Painting the Welded mesh of your aviary will reduce the glare of the silver barrier that you are accustomed to.  I used black paint on the welded mesh of my aviary, and the difference is evident.

If you like looking at your flock without having to press your nose right up to the mesh to see them clearly, consider painting your aviary's mesh with a black paint.  If you stand far enough from your aviary, you do not even see the mesh, only the bright coloured finches within.

With the year ending and all of the focus being on my family I have neglected to see who was nesting in the corner.  I have noticed 3 new additions to Finchville.

If only I had the time to sit and watch who were feeding these hungry hatch-lings.  I will have to report back later.  The white sides to their beaks makes me believe that they may be African Silverbills, but there is no certainty at this stage.  They also seem to be about 4-5 days away from becoming fledgelings.  This means they must have hatched while we were in Cape Town.

Huge storm passed through last night, so much so that the neighbours tree split in 2.  Murphy's Law dictated that the side that fell had to fall on my aviaries! good building skill and good choice of material ensured that the tree came to rest on top of the aviaries rather than crashing through.

I will have a roll call this morning to ensure that all the inhabitants of Finchville survived. 

Rats and mice can pose major problems if they get into the aviary. They will disturb the finches, and are likely to contaminate their food. Rats, especially, may kill finches if they gain access to their quarters. Always suspect their presence if birds disappear from the aviary overnight. A solid concrete floor will help to exclude these pests, however, by making it harder for them to tunnel in underneath the foundations. They are most likely to gain access to a large overgrown aviary where the seed is left in the outside flight. In the first place, check carefully around the perimeter for any traces of burrows. These may be sited some distance back from the aviary, concealed in the undergrowth. Remember that excavations within the flight may not be immediately obvious. Mice tend to be less conspicuous than rats; one of the earliest signs of their presence may be their droppings close to the food pots. The high reproductive rate of these creatures under conditions where food is plentiful means that they must be eliminated without delay. It is obviously dangerous to use poisons in an aviary, and traps can prove equally hazardous. But there are two safe options: a live trap or an ultrasonic rodent scarer.

Live traps

You can place a live trap anywhere within the aviary without fear of harming the finches. Live traps vary in design, but they tend to be made up of two basic components: a box and a roof section, which consists of wire-mesh entry tunnels on a wooden frame. The mice enter the box through the tunnels but are unable to escape. In order to be effective, leave the trap open and baited for several nights. Remove other sources of seed from the aviary, to encourage the mice to feed in the trap and then, once the lid is in place, as many as ten mice can be caught during a single evening. Always eliminate rats without any delay. First, find how they are getting into the aviary and block up these entrances. Then seek the advice of a pest control firm, since they will offer the most effective means of destroying rats.

Ultrasonic rodent scarer

You may decide to fit an ultrasonic rodent scarer in a birdroom, or even in an aviary shelter. This device emits high-pitched sounds that are disturbing to the rodents' nervous system but cause no harm to the birds. Fortunately, it appears that rodents cannot build up immunity to ultrasonic sound.

Finches are available from various sources and where you buy your finches may depend on your requirements.  If you are just starting out and you would like to populate your cage or aviary, then your local pet shop will most likely have finches to help you start out.  However, if you are more prone to become an exhibitionist or breeder then a visit to a breeder will be able to advise you on the right stock to start out with.

To find more exotic species you may need to frequent specialist breeders and outlets such as bird farms and private breeders.  

Choosing stock

It is very difficult to determine the age of a finch once they have attained their adult plumage, but their legs and beaks may give you some hints.  If the legs are heavily scaled or the beak shows a number of layers then the bird is probably not a young bird.  Finch breeders normally ring their birds with a colour band.  This will indicate the year in which they are hatched. These rings may be numbered and would be ringed on the "right" leg for a cock and "left" leg for a hen.

In the long run, there is much to be said for acquiring young finches. Hopefully they will have a longer lifespan and 'current-year bred' youngsters will be able to settle in the aviary before being expected to nest in the following year. Try to be as familiar as possible with the show standards for the variety concerned, however, so that you have a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the finches on offer.

Choosing a healthy bird

Before you buy a bird, you will want to make sure that it is in the best condition and you should examine it carefully. Young finches housed in a cage should be lively, moving readily back and forth from perch to perch. The bird's plumage should be tight, but do not be too worried by the condition of the plumage, since this will be replaced at the next moult. At breeding time some cocks moult into nuptial plumage.

In overcrowded conditions, the birds may pluck each other, especially around the head, but the feathers will regrow when the birds are moved to more spacious surroundings. Check that the eyes are clear and show no signs of a discharge, which may be the result of a minor infection, possibly acquired from dirty perches. On the other hand, the condition of the eyes may indicate a more serious ailment. A sick bird, for example, will often huddle on its perch with its eyes closed for long periods. You can assess the overall condition of the bird from an examination of the breastbone, located in the midline on the lower part of the body. Under normal circumstances, this bony prominence should be apparent just as a slight projection, with no hollows on either side. A pronounced gap is indicative of a condition described as 'going light', which is especially common in young Gouldian finches and greenfinches. Although 'going light' is a symptom, rather than a specific disease, it is highly probable that the bird is suffering from a chronic illness and successful treatment may not be possible. Examine the beak and claws for any deviations and avoid buying a bird with any malformation of the beak. If the claws are overgrown they can be cut back. Indeed, it is not unusual for certain finches, such as various weavers, to have relatively long and spindly claws.

The condition of the feet is especially important if you are looking for show finches. Any missing claws will be penalised, so make sure that the birds you are buying have the full complement. The loss of a claw will not handicap the bird, however, and such finches will breed normally.

New arrivals

Finches acquired in winter will have to be kept indoors until the following spring, unless they are being transferred directly from one outside aviary to another.  Wait until the weather is favourable and any threat of frost has passed. For this reason, the best time of year to acquire stock is in the late spring or early summer. Even if you do not have access to a garden, it is possible to keep and breed finches indoors without problems. Although they will not become tame, or learn to talk like a budgerigar, for example, finches settle down well in an indoor flight. In any event, you may prefer to house them in this way during the winter months. It is a good idea to keep new finches in a cage for a week or so, to ensure that they are eating properly and remain healthy. This is especially important if you are introducing new birds into an existing aviary. The newcomers will be able to recover from their journey, and the likelihood of introducing sick birds alongside the established finches is significantly reduced. Try to ensure that new birds are released into the aviary before the breeding period, otherwise they may be persecuted by the established occupants. If you are introducing finches into an unoccupied aviary, confine them in the shelter for the first few days after their week in the cage so that they can become familiar with the arrangement of the feeding pots here.  Placing the perches within the shelter in a slightly higher position than the perches in the outside flight will encourage the birds to return to roost here once they are released into the outside flight. This is especially important as the nights get colder, although some finches still insist on remaining in the flight despite all attempts to induce them to roost inside the shelter.

Catching and handling finches

The beaks of most finches are not sufficiently powerful to cause you any discomfort should they bite. There are a few exceptions. It is much easier to catch finches in the confines of a cage than in an aviary, since these birds can prove exceptionally agile in flight. If the bird is in a cage, simply put one hand through the door and use the other hand to ensure that the bird cannot slip out through the opening. You should then be able to take hold of the finch without difficulty, especially if you first remove the perches. Once you have the bird in your hand, be sure to keep it adequately restrained, with its wings folded in the palm of your hand. It is less likely to struggle under these circumstances. You can hold the bird's head in the circle formed by your thumb and first finger, or support it between the first and second fingers. This latter method is preferable; with the head in this position you will be able to examine most of the body, including the beak, breastbone and feet without difficulty. Take particular care to ensure that your fingers merely support the bird's head and do not compress its neck, since squeezing the windpipe could obviously interfere with the bird's breathing. Below: Restraining a Red-headed Gouldian carefully in the hand. Never grip finches tightly - they do not inflict a painful bite.

Catching finches in an aviary is likely to create a disturbance and you should not attempt to do it if at all possible when any birds are breeding, as they may desert their nests. If you must remove a bird, confine the finches in the aviary shelter, using the sliding hatch for this purpose. Away from the clutter of plants in the outside flight you can catch them more easily. In a large area it is possible, but difficult, to catch finches in flight with a catching net, well-padded around the rim. Instead try to place the net over the bird when it has alighted on the floor or on the aviary mesh. Alternatively, you may find it easier to catch the bird with your hand. In either case, move slowly at first, and always be very careful when using a net, since even a net with a padded rim can injure the finch if you accidentally hit it hard. Catching and handling finches is largely a matter of practice. If you have difficulty, and a bird starts to breathe heavily and becomes very distressed, leave it alone to recover, rather than risk upsetting it further. In reality, there will be few occasions when you need to catch the birds; you may have to do it only once a year when you are transferring them indoors for the winter, for example.