WITH the birds gone, this seemed a good time to look back at some individuals down the years that stand out in my mind. Not necessarily the best exhibition birds or even breeders, but birds that left a mark.
I have to start with a Gloster canary, the fabled “Norman”. Virtually from being in the nest, I knew there was something special about it. (“It”, because at that point I couldn’t sex him.) There was a nest of four: two consorts and two coronas. All looked good in the nest and still did when I they fledged - but Norman stood out.
As his crest developed, it looked so good that I decided to trim it because the youngster was spending so much time on the cage floor. He wasn’t over-crested, as he had excellent feather quality, but the
