DVD: At Home with Mike Fidler

[fabulousfinch]

The DVD "At Home with Mike Fidler" is now available formatted to play on American DVD players through Fabulous Finch at: http://www.fabulousfinch.com/index.html

“At Home with Mike Fidler” presents a behind the scenes look at his Aussie Aviaries, Nutrition and Food Preparation, and the Save the Gouldian Fund Research Center at his Australian Hunter Valley Complex.

It's a great DVD that covers everything from finch nutrition to setting up your first cage or designing your dream aviary. Birdkeepers of all skill levels will find this DVD to be extremely interesting.

And if you are new to finches in general, this DVD will give you a huge jump start! An excellent companion to the book “The Gouldian Finch” with updated/expanded information and imagery to support the book, as well as being an excellent stand alone source of information easily digested in just one viewing of 80 minutes.

And this DVD is not just for Gouldian keepers. In the DVD Mike shows you his cage setup for his Peters' Twinspots. And while visiting Mike at the Save the Gouldian Fund Research Center this last Septmeber, I also saw captive Longtail and Parrot finches at the facility, as well as Munias and Painted finches kept at his personal aviary.

This DVD has something for everyone who fancies and keeps finches!!!

Thank you,

Bill Van Patten
Fabulous Finch, LLC
(877) 346-2433
http://www.FabulousFinch.com

[mickp]

have to agree, that is a great dvd. well worth having.

[fabulousfinch]

Hi Mick,

How's it going? I haven't forgotten I promised pictures from my trip to Oz, and I will start posting them just as soon as I get through the holidays.

On one day in the bush with Mike we saw over 500 Gouldians visit a water hole near Wyndham!!! I was in a "hide" just 15 feet from the water hole taking photographs.

They came into the trees all around us, and I could hear Mike and another biologist we were with talking about them with more and more excitement as the numbers mounted....but none at the waterhole yet. From inside the "hide" I couldn't see anything except the waterhole through the lens, but knew I couldn't move to look or I would scare them off. I heard Mike who was further back under cover quietly tell me to be patient, as he knew I was probably about to bust with the desire to peak out from under the "hide." I could hear them in the trees all around us. We were surrounded!!

Finally, after about a half an hour, they descended by the 50's and 100's to the waterhole. There were so many Gouldians jumping around, my autofocus would hardly work....had to switch to manual!!!

More stories to tell later with pictures, but thought I would just say hello for the moment!

Hope all is well with you.

Bill

[gomer]

They change their location did they? as they were going to go to Mornington where they? I heard they where going to Wyndham I thought that would be in 09.I may go next year.If not 2010.

[fabulousfinch]

Hi Gomer,

Our plans changed while we were in the field. Originally, Mornington was on the agenda, but due to a family emergency, Dr. Pryke (who was coordinating the Wyndham census) had to leave for South Africa. Mike and I left the Northern Territory early to head to Wyndham so Mike could help coordinate the Wyndham census with Dr. Griffith (an associate of Dr. Pryke). Dr. Griffith was in the area studying the Longtail finch, and has a PhD student working in the Wyndham area full time on Longtails.

Our original plans were to participate in the Mornington census after the Wyndham census, but there was so much action in the Wyndham area I asked Mike if we could stay. I missed some beautiful geography by not attending the Mornington census, but saw more Gouldians in one day at Wyndham than I would have seen all week at Mornington! While we struck out completely on a few days, on other days in the Wyndham area, I saw and photographed hundreds of Gouldians at other waterhole locations also.

The focus of the scientific effort by the Save the Gouldian Fund has changed to Wyndham with the almost completed Wyndham Conservation Research Centre which will serve as a base for scientific research in the area for the next 20 years.

I'm sure you would have a great time at either location, but I would put my money on the Wyndham area for the best chance to see Gouldians in large numbers.

Cheers!
Bill

[mickp]

sounds like you had a great time Bill. am looking forward to seeing pics.

[fabulousfinch]

Hi Mick,

Ok, here goes with some pictures if I can get this to work. I said I would post some after the holidays. Did I mention which holidays We just celebrated the 4th of July here in the states, so I think that qualifies!

This photo of a male and a juvenile Gouldian finch drinking at a waterhole with two adult Longtail finches in the Wyndham area of northwest Australia was taken in Sept of 2008. You'll notice both Gouldians are banded, which means they are part of the Save the Gouldian Fund wild Gouldian study population. The Longtail finch is now part of a comparative study by the STGF, as it is the Gouldian's primary competitor for nest hollows, having similar nesting preferences.



Bill Van Patten
http://www.FabulousFinch.com

[CandoAviary]

Awesome Picture. Nice to see them without bars in the background

[ac12]

Bill
I don't know what it is about your site, but FireFox browser just brings up a blank white screen. I have to use Internet Explorer to see the site.

[nixity]

Isn't it crazy how different the wild Gouldians look (color wise) than captive bred? The colors are just so vivid and almost reflective

[lovemyfinch]

I would so love to see these birds in their natural habitat. However, I do believe that you would have to drag me back home, I would never want to leave. Thanks for the pic, would love to see more if you have the time.

[gouldianscy]

I would love myself to get a hold of this DVD. Anyone knows where to purchase it at the cheapest possible price and shipping cost to Europe?

[mickp]

Bill, that is a brilliant picture, congrats.

gouldianscy, have a look at this link it should have details on the dvd & postage, you will find the dvd approx 3/4 of the way down the page.

http://www.justfinches.com/shopbirds.php

[fabulousfinch]

Hi Mick, Tiffany, and all,

Here is the next one. Not a "Kodak Moment" but this photo shows the diversity of the finch species sharing the same habitat with the Gouldian in the Wyndham area. In addition to the Double Bar (Owl finches) and the Zebra finches there are also Star finches (on right with red head and white speckled breast), the Mask finch (on left with the bright yellow beak and raccoon mask around eyes), and the ever present Longtail (just to the right of the male red head Gouldian), all joined by their mates and juvenile families.

We also saw a few Chestnut Breasted and Yellow-rumped Mannikins, but they didn't seem to drink at the same time as the others. They came in a bit later, and I caught them in a separate photo.




Bill Van Patten
http://www.FabulousFinch.com

[CandoAviary]

Awesome