BIRD fancier Ben Mason is all of a flutter after winning the '1997 Early Bird Club Member of the Year' in the prestigious annual awards organised by the 'Cage & Aviary Birds' magazine.

And the 16-year-old Parr High pupil, a member of the Lancashire and Cheshire Bird Society, has scooped a host of fabulous prizes after being nominated for the award by club president Alan Rawsthorne.

Ben, who lives in the Bulls Head area of Parr, has been keeping birds since he was 10-years-old and has a collection of more than 100 budgerigars which he spends up to 27 hours each week looking after.

A winner of numerous club awards, Ben also helps out at his local club by stewarding at between 25 and 30 events a year and one day would like to become a panel judge.

Jo Greenbaum, Early Bird Club organiser and judge of the award won by Ben, said: "We were not only looking for breeding and show success, but also for dedication and willingness to participate and work hard for local clubs and to help others."

Ben beat hundreds of young entrants to win the award and will receive his trophy and winners shield this Saturday (December 6) from Geoff Capes (Early Bird Club president) at the National Cage & Aviary Birds Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.

As well as his trophies, he will also receive a host of prizes including £100 from Cage & Aviary Birds magazine; three tickets to the National Cage & Aviary Exhibition; an aviary worth £299 from Birds 'n' Things; a Samsung camera worth £100; £50 worth of goods from John E. Haith; £20 worth of goods from Bruno's Pet Store; a bird cage from Hagen; a print of Scarlet Macaws by Eric Peake; a copy of Pet Rescue by Mark Evans; a 12.5kg bag of seed from Ernest Charles & Co Ltd.; three 3lb bags of Kaytee Exact Parrot; a Polly Pastels extra large arch swing; and two 'For The Birds' toys from Melton Pets Direct.

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