Galahs



And then the spring of 1936 came round, and my enthusiasm over¬

ran the bounds of discretion, because as early as March I installed a

“ clock ” nest in the flight of their aviary. There was an immediate

display of interest in the nest, and simultaneously a decided intention

to keep me out of the aviary. Where once there had been affection for

me there now was almost hatred. I didn’t mind, because I felt that it

was a warranty at least of their good intentions for the coming breeding

season.


On the 16fch of March she laid her first egg, but must have been

dissatisfied with the attempt, for it was thrown out without ceremony.

Three days afterwards she made a second attempt and apparently this

met with the entire approval of both of them, for she commenced to sit.

From that moment I left them severely alone, and read all I could

about Galahs. My spirits were somewhat damped by reading in

Lord Tavistock’s wonderful book that breeding results could not be

expected in an aviary less than 28 feet by 12 feet—-mine was only half

this size, and a “ fixed ” structure to boot. All my “ birdy ” friends

thought me a wonderful optimist, and my non-birdy friends smiled

patronisingly and felt sorry for me. Still I hoped and on the 20th of

April I heard sounds of life in the “ clock ”, and a week later the

opportunity arose to take a “ peep ”—I took the opportunity and saw

my first young Galah. It w r as an ugly little thing, quite naked and for

all the world like an outsize in young Budgies.


Various “ peeps ” proved that the youngster was growing apace

and on 4th June it made its first appearance in public. It looked

beautiful, and the parents were inordinately proud. They fed it

assiduously for weeks after it left the nest, and then, wonder of wonders,

went to nest again and in due time presented me with another bouncing

youngster, which has now left the nest and is entirely independent of

its parents.


To such experienced aviculturists as Lord Tavistock the breeding

of Galahs may not be much of an achievement, but to the ordinary

sort of fellow with limited time, space, and money like me, it is some¬

thing of a milestone. It was my first success in breeding any of the

Parrot-like birds with the exception of Budgies. During the whole of

the breeding season I fed the birds on a mixture of Spanish canary.



