Kenilworth Castle Elizabethan Aviary Project.

English Heritage have recreated an Elizabethan Garden in the grounds of Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, within this Elizabethan garden they have rebuilt an Elizabethan Aviary.

The garden will feature magnificent carved arbours, and a bejewelled aviary and an 18 foot high fountain, as it did when it was designed by Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester to astound visitors including Elizabeth I.

Amanda Ferguson from London Zoo contacted the canary council chairman Barry Mills who suggested she contact me [David Allen] to see if I might be able to help with the project. I was very interested in the idea and agreed to help in anyway the I could. Little did I know what a great and spectacular Aviary I was to be involved with. I agreed to supply some Lizard canaries for the Aviary, the Lizard being one of the oldest varieties of canaries, it seemed fitting to have them in this aviary.

On March the 2^nd I arranged to go to Kenilworth Castle to see the Aviary and meet Amanda Ferguson, John Watkins from English Heritage and Fiona Sanders, who was going to be the principle keeper for the aviary.

I was amazed at the size of the aviary when I saw it but was also very impressed by how beautiful it looked in the Elizabethan gardens.

Initial there will be my six Lizard Canaries, 2 cock birds and 4 hens with the introduction of some gineafowl. And also some Pheasants at a later date, as these are the birds that was said to have been in the Aviary from records that were found.

The Aviary measures

And is covered in Zoo mesh, the Aviary has been planted out with two holy bushes and a low row of box hedge.

~At the back of the Aviary there is two night shelters with pops for access to the main Aviary.

The main Aviary is set-up as would have been in Elizabethan times but the night shelter is more up to date.

As this area is not for public view. The night shelters contain heating which is set to a themarsate that is set on frost to keep the water from freezing in the night shelter.

There are three pop holes in each shelter two high ones and one low one for the ground dwelling birds i.e. giueafowl .

To keep the aviary look as it would have in Elizabethan times the birds will be fed in a large clay dish another will contain water for drinking and bathing these will be placed at the front of the Aviary to give a good viewing point for visitors. Clay Nest pans have been put up for the Canaries in the main Aviary with hope of breeding some youngsters. These clay pans will be held in place by wire rings, this allows for the pans to be removed easily. The Lizards were taken to the aviary on the 21^st of April and were released the following Friday.

The aviary had been fitted with tree braches which had been firmly fixed to the aviary frame work. I decided to fix the nest pan ring within the branches, I positioned them at points which could bee seen by the viewing public, from the outside of the aviary.

They were held in stock cages which were placed in the main aviary during the day and then returned to the night shelter in the evening. This would allow the birds to become a custom to their new environment. The same day as I took the Lizard canaries to the aviary a trio of Pheasant also arrive, these were also put into a cage in the main aviary to become a custom to their new home.

I returned on Friday the24^th of April to release the canaries in to the main aviary with Fiona Sanders. When they were first released they took a few minutes to settle down but after a while they settled down.

I stayed and observed the birds for a couple of hours, during that time I saw one cock bird feed one of the hens, which was a good sign. [picture of birds on branches]

The May bank holiday weekend saw the grand opening of the Elizabethan garden and aviary all weekend long their was

re-enactments of Queen Elizabeth 1^st visit to Kenilworth castle in the 1600’s.

There will be many special events going on throughout the summer so visit the English heritage website

www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworthcastle

This is wonderful place for a day out for all the family.

 AVIARY FOLLOW-UP VISIT

I visited the Aviary at Kenilworth castle today 11th of june to ring the young Lizard canaries they have.

becaues fiona has never rung birds before, so i said i would ring them and show her how to put the rings on.

I was so pleased to find that all four hens have bulit nests. But none have used the nest pans i put up for them.But they have all made lovley nests using ginuea fowl feathers to line the inside of the nest. one hen has bulit her nest in the seed hooper in the night shelter and she has three chicks at about 10 to 12 days old. which i managed to just get rings on. Out in the main Aviary thier are three nest one has six egg but no young. the second has no eggs but the hen is sitting on the nest so she may laid soon. the third nest had 2 youngster at about 6 to 8 days old which i also rung. whilts i was ringing these chick a school party who were on a school trip to the castle came over and were fasinated by the way i was ringing the young canaries.

I will keep you updated on how they are doing at the castle via this page.