by Ryan Ponto | Apr 30, 2017 | Bird Netting
The Amarillo Racing Pigeon Club and the American Racing Pigeon Union co-hosted the Homing Pigeon Expo on April 15.
Dina Navarro won the grand prize drawing at the event, while Steve Shennum got the first prize drawing at the event at Ranchers Supply, 8048 River Road.
Several racing pigeons were on display, and attendees were able to send a message via homing pigeon.
The event was designed to help educate the public about racing 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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 29, 2017 | Bird Netting
A REPORT detailing new figures from Bathurst’s Pest Bird Management Strategy has left councillors calling for more to be done to eradicate pigeons from the city.
Councillor Bobby Bourke, who has long campaigned for the removal of pigeons from the central business district, said the figures were pleasing, but could be better.
Figures in a report put together by the director of environmental planning and building services revealed that a total of 2108 pigeons had been removed from the CBD since March 2013.
Their removal was the result of two different methods, trapping and contract shooting.
Bathurst Regional Council has also installed ‘Don’t feed pigeons’ signs in Machattie Park, installed exclusion mesh and spikes, sold nest boxes to members of the public and produced a Backyards for Wildlife booklet as part of the strategy.
While there is no accurate figure CBD’s pigeon population prior to the adoption of the strategy, Cr Bourke said it was likely significantly more than how many have been removed.
“I think if we did have an accurate figure, 2000 is very low and we have to keep on going with this pigeon control and we need to eradicate them to whatever extent we can do it,” he said.
Cr Bourke praised staff for working on cleaning up areas that have been defecated on by pigeons, but said that it needed to be done more frequently to keep the CBD looking good.
He also said more attention had to be paid to the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, where some of the worst pigeon-related damage has been seen.
It was a point Cr Monica Morse could agree with, and she took it further by asking council to look into preparing a report on the damage that has been sustained at the museum.
“I don’t know whether there has ever been a report into the damage that has been done, but it is significant,” she said.
Cr Morse also said there should be a cost benefit analysis prepared on the Pest Bird Management Strategy overall to see how much money has been spent on the selected methods to eradicate pigeons.
According to the report to council, the most effective methods have been shooting, trapping and exclusion devices.
Options that council is considering for the future are birth control, which has yet to be approved in Australia, and distress callers.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 28, 2017 | Bird Netting
Green Party campaigners want a rail operator to take responsibility for pigeon poo ‘raining down’ from a railway bridge in Old Town.
Netting, to prevent pigeons from perching and nesting, was taken down from underneath the bridge at the junction of High Street and Clemens Street in 2015.
But campaigners are having trouble getting Network Rail to replace the netting and then maintain it.
Shopkeeper David Jordan, who has been campaigning for the operator to problem, said: “No one wants to take responsibility for the problem.
“It was very shortsighted to remove the old netting without having thought about what would happen when the pigeons returned to the bridge. On a wet day it can be quite hazardous to walk on the affected pavement, let alone what it looks like“.
Warwick District Council’s legal department has confirmed that Section 74 of the Public Health Act 1961 states that the authority has the power to stop such pigeon nuisance and case law indicates that with a bridge owned by a rail company, the company must pay for this.
Martin Luckhurst, of the area’s Green Party group, thanked the council’s team for providing evidence that Network Rail are responsible and said: “If this pigeon poo problem was affecting the suits of senior managers at Network Rail, it would have been sorted out by now.
“My message to them is ‘we’re not giving up until this is fixed. It’s time for you to accept responsibility and take action’.”
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 27, 2017 | Bird Netting
The first race of the season for Grantham and District North Road Racing Pigeon Club was won by Mr and Mrs D. Dixon, of Wilsford, whose birds were the first two to return home.
Race sponsors were Bev and Ian Doughty. Results: 1 Mr & Mrs D. Dixon 1518.9, 2 Mr & Mrs D. Dixon 1517.1, 3 J. Norris 1476.6, 4 J. Norris 1476.3, 5 T. Ballaam 1459.7, 6 D. Fowler & son 1459.6, 7 J. Norris 1453.9, 8 J. Norris 1445.1, 9 D. Fowler & son 1438.2, 10 D. Gilbert 1426.3.
l Grantham United’s second race of the season was won again by J. Ramm whose birds came home first, second and fourth for the second successive week.
Ten members sent 191 birds from Bedhampton.
Results: 1 J. Ramm 1311, 2 J. Ramm 1311, 3 D. Parker & son & Rogerson 1294, 4 J. Ramm 1292, 5 Mr and Mrs L. Gilbert 1278, 6 D. Parker & son & Rogerson 1276, 7 C. Creighton 1244, 8 A. J. Gillbard 1225, 9 J. Ablitt 1208, 10 H. Walker 1190, 11 K. Hollingsworth 1107, 12 G. Jones 1040.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 26, 2017 | Bird Netting
In times gone by white doves or pigeons were often viewed as traditional symbols or messengers of peace and pacifism, but, in the new millennium, when technological advances are being made in minutes, days, months and years, one would not have expected a bird to come across from Pakistan with a message of sorts imprinted under one of its wings.
New Delhi [India], April 25 (ANI): In times gone by white doves or pigeons were often viewed as traditional symbols or messengers of peace and pacifism, but, in the new millennium, when technological advances are being made in minutes, days, months and years, one would not have expected a bird to come across from Pakistan with a message of sorts imprinted under one of its wings.
This is exactly what happened at the border out post (BOP) Babalianwala on the Rajasthan-Sindh border on Tuesday, when a white-colored pigeon landed from the Pakistan side at 7.55 a.m. and sat on a barrel of LMG for about five minutes before being caught by Border Security Force (BSF) border patrol personnel posted there.
Acting on the orders of commanding officer of the 135th Battalion of the BSF, B.K. Sharma, BSF personnel Sunil Pathania and Sarad Yadav examined the pigeon and found the serial number 03023633 written on its tail.
A similar incident was reported on January 13, 2017 at Samathewala. At that time too, a pigeon was nabbed and was found to have a metallic ring with the tag number 021JEET-KPK on its right leg.
The use of a dove or a pigeon and an olive branch as a symbol of peace originated with the early Christians. These birds often appear in political cartoons, on banners and signs at events promoting peace such as the Olympic Games, or at various anti-war or anti-violence protests, etc.), as also in pacifist literature.
A person who is a pacifist is sometimes referred to as a dove, while a person opposed to diplomacy can be referred to as a hawk, but when it comes to relations between India and Pakistan, a bird being regarded as a messenger of peace is a far-fetched notion, and can only be viewed with suspicion and distrust.(ANI)
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 25, 2017 | Bird Netting
Is it just me or does anyone else walk around London wondering why the heck we never see baby pigeons? No…just me? It can’t be just me. Pigeons are everywhere, but where on earth are the little baby pigeons?? Well my pigeon -oving friends, there is an explanation for this.
Basically, the pigeons we see flying around the city fighting for our food are feral pigeons originally bred from wild rock droves that breed nearby sea cliffs and mountains around Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. So, these little (some sometimes big) like to nest in tall buildings, like they would nest in tall trees back home.
This means we never see baby pigeons because they’re too busy enjoying living the high life up in their high high nests. It normally takes them around 25-32 days to leave their nests, and by then they’re normally fully grown. So nada babies for us! They don’t even grow feathers until they can leave the nest, so it’s probably a good thing as a naked pigeon would be even weirder than a grown one.
If you do happen to spot a little one that’s tried to fly the nest before he, or she is big enough – make a makeshift nest for them or take them to a wildlife rehabilitator. SAVE THE BABY. That’s enough pigeon chat.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 24, 2017 | Bird Netting
PEDESTRIANS risk being covered in pigeon poo every time they walk under the High Street railway bridge in Leamington’s Old Town.
Netting used to be fitted under the bridge in a bid to stop the birds nesting, but it was taken down in 2015 following complaints about them becoming trapped and dying.
But the Green Party and local shopkeepers are now calling on Network Rail – who they say are responsible for the issue – to reinstate the netting and keep it maintained.
Shopkeeper David Jordan, who owns Jordans which sits directly under the bridge, said: “No one wants to take responsibility for the problem.
“It was very short-sighted to remove the old netting without having thought about what would happen when the pigeons returned to the bridge. On a wet day it can be quite hazardous to walk on the affected pavement – let alone what it looks like.“
And Green Party campaigner Martin Luckhurst says they will continue to appeal to Network Rail until the issue is resolved.
He said: “We’re not giving up until this is fixed. It’s time for Network Rail to accept responsibility and take action.”
Pigeons have long been a problem in Old Town.
An attempt to resolve the issue came in 2007 AND saw £10,000 ‘luxury coop’ installed on Court Street car park in a bid to entice them away from the area’s bridges.
It was removed a few years later following complaints from residents it was attracting rats.
Network Rail had not responded to our request for a comment at the time of going to press.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 23, 2017 | Bird Netting
Members of the Newport Planning Commission met Tuesday and approved the site plan for a boat launch and 16’x 16’ float pavilion on the Pigeon River.
The site is planned for just west of the railroad trestle.
Codes Officer Mark Robinson said the owners of a new distillery on West Main Street hope to erect a neon sign on the roof of the operation, in an effort to attract tourists. He said such a move would require Planning Commission approval.
The body also is considering a resolution for the city council’s consideration, which would require sidewalks in front of new businesses on the Highway 25/70 and Highway 321 commercial corridors.
City Planner Gary Carver asked the body for its feedback on the issue of requiring a grass strip along the roadways to the west and south of Newport, to separate the roadway from the sidewalk.
There is concern that there may be hesitancy on the part of pedestrians if they are placed close to speeding vehicles. A grass strip would provide a buffer, but also would require upkeep.
Another question being considered has to do with the issue of making the sidewalks available to bicyclists.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 22, 2017 | Bird Netting
It all began at the ripe age of 6.
Even then, Charles Morgan knew his interest in pigeons was more than just a flight of fancy.
“I lived in Chelsea and neighbors had pigeons in the eaves of their house,” he said. “My best friend and I caught a few of these and kept them for pets.”
His fascination with the birds became a full-fledged passion when his father, an engineer, transferred the family to Texas for work. Soon after the move, Morgan caught a lucky break when he discovered his neighbor down the street had pigeons and doves. At only 10 years old, he saved enough money to build his own pigeon loft. After that, there was no looking back.
Except for a 10-year stint in the Army, Morgan, now 74, has owned pigeons since his start in Texas. It was not until the ’60s that he began to race them, however.
“They’re just like athletes,” he said.
He has a point.
During the races, pigeons fly anywhere from 100 to 600 miles before returning to their home base. With such immense physical feats required of the birds, Morgan trains them multiple times per week.
Morgan, a retired New York State Department of Transportation worker who lives in Rhinebeck with his wife Leslie, 61, has come a long way since his 10-year-old loft-building days. His handyman skills helped him to build not one, but seven lofts for his winged friends.
“They know which loft to go in,” he said. “They fly home, they land on the loft, and they walk very quickly right in the door.”
“I say ‘incoming’ when I see one coming in,” Leslie Morgan said. Over the course of their 24-year relationship, she has become nearly as invested in the birds as he is.
“He spends more time with the birds than with me,” she said, semi-jokingly.
With the number of factors involved in raising pigeons, the fact that Morgan spends three hours per day at the lofts is no surprise. In addition to making sure that no predators approach the housing, he also mixes his own feed for the birds, checks to see if any of them are sick and provides medication when needed.
Morgan’s pigeons are some of the best-kept birds around, which is why he races them regularly with the Northern Catskill Pigeon Club. Although he also used to show pigeons professionally, he said he prefers the athleticism that underlines the races. On race days, he transports his fastest flyers to a predetermined release site. The competing birds, which have had computer tracking chips in their legs since they were 5 days old, are placed in a special truck to ensure a simultaneous release.
When the birds return home, their unique chips are scanned to determine their race time down to the second.
“It’s an exact science,” Morgan said.
While racing pigeons remains one of his preferred activities, he also relies upon his feathered flock to bring joy to others. Together, he and his wife run Wings and Memories, a white bird release business. Morgan is quick to point out that the birds used for releases are pigeons, not doves, since doves do not have the same uncanny sense of direction.
“We let the birds go at weddings and funerals,” he said. “We do a lot of support for autism walks, suicide prevention and local causes.”
They work with charities such as March of Dimes and Relay for Cancer in addition to their standard slew of weddings, funerals and even gender reveal parties.
Through the business, Morgan has also worked with a number of brands on photo shoots and commercials. Members of his flock have been featured on everything from a Maybelline Cosmetics and a Prudential commercial, respectively, to a photo shoot with Bride Magazine and the December 2016 cover of Real Simple Magazine.
Morgan recalls kidding around with the photographers at one of the shoots. He jokingly told his birds to stay put, a command which others thought was in earnest.
“I would herd the birds back in a crate” whenever the crew needed to make an adjustment to the scene, he said. “Once I walked away and said ‘stay’ (to the birds) and one of the photographers went ‘wow.’”
Although his talents with the feathered fleet may not be that extensive, his devotion to them is unparalleled. Leslie Morgan recalled a touching moment when Morgan braved the elements to rescue one of his younger birds from an impending storm.
“We had a baby that got discombobulated and landed on the shed near the loft,” she said. Because the birds will not fly at night in the dark, the little one remained glued to the roof even as the clouds approached.
Seeing this, Morgan “gets out a ladder in the dark with a storm coming. As it’s starting to rain, he’s climbing up there to pick up the little bird and make sure it’s OK. They’re all part of the family, and he makes sure everyone’s OK,” she said.
Morgan wholeheartedly agreed. He and his wife may have a fully grown human brood, with two sons, a daughter, and a number of sisters and brothers in the area, but their pigeons are part of the family as well.
“They’re just something I grew up with,” he said. “The pigeons amaze me. You can take them hundreds of miles away and they will still return home.”
Home is where the heart is, after all.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 21, 2017 | Bird Netting
We join Ian Harford as he sets out for a day on the pigeons.
It’s a beautiful although slightly overcast morning as we set ourselves up for a day on the pigeons.
Start of pigeon season, and my first day shooting since the end of last game shooting season; so we have our fingers crossed for a good day.
First off, we need to get set up in a hide. It’s important to set out early, so you get your hide placed and built before the pigeons come out from roost.
Using nets and poles will give you a good base of a blind to work from and helps if you dress it with any fallen and broken branches and brashing to offer more natural surroundings when the pigeons hopefully fall into your decoy pattern.
Placing your blind under a tree that has some bare branches early in the season will make it a good sitting tree. Offering clear spaces for a clear shot free from hanging foliage.
Most of the decoys in our pattern are around 15-25 yards out in front of us so shooting should be reasonably straightforward.
There’s a pretty brisk wind this morning, so as the birds are coming over us they will have the wind in their wings so there will be some speed there, which we need to account for!
Realtree Max-5 is a great all round Pigeon Shooting pattern whether it’s for early pigeons, or well into the spring and summer. It has a lot to offer with the dark background for early season and the green elements work well for the early spring. The Max-5 offers incredible detail; each pattern has been strategically placed to create super-realistic tone, contrast and shadow.
When you appear from behind your blind it is important to be camouflagued to blend in with the surroundings so that your pigeons continue to come into your pattern. Having a great white silhouette appearing out of your blind every so often when you go to shoot will deter the pigeons to another spot, and you don’t want your neighbour to get your shooting!
Pigeon Shooting provides a fantastic days sport and normally is a great help to the farmer in maintaining the crops. It’s remained overcast for the duration of our day but didn’t alter our opportunity. The wind was pretty strong all day.
Interesting thing about today, was the way the pattern attracted the birds. Some of them came right in, and others came into the centre and hovered before landing, they didn’t want to come into the pattern. Something about it just seemed to spook them. That enabled us to take quite a few long shots but as you may know, those are not always quite as successful as bringing the birds into the pattern and shooting them at 15-20 yards.
However, some of those shots around the pattern were spectacular. I managed to bag 23, although there are a lot more empty cartridges on the floor! That’s half the fun of this sport.
It feels great when you make a good shot and the bird comes down, but equally it has to be sporting. The 23 pigeons I shot today won’t really see a big dent in the population around our shooting area, there really are a lot of birds and my guide knows exactly where to find them.
If it is not your area that you are shooting and you have been invited on a day it really is important to find out the key facts of the ground. What time do they start to move? Which direction do they generally come from? Do they favour a particular flight path? And what kind of pattern did they use on this ground before to bring the birds in?
Equally if it is your own ground, it is important to do a reconnaissance beforehand. Watch the ground on similar days to that you’ll be shooting on, make some notes for certain times of the day and plan your day in advance.
Today has been a truly wonderful day in the field. Great countryside, fantastic views and great shooting sport.
Now the hard bit, the tidying up! Packing away decoys, nets and blinds, picking up the cartridges, putting back the branches and brashings and making sure any rubbish is taken home.
And finally, picking up the carcasses and taking them home for tea!
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 20, 2017 | Bird Netting
A Dunedin building ”not fit for pigeons to live in” has gone from abandoned wreck to winner of the top award at the Dunedin Heritage Awards.
The Dunedin Heritage Re-use Award was won by Ted Daniels for the restoration and preservation of the historic Standard Building in Princes St.
Mr Daniels bought the building eight years ago and has spent several years bringing it back to life through a mixture of preservation of historic elements, recreation of lost details and the careful insertion of new and exciting features such as a main staircase.
”It was in pretty bad condition when I bought it. It was waterlogged, it had rotten floors, the facade was orange, all the ornaments were taken off and pigeons were living inside.
”It wasn’t even fit for pigeons to live in. Most people would have looked at it and thought to demolish it.”
But Mr Daniels saw potential in the building.
”There is a lot of history in the building and that is very important to me. It’s a pretty unique building. It has a bluestone wall in there from 1860 which no-one knew existed.”
Mr Daniels was delighted with the award, and said all the positive feedback he had received about the restoration had made all the money and time poured into it worthwhile.
”It’s been very rewarding.”
The awards, held at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum last night, recognised excellence and innovation in the reuse of heritage buildings and a range of people involved in heritage re-use, including building owners, conservation professionals, project managers and engineers.
Dunedin City Council heritage policy planner Dan Windwood said the winners demonstrated the many uses that could be found for Dunedin’s heritage buildings, making sure the city’s unique history was not lost.
”The awards are an exciting time each year to acknowledge efforts being made across the city to restore and revitalise heritage buildings and show the public some of the excellent work that’s being done.”
Other winners were: Dunedin Heritage Re-use Award highly commended: Gallaway Cook Allan, 123 Vogel St (owner Chris Barnes); Earthquake Strengthening Award: 123 Vogel St; Heritage Interiors Award: 123 Vogel St; Earthquake Strengthening Award, highly commended: 90 Bond St (owner Hayden Cawte); David Cox Memorial Award: New New New, 218 Crawford St.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 19, 2017 | Bird Netting
Cliff has not lost his pigeon racing touch Sport. 00:45Thursday 27 April 2017
Retired docker Cliff Edwards has many pigeon racing successes under his belt, and he showed that he has not lost his touch by taking the first four places in Boston Central RPC’s opening race of the season from Bubwith. Results: 1, 2, 3 and 4 G. and C. Edwards 1853, 1851, 1843 and 1838 yards per minute, 5 and 6 Appleby and Daughter 1817 (2), 7, 8 and 9 Upsall and Grandson 1810, 1798 and 1797, 10 and 11 K. Ward 1788.663 (2), 12 Upsall and Grandson 1788.237. From Wetherby, the first four places were taken by Upsall and Grandson: Results: Upsall and Grandson 1685, 1680, 1666 and 1631, 5 Appleby and Dtr 1620, 6 Frost and Spooner 1615, 7 and 8 G. and C. Edwards 1592 and 1590, 9 K. Ward 1588, 10 Upsall and Grandson 1585, 11 Appleby and Dtr 1581, 12 A Cooley 1574. Swineshead and District RPC results: Bubwith – 1 and 2 Craig Pearson 1687 and 1629.743, 3 and 4 G. Wheatman 1629.587 and 1576, 5 Craig Pearson 1549, 6 G. Wheatman 1429, 7 Mr and Mrs T.F. Welby 1381. Wetherby: 1 and 2 Craig Pearson 1521 and 1515, 3 and 4 Mr and Mrs T.F. Welby 1489 and 1428, 5 Craig Pearson 1402, 6, 7 and 8 G. Wheatman 1343, 1274 and 1211.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 18, 2017 | Bird Netting
There’s a lot to talk about in the day to day political climate. Bombings, elections, air strikes, Supreme Court justices. The list goes on, and painfully so. But instead of talking about those things, I’m going to take a breather, hop onto a new soapbox and speak in defense of something a little closer, geographically, to Point Park.
Pigeons.
To many, they’re just vermin who get in the way when you’re walking to class. To some extent, that’s all true. Pigeons do in fact carry diseases, and they do have a tendency to get in your way on the street. But if I’m just being completely honest, if you just change a couple words in that sentence you’re also talking about humans.
Pigeons get a lot of crap thrown at them on a day to day basis and almost 100% of it is caused by humans. Be it punk kids trying to kick them while waiting for the bus, or some college kid trying to step on them for a cheap laugh, but have you ever paused to consider the fact that a pigeon has the actual resources to crap on you. Even if they do poop on you, rather than be angry and curse the pigeon, change your perspective. In many cultures it’s good luck to get pooped on by a bird.
To most, they are winged rats. To me, they are survivors. They fearlessly walk alongside man, like equals. They fearlessly walk into oncoming traffic, like warriors. They look danger in the eyes and scoff. They hobble around the city in the most mesmerizing fashion, like a once fabulous woman who spent a few too many nights in her stilettos.
Speaking of fearlessness, during World Wars I and II pigeons were used to relay top secret messages. They were chosen for their instinctual homing capabilities, and for their service they were awarded the Dickens Medal.
So yeah, there are 32 pigeons who are war heroes. Their missions were dangerous, enemy forces would try and shoot down the pigeons in hopes to intercept the message. One such pigeon lost her leg and her eye, but saved the lives of American infantrymen who were surrounded.
Aside from that fact, let’s think critically here. Why do people really hate pigeons? Because they carry diseases? So do humans, so do squirrels, rats and chickens. Because they can poop on you? So does every other species of bird, and humans too. Because they have wings? First of all, they can’t help that. Second of all, so do butterflies and every other species of bird. Because they’re gross? So are a lot of things, humans included.
I’m not saying that pigeons deserve to be worshipped or that they deserve to be treated better than people. I’m saying they deserve better. They don’t deserve to be kicked by punk kids or stepped on. They’re products of nature and vital to an ecosystem. It may not seem that way, but it’s true. We used to treat the bees like they were disposable and now we’re facing an environmental crisis because of our neglect. It’s unfair to hate something just because it’s gross or it gets in your way.
It is important now more than ever to show respect to those around us. Sometimes it starts small with working past your prejudices against pigeons. You may think it doesn’t matter, but it does.
Making room in your heart to be kind to pigeons makes room to be kind to people you may not like. It’s an exercise in tolerance, and I think we could all use some exercises in tolerance.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 17, 2017 | Bird Netting
A PUPPY was savaged by a hawk brought in to see off pigeons from its owner’s posh block of flats.
Chihuahua Dolly was in a garden when the bird sank its talons into her throat and bit her head.
Owner Eunice Barth was left horrified after her pet Chihuahua was savagely attacked by the hawk
Owner Eunice Barth, 80, said: “I remember the moment I heard Dolly scream.
“She was being dragged along the floor and the hawk was just about to fly away when the handler threw it some red meat.
“She was covered in puncture wounds. There was blood pouring everywhere.
The four month old pup was dragged along the floor by the bird of prey
“I was screaming hysterically, Dolly was screaming, it was awful.
“It was shocking, it left me in such a nervous state.”
Four month old Dolly was attacked after she snuck into the garden while her artist owner was taking out the rubbish.
The pup thankfully made a recovery after her owner forked out £400 on vet bills after the attack last June.
But now the hawk has made an unwelcome return to manage pigeon pest control at the luxury flats in Regents Park, London.
Eunice now fears the bird of prey could strike again or even attack one of the newborn babies in the block.
“My dog was savaged. How could they hire that hawk again?
“I can’t bear that it’s come back.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 16, 2017 | Bird Netting
The City Times has received numerous letters to the editor from Benonians who have found dead birds on their properties.
“We live in Airfield and have had a similar experience,” said Haley Steingrover in response to a previous letter that was published.
“In a space of about two to three weeks we have had four dead pigeons in our garden.
“All the other birds seem to be fine; it’s just the pigeons.
“We are concerned for the poor birds and also for our animals that are around these birds.”
Elizabeth van Genderen, of Rynfield, said on March 15 that over the last month she found two dead birds.
“My son witnessed one drop out of the tree and hit the ground,” said van Genderen.
“When we went out there, it was already dead.
“This is disturbing.”
Judy Davidson, of Wildlife in Crisis, said the deaths should not be a concern and that she is “pretty sure” the cause is E. coli.
She said a dove and pigeon from Marister and Rynfield were taken for an autopsy, which revealed E. coli being the cause of death.
Davidson said the bacteria is species-specific and that there is no danger for other animals or humans.
She said the only confirmed reports of pigeon and dove deaths have been in Benoni.
The non-profit organisation is still searching for two or three fresh carcasses to conduct further tests on.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 15, 2017 | Bird Netting
“Years and years and years ago, when they first recognized there were pigeons, monks found them in a cliff, and they captured them for food,” according to Charlie Klipsch, a breeder of racing pigeons (called Racing Homers).
Klipsch operates a loft, dubbed “Flying Surprises,” of about 48 birds in his backyard in Sunset Hills.
“Some of these birds escaped, and when the monks went back to get more food, they found that the ones that had escaped were back at the cliff again. And they realized that these birds had a homing instinct,” Klipsch said.
So goes the foundation myth for homing pigeons. It was the beginning of many centuries of partnership between man and pigeon that extended well into the modern era. A Racing Homer was standard issue to English airmen flying over France, and to Allied spies parachuting into it, in both World War I and II. In 1943, three pigeons serving in the Royal Air Force were the first winners of the England’s Dickin Medal for Gallantry (by animals) for their remarkable flights through heavy winds and stormy weather to deliver messages on the locations of downed pilots. In 1944, pigeons flew with American paratroopers on D-Day.
Pigeons also provided the basis for the giant Reuters news service, which began its corporate life as a kind of Pigeon Express shuttling financial market closing prices between points not yet served by telegraph.
Most famous, though not necessarily accurate, pigeons brought early word of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo to financier Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who turned this news beat into a fortune on the London bond market.
“We know the English used pigeons a long, long time ago,” Klipsch said. “We know the Germans did, the Belgians did, the Italians did. We know the Phoenicians used them!”
Today, the march of technology has ended the economic and military usefulness of Racing Homers, but they retain a mystique that transcends their lost utilitarian value. Their unique capabilities – not to be duplicated even in an age of electronic miracles – still fascinate those who care to look.
For example, what featherless biped could match the prowess of a pigeon traveling from Shamrock, Texas, to St. Louis (approximately 600 miles) with nothing to guide him but the tools nature provided – eyes, ears, nose, brain? Some no doubt could manage it, but a Racing Homer can do it in one day, flying from 45 to 60 mph.
The pigeon’s feathers obviously provide a large speed advantage over earth-bound bipeds. But the accuracy of the flight derives from a suite of in-born navigational tools that for centuries have eluded scientific description.
“To know where home is, when they have never been to a place before, never been 200 miles away, and yet they come home,” said Klipsch. “That’s the homing pigeon.”
Research universities “have studied this for the past hundred years, spent thousands and thousands of dollars on it. They don’t know how the pigeon does it.”
But much has been found out.
“We have proven a lot of theories,” Klipsch said. “We know that the pigeon uses a magnetic sense, from the earth. We know they use the sun as a navigation tool. We know they use their sight – 26 miles they have been registered to see something.”
But the birds have some means of coordinating all these tools that is not understood, Klipsch said.
“If they blindfold them, they can still find their way home,” he said. “They plug their ears, they still find their way home. They put magnets on their wings, and they still find their way home. They know they use all of these things (sensory detectors), but they don’t know how they use them.
But Klipsch knows he can use them – for an absorbing hobby and for simple backyard fun. He races his birds every weekend of the racing season, which runs for several months from spring through autumn. He ships the birds to a launch point, and awaits their return with wife Florence from their screened back porch or lawn chairs.
The birds clock themselves by passing through an electronic detector at the door of their roost. The days of mechanical clocks are over. The birds’ flight times now are recorded to the fraction of a second.
Klipsch, a member of the Mount Pleasant Homing Pigeon Club, is hoping to engender wider interest in racing among the younger generation. He inherited the love of racing (but no birds) from his father, and he from his father before.
But Klipsch’s six children and nine grandchildren so far appear immune to the racing bug, he said.
To enter the hobby, only a simple loft (“mine was just a tool shed when I got started”), and a couple of birds are required, Klipsch said. Breeders will give young birds – as well as the mentoring needed to keep them – to a club member who wants to get started, Klipsch 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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 14, 2017 | Bird Netting
Dubai: Pigeon droppings are causing a huge mess on many apartment balconies in different parts of the city, and for many residents, chasing them away has not been a permanent solution, they say.
Pigeons can be entertaining to watch, but when they constantly return to your balcony and dirty your home as a result of neighbours frequently feeding them , their presence can become very frustrating.
Tenants- especially those living in tall story buildings where it has become a common problem- say they are not only worried from the health risks that could arise from pigeon droppings, they are also not sure of the methods they can use to discourage pigeons from roosting without attracting fines from Dubai Municipality.
Dubai regulations regarding balcony use do not allow residents to hang clothes, install dish antennas, or place junk in balconies as it leads to an unaesthetic look, and violators could face penalties.
According to a municipality official, if an alteration on the balcony spoils the look of the building and goes against the building’s regulations, a warning will be issued to the tenant and they will need to restore the balcony to its original condition.
“As long as the installation does not affect the aesthetic appearance of the city, it’s not a problem. Residents can prevent pigeons from populating their balconies through various methods, but they need to make sure the methods are humane, and are not visible on the balcony,” he said.
He said using chemicals or unapproved products that can harm birds or reduce their population violates animal rights.
“It is a positive intent that tenants wish to keep their balcony pigeon-free and clean, because it also helps the building look clean,” the official said.
According to an Abu Dhabi-based doctor, though pigeons are harmless, what they leave behind can be a health hazard.
“The health risks from pigeon droppings arise from disease organisms which can thrive and grow in the accumulations of the droppings and feathers on balconies, ledges and ventilation ducts of buildings,” said Dr Nirajan Mukherjee, consultant paediatrician at King’s College Hospital London, Medical and Surgical Centre Abu Dhabi
“Fungal spores, bacteria, viruses and parasites can all multiply in this environment and pose problems for people particularly with pre-existing respiratory conditions and weakened immune systems,” he said.
Pigeon droppings, he added, can cause a multitude of infections potentially. “Those who have respiratory conditions like asthma and allergic rhinitis are at an increased risk of exaggeration of their symptoms. People with weakened immune system should not be associated with cleaning of the roosts.”
Marwa Jamal, a Lebanese mother living in Deira, said she has been reluctant about using pigeon-proofing methods for her apartment’s balcony because she does not want to violate regulations. She also said that bringing a cleaner to clean her balcony every week from pigeon droppings is costing her money. “The birds come back because my neighbour keeps feeding them and it is creating a mess in my balcony. I have to make sure it is cleaned regularly so my kids don’t end up catching any disease.”
Stella M., a Filipino resident of International City, says she has given up on reclaiming both her balconies from pigeons and relies on drying her clothes inside the house to avoid getting them dirty again.
“We have a notice below the building that says to not feed these birds, but neighbours continue to do so. It’s a waste to have two balconies and not be able to use them. I have to hang my clothes to dry inside the house. It takes up space and the clothes don’t dry fast.”
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 13, 2017 | Bird Netting
Pigeon droppings on downtown sidewalks is not the image Park Rapids businesses and city leaders want to portray.
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) sees pigeons roosting atop downtown buildings as a real, and growing, problem in this busy district known for heavy foot traffic in the peak summer visitors season.
The city council on Tuesday authorized the DBA to take steps to eradicate the pigeon population through baiting and carcass removal.
According to information presented to the council Tuesday, pigeons have been a nuisance on Main Street for several years. The Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center (DAC), with support of the Downtown Business Association, brought forth an initiative to control the pigeon population. The DAC operates the Tin Ceiling store on the 100 block of Main and due to the pigeon problem they power wash the sidewalk daily, and regularly spray the awning in front of the store to remove the accumulated droppings.
The DBA called in a pest exterminator to assess the situation and the DBA decided that baiting pigeons is the desired method to remove the nuisance birds. The Department of Agriculture was contacted and granted permission to bait the birds. The process would most likely involve baiting the pigeons with corn and then place poison for when the birds return to the same location.
“There is a widespread consensus that large populations of pigeons present serious health risks arising from disease organisms that grow in the nutrient-rich accumulations of bird droppings, feathers and debris under a roost. Such is the case when pigeons gather in buildings in downtown Park Rapids,” Cynthia Jones and Molly Luther wrote in a letter on behalf of the DBA and submitted to the city.
The Developmental Achievement Center plans to write a grant to cover the estimated $4,000 to $5,000 cost of the pigeon eradication plan.
“After all of our work to beautify downtown, the pigeon issue often takes center stage,” the DBA letter states. “For example, a resort owner recently reported that while participating in a sports show in Minneapolis an attendee remarked, ‘Oh, you’re from that town that has pigeon poop all over the sidewalks.'”
“I don’t think that’s the brand we want as a city,” Jones said in addressing the council Tuesday.
Jones explained the problem has become worse since the old water tower was torn down and now with the likelihood the old seed house on Highway 34 is going to be torn down those pigeons will need to find a new home as well.
“Baiting is not in the minds of some the most attractive way to deal with pigeons, but it is the most efficient and most cost effective way to deal with pigeons,” Jones explained.
CHI St. Joseph’s president Ben Koppelman sent a letter to the city council in support of the initiative to control the pigeon population downtown, citing it as a health and safety concern.
Pigeons roost around the main entrance at the south lobby and leave droppings on the sidewalks, in and around the main signage on the building, windows and window sills and on the brick siding.
“The pigeon population and roosting is more than a nuisance,” Koppelman wrote. “Large populations of pigeons may present serious health issues due to the growth of disease organisms that result from accumulations of bird droppings, roost debris, feathers, etc. Feral pigeons can harbor many pathogens that may be transmitted to humans and nearly 94 percent of the time this is by aerosol transmission. Although the risk for acquiring disease is very low for the general population, those with weakened immune systems (example: cancer, transplant recipients) have nearly 1,000 times greater risk from aerosol diseases.”
Koppelman went on to write that although there are other ways to eradicate pigeons, the baiting method proposed by the DAC in their grant request is the most effective and feasible for this situation.
A specific plan for baiting and the removal of pigeon carcasses downtown has not been laid out yet.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 12, 2017 | Bird Netting
Pasta, pizza, even ice cream, do not excite the taste buds quite like its most delicious of spring delicacies.
Colomba di Pasqua, otherwise known as Dove Cake, even soars above their other festive favourite, panettone, not simply because it replaces raisins with pearl sugar and almonds, but in the way it comes in the shape of a dove. No birds have a closer relationship with humanity than pigeons and doves. Note that the name is interchangeable: the street pigeon’s wild alter ego is the rock dove.
Doves were first domesticated in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago and have gone on to provide us with their meat, the understated beauty of their plumage as well as running our messages. Albeit, they do leave a few themselves.
More Dickin Medals, the animals’ Victoria Cross, have also been presented to pigeons for their gallantry than to service dogs, war horses and naval cats combined.
The population of their country cousins, wood pigeons, expanded by 162 per cent between 1967 and 2014 to about six million pairs but its meteoric rise has been eclipsed by both the shy, nondescript stock dove as well as the collared dove.
Doves were first domesticated in Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago
Stock dove numbers have risen by 212 per cent since the mid-1960s while collared doves increased 327 per cent between 1972 and 2014.
But one dove species, perhaps the very one immortalised by the tradition of Colomba cake, has suffered the most serious recent decline of any British bird: the diffident, delectable turtle dove.
Few migratory birds match the beauty of this small dove with its tortoiseshell patterning and soft, rippling song. Indeed, its scientific name, Streptopelia turtur, is a reference to the haunting purr it delivers each spring.
The sound has become muted across Europe but nowhere worse than in the UK. Turtle dove numbers here have crashed by 97 per cent since England won the 1966 World Cup. Extinction on our shores seems inevitable over the next few decades.
If ever a bird needed celebrating this Easter, it is the turtle dove. Despite a hunting moratorium on Malta, they still face a fraught spring journey from African wintering grounds to a heavily farmed European landscape increasingly bereft of the hedgerows and copses they require for nesting. Herbicides destroying their weedy food, protozoan parasites and droughts south of the Sahara have only added to their woes.
For all their veneration in Biblical scripts and traditional songs – they are gifted in the Twelve Days of Christmas – turtle doves need just the kind of hero championed in one of the original stories about Colomba cake.
So goes the legend that Fifth Century Lombard warrior King Alboin was so smitten by the gift of a dove-shaped cake during a bitter siege, he not only offered a truce but vowed to always respect doves.
It saved the virtue of 12 virgins offered as peace tokens when, on asking the maidens their names, each told the king it was Dove.
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 Ryan Ponto | Apr 11, 2017 | Bird Netting
NEW ULM — Minnesota’s oldest pigeon and poultry club kept its 109-year streak alive, hosting a swap and sale meet at the Brown County Fairgrounds Saturday.
“I’ve been going to shows here since the early 1950s, before this building was built,” said Brown County Pigeon & Poultry Association member Bob Kosek of Morgan.
“The shows are important to help keep historical and rare breeds alive by meeting with other breeders. It’s an effort to keep breeds from not going extinct, so they’re around for next generation breeders,” Kosek said.
For Mankato breeder Larry Wilmes, the poultry shows mean trips across the country. San Diego is his favorite destination because of the weather.
“I’ve been to many shows in many places,” Wilmes said. “I’ve been to national events in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Florida, Texas. I was at one not long ago in Vancouver, Wash.”
Wilmes said he has a good relationship with the U.S. Postal Service who flies his birds to distant shows.
“They (U.S. Postal Service) are very accommodating with special mailing boxes for my birds,” Wilmes said.
He said it would be good to add some younger people to the local pigeon and poultry association since the youngest member is now about 30 years old. Most of the group’s members have been around for decades. None of them voiced any plans to end their hobby.
“Breeding poultry and pigeons can be enjoyed by people in their 80s down to six-year-olds,” Wilmes said.
Doug Grams of New Ulm brought Dominique chicks to the swap meet. America’s oldest breed, they were plentifully bred as far back as the 1820’s.
“Dominque chickens were transported across the country by early settlers,” Grams said.
Also known as Pilgrim Fowl, or Dominickers, the breed descended from chickens brought to New England from southern England during colonial times. A dual purpose breed, Dominiques are valued for their meat and brown eggs.
In earlier times, their feathers were much sought after for pillow and mattress stuffing. They tend to be calm, personable birds, making them successful as show birds or family pets.
The breed survived the Great Depression due to it’s hardiness and ease of up-keep, according to The Livestock Conservancy (TLC).
In 1970, there were only four known flocks of the breed. The remaining owners were contacted and convinced to participate in a breed rescue, the TLC reported.
The close feathering of the breed protects the breed from cold weather and provides material for pillows and featherbeds of their owners.
“It’s wonderful, a great stress reliever,” association member Aaron Dittbenner of Morgan said about breeding pigeons and poultry and meeting with others with like interests.
Brown County Pigeon & Poultry Association member Trevor Nau said he enjoys competing with his birds plus the camaraderie and fellowship of fellow breeders.
The New Ulm Fall Classic Poultry Show is Nov. 18 & 19 at the Brown County Fairgrounds. A summer picnic is set for July 29.
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)
