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Brenda
Varhola |
My name is Brenda Varhola, and I've loved birds all of my life. I
can remember as a child propping a cardboard box up with a stick that
had a piece of string tied to it. My goal was to catch a bird, and
I'd put pieces of bread under the box in hopes of tempting one under my
"trap". I'd lay on my belly underneath a nearby bush, thinking I
was hiding when, in all probability, every bird in the neighborhood knew
I was there. I never caught anything except poison ivy.
As an adult, my interest continued. I feed wild
birds all year long, and enjoy seeing the parent birds bring their newly
fledged youngsters to the feeders in the Spring. I have several
bluebird nesting boxes, and keep a log of nesting activities along my
"bluebird trail".
Aria From A Bird Cage
came into being when my growing interest in canaries led me to be more
than just a pet owner. It all began with a single pet canary, a
generic yellow bird that was found at a pet shop. He was purchased
at the lower female price because the pet shop could not guaranty the
sex, and as you know, only the males are singers. Within a few
days of being in our home, HE burst out with joyous song, and totally
amazed my family. He sang boisterously, with such a variety of
phrases and notes that it made you wonder if there was only one bird in
the cage.
My family enjoyed
him for several years (now here's where a sad event happens), when one
day he was found dead at the bottom of the cage...no apparent reason.
It could be that he was old, since we have no idea what his history was
before we purchased him, but his passing left the house empty of song.
The atmosphere that had been filled with his elaborate solo performance
was now still and quiet.
I began to search
for a replacement for him, but because it was in the Spring, the local
pet stores had none available. I turned to the internet, thinking
I would be able to find a breeder and buy a bird directly from them.
Once I started researching, I realized that my thinking that a canary
was just a yellow bird that sings was very narrow. It amazed me
that canaries came in so many colors and types. Because I was
searching for a canary with a superior song, I determined that the
American Singer was the particular type of canary for me.
To make a long
story short, I wanted a high quality bird, so I contacted breeders that
had been showing their birds in competition (and winning). I knew
that birds from their aviary would have, genetically, the quality I was
looking for, especially since my research had peaked my interest to aim
toward showing and competing with my own birds.
Instead of buying
only one male to replace my lost singer, I purchased three pairs, and
began my adventure in raising canaries. My little yellow singer's
passing had opened a whole new world for me.
When the breeder
emailed me to see how the birds made the trip to my home, he said, "They
are fortunate to have found such a good home where their new owner is so
concerned about every detail to preserve their wellbeing." This
simple statement touched me to the soul, because of a
life lesson
I had learned several years ago.
His approving
remarks also confirmed to me that I had, indeed, found a hobby that
would become the source of much enjoyment and lead me down a very
interesting pathway.
I encourage you
to join me in the journey. Whether it be a single pet bird that
comes into your heart, or an aviary filled with a collection of birds,
my wish for you is that your world be filled with merry song.
You are welcome
to contact me anytime with comments, questions,
or inquiries. I don't proclaim to be an expert, but I may be able
to point you in the right direction. Please put something about
canaries in the subject line of your email, as I tend to delete messages
that appear to be spam or unsolicited junk mail (a nasty computer virus
taught me a lesson about opening mail from someone I don't know).
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