Welcome to This Week’s Budgie Bulletin!The Port Pirie Club held their meeting successfully at the residence of Doug & Ruth Lange, where the 20 odd members and guests enjoyed a lovely afternoon viewing their birds. The heat managed to stay away, and a great day was had by all.

The Port Pirie event rounds out the month for meetings. On April 2, we step into a presentation from Dr Marijke Mellor from the Unusual Pet Vets Adelaide. Dr Mellor will be completing a short presentation, and then offering free five-minute vet checks for your budgies. For the pet or colony breeder, it’s a great way to forge a relationship with a local avian specialist. For the exhibition breeder, it offers great reassurance having a qualified professional look over your birds at no cost. Get along and join the BSSA for what promises to be another great FREE event.

On April 7^th, we open the South Australian show season with the Murphy Classic Future Champions Show. This show is for our Novice and Intermediate breeders only and promises to be a great day out with some great prize money on offer. Wayne Weidenhofer will be the major award judge, and an entry form can be found on the BCSA website, as well as a link to the Facebook event for catering the all-important sasuage sizzle.

On April 10^th, the North East are hosting their 50^th birthday celebrations. Wood fired pizza will be served from 6 PM, and official festivities will kick off at 7:30 PM. Iconic South Australian media identity, Graeme Goodings, will take the audience on a nostalgic journey through what’s happened in South Australia over the 50 years that NEBS has been in existence, for what promises to be a brilliant event. A 50 year almanac has been developed, detailing much of the NEBS history – get along to this event for your FREE copy. The Club is encouraging everyone to bring along their partners.

Casting our gaze interstate, we saw the Hunter Club successfully host their annual show, where Craig Barnett won Grand Champion with an Opaline Cinnamon Grey Green hen (picture featured below). The South Queensland Futures Show was also really well attended, as was the Riverina Diploma Show in Victoria, where Gary Watson took out Grand Champion with a Young Spangle Grey (picture featured below). Finally, in Ballarat, Gerry Duffin won Grand Champion and the Young Bird Diploma with two Normal Grey Green cocks (featured in pictures below).

This weekend, United Budgerigar Club in Victoria hold their Diploma Show in the Melbourne suburb of Plenty, while Border Districts holds their show in Lavington, NSW, just outside of Albury Wodonga. In NSW, the BSNSW has their Royal Easter Show.

Circling around to Auctions, the dispersal sale of the Phil Hoadley Estate has been announced as Saturday April 20^th, with venue details to be confirmed. Melton Auction has also been rescheduled to Saturday July 27^th, not 29^th, as incorrectly published in our last edition of the Budgie Bulletin. We also have several online events that have come online this week, from the BSSA and Eric Whitton.

Port Pirie Adventures over lunch @ Maitland

Online and In-Person Auctions are in full gear! BSSA’s 8th auction for 2024 is now online, alongside the Eric Whitton young bird reduction sale. The Wynnum Showcase Live Auction, with 164 lots from 24 vendors, has the catalogue available online too for the next few weeks leading up to the event. In terms of live auctions, mark your calendars for April 20th, as the Phil Hoadley’s Estate sale has been announced for this date, with a venue to be confirmed. Locally, Wayne Bandt is holding an equipment sale as he moves away from budgie breeding.

BSSA Online Auctions: The Budgerigar Society of South Australia (BSSA) proudly announces its 8th auction for 2024, an online event for bird enthusiasts and breeders alike. Jane Kelb, Doug & Ruth Lange, Ken & Janet Harris, and Chris Jones have birds available. This event features a variety of birds including Normal Greens, Dominant Pied’s, Lutino’s, Cinnamons, Spangles, and Yellowfaces. Use the link below to explore this auction:

Wyynum Redlands Showcase Live Auction:  One of, if not the, best auctions in the top half of the country, Wynnum always attracts quality budgerigars, and 2024 will be no exception. The event will happen live on Saturday, April 6th, 2024 at the Assembly Hall on Smith St, Cleveland. Birds from 24 different vendors will be on offer, across 164 lots. For inquiries, please reach out to Trevor Broadbent at 0407 323 622 or Bill & Pat Sedgwick at 07 3396 8732 or 0413 960 396, or via email at [email protected]. A link to the catalogue is provided below:

Eric Whitton Stock Reduction Sale: Eric, a breeder located in Temora, NSW, has a diverse array of 18 exhibition budgerigars for sale, encompassing varieties such as Spangles, Normal Blues, Dominant Pied’s, Spangle Double Factors, Yellowface, Lutino’s, among others.  Use the link below to find out more:

Club events for the month of March are complete in South Australia. April is looking exciting, with two meetings, and the first of the Club Shows for 2024.

BSSA Monthly Meeting:

Mark your calendars for Tuesday April 2nd, as the BSSA hosts Dr Marijke Mellor from the Unusual Pet Vets Adelaide to talk all things budgies. Dr Mellor will also be providing free, 5 minute vet checks of your birds, so the BSSA encourages you to bring your feathered friend along for what promises to be a great night.

BSSA Murphy Future Champions Show: Join the BSSA for the Novice and Intermediate Show for 2024. Great prize money on offer, and lots of fun to be had. More details available on the link below.

North East Monthly Meeting:

Mark your calendars for Wednesday April 10th, as the North East celebrates 50 years! Plans are now in place and the 50-year anniversary booklet reviewing the club’s history. All current members, past members, and members of other clubs are welcome. Wood fired pizza will be served from 6.00pm onwards. Meeting will be opened at 7.30pm, Kelwyn Kakoschke as a Co-Founder of NEBS will speak on the early days. The night will feature media identity Graeme Goodings, who will present a nostalgic look at South Australia between 1974 and 2024, covering the 50 years that NEBS has existed. So, there is something of interest for partners of breeders as well. Supper will follow. Love to see you there.

• Budgerigar Council of Tasmania Updates:
  Tomorrow marks 9 weeks until the National titles kick off in Launceston, and 8 weeks on Sunday until the Logan Shield. Time is quickly running out to register, as well as to get your birds ready! It’s essential to secure your place at the ANBC National titles if you’re planning on attending. It would be great to see as many of our South Australian budgerigar community there as possible, so please confirm your attendance by RSVPing through the link provided below:

• Sunday, 7 April 2024, BSSA Murphy Classic, Westbourne Park Community Centre – 388 Goodwood Road Westbourne Park

• Sunday, 5 May 2024, BSSA Stan Watson Breeder’s Show, Westbourne Park Community Centre – 388 Goodwood Road Westbourne Park
• Saturday, 11 May 2024, NEBS Lloyd Edwards Breeder Show,49 LeHunte St, Kilburn
• Sunday, 12 May 2024, PPBS Harry Johnson Young Bird Show, Crystal Brook Council Hall
• Sunday, 19 May 2024, BCSA Logan Shield Interbranch, Enfield Community Centre, Regency Road, Enfield
• Saturday, 25 May 2024, ANBC National Titles, Launceston, Tasmania
• Sunday, 26 May 2024, ANBC National Titles, Launceston, Tasmania

• Saturday, 22 June 2024, NEBS Fisher Annual Show, 49 LeHunte St, Kilburn
• Sunday, 30 June 2024, PPBS Hutchinson’s Annual Show, Crystal Brook Council Hall

• Sunday, 7 July 2024, BSSA Ron Norman Show, Westbourne Park Community Centre –388 Goodwood Road Westbourne Park
• Saturday, 20 July 2024, BCSA Auction & AGM, Enfield Community Centre, Regency Road, Enfield

• Saturday, 26 October 2024 – Budgie Fest