Baltimore Bird Fanciers (10/20/2001) - MD
Judge: Cliff Witt
Exhibitors: 14
Entries: 107

Judge's Comments:

The Baltimore Bird Fanciers held their 61th annual bird show on October 20, 2001 at the familiar location of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon Hall in Parkville, MD. In spite of the unspeakable events of a few weeks before, the event was well attended as it usually is. The Love Bird Division has 107 entries from 14 exhibitors. This is very impressive especially when you consider that three of the largest exhibitors in the region were unable to show this weekend.

The real story of the show for me was the outstanding quality of the many unflighted birds being shown. I was constantly surprised at how well they competed with the older birds. Perhaps Baltimore had a bumper crop of love birds last January but they were sure looking good in October!

In the Rares we had only Black-cheeked, but what a group! Of the seven birds entered, three found their way to the top bench. They placed 1st, 6th, and 7th. And the top bird was an unflighted.

Twenty Fischer's were entered of outstanding quality. This was probably the most difficult section to judge. Seven were dilute green, five were blues and one was a dilute blue. We were a little light on masked with only 4 entries. The peachfaced sections were pretty much as expected: green- 10 entries, blue- 15 entries, green pied- 5 entries, blue pied- 9 entries, American Cinnamon- 5 entries, Australian Cinnamon-13 entries, Violet- 7 entries. We had a nice showing of long feathered with 6 entries, including an orangefaced green and an Australian Cinnamon. Here they come folds. Look out.

The big winner of the day was a newcomer, Linna Reusmann. She placed 5 birds on the top bench and her birds took both best unflighted and best novice. But her winners were not all black-cheeked. She came in No. 2 with an orangefaced Australian Cinnamon, No. 10 with a Whitefaced Blue, and No. 15 with an Orangefaced Green Pied, all Peachfaced. Congratulations, Linna. We'll be gunning for you next year. Fred and Linda Buckley were big winners as well with 4 on the top bench, followed by Danny Cardona with 3 on the top bench and Leslie Wagner, Bob and Jessica Miller, and Adrianne Trubey, each placing a bird in the top 15. The Buckley's champion, a Green Dilute Fischer's, placed Best in Show with Danny Cardona's champion, a medium green orangefaced placing 15th.

My thanks to everybody who worked so hard to this 61st BBF Show another great day!