by johnnymarin | Sep 17, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
When the woman who was to become my wife in later years – and eventually my ex-wife – took me the meet her parents for the first time, I failed to recognise the main warning signs of incompatibility.
These were homing pigeons circling the house, a Blue Bulls flag flying from the TV aerial, a Ricoffy tin tied to the fence for a post box and the chairs fashioned from of old car tyres on the stoep.
Another, more subtle indication that I was on the wrong side of the railway track, was an actual railway track across the road.
Once inside the house I should have noted other oddities – the block of a Datsun 1400 engine on the coffee table in the lounge, oil dripping onto the carpet; the JH Lynch print on the wall of a half-naked woman lying on top of a tree stump; their nine dogs’ barking which made it sound like I’m at the SPACA; and the missing guest toilet door…
Coca-Cola crates
That people who made The Simpsons on TV look boring had such a beautiful and well-mannered daughter was baffling.
She seemed to be the only normal member of a family of complete loones and during that first visit kept apologising for everything.
Such as when her mother got a bit overexcited with the wrestling on the ancient Barlow Vision TV and shouted at the top of her voice: ‘Grab him by the goolies, grab him hard and rip it off!’.
She also apologised profusely when I got oil on my trousers after not noticing the four pistons lying on the couch and suggested we rather go sit in the kitchen.
Once there I discovered why the toilet doesn’t have a door – it was moonlighting as a table on top of some Coca-Cola crates.
While sitting at the toilet door cum kitchen table the smell of tripe being cooked made my throat close into a spasm and I was desperately hoping for the visit to be concluded before lunch time.
Shopping trolleys
The back door was one of those farm-style jobs with a bottom part and a top part, and behind it the pack of nine dogs went rabid.
It might have been the smell of the tripe or perhaps it was me, but whichever, I stayed well clear of the door because a big black mongrel with a severe case of mange was propped up against the bottom door, chewing on the wood like he hasn’t had a meal for days.
The smaller mutts were attacking his legs and every now and again the black dog – Slash – would go down for a few moments during which an epic dog fight would take place.
For a second I pitied the poor burglar who falls into their jaws, but then realised there’s absolutely nothing worth stealing.
Even Checkers were clearly too afraid to ask for their trolleys back because I counted 12 lying in the backyard next to the pigeon house.
Open plan toilet
Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone back after that first visit, but I did and eventually learned to accept my in-laws for who they were, and while I never got used to the smell of tripe hanging in the air like death, I did end up using the open plan toilet.
You just had to time it right and as a precautionary measure, shout out loud that you are going to the toilet, so people know to give you a few minutes.
I eventually came to love my peculiar in-laws very much and stayed in touch even after the divorce, but won’t do it again and to this day I am extremely suspicious of people who keep homing pigeons.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Sep 16, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
PHOENIX — When Arizona hunters take to the field Friday for the opening of the 2017 dove season, a few might be fortunate enough to harvest a bird that’s a bit different than the others.
It just might be wearing jewelry.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department recently completed its annual dove-banding efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, capturing thousands of mourning, white-winged and invasive Eurasian collared-doves throughout Arizona and affixing a tiny metal band around one of their legs.
A band provides data used for statistically estimating harvest rates, distribution, annual survival rates and movements of the birds throughout the various migratory flyways. Since 2003, Arizona has participated in the nationwide effort (which now includes more than two dozen states) to better manage mourning doves, arguably the most popular game bird in North America.
About 850,000 dove hunters harvested an estimated 14.5 million doves nationwide as recently as 2013. Arizona’s hunters never lack for birds. In any given year, an estimated 20 million to 30 million mourning doves – and another 2 million to 3 million of the larger white-winged doves – are residing here on opening day.
Dustin Darveau, terrestrial wildlife specialist, said the ongoing banding effort began when it was determined that dove call count surveys — while useful and still used in many areas of the state — weren’t the best method to monitor population and harvest trends. A call count survey involves driving a predetermined route and charting the number of calls heard at stops along the way.
“It (banding) just gives us a lot more data and information to better manage doves,” Darveau said. “Without that information, harvest rates can be very conservative. This provides better information, so we can increase harvest limits and provide more opportunity for hunters, or scale back just a little bit to make sure the species is sustainable for future generations.”
Darveau, along with department wildlife managers and other staff members, spent several days last month banding doves near the department’s regional office in Mesa. The banding locations include a local feedlot, a year-round haven for thousands of doves, pigeons, songbirds and even ducks that dine on the feed provided for cattle.
While the owner loses upward of $50,000 in the cost of feed that the birds consume on an annual basis, he supports the department’s banding efforts to more effectively study and manage doves, saying “It’s all about the birds. We’re proving that they’re not resident birds. They do move on, and we’ve proven it over the years by finding them in Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico. . . . That’s what I’m interested in knowing.”
The banding process isn’t complicated. The doves are lured into either funnel traps or larger outdoor pet kennels that have been baited with bird seed or cracked corn. Darveau was able to capture more birds using the kennel, complete with shade cloth and a waterer. Once enough doves found their way inside the kennel through a small impression dug under the frame, they were netted, fitted with an appropriate band, and their characteristics recorded on a data sheet for entry into a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service database.
“Each band has a dedicated number,” said Darveau, whose team banded more than 1,000 mourning and 500 white-winged doves over a 10-day period. “We record on the data sheet whether or not it’s a hatch-year bird (juvenile or adult), its sex, and determine the molt of the primary flight feathers, which on the juveniles tells us how old the bird is.”
On average, the department bands more than 3,000 mourning and 500 white-winged doves statewide annually, Darveau said.
Doves do get around. In a 2014 departmental report, mourning doves banded in Arizona have been recovered in seven other states (California, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma) and Mexico. Meanwhile, mourning doves banded in California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming have been recovered in Arizona.
With the start of the season only days away, the department reminds hunters that if they harvest a banded dove they can keep the band as a souvenir. They are asked, however, to visit www.reportband.gov to report it. In return, details – like where and when the bird was banded – will be sent to the person who reports the band number.
“If you harvest one, it’s a pretty big deal,” Darveau said. “It’s unique, and it greatly assists state wildlife management agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Sep 15, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Sliema’s mayor has stood firm in the face of angry Facebook comments over the town’s regular pigeon cull, arguing shooting down the birds is the only solution for a major problem in his locality.
“Many residents are concerned about pigeon droppings and that pigeons could cause lung diseases,” Anthony Chircop said. “This morning alone, three people approached me in the street to urge the council to clamp down on the problem. We don’t enjoy shooting down pigeons, but we’ve exhausted all other options and this is the only method which works. It’s a necessary evil.”
“When the government and the Birgu local council agreed to abandon a planned pigeon cull a few months ago so as to study alternative methods, we told them we would agree to try out any solution we haven’t tried and tested before,” he said. “So far we haven’t heard anything from their end.”
He said the cull is carried out with utmost care, with police officers and sweepers accompanying the shooters, the latter to pick up dead birds from the street. Indeed, he said dead pigeons seen on the streets of Sliema are unlikely to be leftovers from the culls but rather pigeons who would have died from natural causes or who would have consumed poison left by residents on their rooftops.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Sep 14, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
KUANTAN: When the formation of Malaysia was declared on Sept 16, 1963, Rusnah Aksah was only 12.
But she was entrusted with a very special task – to release 101 pigeons in front of 35,000 people, including the first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, at Stadium Merdeka
“Of the thousands of people out there, I was given the honour. It was indeed a proud moment as my name was recorded in history,” Rusnah said.
After 54 years, Rusnah, now 66, will again be given the honour to re-enact the moment by releasing 60 pigeons during the National Day 2017 celebration on Aug 31 at Dataran Merdeka.
An excited Rusnah said she would wear an all-white baju kurung, similar to the one she had worn in 1963, to rekindle the atmosphere and feelings from 54 years ago.
When asked why she was selected to release the pigeons to symbolise the country’s liberation from the British in 1963, Rusnah said it could be due to the fact that she received the Pingat Hang Tuah (bravery medal bestowed on those who save a life) the year before.
She was conferred the medal for rescuing a three-year-old girl, Tan Kim Cheng, from drowning in Sungai Semenyih, Selangor, near her family home. She received the medal at the police barracks in February 1961.
Rusnah was the third and only female recipient of the medal, which was introduced in 1960. It was discontinued in 1978.
“I remembered seeing something in the river. Thinking that it was a wild animal, I just jumped in and tried to save it and it turned out to be a small girl,” she recalled.
Rusnah said she only realised “the incident was of significant importance” when her father Aksah Shafie, who was a police constable then, received congratulatory messages from top police officers for having a brave daughter.
“When I was conferred the medal, I did not expect anything. Then I was invited to participate in the Malaysia Day declaration on Sept 16. Since then, I have been reminding myself that it is very important for us to be sincere in carrying out our responsibilities. That was the way my mother, Halimah Daud, taught me,” said Rusnah.
Rusnah, who now lives with her only daughter Nurlina Muhammad Nor, 42, said young people seem to be less enthusiastic in contributing their energy for the country and don’t have a strong spirit of patriotism.
“They were born into a comfortable life and many were spoilt.
“They should be more appreciative and more patriotic.
“They should realise that if it were not for the strong spirit of our forefathers, it would be impossible for them to enjoy such a comfortable life now,” she said. — Bernama
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Sep 13, 2017 | Pigeons in the News
This week I had a bit of an unusual case. The clients were a family with two young boys. They had just returned from a whole day at sea where they spent most of the day boating around Gozo and exploring its many sea caves.
As the boys excitedly told me, they were slowly entering the mouth of a small cave when the elder of the two spotted something just ahead of them bobbing in the water. As they approached, it became obvious that it was a baby bird in distress. With every wave that rolled into the cave, the bird would disappear beneath the water’s surface and then come up again. They managed to fish the bird out of the sea and, once safely out of the cave, they examined their rescued bird.
The boys thought it was a falcon. The parents thought it was pigeon and, of course, the parents were right. Either way, the entire family rallied round, determined to save the little bird. It must have been in the water for some time as it was very cold, so they wrapped it up in a T-shirt, made their way back to shore and headed for the clinic where they told me that they wanted to do everything they could to save the bird and keep it as a pet.
Coming across baby birds out of their nest is something that we have all encountered. In most cases, it is best to leave things up to nature. Firstly, because the bird’s parents are the best carers for their young and, secondly, because caring for a baby bird requires considerable commitment that few can afford with today’s busy lifestyles.
Nestlings, which are baby birds still without their feathers, may have fallen out of the nest or been pushed out so that the stronger siblings will have a better chance of surviving and go on to themselves to breed strong chicks. It’s nature’s way. Fledglings, that is, baby birds that already have feathers and can move about should either be placed back into their nest if you can find it, or left alone. The parents will not be far and will continue to care for the young bird as soon as you move away. It’s worth knowing that the perception that birds will abandon their young if touched by human hand is indeed a fallacy.
Provided you have the resources necessary both to care for the health of a pigeon, as well as to house it responsibly when it grows, there is no reason that should preclude you from considering this breed of bird as a viable pet
Of course, the situation does change when the baby bird is injured or, as happened with my clients, the bird is in a life-threatening situation. I examined the baby pigeon. By this time, it was dry and warm, albeit scared of every movement and sound. From the size of it, the sparse growth of feathers, and its partial head of yellow fuzz, the pigeon seemed to be about two to three weeks old. I looked for injuries. There was no bleeding, no puncture wounds, and no broken wings or legs. Its throat was clear and free of obstruction, its eyes were bright with no signs of discharge and the droppings that it had obligingly deposited onto the T-shirt were the right colour and consistency. The only thing that it had was a bad case of bird mites that had survived the dunking along with the pigeon. If well cared for, this fledgling would survive.
Pigeons that are rescued at a very young age are quite capable of adopting and cherishing their human owners. Many pigeon fanciers will also tell you how intelligent and affectionate these birds are. So, provided you have the resources necessary both to care for the health of a pigeon, as well as to house it responsibly when it grows, there is no reason that should preclude you from considering this breed of bird as a viable pet.
Pigeons remain in their nest until they are about 30 days old, by which time they look very much like their adult counterparts. This explains why you never see very young pigeons as you would, for example, a young sparrow. This also means that until they reach that stage, you need to provide for them just as you would if you were the parent pigeon.
Although you will see city pigeons eating anything from bread crumbs to pizza crusts and even crisps, pigeons are mostly eaters of seeds, grains and legumes, with the occasional worm or insect. As babies, they squeak and flutter their wings, and press their gaping mouth over the adult’s beak. This behaviour is the signal to the parents that the young want to be fed.
In response, the pigeon pumps food from its crop into the baby pigeon’s mouth. The crop is a soft sac located over the breast area of the bird. It secretes a milk-like fluid, technically called crop milk but also referred to as pigeon milk. Crop milk looks like dairy milk and has the same consistency but is nothing like it. It is therefore important that rescued baby pigeons are not fed dairy milk. Just as a matter of interest, both mother and father pigeons can feed their young.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, your vet will be happy to advise you what to feed your baby bird and how often depending on how old it is. Until you can get to the veterinary clinic with your rescue, any baby pigeon that is more than a couple of days old but still too young to eat solids can be fed porridge oats well-soaked in sufficient water that the mixture retains a loose consistency. They will also do very well on softened hard-boiled egg.
The internet provides a wealth of information from reliable sources that depict how to feed young pigeons using syringes or feeding tubes. Notwithstanding, it is important that you take your rescue pigeon to your vet for a check-up. My clients have named their baby pigeon Muccu and every day he grows bigger and stronger. The bird mites with which he was afflicted have also cleared up.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
