babies were still doing well and growing quickly, the first left the nest on 20th August and the second the next day. My aviary has a wire floor ‘overhang’ for the last 3’ of its length and the two babies sat on this and the mother joined them sitting very close to keep them warm, the temperature that morning was only 13C which for an August day is rather cold. Jerry Fisher warned me that it is sensible to try to check that the babies are drinking for themselves two breeders have had this problem once the young leave the nest. I took a shallow bowl of water into the aviary and simply picked up one of the babies, there was no attempt from them to fly away, it drank avidly once its beak was placed in the water, once it had consumed all it wanted I then put it down and picked up the second baby and let that drink. On 28th August I again caught my two birds and checked them but they appeared not to be thirsty. Although I mentioned above that there was a 3’ overhang the total flight size is 10’ long, 7’6” sloping to 5’6” high and 3’ wide and 7’ of the roof is covered in glass-fibre roof sheeting giving a very sheltered and protected aviary. Both young developed well and as the days shortened and temperatures dropped I carefully considered if I should move all six birds into heated indoor quarters for the winter. I would


36 BIRD SCENE


“CAPE DOVES SEEM A LITTLE UNADVENTUROUS AS FAR AS FEEDING IS CONCERNED; THEIR MAIN STAPLE IS WHITE MILLET. DOVES DO NOT SHELL THEIR SEED LIKE BUDGERIGARS; THEY SWALLOW IT WHOLE AND GRIND IT UP IN THE GIZZARD.”


have liked to leave them where they were because they seemed very settled and I know that they are easily stressed when moved. I knew that what to do would be a tough call but decided to monitor them twice a day and if the cold started to worry them I would indeed move them into a heated environment. The signs to look for are that they will sit fluffed up, be inactive and look generally miserable. In late September these signs were all too evident and I decided to move them into a warmer and dryer environment. Cape Doves seem a little unadventurous as far as feeding is concerned; their main staple is White millet. Doves do not shell their seed like Budgerigars; they swallow it whole and grind it up in the gizzard. This means there are no husks to blow off the seed bowls. I provide 50/50 Budgie mix but I do not think that they eat much of the canary seed in the mixture, they will take millet sprays but mine are not over


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