As always I first would like to welcome and thank those new supporters who have joined via our website. We value your support and hope you can give us an input to the Society. Also I thank those of you who have come forward to offer a home for incoming birds, we still need many more of you to come forward, be it as a pet/companion or aviary situation. We also need urgently temporary safe homes where birds can be assessed and monitored until new home found. Please can any of you help? We have birds coming in and they need to stay somewhere safe and knowledgeable.

That ‘good time’ of year has arrived– sunshine, fresh air and freedom, literally for some birds! Sadly not the way it should be as I’m thinking of those unfortunate pet/companion birds that escape due to the carelessness and neglect of their owners. I loathe reading about lost birds– I worry for them even though I don’t know them, and this is where I believe that if owners want their birds to be outside with them, then not on a shoulder, nor back of a chair or stand, but in a play aviary. The bird, if frightened, remains safe and secure. What I can never understand is people believing ‘my bird won’t fly away’ because it’s ‘tame’ or ‘it’s clipped’. Well sadly clipped birds can fly and tame birds will fly when scared or frightened. I hope we never have a report of one of our SCA birds sadly going away due to such stupidity. It is very sad as one never learns the outcome of many of these ‘escaped’ birds.

On a brighter note, it has been a great time to us trustees to receive positive reactions to our revamped newsletters and website. For us, who put in many hours, to know we are achieving results on your behalf, really is like having a wine or beer extra!! We certainly appreciate those of you who have taken the time to convey your thoughts, and to encourage us to continue the work. My vision is for the SCA to grow upwards and outwards, to portray the need for better welfare for all birds, pet or aviary, educate those new to aviculture and to help in the field of conservation, where bird species are critically fighting for survival. But to do this, we need more supporters. Our website has certainly spread the word but we need you to be out speaking and promoting us in some way please. I would also like to thank the Rainforest Cafe in London and Drayton Manor zoo in Birmingham for choosing us this year as their charity to support and donating funds to us. We still need support to develop further and prove we care about the birds.

Soon it will be our AGM and I hope many of you will consider to take the time and make an effort to come meet us trustees. I would certainly love to meet you in person, put a face to a name and link you with whichever bird you may have. Also to hear you views personally on how you would like the Society to go forward. Please give this some consideration. Very few people responded to our vote section on the AGM so we will have to consider ourselves.

Enjoy the summer! May your birds be safe and secure.

Carol Venables