Having decided to attend the Bartlett Society meeting at Whipsnade last Saturday I then looked at other collections to visit to make up a weekend .
On the Friday I decided on two collections which were new to me , both created by members of the Rothschild family . The first was Waddesdon Manor with its ornate aviary , the second the Natural History Museum at Tring . To finish the weekend I was impressed by the collection , large exhibits and new housing at Woburn Safari Park .
The aviary at Waddesdon is only a small part of the overall experience . I did not get to visit the treasures on show in the very ornate Manor House but did enjoy exploring the grounds and formal gardens with vibrant Spring colours .
The curved Aviary consists of 10 flights with a central non-bird area . The flights at either end are larger than the others . All are well-planted with partly covered rooves and a deep layer of leaf litter on the floor , there is a glass-fronted shelter at the rear of each flight . Photograghy of individual birds was not easy due to the mesh .
Each aviary houses a mixture of birds , mostly softbills up to Touraco size and members of the pigeon family . It was good to see that the same species was often present in several aviaries which helps with building up numbers of birds that are now not easily imported . Large signs , mostly with colour photos , give details of the birds on display , this was not complete as I spotted species not listed in some . Of interest was detail of how well each species is doing in captivity in the UK .
I would estimate about 30 species to be present . I will not attempt to list them all but highlights include 3 species of Barbet ( Brown-breasted have bred ) , Hooded and Banded Pitta ( I did not see the latter , said to be the only pair in the UK ) , various species of Laughing Thrush and Bleeding Heart Dove , Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon , Collared Hill Partridge , a pair of Rothschild's Mynah which appeared to be feeding chicks in a nest box .
There was a Meet the Keeper session advertised for 2.30 pm , unfortunately I was not able to stay for this .
The Museum at Tring was fascinating . One specimen that I do not think has been previously mentioned was an adult white leopard - I bet West Midland SP would love to get hold of a live specimen .
On the Friday I decided on two collections which were new to me , both created by members of the Rothschild family . The first was Waddesdon Manor with its ornate aviary , the second the Natural History Museum at Tring . To finish the weekend I was impressed by the collection , large exhibits and new housing at Woburn Safari Park .
The aviary at Waddesdon is only a small part of the overall experience . I did not get to visit the treasures on show in the very ornate Manor House but did enjoy exploring the grounds and formal gardens with vibrant Spring colours .
The curved Aviary consists of 10 flights with a central non-bird area . The flights at either end are larger than the others . All are well-planted with partly covered rooves and a deep layer of leaf litter on the floor , there is a glass-fronted shelter at the rear of each flight . Photograghy of individual birds was not easy due to the mesh .
Each aviary houses a mixture of birds , mostly softbills up to Touraco size and members of the pigeon family . It was good to see that the same species was often present in several aviaries which helps with building up numbers of birds that are now not easily imported . Large signs , mostly with colour photos , give details of the birds on display , this was not complete as I spotted species not listed in some . Of interest was detail of how well each species is doing in captivity in the UK .
I would estimate about 30 species to be present . I will not attempt to list them all but highlights include 3 species of Barbet ( Brown-breasted have bred ) , Hooded and Banded Pitta ( I did not see the latter , said to be the only pair in the UK ) , various species of Laughing Thrush and Bleeding Heart Dove , Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon , Collared Hill Partridge , a pair of Rothschild's Mynah which appeared to be feeding chicks in a nest box .
There was a Meet the Keeper session advertised for 2.30 pm , unfortunately I was not able to stay for this .
The Museum at Tring was fascinating . One specimen that I do not think has been previously mentioned was an adult white leopard - I bet West Midland SP would love to get hold of a live specimen .
