While we no longer have large numbers of birds, they are still important to us. After all, that is how we met! Both of us were breeders and
exhibitors of exotic birds, as were Russ' parents. When his parents joined the Connecticut Association For Aviculture, Natalie was
already a member. Shortly after that, Russ attended a meeting, and the rest is history.

Individually, we were very successful at bird shows, and competed against each other. We each owned and exhibited a number of birds
that were Best In Show winners. Since we each owned a home, we had established separate flocks of birds, of a variety of types. Russ
had mostly finches and budgies, plus a pet Caique. Natalie had finches, mynahs, cockatiels, parrotlets and canaries. There were also
several pet parrots. We no longer show our birds, but we still keep a few pet birds.

Following are some of Russ' birds.
Our Birds
Russ with his pet Caique.
This Chestnut Flanked White Zebra Finch
won many Best In Shows.
Fawn and white Society Finch.
He won the Finch Division at
many shows.
This Shafttail Finch was another of
Russ' top winning birds.
This Yellow Wing Pytilia won many Best
in Finch Division awards.
A pair of Java Rice Birds, one of
several pairs that Russ owned.
breeding cages in Russ' bird room.
These are some of Natalie's birds
This Orange Wing Amazon
parrot was Natalie's first
Best in Show winner.
This Assam Indian Hill Mynah
was Best in Show at the first
National Finch Society Show.
Andy is a Congo African Gray
Parrot that  was shown a few times,
and won his class each time.
This Blue Mountain Lorikeet had
several nice wins in the Parrot
Division.
Frank is a Catalina Macaw. He was not
able to be shown since he is a hybrid,
resulting from the mixed breeding of a
Scarlet Macaw and a Blue and Gold
Macaw.
Juneau is a Pacific Parrotlet,
one of many that Natalie bred.
He was shown a few times, but
did not do as well as his father
who was a Best in Show winner.
A couple of favorite pet Peach Face Lovebirds. The one on the left is a normal Peach
Face. The one on the right is a Creamino Peach Face Lovebird.
One of a pair of treasured Bali Mynahs, with a
Lorikeet in the background. The Balis were
considered much too valuable to risk taking to
bird shows. Tragically, the hen escaped and was
never recovered.
Some of our Color Bred canaries - a mosaic hen with a nest of babies on the left, and a pair of red-orange
canaries on the right. We still keep pet canaries to this day.
This is our "Chicago Canary". While at the 2009 Havanese
Club of America National Specialty show held in Chicago,
Natalie went out to the car, and upon returning to the hotel,
there was a crowd of people standing on the sidewalk looking
down at this bird. Realizing it was a Gloster Canary, it was
picked up and taken into the hotel. We purchased a small
travel cage at a nearby pet store, and Chicago Canary came
home to Florida to live with our resident Gloster Canary. Both
are hens, and they get along great, sharing a large cage.
She is pictured here on the shower curtain bar in the hotel,
getting some exercise while her cage is being cleaned.