I had been completely enjoying my aviary and watching my finches and I quickly discovered that I was now more interested in fiches than I could remember for a while, I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder and after 6 years or so of not being able to keep them I was making the most of this simple pleasure of mine.
After my months of searching and inquiring about Self Bengalese I had almost given up and after some consideration I decided to look into visiting a finch club to meet some like minded people that shared my interest in Finches and possibly the Self Bengalese Mannikin.
In my experience of finches, growing up in my home town Strathalbyn S.A. I had been quite spoilt because during my youth I befriended a couple of men that kept finches and had quite considerable aviaries. I would visit regularly and this would fuel my boyish interest in finches and also expose me to what being a fincho is like.
I visited one of my friends Peter more recently and I've included some images to see. When I first met Peter his aviaries consisted of those pictured in the top image, a long corridor that begins with a bird room that has his seed, hospital cage and some holding flights and then moves off to have multiple aviaries on either side. It was in these aviaries I discovered many of the wonderful finch species that I love today and I would savoir the moments that I would visit and this would help me enjoy my humble Zebras and Bengos that I had in my first Aviary.
In more recent years Peter had extended his set up to include a very large flight which now has fruit trees vegetables and natural brush.
I have found myself many times there and enjoying the wonderful and peaceful environment that it creates just watching the finches and blue wrens that he keeps.
It was with confidence that there were other people like Peter here in Sydney that I was considering checking out a Finch or Avicultural Club to find my Self Bengos.