The annual Wairarapa Cage Bird Club Show and Sale attracted nearly 600 competition birds to Masterton at the weekend.
Show secretary Heather Galyer said bird owners and breeders had come to Lakeview School for the show from as far as Waikato and while most competitors were from the lower NorthIsland, the judging panel that selected winners in each of 13 classes at the weekend had included a judge from Rotorua and judge Graeme Feather from Christchurch.
Club president Tom Edser, who took first prize for Champion Border Canary, said there had been a "vigorous' and steady flow of spectators of all ages at the two-day event, for which judging had been completed on Saturday.
Mrs Galyer said the competition season was in full swing in New Zealand from May to July, when "on almost any given weekend" there was a competition running somewhere in the country.
She said Wairarapa club members will be entering contests in Levin and Palmerston North over coming weekends and the season ends with the national finals in Napier over the last weekend in July.
Mrs Galyer said some members had been showing cage birds for close to 50 years and numerous close friendships and friendly rivalries had built up between members.
"You love the birds, and you love to see what comes from breeding and to see how good the birds are that you managed to breed."
She said bird club members brought their children to show events and younger members were always encouraged.
Tawhai Rogers, 11, is an aspiring club member who had come to view the competition birds at the weekend with his brother Isaac, 12, and sister Kitana, nine.
All three are students at the school and Tawhai, who at home cares for two zebra finches, two love birds and a budgie, was hoping to join the club later this year.
