by johnnymarin | Jan 21, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
The pigeons roosting on the roof of the Grill on the Gull on Bobcaygeon Road in Minden have become a familiar sight for many walking or driving down the main street of the village.
Pigeons have been reported in the Haliburton and Minden area since at least 2010, when 40 were spotted in Minden, then reported to and recorded on the eBird website in February that year, according to Mark Peck, manager of the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity at the Royal Ontario Museum.
“They are pretty tough birds and regularly winter as far north as Cochrane and Timmins in Ontario,” said Peck. “My guess is [the pigeons being seen in Minden and Haliburton] have a reliable food source or someone is feeding them. They are not really choosy with their food: bread, bird seed and anything else grain-related works.”
Rock pigeon, the kind of bird hanging out in downtown Minden and spotted around the streets of Haliburton, is the common name for the domestic pigeon which were introduced from Europe according to Peck, though some readers might remember when they were called rock doves. In the winter, they are often found in groups of 10 to several hundred birds. In the summer, they nest on or near manmade structures, although they were originally cliffnesters, Peck told the Times.
“They are pretty much restricted to urban and rural areas and are rarely found away from human settlement,” he said. “They tend to favour certain perches, train trestles, bridges, certain hydro lines and certain buildings, especially farms. They will often stay in the area for years providing there is a good enough food source.”
Jean Neville remembers a time when it wasn’t so common to see feral pigeons in the area.
“There were never wild pigeons around when I was growing up here,” she said. “In Toronto, there were always wild pigeons. My dad always said they were lost out of racers, because they’re mainly homers if you look at them.”
Neville’s dad, Alfred Bertram Warder, was a pigeon fancier, and was so keen on the bird, he wrote the breed standard (a set of guidelines that defines an animal breed’s perfect observable qualities) for the English Trumpeter pigeon.
“That was his favourite kind of pigeon, and he was so into pigeon fancying that he could judge pigeons against their standard,” she said. “I think he was asked to [write it], because he knew that breed very well.”
The English Trumpeter is a type of fancy pigeon.
“They have really big muffs on their feet, of feathers,” she said. “They have a little crest on top of their nose, and a crest on their heads. They called them English Trumpeters because the way they coo made people think of a trumpet.”
When she was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, Neville remembers the crates her dad would use to ship the birds to Toronto to participate in the Royal Winter Fair and Canadian National Exhibition poultry showings – they were stamped with his name, A.B. Warder & Sons, which she said she used to complain about as “daughter” wasn’t mentioned. The train would pick the crates up in Haliburton, or would stop in Lochlin for them, and Neville and her dad and brother would join them in Toronto, where she and her brother would play at the midway while her dad showed the birds.
“It’s funny because before the CNE or the Royal Fair, some of the ones that had specific perfect markings on them, we’d have to pluck out certain feathers that weren’t supposed to be – if they had a dark bit on them where the white was supposed to be,” she laughed, remembering. “There with tweezers, my brother and Dad and I pulling them, before we shipped them.”
Neville said the pigeons were referred to as “poor people’s race horses,” given their affordability compared to a larger animal.
“It was quite a hobby back in those days, and they paid for themselves, [Dad] always said they paid for themselves, because he sold them, and also there were proceeds from the fair and the CNE,” said Neville. “He had quite a few birds.”
Because Neville grew up with fancy pigeons in her life, she ended up learning quite a bit about the birds. Pigeons mate for life, and they usually only lay two eggs at a time, with a gestation period of about 17 days.
“I always thought female pigeons were very smart because they sit on the nest at night,” she said. “The cockbird sits on the eggs in the daytime so the hen can fly around, do whatever she wants.”
Pigeons regurgitate milk, using stones to grind the grain in the gizzard, which both the male and females use to feed their young. Neville lists some birds of note: the runt, which is quite a large pigeon, almost the size of a chicken; the king, which are quite large as well; the Lahore, characterized by a white front and a black back; the Modina, which comes from Italy and some birds that provided entertainment as part of their domestic duties.
“There’s also a kind they used to have in the gentry, the kings and queens, they were called parlour tumblers,” she said. “They’re quite a boring looking bird, but they can fly up until they’re about a year old, and then they lose the ability to fly. You put them on the floor and they tumble in a straight line across the floor. People used to use them for entertainment, in their parlour. They judged them according to how straight they could tumble on the floor. Then there’s rollers, that people get confused with parlour tumblers. Rollers can fly, but they fly really, really high and then they fly long and then they roll in the air.”
A few wild pigeons do visit Neville’s family’s farm on County Road 1, which she suspects are possibly the ancestors of birds released into the wild from local pigeon handlers. She still keeps a few English Trumpeters today.
“I just have them because we always had pigeons and I enjoyed my English Trumpeters because my dad always had them,” said Neville, quite the pigeon fancier herself.
Matt Wesley, a local farmer, has roots that go back about 150 years in Carnarvon, where his grandmother was born at home on a farm.
Around 1900 to 1940, Wesley said pigeons were one of the usual barnyard fowl kept in the county.
“On our farm, and I assume on most farms, pigeons being fairly upwardly mobile were mostly left to their own devices,” he said. “They would flap around the barnyard and greater farm area to forage, as well as clean up any spilt grain in the granary or around outside feeding areas with the other barnyard fowl. They also had the ability to forage a greater area than any other creature kept, as they can obviously fly further afield than a chicken, duck or turkey. During the summer months, they were mostly left to their own devices, and did very well indeed. In the winter, they were fed whatever was fed to other poultry, with most or all grain being grown on the farm, depending on the year.”
Wesley’s grandmother, a Cowan, grew up during the Depression.
“At the time, though no one had any money, which I don’t think would be a surprise, but I know that on our farm, no one was ever hungry,” he said. “Pigeons played no small role in this as pigeon can, and regularly do have as many as four or five broods a year. The weather would really have been the only limiting factor to the prolificness of these birds in the area.” Pigeons were easy to keep and matured quickly, offering meat that could be served in a variety of ways. “The wings and drumsticks left something to be desired, but the breast of a squab has a good chunk of meat on it,” said Wesley. “Pigeon pie was a staple on our farm, as you could stretch it out with veggies and crust. I would warrant that the effort required to pluck out a whole bird is why I was never told any stories about pigeon soup or stew in an attempt to get more out of the animal, but I am sure that whatever meat was left was never wasted, going either to the cats or the dogs …”
Wesley said housing pigeons was simple, with wooden crates nailed to the walls of the gables of the barn.
“When it was time to get a squab or two for dinner, one of my uncles would be sent out after dark when the pigeons were roosting,” he said. “Get a ladder, or climb the ladders so often built into the hay mow of old barns, stick your hand in and grab a bird. Tuck it in your shirt, grab another. Pretty easy.”
Being easy prey is in large part what caused the passenger pigeon to go extinct, with the last one of its kind, Martha, dying in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. Haliburton’s museum is home to a rare specimen of a stuffed passenger pigeon.
“The one we have at the museum came to us in 1985 as part of a collection of five cases of birds donated by Gordon Fraser of Stoney Lake,” said Kate Butler of the Haliburton Highlands Museum, who said she believed the birds had been on display at a local hunt camp. “The really interesting thing about the collection is that when it was donated to us, it was already a piece with a long history. The birds were preserved as part of the work of Peterborough taxidermist Edwin Elcome from the 1890s. He used the birds as examples of his work when talking to potential clients.”
The story of the passenger pigeon itself is mind boggling, according to Butler.
“It was once one of the most populous birds in North America and travelled in flocks so huge it was said that the sky would go dark when they flew overheard – perhaps hyperbole, perhaps not! They were discovered to be a great food source though and likely fairly docile, so they began to be hunted in huge numbers until there were only a scant number left and those birds seemed to not be inclined to breed in captivity.”
As for the pigeons spotted in the wild locally, Peck said they might just be Haliburton County residents now.
“They could belong to someone if you have a pigeon fancier in the area, but my guess is these are wild birds that have decided to call Minden and Haliburton home,” said Peck. “Good choice, too. We just bought a cottage near Harcourt and love the area.”
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 | Jan 20, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Gangtok,Jan 17 (UNI) Minister Tourism & Civil Aviation,Ugen Gyatso Bhutia,declared Sikkim Red Panda Winter Carnival,open,by releasing birds of peace,white pigeons ceremoniously,joined by Secretary Tourism TT Bhutia. The Carnival, kick started at Mahatma Gandhi Marg just the heart of town had good response on the first day, today. ‘The neighbouring Countries and State are also participating,like Nepal,Bhutan and Gorkha Territorial Administration (from West Bengal). British Council from Kolkata will also be there,’ said the Minister Ugen Gyatso. The Tourism Department,has put up a tastefully sculptured and hand painted 5’ high Red Panda.The annual footfall is 40 Lakhs presently but the State target is of 50 Lakh tourists annually. Nepal and Bhutan have put up their stalls along with others.Nepalese have put up Dhaka stoles and clothing material caps for sale and Bhutanese are selling hand made bags and Chinese brocade costumes.The visitors were most attracted towards exhibition put up by Eco-stream,live demonstration by Carpet weavers from Handloom & Handicrafts and of course ethnic fast foods. The Artists from Nepal,Bhutan,Kalimpong and Wings of Sikkim with other local artists will be presenting cultural show on 18th .Earlier the 3 day Carnival started with Fitness camp , Yoga and Meditation.
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 | Jan 19, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
On Wednesday, during the peak hours in the morning, a local train took a halt of five minutes not because of signal failure but to save a pigeon. Around 10:00 am, a passenger informed the deputy station master of Goregaon railway station about a pigeon hanging from a kite thread (manjha) on the Overhead Equipment mast at the North end of the station. He immediately informed the Fire Brigade and OHE staff, and acting upon the same, the authorities then switched off the power supply to the OHE wires for few minutes. Chief PRO Ravinder Bhakar said that power was shut down to the OHE between 10:28 am and 10:33 am. In the meantime, the fire Brigade reached the spot and rescued the bird. Goregaon’s Samkit Group helped WR authorities in rescuing the pigeon. The group runs a service to rescue birds and runs a centre as well where birds are nurtured to good health and then set free in Aarey Colony.
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 | Jan 18, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
A heartbroken owner’s prized racing pigeons were burned alive when the cage they were kept in went up in flames.
The turn of the new year brought devastation for Liam Hope when his beloved birds were incinerated in a blaze at his loft on Benton Road, West Allotment.
The 28-year-old car valet from North Shields was immensely fond of his pigeons – keeping some as pets – and described them as his “whole life”.
He told ChronicleLive: “I’m absolutely gutted, these pigeons were my whole life and I would visit them most days after work.
“I’ve been around them since I was born, my dad, granddad and great-granddad all raced pigeons too.
“I also got really attached to them and kept one retired bird, George, as a pet.”
The fire broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day and neighbours in West Allotment alerted Liam to the blaze.
But by the time emergency services arrived it was too late and the 110 pigeons inside the cage were dead.
Liam raced the birds with his partners 81-year-old Brian Morris, who has owned the same loft for 50 years, and 65-year-old Colin Spillard.
The trio recently spent £2,500 on some new birds, which can cost up to £500 each.
“It’s going to cost a fortune to replace”, Liam said.
“The cage’s shell alone is worth around £4,000 and then there’s the cost of the birds.”
Despite the grief and weighty financial damage, Liam is confident that his pigeon racing career is not over and said that he will rebuild his successful team from scratch.
He has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the costs of building a new loft which has already gathered £585 in donations.
Liam’s specialist racing birds won five events last year and were kept on a protein-heavy diet but loaded with carbohydrates before they set off on the 800-mile round trip to France and back for competitions.
After extinguishing the blaze, the fire department’s investigation found there had been “no malicious ignition” and the flames must have started internally.
But Liam contests this and claims to have CCTV footage, that has not yet been seen by police, which shows a man torching the loft.
He said: “The camera’s not great but you can see a kid walk up to it and try to set it on fire.
“He doesn’t manage to at first, but then he comes back.”
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “Police received a report from two officers of a fire at an allotment on Benton Road, West Allotment on New Year’s Day.
“The report was made at about 1.20am when officers reported a fire in a pigeon loft.
“The fire service attended to extinguish the fire and it is believed all the pigeons died in the blaze.
“The fire investigators found that there was no malicious ignition.”
They said that a trawl of nearby CCTV had been carried out in the aftermath of the fire but nothing suspicious was found.
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 | Jan 17, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
For more than two decades, Drew Lobenstein has taught communications at Moorpark College and is just shy of the impassable five stars on RateMyProfessor. However, he isn’t your average communications professor. Not only is Lobenstein admired by students for his devotion as a public speaking teacher, but very few know that he is an award-winning pigeon breeder. His pigeons can be found throughout the world, some even having reached establishments like the Beijing Zoo. In fact, Lobenstein has been awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” and been inducted into the “Hall of Fame” of the National Pigeon Association. Lobenstein sat down with reporter Ulises Koyoc to share how pigeons and public speaking have impacted his life.
How did this passion for pigeon breeding come about?
“I was six when my father actually bought pigeons that we would use as food later, but he made me feed them every day so they got fatter and more tender. I don’t know why, but I got so attached to them that I begged him to not kill them after the first meal had been served. I was crying [and] my father said ‘Fine, you take care of them then.’ Maybe he did this to shut me up.”
Pigeon breeding is not a common hobby nowadays, why still do it?
“Because I’ve done it since I was a little boy so it’s been a part of me for more than half my life. Sure the hobby isn’t practiced much now in America, but other places like in Mexico or Asia still breed. I love doing it and meeting new people. I owe traveling the world to pigeons. These little birds gave me the opportunity to fly around the world for competitions. I can remember when on my street there [were] 13 guys breeding, now there’s only three of us in the entire San Fernando area.”
Do you think your family will carry on the tradition of breeding?
“My family has tried breeding before, but they didn’t enjoy it enough for them to continue. My daughters especially are more focused on other things than breeding pigeons. Pigeon breeding tends to be done by older guys who have a lot of time in their hands so when I see younger people at competitions it gives me a smile to know that the sport will continue.”
What is your favorite type of pigeon to breed?
“For me, my favorite is the Jacobin pigeon because they are so elegant in the physical sense and extremely smart. All pigeons tend to be intelligent but these Jacobins simply amaze me; their hoods and eyes are gorgeous. The downfall to Jacobins is that they take longer to breed than other types, but I think the reward is better.”
Do you think you’ve bred the perfect pigeon?
“I don’t think so, I’ve come close to breeding such a beautiful pigeon before, but it was not the best I’ve ever done. Maybe in my lifetime, I won’t be able to see such a pigeon, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. It takes time and patience to achieve what one wants, there’s still hope.
Between breeding pigeons and teaching, which is your greatest passion?
“This is a hard question, because teaching for me has been an outstanding journey. Helping students overcome their fear of public speaking is so rewarding because I’ve been in their shoes. Scared of going up and talking to a crowd was so terrifying to me. However, with some help, anything can be achieved. When it comes to breeding, I owe so much to those birds who have literally changed the course of my path. Both passions have helped me become a better person. I think it’s a tie for this question.”
Why become a public speaking teacher, if as a kid you were terrified of speaking?
“There was a point in my life as I got older where I did not want to keep quiet anymore. I just needed to let my voice be heard. Of course, I needed help, [and] by help I mean a lot of help. However, this made life so much easier being able to not only speak to a large group of my peers but even little conversations. Young people often find themselves searching for who they are and some don’t even know the importance of their voice. Some are natural talkers who go on forever and others aren’t. I wanted to help those who aren’t able to. Like I said before, I was in their shoes and that makes my job easier because I can relate to them.”
In what ways do you think your students change after taking your class?
“My job is to help them be better in speaking to crowds and I’ve noticed that some of my students come back to say how much of an impact my class was for them. Others on the last day of school say ‘thank you,’ and shake my hand. As a teacher, this is what we like to see. It makes us feel good. Over my course here at Moorpark College, people tend to be thankful of my job and that humbles me. I think I’ve done a pretty good job by all means.”
What do you consider your greatest achievement as a public speaking teacher?
“[My] greatest achievement is getting the opportunity to help students find their own voice in a noisy world.”
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 | Jan 16, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
Police are investigating the discovery of several dead birds in a park in Tokyo’s Kita Ward. At around noon on Jan 13, four pigeons and five sparrows were found dead in Kamiya Park, Fuji TV reported.
The birds had no external injuries and there were remnants of rice grain scattered nearby, leading police to suspect that the birds may have been poisoned.
In October last year, 18 pigeons that had eaten corn dipped in agricultural chemicals were found dead in Akabane Park. Similar incidents of other birds and feral cats being poisoned have also been reported in the area.
Police said whoever is responsible faces charges for violation of the Wildlife Protection Law.
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 | Jan 15, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
Gyanoday Primary School had shut in 2012 and is now home to two buffaloes.
One can also find pigeons fluttering to a pigeonhole but not students, teachers, desk and blackboards.
Who let the buffaloes in?
The answer is clear in Gopaldhara-Rangbhang valley: successive politicians who ruled the hills but dragged their feet to put in place a proper education system.
The school, 7km from here, was established in 1995 by the Subash Ghisingh-headed Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).
The school started with no permanent teachers. Four volunteers used to teach the 45-odd students.
“I have a family to support. How long can one carry without salaries?” asked Aswain Thami, a former volunteer teacher.
One of his colleagues joined Gopaldhura tea garden office, while two lady volunteers preferred to be permanent homemakers.
Thami landed a civic police job in 2014.
Local people made submissions to not only Ghisingh but also Bimal Gurung when he was heading the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
They have recently taken up the matter with local Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders who are now with Binay Tamang, the GTA head. “We have been told that our grievances will be redressed soon,” said Suman Yolmo, a managing committee member.
“If at least one permanent teacher is appointed, the school would still be functional,” rued Thami.
Primary school teacher’s examination was last held in 2001 and the appointment letters were released the following year.
Amar Singh Rai, GTA (education in-charge), admitted that primary and secondary education system was in “a mess” in the hills. “There has to be a proper recruitment system,” said Rai.
The School Service Commission has been defunct in the hills since 2003. Ghisingh opposed the commission demanding that its power be transferred to the DGHC.
“There are vacancies of 652 primary teachers now. For some reason, the earlier GTA did not pursue this issue but the state government has asked us to submit rules for appointing the teachers,” said Rai.
“The rules have been submitted. Once the matter related to the 652 teachers is taken care of, we will have to put in place a proper system,” said Rai.
“The school building has developed cracks and needs repaired,” said Yolmo.
Less than 50ft away stands a glittering three-storied “guest house” that was patronised both by Ghisingh and Gurung. The buzz is that Rs 74 lakh was spent on the “guest house”.
Till date, no guests have arrived.
It’s a solace for the school which has no students.
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 | Jan 14, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products
This is the bizarre moment a man feeds his two pet pigeons with seed held in his mouth.
In the video, the man is seen sitting on a stone with a pigeon on each shoulder.
The man then opens his mouth which is full of grain and lets the birds feed on it together.
The birds continue to feed on the grain until their hunger is satisfied.
The pet owner said: ”I am quite attached to my birds and I like to feed them from my mouth.
”If I put the grains on the ground they won’t eat, they will eat only from my mouth. After they are done eating, they fly away.”
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 | Jan 13, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
Around 25,000 pigeon fanciers will be flocking to the Winter Gardens this weekend when the annual British Homing World Show returns to the town. The event, now in its 47th year, has been coming to the resort for 41 years and is worth an estimated £2.5 million to the Blackpool economy. Over the two-day event, there will be over 100 trade stands, charity pigeon auctions, raffles for new lofts and the showing and judging of over 2,000 of the top homing pigeons in the country. It all takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Ian Evans, CEO of organisers the Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA), said: “Pigeon racing is not simply just a hobby for the fancying community. “For many, the past time helps people to stay active and social. “The population of pigeon fanciers is made up of those from all different backgrounds and the event is a great chance for our members to catch up.” READ MORE: Pigeon fanatics migrated to Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom for The British Homing World Show of the Year He said the event in Blackpool was also an opportunity for the RPRA to launch its junior membership scheme to encourage the younger generation to keep our pastime thriving. The BBC’s national security correspondent Gordon Corera will also be signing his book, ‘The Secret Pigeon Service’ at the event. The book is based on a story about the 16,000 homing pigeons which were dropped in an arc from Bordeaux to Copenhagen as part of ‘Columba’ – a secret British operation to bring back intelligence from those living under Nazi occupation. The event’s £2.5m injection into the Blackpool economy is based on the trade it brings in for hotels, restaurants, taxis and other businesses at a time of year when the town would otherwise be quiet.
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 | Jan 12, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
On April 16, 1919, the troop transport Ohioan docked at Hoboken, New Jersey. Among the various disembarking members of the American Expeditionary Forces was a small detachment of 21 men of the U.S. Army Signal Corp’s Pigeon Service Company No. 1. Pier-side newspaper reporters flocked around the officer in charge, Capt. John L. Carney, to ask about the exploits of the distinguished hero pigeons the Army chose to bring home. Foremost among the latter was an English-bred black check hen named Cher Ami. As Carney told the story, it was Cher Ami who on October 4, 1918 braved shot and shell to deliver a message from the besieged men of a composite force surrounded in the Charlevaux Ravine of the Argonne Forest, forever known as “The Lost Battalion.” Cher Ami arrived at her loft with the intact message from the force’s commander, Maj. Charles W. Whittlesey, albeit minus a right leg and with a wound clear across the chest cutting through the breast bone. Cher Ami survived her injuries and Whittlesey’s message provided the exact position of his force back to the regimental and divisional headquarters, information which contributed to the eventual relief of the men.
Cher Ami’s story remains legendary to this day, a testament to the bravery of animals in war. The story, although the records are uncertain if Cher Ami or another pigeon delivered Whittlesey’s message, often obscures the purposes underlying the use of homing pigeons by the U.S. Army. From 1917 to 1957, the Signal Corps maintained pigeon breeding and training facilities, and birds saw service in World War II and Korea. When the pigeon service disbanded in 1957, the Army contended that advances in electronic communications rendered the peacetime maintenance of pigeon breeding and training facilities unnecessary. The remaining pigeons were sold at auction, with a select few being donated to zoos around the nation. Today the use of homing pigeons is viewed as novelty, a quirky vignette of the early 20th century battlefield.
Over 60 years later, the military homing pigeon warrants reexamination. The electromagnetic spectrum’s influence extends throughout the systems and operations of the battlespace into the fabric of civil society. Offensive and defensive operations in the cyber space realm, combined with kinetic strikes on air, land, sea, or space-based infrastructure, could potentially disable or severely damage entire communication or power grids. Adversaries with electronic warfare dominance would then be positioned to control the battlespace and restrict the options presented to American or allied commanders. Reflecting on electronic warfare’s potential, some communications between the front lines of the battlefield and rear echelon command and control elements may need to rest on the legs or back of a feathered messenger when a human runner or more visible vehicle or aircraft may prove too vulnerable to interception or destruction.
In an era where military innovation may conjure up thoughts about futuristic weapons and high-dollar research, development, and acquisition, perhaps consider an innovation redux: the homing pigeon. A brief examination of the American military experience with homing pigeons offers insights into both the utility of the birds and their advantages in the modern electronic warfare battlespace.
Pigeon Primer
Homing pigeons are relatives of the rock dove, Columba livia, which frequently conduct seize and hold or tactical air strikes on urban residents and residences worldwide. Homing pigeons, however, are more akin to race horses, carefully bred and nursed to maximize speed, endurance, and navigational prowess. As with race horses, loft owners do not shy from spending $1,000s to 100s of $1,000s for champion pigeons in hopes of breeding future generations of race success. The exact science is unclear, but theories postulate as to how the pigeons navigate, returning to their home lofts either through visual, magnetorepton, or olfactory means. The distances flown by homing pigeons can vary from 10s to over a 1,000 miles over unfamiliar terrain or open water, at speeds from 60 to over 90 miles per hour. A pigeon can sustain grievous injury in flight and continue on its journey home, as was the case with Cher Ami and other military pigeons in both world wars.
The use of pigeons for military purposes extends back centuries, but World War I introduced widespread battlefield use of the birds by both the Central and Entente powers Previously, pigeons saw use in the 1800s primarily in journalism, with military use only rekindled in the Franco-Prussian War during the Siege of Paris. Following American entry into World War I, French and British officials championed the value of homing pigeons after the experiences at Verdun and the Somme. In trench warfare, where artillery bombardments turned carefully laid telephone lines into confetti, pigeons proved the only reliable means of communication between the front trenches and the artillery and command elements in the rear. Neither bombardment, dust, smoke, poison gas, or fog grounded the feathered messengers. For the British at the Somme, pigeon liaison was “always . . . able to operate regularly. In many cases it was the only one which was able to resist the weather and the means of destruction of the enemy.” Thereafter, the Army Signal Corps wasted little time in establishing a pigeon service in July 1917, utilizing Allied experience with a proven technology to address communication issues. Work continued to refine and improve wired and wireless communication systems for the battlefield, but off-the-shelf pigeon technology ensured the men of the American Expeditionary Forces would not be caught ill-prepared in a communication blackout when electronic means or runners fell to enemy fire.
Pigeons demonstrated reliability as messengers and the ability for usage with a variety of forces. In World War I, the Signal Corps reported an overall message delivery rate of 95 percent. In 1944, the Army reported pigeon-delivered tactical message rates at 99 percent. After success with combat operations in Europe in World War I, the U.S. military employed pigeons in the Pacific, Europe, and North Africa in the second war. Messages evolved from small pieces of rice paper to sections of map grids to eventual exposed photographic film. In World War I, pigeons served in the Tank Corps, Air Service, and with naval aviation. In World War II, pigeons served everywhere with everyone. They took part in Operation Overlord with paratroopers in the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, and were carried up the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc with the Rangers in special containers. Other birds parachuted into Burma with members of the Office of Strategic Services, carrying messages behind enemy lines, while others found a home inside the confines of Sherman tanks. Thousands of birds found work aboard the heavy bombers of the Army Air Forces in raids over Europe. In the Italian campaign, pigeons proved invaluable in transmitting messages over rugged terrain to coordinate fire missions for aircraft or artillery. Much as pigeons can adapt and thrive in practically every environ on the planet, the same held true for military employment of the birds.
Beginning in 1917 and continuing with World War II, the Army’s pigeon force drew from the civilian racing pigeon community. In 1917, the American Expeditionary Forces’ Pigeon Service tapped two founding members of the American Racing Pigeon Union — John L. Carney and David C. Buscall — to receive direct commissions as first lieutenants to build up the pigeon force from scratch. Both men, coincidentally current or former non-commissioned officers in the Army and Marine Corps, respectively, brought with them the highly specialized knowledge and background required to acquire, train, breed, and distribute pigeons to forces in the field. Through their civilian contacts, the men acquired via purchase or donation large numbers of quality racing pigeons and helped recruit the non-commissioned officers necessary to staff and train pigeon handlers in Northern France. The necessity to build and field pigeons for the American Expeditionary Forces further demonstrated how the specialized nature of pigeon work put a premium on civilian pigeon knowledge within the ranks.
Postwar, the Army continued the pattern of working closely with civilian organizations, such as the American Racing Pigeon Union, in recruiting men from the pigeon racing community. When the Army needed to rapidly expand the pigeon force in World War II, the civilian community responded with donations of tens of thousands of birds and even World War I “retread” volunteers for the officer and enlisted ranks to tend and train the pigeons. Never a large or overly expensive force, Army “pigeoneers” ensured communication continuity for the fighting men at the front, albeit always as a secondary or emergency method of transmission. Regardless of its size or lack of panache, the men of the Pigeon Service represent a solid example of a civil-military partnership able to respond to a wartime necessity in an orderly, efficient fashion.
Pigeons Presently?
For the contemporary challenges of cyberwarfare and electronic warfare, Army Futures Command should examine the record of the Army’s disbanded Pigeon Service. From the experience of the two world wars, the pigeon effort took off through partnership with civilian organizations. Akin to the Cyber Direct Commissioning Program, by recruiting and providing advanced grade to pigeon specialists for their civilian training, the Army staffed the officer and non-commissioned ranks with knowledge and skills essential for rapid expansion at minimum cost in training and the associated infrastructure therein. Furthermore, the connections of these citizen-soldiers further provided entre into acquiring quality homing pigeon stock from the civilian community for the Army with minimal delay. The ability to then “surge” a pigeon force became possible, in part to the small peacetime Pigeon Service then in existence.
In the arena of technology, pigeons are decidedly mundane messengers yet proven and reliable. The use of off-the-shelf technology at a time of need in 1917 served the Army faithfully for half a century. A similar acquisition success is found in the Army’s “Big Five” acquisition. Col. David C. Trybula concludes that by incorporating mature or maturing technologies into the systems, the results proved “extraordinary and perhaps revolutionary” when compared to the systems being replaced. While not arguing that homing pigeon technology can replace the advanced communications technologies of today, there are advantages to contemplate in the electronic warfare environment.
As the fighting in the Donbass region of Ukraine and in Syria have demonstrated, electromagnetic security can be a matter of life and death, of light and darkness. Through electronic warfare methods, Russian-backed separatist forces have caused an array of difficulties for Ukrainian forces. In the current fighting in Syria, American forces have likewise come face to face with Russian electronic warfare technologies and tactics, an electronic warfare battlefield-turned-proving ground for future conflicts. Monitoring, jamming, or infiltrating electronic-based systems to enable or deny kinetic effects places a premium on protecting signal communication.
Pigeons are certainly no substitute for drones, but they provide a low-visibility option to relay information. Considering the storage capacity of microSD memory cards, a pigeon’s organic characteristics provide front line forces a relatively clandestine mean to transport gigabytes of video, voice, or still imagery and documentation over considerable distance with zero electromagnetic emissions or obvious detectability to radar. These decidedly low-technology options prove difficult to detect and track. Pigeons cannot talk under interrogation, although they are not entirely immune to being held under suspicion of espionage. Within an urban environment, a pigeon has even greater potential to blend into the local avian population, further compounding detection. The latter presumably factored into the use of pigeons to clandestinely smuggle drugs, defeating even the most sophisticated of walls.
Furthermore, pigeons provide an asymmetric tool available for hybrid warfare purposes. The low-cost, low-technology use of pigeons to transport information or potentially small amounts of chemical agents — or even coded cyber weapons — makes them a quick and easy asset to distribute among a civilian population for wider military purposes. During World War II, the British Confidential Pigeon Service of MI14(d) dropped baskets of homing pigeons behind enemy lines for espionage purposes, gathering invaluable military intelligence in the process from a wide array of French, Dutch, and Belgian civilians. Even as a one-way means of communication, the pigeon proved an invaluable military asset.
The ideas herein are not claimed to be unique or refined. Military pigeon forces are all but extinct, but yet the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and French Ground Army maintain small pigeon forces in the event that electronic warfare should disrupt or disable military communications. As for the American military, the only traces of its pigeon force can be found in artifacts or photographs in museums around the country. The use of military homing pigeons in the 21st century in similar or more creative ways is limited only by initiative and imagination — a statement true for most any battlefield innovation and the disrupting potential of electronic warfare.
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 | Jan 11, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products
Cllr Yvonne O’Neill told a meeting of the town council: “Pigeon excrement is covering the streets in town and people are also leaving dog faeces.
“It’s just atrocious and not a good advert for the town. It’s something I would not want people visiting to see, let alone the locals. It’s not an easy problem to solve but I believe the pigeons and the mess they leave is becoming a public health hazard.
“There must be some way of dealing with this – perhaps pest control? They’re just flying rats.”
She was backed by Cardigan mayor Cllr John Adams-Lewis, who said: “We are working so hard to attract tourists to the town and it’s a terrible sight. When people leave here, you wonder if they would want to come back.
“I have spoken to someone in one of the shops and people walk into the shop with the mess on their shoes.
“I know many of the shops do clean outside their fronts but perhaps we now need to employ a full-time handy-person to help clean the streets? Maybe that’s the only way it is going to get done but how much would that cost on the precept?”
A letter was recently sent out by the town council to local businesses and shop owners asking them to clear overflowing guttering to help alleviate the problem.
“Until we sort that out we can forget the pigeons,” said Cllr Graham Evans, who personally hand-delivered the letters. “We have to get back to the traders and town centre partnership as we often don’t know who owns many of the buildings.”
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 | Jan 10, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
You might be used to seeing birds clustered on courthouse domes, but for one area county, they’re becoming a real problem.
Upshur County officials say pigeons gathered on the courthouse windowsills and rooftops are doing significant damage because of their droppings.
That matter is so acidic it could damage the courthouse roof and dome.
Officials are now taking bids for measures to keep the birds off the building, and keep the historic structure intact.
“There’s so much history behind the courthouse. It burned in 1899, I believe it was, and this is the facility that they built, and we’d like to keep it around as long as we can,” said Commissioner Terry Cutright.
Bids for the project will be accepted until February 12, and the commission will open them at its meeting on the 14th.
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 | Jan 9, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products
A pigeon perched on a water fountain near a New York City ferry was patiently waiting for someone like Steven Pesantez for help.
Thursday, Pesantez and Mariel Mitkowski noticed the bird at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan. It looked thirsty.
So, they thought it would be funny to offer the bird a drink. Pesantez walked over to the fountain. Mitkowski started recording.
Pesantez pushed the button for water. Surprisingly, the bird wasn’t scared away. Ecstatic about the fountain of water, it started drinking.
After about 20 seconds of bobbing in the fountain, the pigeon took flight.
“It was an awesome moment helping the little guy get some water,” Pesantez told USA TODAY.
This isn’t the only time a pigeon has been recorded looking for a drink at the terminal’s water fountains. In 2017, a video posted to Instagram showed two pigeons sitting in a fountain trying to get water.
New York’s Wild Bird Fund took to Twitter (naturally) to say it’s heard “credible reports that this is a regular phenomenon at the Staten Island ferry terminal fountains, not a one-time occurrence.”
While some commenters thought the act of kindness by Pesantez, AKA “pigeon boye”on Instagram, was “cute,” “incredible” and funny, others also were a little alarmed about the sanitation of the fountain.
If you get a little grit in your water, don’t be too alarmed. The New York City Health Department says pigeon droppings pose only “modest health risks.”
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 | Jan 8, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
A pensioner who died in an early morning van crash in Maerdy was a “pillar of the community” who loved pigeon racing.
Malcolm Morgan, 73, died when his Ford Transit van collided with a parked van on Oxford Street on Sunday morning.
He was known locally at Popo and his family say his love of pigeons drove “his whole family crazy”.
In a tribute released through South Wales Police, his devastated family said: “Malcolm was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He has always been a pillar of the community and was loved by so, so many.
“Known as Popo to most, he never said no to anything. His love of pigeons drove his whole family crazy – he was the Morgan half of the ‘Newman and Morgan’ pigeon racing partnership, racing for Ynyshir club.
“What has happened has broken us as a family and we will all miss him more than words. We ask for privacy at this difficult time and thank you all for your kind memories you’ve shared of Mal.”
Officers were called to Oxford Street shortly after 8.30am on Sunday after a white Ford Transit van being driven by Malcolm collided with a parked Iveco Daily van.
Malcolm’s family are being supported by specially trained officers.
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 | Jan 7, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products
An informal group of animal lovers have taken it upon themselves to help city-dwelling pigeons keep their feet clean. The group, known online as the “San Francisco Pigeons Stringfoot help” find flocks of pigeons and treat them for stringfoot, a condition that can deform the bird’s feet, while also working to break birds’ dependence on humans for food.
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 | Jan 6, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
I feel sorry for urban children. Most of them seem to lead normal lives, although what passes for “normal” nowadays often means being attached to a video game console immediately after emerging from the womb.
Meanwhile, I’m still trying to figure out how to operate common household appliances. For example, I recently discovered that you cannot cook sliced bologna in a DVD player. This seems like the gross underutilization of a perfectly good laser.
The main reason I pity town kids is that none seem to have access to the one resource that’s essential for a fulfilling and thrilling childhood: a barn.
A barn is commonly thought of as a confinement facility for livestock. But it’s also one of the best places for kids to grow up under free-range conditions. A barn contains a universe of playtime opportunities; the only limit is a child’s imagination.
When I was a mere youngling, our farm had a rickety old barn that was home to a menagerie of animals, ranging from the mighty (cows) to the lowly (pigs) to the clucky (chickens). And that doesn’t count the multitude of freeloaders such as cats and pigeons and sparrows and mice. That old barn sheltered more species than Noah’s ark.
The barn contained its own unique ecosystem. Our cattle and pigs ate the grain that we fed them and we, in turn, dined on pork and beef. Mice and pigeons scavenged leftovers from the livestock and the cats, in turn, operated a booming business that focused on the acquisition of rodent- and avian-based proteins.
We kids knew all about the circle of life long before anyone heard of the movie Lion King.
The main rule of playing in the barn was that there were no rules. My seven siblings and I could do almost anything we liked as long as it didn’t involve getting hurt. “If you fall and break your neck, don’t come running to me!” was the only guidance we received from our parents as we trotted toward the barn.
This lack of regulations was liberating. For instance, we were free to climb the barn’s wall ladder to whatever height we liked. If you were a smaller child, a rung or two might be enough. But if you were a testosterone-addled adolescent, the sky (in this case, the rafters) was the limit.
Driven by juvenile bravado, I once climbed the ladder all the way to the top. Upon reaching the apex, I clambered onto the rafters and glanced earthward. A mistake. I had stared resolutely at the barn’s wall during my ascent. Looking down, I was able to see exactly how high I was. My younger siblings seemed tiny, as if they were little kids. Which they were, but they appeared so much smaller from up there.
I realized that falling and breaking my neck wasn’t an option. Several dozen things would fracture if I fell.
I decided to go for the holy grail. Ignoring years of pigeon residue, I crawled across the diagonal rafter braces until I reached the cupola. I had gazed up at that gothic wooden structure innumerable times. At last I would get to see it from the inside and enjoy a pigeon’s-eye view!
A sweeping vista of our farmstead spread below me. The Holsteins in our cattle yard were pint-sized toys; our Leghorns looked like two-legged cotton balls. A passing cloud seemed close enough to touch.
Peering downwards, I could see the entirety of the barn’s yawning interior: the kingdom of cows and cats.
The game Hide and Seek was invented in our barn. As soon as we noticed that a mother cat had transformed from a furry cantaloupe into a four-legged stick figure, the game was afoot. Whoever found the new litter of kittens was awarded naming rights. We were lightyears ahead of modern-day corporations who expend vast sums for the privilege of slapping their names on impersonal, non-purring sporting venues.
Our Leghorns also liked to hide things. It was our mission to find the clutches of eggs that the hens had concealed throughout the barn’s labyrinthine nooks and crannies.
Some hens were surprisingly cunning, and we wouldn’t find their nests for quite a while. In those situations, we learned to be careful when collecting eggs. An egg might feel unusually light, as if it were filled with an extremely stinky gas and was about to explode. A muffled “pop!” would announce the bad news. So it was that we invented the maxim, “Last one out is a rotten egg!”
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to investigate something. Because I’m pretty sure that a guy can cook bacon in a document scanner.
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 | Jan 5, 2019 | Pigeon Spikes
A search of a Wellington property where groups of intricately decorated pigeons were found has turned up no evidence to suggest the residents are behind the bizarre abuse.
The pigeons were found in an open aviary in Kilbirnie decorated with tinsel, trinkets, and paint, during an investigation into the spiking number of birds dying or becoming seriously injured by such decorations.
But it appears the mystery decorator is still at large after the SPCA carried out a search warrant at the property and found no evidence that the house’s occupants had harmed the birds themselves.
“The search warrant found no incriminating evidence that the occupants were responsible for capturing the birds, decorating, and releasing them,” an SPCA spokesperson said in a statement.
“The owners have an open aviary with homing pigeons, and the birds found there last week have also been victim to whoever is decorating birds in the Kilbirnie area.”
The seven decorated pigeons were found at the aviary shortly after the antics of the bird decorator reached news headlines. Prior to the discovery, other birds such as sparrows had been found with tinsel wrapped around them.
Many of the sparrows had died as the decorations stopped them from being able to eat or drink
Since 2015, SPCA’s Wellington Centre have had 30 cases of birds arriving at the centre either dead, or with injuries so severe they have had to be euthanised.
Decorations were removed from the pigeons by SPCA’s veterinary team, and they each underwent a full vet examination.
SPCA’s inspectors will continue to investigate the case, and are calling on Kilbirnie residents to help.
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 | Jan 4, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
What do you think?
A reptile-themed magic act? Decoration tips of the 1980s? Snake handling on public display?
Would you believe pest control?
What we are looking at is Warren County Commissioner Bobby Johnson on a clear day in September 1988 demonstrating his community’s effort to frighten pigeons from the county courthouse.
Pigeons have a tendency to use such public buildings as regular roosts and restrooms, and they leave a mess.
This was not a new problem. The archives of The Augusta Chronicle make a consistent case that birds, most often pigeons, had been the plague of many seats of local government over the past century.
As this photo indicates, such problems often inspired remarkable measures. Here, for example, plastic snakes were attached to the building’s columns to scare away the birds.
“Bird shoots” aimed at solving the problem seem to have been regular events around Georgia courthouses even into recent times.
The Chronicle reported such an event in suburban Atlanta’s Gwinnett County in 1974. Its sheriff told The Associated Press that several men firing shotguns over several hours had bagged about 80 birds.
Their effort drew praise from Georgia’s legendary Secretary of State Ben Fortson, who said, “That’s the only way to get rid of pigeons.”
Fortson was something of a bird removal expert because he had spent years trying to rid Georgia’s gold-domed state Capitol of starlings, a smaller but more numerous winged nemesis.
Fortson said they tried to use guns, but state-sanctioned marksmen were overwhelmed. There were too many birds and firepower wasn’t working.
But fireworks did.
Fortson rattled their roosts with Roman candles. The birds departed and did not return, he said.
But pigeons seemed more pervasive.
In 1970, The Chronicle reported on pigeon problems plaguing several county seats – Sparta, Washington, Thomson and Madison. Shotguns were usually reached for to solve the problem.
Warren County’s inflatable plastic snakes were only marginally successful in 1988, according to county officials. The same was reported in Sylvania, where Screven County workers were trying to trap the pigeons but found that working the traps was time-consuming.
Taliaferro County might have had the best solution by letting nature take its course.
Screech owls had taken up housekeeping in the county seat of Crawfordville and kept the pigeons away from the courthouse. The screech owls also weren’t as messy as the pigeons.
“I let ’em come and go,” a county commissioner said.
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 | Jan 3, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
In an appalling case, a 70-year old farmer was beaten to death by eight people over suspicion that he had stolen pigeons from the neighbour’s house. The incident occurred on Friday night in Vasai area of Maharashtra’s Palghar district. The Vasai police have arrested eight accused including three women. The accused were booked after the complaint by the victim’s son, reported mid-day. Mumbai: Teenager Kills Ten-Year-Old Boy, Dumps Body in Nullah, for Refusing Sex; Arrested.
Ramchandra Raut, a Ranagaon resident, was rushed to nearby hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. According to mid-day, the accused were living in the same region. They had pigeons but some of them were stolen on Friday, they suspected Raut was behind the theft. After a long arguing, Raut filed a police complaint. When accused came to know about the complaint, they went to Raut’s house and beat him up. Patna: Elderly Woman Killed, 2 Others Injured as Girl Learning to Drive Rams SUV Into Several People.
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 | Jan 2, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
In an appalling incident, a 70-year-old was beaten to death in Maharashtra’s Vasai on Friday night. Police have arrested nine people in this case.
The deceased, Ramachandra Raut, had filed a complaint with the police against some of the accused for allegedly stealing pigeons.
Angry over this action by the septuagenarian, the accused went to his house and beat him.
Here’s what happened.
Raut claimed his pet pigeons were stolen
What happened
On Friday morning, Raut had told Vasai police that two people stole his pet pigeons.
Vasai police station’s Inspector Rajendra Kamble said taking cognizance of the complaint, the police served notices to the accused.
To maintain peace in the locality, they were given warning under Section 149 CrPC, he added.
But the accused didn’t like that Raut went to police.
Accused went to Raut’s house, assaulted him
The abuse
At around 7:30 PM, the accused gathered seven others, including women, and went to Raut’s house.
They started yelling at him and warned him of dire consequences for going to the police. Raut’s son Bandhu, who is 25 years old, was also shouted at.
When Raut intervened, the people started beating him. They rained kicks and blows on him and one allegedly strangled him.
Hospital declared Raut brought dead
Action
Raut was rushed to the Sir DM Petit Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. He sustained injuries on his head, neck, and back.
A case was registered under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
The people who have been arrested
Fact
The nine who were arrested are Mayur Sachin Raut, Sachin Gharat, Avinash Tandel, Abhishek Raju Kolekar, Sureka Raju Kolekar, Sneha Sachin Gharat, Ranjana Chandrakant Tandel, Raju Tukaram Kolekar, and Reena Sachin Gharat. They were remanded in police custody by a Vasai court on Saturday.
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)
