I happened to bump into Hansel Sy at Cartimar yesterday, April 1 (no joking) and he told me that his finches are featured in this month’s (April 2009) edition of Animal Scene.  Unfortunately the Manila Bulletin’s link to Animal Scene is dead (http//animalscene.mb.com.ph) so, like me, you’ll have to get a copy (PhP120) to see some great finch pictures.  Hansels’s story is written by Carlo Suerte Felipe and it tells how Hansel came to be a finch keeper and ends with some sage advice on owning as opposed to breeding.  Danny Ang has written an article titled “Finches: The ‘In’ Thing”.  More interesting than the misidentified a picture of a red-headed (sometimes called Aberdeen) finch as it’s close relative the cut-throat finch is the posibility that someone may still be maintaining this bird. He also talks about Strawberry finches and interestingly Dwight at Goldwing (that’s where I met up with Hansel) reckons that they still exist on Palawan so I live in hope.  Danny has a later article “Summer 09″ in which he gives an appraisal of and lists the winners at this years Tiendesitas Summer Bird Show.  Also of interest is an article on birds as pets by Chat Alejandro (I suspect though she works for PETA – there are no pet owners only gardians!).