Budgerigar Society of South Australia

BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC NEW MEMBER JOINING FORM CLICK HERE

Hi Members & Friends,

BSSA Stan Watson Breeders Show – Sunday 3 May 2026 @ Ascot Park Scout Hall.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Club and became involved in our Stan Watson Breeders Show today.

Our Major Award Judge – George England commented on the deep quality of birds on display which reflects the efforts to continually improve from our Members and exhibitors. This is very important, as time does not stand still on continually improving our birds.

Taking out the show’s highest honour, Grand Champion, were Jason and Wayne Weidenhofer with an exceptional Normal Violet Cock. The major awards also saw Marie and Kerry Murphy achieve Reserve Champion Cock with a Normal Spangle Cock, while Shiralee Reardon was awarded Reserve Champion Hen for a Lacewing Hen. Third Champion awards went to Marie and Kerry Murphy (Cinnamon Wing Green Cock) and Dave Miller (Yellow Face Blue Hen), with fourth placings awarded to David Miller (Yellow Face Blue Cock) and Marie and Kerry Murphy (Lutino Hen).

In the Intermediate section, Jane Kelb won Champion Intermediate with a Cinnamon Wing Grey Green Cock and also securing Reserve Intermediate Cock with a Dominant Pied Cock, as well as Reserve Intermediate Hen.

The Novice division was led by Dave Miller, who claimed Champion Novice with a Spangle Yellow Face Cock and Reserve Novice Cock with an Opaline Cock. Paul Wilton was awarded Reserve Novice Hen with a Sky Blue Hen and also took out the Novice Points Award, finishing with 33 points.

The Junior category recognised Darcie Osobase-Kelb as Best Junior.

The Best of Colour and Variety classes saw multiple exhibitors achieving success across a wide range of categories. Dennis Lomman secured wins in Light Green, Dark Factor Blue, and Yellow Faced Blue. Jason and Wayne Weidenhofer continued their strong showing with victories in Dark Factor Green, Visual Violet, Golden Face Blue, Dilute, Greywing, Fallow, and Rainbow/Darkwing/Saddleback.

Marie and Kerry Murphy were again prominent, winning awards for Lutino, Cinnamon Wing, Spangle, Dominant Pied, and Recessive Pied. Other successful exhibitors included Jane Kelb (Grey Green, Double Factor Spangle), Paul Wilton (Sky Blue, Opaline, Opaline AOSV), Peter Brumby (Grey, Albino, Yellow Face AOSV), Chris Murphy (Clearwing), Shiralee Reardon (Lacewing, Crested), Tom Sismey (Black Eyed Self), and Patrick O’Rourke (Australian Whitecap).

The presentation of the BSSA Perpetual Trophies once again recognised excellence across individual varieties. Jason and Wayne Weidenhofer were leading recipients, taking home multiple trophies including the Stan Watson Patron Trophy for Grand Champion, along with awards for Violet, Golden Face Blue, Greywing, and Fallow.

Marie and Kerry Murphy also achieved significant success, securing trophies for Lutino, Cinnamon Wing Green, Spangle, Dominant Pied, and Recessive Pied. Additional trophy winners included Dennis Lomman (Light Green, Yellow Face Blue), Jane Kelb (Grey Green), Paul Wilton (Sky Blue, Opaline, Opaline AOSV), Peter Brumby (Grey), Chris Murphy (Clearwing), and Patrick O’Rourke (Cinnamon Wing Blue).

Overall, the 2026 Stan Watson Breeders Show was a resounding success, showcasing the high standard of breeding within South Australia and the strong community spirit of the society. Congratulations to all exhibitors and award winners.

I would also like to extend our Club’s appreciation to Janet Harris, Sue O’Rourke, Sue Adams and Pauline Lampre for coordinating the lunch at our Show in the absence of Marie.

BSSA May Monthly Meeting – Tuesday 5 May 2026 @ Unley Community Centre – 18 Arthur Street, Unley @ 7.00pm.

Our May monthly meeting is coming up quickly and we hope to have our annual avicultural speaker via Zoom from Queensland for our evening presentation.
Our guest speaker is Lindsay Nutley, from the Queensland Finch Society, who will join us via Zoom to talk all things finches and how some of the specifics of finch breeding and care is transferrable to our world of budgies.

I asked Linday for an introductory bio to give us a small insight into his avicultural journey, and he kindly supplied the following text –

Lindsay Nutley - Unconventional Aviculture
Born in Emerald in country Central Queensland, Lindsay's first foray into birds was the humble budgerigar. From there he progressed to lovebirds, quails and his long time passion: Finches. After a large break from birds during his 20's and 30's (sound familiar), he revisited birds in a big way, building a large aviary complex in Northern NSW. Here he focused on specific varieties of finches with a particular focus on conservation programs. Work commitments led Lindsay to leave Australia 13 years ago to be based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In Vietnam he has explored a number of ways to maintain his interest in aviculture, albeit sometimes in unusual ways. Lindsay is a committee member of the Avicultural Society of South Australia where he currently co-edits the magazine with Richard Chilton, and is also an avid member of the Queensland Finch Society and their Finches Conventions. Come along for a Video Link chat with Lindsay to talk about his experiences with aviculture and what he has planned next.

Bird sales at Monthly Meetings.

As part of our evening meetings, Members are encouraged to bring along their surplus breeding stock to enable our newer members to have the opportunity to purchase some quality budgerigars.
This will not be a tender process – simply a straight forward buy and sell, commencing at 7.15pm and concluding at the start of the meeting.
Buyers – please bring a cage for your purchases.
Sellers – please no more than 2 birds per show cage, or 6-8 per holding cage and 10% commission is payable to the Club. Please include description of the birds and your name on each cage.

BSSA On Line Auction.

Our next on-line auction will commence on Monday 11 May – please register your interest with Ken Harris.

If any of our Members have surplus birds they would like to enter in upcoming auctions, please give our Auction Coordinator Ken Harris a call – 0456-160-553 for details and information.

Logan Shield – 2026 Schedule & Entry Forms. Entries close Saturday 9 May 2026.

The schedule and entry forms for the 2026 Logan Shield are attached to this edition of the Budgie Digest.

Please note the venue is the Klemzig Community Centre.

The Logan Shield is the annual Interclub Competition between the South Australian clubs and was first held in 1977. It is now used by the BCSA to select the SA Team to compete in the ANBC Show which is being held in South Queensland in May 2026. Importantly the Logan Shield is named after Lal and Thelma Logan who were foundation members of the BSSA in 1948, and worked tirelessly to support the Club and the Hobby in South Australia during the first 30 years of the BSSA.

Show Cages for Sale

The Club has plenty of Show Cages for sale. They are un painted, but fully assembled – so all that is left for you to do is mask them up and paint them. Several of our members are using cans of spray paint rather than a brush and paint can, and are having good results. My advice would be to use the better quality cans of spray paint as the coverage and consistency is much better than the “budget” cheaper brands.

The show cages are priced at $34, including assembly, drinker and perches. Please contact Brice Wheaton – 0438-246-696, or Marie Murphy 0417-840-777, to secure your cages.

Important upcoming events for 2026.

Tuesday 5 May – BSSA Monthly Meeting @ Unley at 7pm
Monday 11 May – BSSA Auction 9 commences.
Sunday 17 May – Logan Shield & State Selection Show @ Klemzig Community Centre.
Friday 22 May – Sunday 24 May – 2026 ANBC Show on the Gold Coast.
Monday 25 May – BSSA Auction 10 commences.
Tuesday 2 June – BSSA Monthly Meeting @ Unley at 7pm
Sunday 5 July – Ron Norman Annual Show @ Ascot Park Scout Hall.

Link to the BSSA website and facebook page is http://www.bssainc.org.au/
The BSSA has over 90,000 visitors to our facebook page – an excellent advertisement for our Club and this wonderful hobby.

Link to the ANBC website for all the latest information on the 2026 ANBC Show in May is https://anbc.org.au/news/2026-anbc-show/

Thankyou once again for a tremendous Show today. It will be fantastic to catch up with everybody again on Tuesday evening.

Chris Murphy
BSSA President
0409-799-627

□ Logan Shield State Show 2026 □

Date: Sunday, 17th May 2026 Location: Klemzig Community Centre, 242 North East Road, Klemzig Get ready for the exciting interclub competition where exhibitors can earn points for the Top 9 positions in each class. Remember to nominate your society for point allocation.

Important Notes

Only birds with 2025 (Black) ANBC issued rings are eligible.
Birds must be available for the state team selection for travel to the Gold Coast.
Please ensure birds arrive at the show with minimal shadow spots.
No photographs of the selected team birds should be posted online until after the national show judging. Only the designated BCSA photographer can take photographs.
Adhere to all BCSA show rules – View BCSA Show Regulations
Apart from Judges, Stewards and officials involved in benching, all must remain clear of staging until completion of judging.

Logan Shield 2026 Schedule

Staging setup by exhibitors: 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Benching of birds: 9:00 - 9:45 AM
Judging begins: 10:00 AM
Public viewing: Approx 12 Noon

Entry Details

Email: [email protected] (preferred)
If via Australia Post: Troy Holmes, 6 East Terrace, Kensington Gardens, SA 5068
If via Phone: 0419526753
Entries close: 5:00 PM on Saturday, 9th May 2026
Entry fee: $1 per bird, capped at $20, plus $2 for postage and handling of cage stickers. Payment due upon benching.
Importantly, receipt of your entries will be acknowledged when received.
If you have not received your entry stickers by Friday May 15, please let the Show Manager know so that an additional set can be brought along on Sunday morning.

Additional Guidelines

No late entries.
This show is open to Open, Intermediate, Novice & Junior BCSA Members.
All birds to be shown in the standard ANBC show cage with powder coated cage fronts.
Stickers to be placed on the bottom left-hand side of the cage.
Equal parts of canary, jap millet and white millet are the only seeds permitted. No D Cups.
Each cage to be fitted with an approved plastic drinker 4 spaces in from the left side of the cage, level with perches of 12 or 16 mm.
Birds must remain on the Staging until directed by the Show Manager.
Exhibitors are expected to assist with setup, de-staging and cleanup.

□ A hot weather policy will apply. Please be prepared! Safety First: The safety officer may reject any entries for signs of illness or poorly prepared cages.

Logan Shield 2026 Classes

Diploma & Rosette for 1st Bird in each class, Rosette for 2nd & 3rd

Entries are to be as per the Standard, and ANBC Matrix.

Entry Form

Either of the below entry forms is acceptable. Logan Shield Entry Form Modern 2026 Logan Shield Entry Form Old Style 2026

Changes to the Logan Shield Carried Over From 2025

Exciting reforms have been proposed for the Logan Shield competition to (a) streamline the event, and (b) ensure we bench our very best possible team to take to Gold Coast.

The traditional 1-12 judging system has been adjusted to a 1 - 9 format, to streamline the judging process.
The event will also mirror the National Championships the following week, removing visible status identifiers such as Junior, Novice or Intermediate. The goal is to expedite judging while ensuring the best birds are selected and promptly placed into carers’ hands in preparation for the National Championships in Gold Coast.
There has been a revision to the Hens Class judging format. Instead of just two judges, a larger panel would assess the Hens Class, and birds placed 4th through 9th would be reallocated to their respective variety classes, effectively giving them a double chance to go away. This would happen before any other judging. By way of example, a Normal Light Green that placed 5th in the Hens Class would be reassigned to Class 1 – Normal Green. While the bird would not earn points in both categories if she placed in the Top 9 of the Normal Greens, she would remain eligible to represent South Australia as a Normal Green. Due to staging constraints, only the 6 birds placed 4th through 9th would be affected; the remaining hens would stay in their existing Hens class, although final discretion remains that of the Show Manager and Bird Caring Team. Overall, the best team in all classes is the goal. If a breeder does not wish their hen to be part of the reallocation process, they can speak with the Show Manager prior to the event to make them aware.
A senior team of Judges and Show Officials will check the classes for any birds that may have been wrong classed before judging begins. This is particularly important in the Black Eyed Self, Greywing and Dilute Classes, as well as the Spangle and Spangle AOSV classes, to ensure that the correct variety is in the correct class, in agreement with the consensus of the Judges and Officials. Overall, the best team in all classes is the goal of this.
Show Logistics will be improved by having the birds not leave the venue until the staging is taken down and packed away, and the presentation has taken place. The intention is that the event will run quicker than in the past with no requirement for sorting Intermediate, Novice and Junior Birds, or a Best in Show. For this reason, members should still get out earlier than the previous years, where the Show closed at 2 pm.

BCSA Organising Group for Logan Shield 2026

Troy Holmes / Brice Wheaton – Show Manager/Secretary, Show Schedule
Troy Holmes – Electronics Supervisor
John Mulley – Hall bookings, Hall key
Troy Holmes – Publicity/Media (No photos of birds on social media)
Doug Lange – Safety/Security Officer
Ruth Lange/Janet Harris – Collection of entry fees when birds presented for benching
Ruth Lange/Janet Harris – Sale of Raffle Tickets, Rosettes
Michael Smith – Ring Supervisor (Michael Smith, Paul Wilton)
John Farrugia-Gay – Staging
Bird Carers – Michael Smith, Troy Holmes, George England, Paul Wilton

BCSA Team Carers before Gold Coast Trip

Troy Holmes & Kelly Scholefield

Judges Invitations have been sent
Stewards Nominations to the Show Manager

Club Liaison Officers

BSSA – Steve Wharton
NEBS – John Mulley
Port Pirie – Jason Longbottom

Club liaison officers are the contact point for the Show Manager for clubs to nominate stewards, ensure distribution of the show schedule to their club members, and ensure assistance for setup and cleanup.

Catering

Cuppa Gino’s will be providing gourmet sausages and soft drinks, per the flyer over the page.

About the Logan Shield

The Logan Shield was established after the Budgerigar Society of South Australia (BSSA) sent a team to Melbourne to compete in the Gardner Shield. In their debut in 1974, South Australia placed 4th against 11 Victorian teams. The following year, they climbed to 3rd place among 15 teams, proving the strength and competitiveness of South Australian birds. In 1977, inspired by the Victorian event, it was proposed that a similar competition be held within South Australia to foster team spirit and friendly rivalry among the six existing clubs, including mixed bird clubs. Lal Logan, then Secretary of the BSSA for 18 years, was honoured when the new competition was named after him. Lal personally purchased and donated the shield that still bears his name today. The inaugural Logan Shield was hosted by the BSSA on 2 April 1977 at St John’s Hall, Halifax Street, Adelaide. All six South Australian clubs competed. BSSA claimed victory with 196 points, followed by Central Districts (170), North East (140), Port Pirie (131), Southern (74), and Western (60). Sadly, Lal was hospitalised and unable to attend. He passed away in July that year and never witnessed the competition bearing his name. The Logan Shield now serves as a lasting tribute to Lal and his wife Thelma, who both dedicated their lives to the BSSA and the South Australian budgerigar fancy since its founding in 1948. In 1964, fanciers from New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia agreed on the need for a National Teams Competition. After further planning in 1972, the first National Show was held in Victoria in 1975. It has since become an annual event, growing to include seven zones, and uniting Australia’s top breeders and young exhibition budgerigars. Today, the Logan Shield serves as South Australia’s selection event for the Australian National Budgerigar Council (ANBC) Championship Show. It remains a proud symbol of legacy, unity, and excellence in the fancy in South Australia, and a great budgerigar man.

2026 BCSA Team for Gold Coast 50th Anniversary Show

Bird Pickup and Dropoff Information

Holding Area Location (Before Departure and Upon Return): John Mulley 13 Dunkley Ave, Firle SA. 5070. Mob: 0488 224 446

For birds selected in the SA Team travelling to the Gold Coast

Option 1 (Preferred Option): Transfer your bird(s) at the conclusion of the State Selection Show on Sunday, immediately before the presentation, into the spare BCSA carry cages. These will be moved to the secure holding area until departure for Gold Coast on Thursday, May 21st. Option 2: Take your bird(s) home from the show and deliver them to John Mulley’s holding area (address above) on Wednesday, May 20th, preferably before Noon, allowing the birds time to settle and feed comfortably before nightfall. Please notify immediately if any bird requires a legitimate scratching after the show due to illness, lost primary tail feathers, or other issues. This allows time for the reserve bird to be included in the Team.

Travel Details

The team will depart to the Gold Coast on Thursday, May 21st.
Birds will be fed with lights on prior to boxing and will travel comfortably with ample space and seed in their compartments.
Flight details:
- Departing Adelaide, VA 1449, 10:50 am, arriving Gold Coast 1:40 pm

Return & Collection

Birds will return to the holding area in Adelaide on Monday, May 25th, placed back into their original holding compartments.
Flight details:
- Departing Gold Coast, VA 1448, 2:20 pm, arriving Adelaide 4:35 pm
- Expected arrival at holding area is around 6:00 pm

Feeding and Collection Options

Option 1: Collect Monday evening after 6 pm but before 10 pm.
Option 2: Leave birds overnight at holding area for Tuesday, May 26th collection.
Option 3: Special arrangements for later collection can be made. Absolute deadline for collection: Saturday May 30th.

Note: Birds will only be released to their registered owner unless alternative arrangements were clearly specified at the Logan Shield State Show.

Important upcoming dates for 2026

Sunday 17 May
Logan Shield State Selection Show
Klemzig Community Centre

Friday 22 May – Sunday 24 May
2026 ANBC Show
on the Gold Coast

Sunday 5 July
Ron Norman Annual Show
Ascot Park Scout Hall

Saturday 24 October
Tri Club Cup
Campbelltown Function Centre

Sunday 15 November
Interclub 26 V NEBS
Ascot Park Scout Hall

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BSSA Zoom Meetings
Since Covid hit and has disrupted our wonderful hobby the BSSA has brought you an insight into many top breeders aviaries from around Australia and the World via Zoom meetings. If you'd like to view any of them you can visit the BSSA Youtube page and view them anytime.
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Ring Orders

Ring order form for 2026 is now available. Orders now for 2026 Rings. Click here.

New BSSA Apparel

New BSSA Apparel available. See the BSSA Apparel page to view and contact Ian Jenke to order.