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Dougal's Pet Corner
The place for your pet stories and pictures, let me have them |
| BUDGIES & CANARIES |
Budgies and canaries are
colourful and friendly companions that need to live with other birds in a large aviary.
This can be expensive to build or buy and needs regular cleaning, for health reasons. What
do budgies and canaries need? Companionship - to be with other budgies or canaries and to
have human company. A balanced diet of bird food, seed shaken through a fine sieve to get
rid of dust, and regular treats like fresh washed lettuce, carrots and apple. A constant
supply of fresh, clean water. A large aviary, safe from predators and with sleeping areas
or nesting boxes to give protection from cold, wind and direct sunlight. Daily exercise.
There must be plenty of space for flying in the aviary. Lots of wooden perches for
sleeping on. Budgies like to perch high up and all at the same level, while canaries need
bark-covered twigs to perch on. Branches, toys and vegetation in the aviary to create an
interesting environment. Clean water for bathing. Grit to help digestion. A cuttlefish
bone to peck at. The aviary to be cleaned regularly. To be taken to a vet if they are ill
or injured. To be looked after when you are on holiday. Life span
Budgies can live for up to ten years, canaries for five to six years.
In the wild, budgies and canaries live in large groups so it is unkind to have just one
bird. Get a pair or a group of male or female birds at the same time to avoid jealousy.
Canaries and budgies should not be kept in the same aviary as canaries are smaller and may
be bullied. All captive birds need a stimulating environment and space to fly around. |
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Budgies can be trained to land on your
finger and can be handled quite frequently without stress. Canaries should be handled as
little as possible. To pick up a bird, place one hand over its back. The tail should lie
along the inside of your wrist and the head should rest between the first and second
fingers, while the thumb and other fingers restrain the wings. Relax your fingers to make
your grip as gentle as possible and never squeeze the bird. |
Budgies may suffer from an overgrown beak or claws. The
beak can usually be kept in trim by pecking at a cuttlefish bone, but it may need to be
trimmed by a vet. Claws can be kept short by providing perches with a rough or
bark-covered surface. If they need clipping, a vet should do this. Feather plucking can be
a sign of boredom or stress. Make sure your budgie or canary has suitable companions, lots
of room to fly and plenty of interesting toys and perches.
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If you are going to continue doing surveys around
Sheringham to see what people want to change, could you possibly tackle the road junctions
at the top of Beeston Road and Bottom of Common Lane? I use this junction very rarely,
although it would be easier for me because the access to the main road is terrible. Coming
out of Common Lane you take your life in your hands as visibility is non-existent until
you are halfway across the road.
Received by telephone - Name withheld |
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| Binocular
Basics 2: The exit pupil |
One of the main factors that determines image brightness
is what is called the 'exit pupil'. If you hold a pair of binoculars at arm's length, and
look through the eyepieces at the sky, you will see a bright central disc. This disc is
the exit pupil and is the hole through which the light reaches your eye; the bigger this
hole, the more light can reach your eye. The size of the exit pupil of binoculars or a
telescope can be calculated by dividing the magnification (the first number) into the
diameter of the objective, or front, lens (the second number). An 8 x 32 binocular
therefore has an exit pupil of 4mm, while a 7x50 has one of over 7mm. This 7mm exit pupil
not only lets in lots of light and explains why the 7x50 is the standard instrument for
marine and night use, but the big hole is also easy to look through and makes this
specification a good choice for people who have difficulty using binoculars. A tiny exit
pupil is one of the reasons that compact zoom binoculars, sold through national papers
with extravagant claims about magnification, are hard to use; a 10 to 60 x 30 zoom, at
maximum magnification, will have an exit pupil of only half a millimetre!
In practice a 4mm exit pupil is a good general-purpose specification, and is provided by
8x32 or 10 x 40 binoculars. If you have a pair of 10x50 binoculars and want to make a
direct comparison between a 5mm exit pupil and a 4mm one, you can do so by cutting out a
50mm disc of card and cutting a 40mm hole in it. Place the disc with its 40-mm hole over
one of the front lenses and see if you can 'spot the difference'.
Cley-Spy |
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A new web site for Sheringham Accommodation
has been launched. All types of accommodation can be advertised on site, encluding Bed
& Breakfast, Guest Houses, Holiday Homes, Hotels, Rental, Caravan and Camp Sites. Very
competitive rates are offered. Just give us a call, you have nothing to lose.
Call Vikki on 0845 165 9430
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