ABOUT 300 Colchester racing pigeons were involved in secret service work in Occupied Europe during the Second World War, a little-known fact faithfully reported in Hervey Benham’s book Essex at War which recorded what happened between 1939 and 1945.
This remarkable aspect of the war is described by Mr Benham as follows: “Let the pigeons’ part not be overlooked.
“Twenty-two Colchester pigeon fanciers played behind the scenes their part in the winning of the war.
“Prior to 1939 these men trained their birds for show purposes and for racing, but when in April 1943 a Special Section Carrier Pigeon Service was formed, efforts were wholeheartedly turned towards war.
“Mr Arthur A. Finch, of 12 Speedwell Road, Colchester, was appointed Pigeon Service Officer for the Colchester Section, and Colchester fanciers supplied approximately 300 birds for special secret service work in Occupied Europe.
“Several were used by the Maquis and gave the exact position of flying bomb sites.
“Several of the 300 birds never returned, many being wounded.”
The “Maquis” was the name given to members of the French Resistance against the Nazis. Pigeons would be smuggled into Occupied Europe in boxes dropped by parachute at pre-arranged locations.
These would be picked up by the Resistance who would then put messages in small containers fitted to the legs of pigeons which would then fly home to their loft in Britain, 22 of which were in Colchester.
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.
If one thing was vital to the the new kind of modern warfare in the First World War, it was communications.
The Industrial Revolution had brought wireless transmission of signals with it and the huge armies of World War 1 needed to be in contact constantly to be successful in the field.
In this special episode we introduce you to the birth hour of modern military communication and signals.
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.
Summary: Having lost their expensive birds to theft, many say that police seldom pay attention to their ‘pigeon theft’ complaints. A rash of racing pigeon thefts across the city have left many breeders high and dry. But cases where the stolen birds were in large numbers, it is considered a serious crime. Many instances over the last few weeks had shown that there was very little help from police in rescuing the birds, breeders said. Even if the police manage to apprehend the thieves, the task of proving ownership of the birds is onerous.
Even if the police manage to apprehend the thieves, the task of proving ownership of the birds is onerous. — File photo | Photo Credit: R_Shivaji Rao more-in A rash of racing pigeon thefts across the city have left many breeders high and dry. Having lost their expensive birds to theft, many say that police seldom pay attention to their ‘pigeon theft’ complaints. For years now breeding of exotic birds has been lucrative business for professional breeders.
However, of late, protecting these birds from thieves has become a difficult task. Many instances over the last few weeks had shown that there was very little help from police in rescuing the birds, breeders said. According to them, police authorities have their hands full with law and order cases and seldom show any interest in recovering the stolen birds. R.T. Venkatesh, a resident of Marai Malai Nagar, has been a bird enthusiast and a breeder for several years.
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.
In the waning hours of 2016, Donald Trump issued a statement that sensitive and classified information should not be transmitted using computers. To back up his claim, he cited the expertise of his ten-year old son. “It’s very important, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old-fashioned way because I’ll tell you what, no computer is safe. I don’t care what they say, no computer is safe. I have a boy who’s 10 years old. He can do anything with a computer. You want something to really go without detection, write it out and have it sent by courier.” As Trump is due to be sworn in as the next President of the United States in January of 2017, it is important that scientists look toward a way of implementing his preferred standard. Thankfully, the Internet Engineering Task Force, the organization that sets the standards for the Internet has already released such a protocol, and they did it back in 1990. RFC 1149, or A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers, was the first draft of a protocol that addressed the reliability and speed of carrying data traffic via avian carriers, or homing pigeons. The protocol demonstrates that high delay, low throughput, and low altitude service can be accomplished with a point to point topology. Even though there is individual low throughput with individual carriers, multiple carriers can be used because they operate in a three-dimensional space, as opposed to the one-dimensional space used by current internet standards. Other benefits of RFC 1149 are that the packet carriers are self-regenerating (albeit at a very slow rate), and that they self-generate auditing trails, usually found on logs, cars, and the occasional unfortunate person underwing. Unfortunately, transmissions made via RFC 1149 are subject to dropped packets, and the transmissions are extremely vulnerable to storms. When used in tactical environments, the packets should also be encrypted to avoid data interception. Because nothing in the world of communication is ever static, the RFC was revisited and a new experimental protocol was issued. RFC 2549, or IP over Avian Carriers with Quality of Service, was issued in 1999 and served to amend RFC 1149. RFC 2549 introduces new service levels for Internet Protocol over Avian Carrier (IPoAC). The levels in decreasing order of speed and reliability are Concorde, First, Business, and Coach. Using this network allows the user to also gain frequent flyer miles as well as bonus miles if Concorde or First classes are chosen. An alternate carrier that has a greater bulk capacity was also introduced, but ostrich delivery is slower and requires bridges between domains. The protocol stresses the advantages of IPoAC, as they will avoid standard tunneling or bridging, enabling them to avoid long queues. However, when they deal with web traffic, spiders are often absorbed into the packet carrier and ejected in a more compact form. If data encapsulation is required or requested, standard saran wrap can be used. Alternately, encapsulation of the data carrier in a hawk has been known to occur, but the data is often mangled and irretrievable. The protocol has been tried in numerous real world applications. The first test occurred in 2001, when the Bergen Linux user group tested out the Carrier Pigeon Internet Protocol (CPIP) over a three mile test distance. There were 9 packets transmitted but only 4 packets received, resulting in a 55% packet loss. The ping was an atrocious 5222806.6 ms, however. Another test occurred in 2009, when CPIP was used with a data carrier named “Winston” raced against a Telkom SA ASDL line. The test was to send 4 GB of data over 60 km. The CPIP beat the ADSL transfer handily, completing transmission in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 57 seconds. The ASDL line had only completed 4% of the required data transmission at that point. While some may lambast President-Elect Donald Trump for not being computer savvy, his awareness of this little used Internet Protocol actually shows great awareness of the evolving conditions of technology. Here’s hoping that President Trump is able to find a way to fund RFC 1149 and 2549 so that American state secrets can remain even more secure in the
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.
It’s Christmas party season for stables up and down the land – some with much to celebrate, and others with cause to wish 2016 away as quickly as possible.
Ryan Moore made a welcome appearance at Sir Michael Stoute’s end-of-year bash after hotfooting it back from Hong Kong earlier this week, with The Tack Room restaurant at the new National Horseracing Museum the destination of choice for a number of functions in the town.
Poor Marco Botti is still looking for the British Group One success he craves and deserves, having gone closest when Euro Charline was caught close home in the Lockinge, but it won’t be long before he gets that monkey off his back and he can at least end the year on a high when Grendisar takes the Listed Betway Quebec Stakes at Lingfield.
He was very much in need of the run on his recent return to action at Wolverhampton but that defeat might just help ease his price out a fraction here. All of the evidence from his homework on the all-weather says he’s as good as ever and although he was narrowly beaten in this race 12 months ago, he won in 2014 and the balance of his Lingfield form over the last couple of years ought to make him very hard to beat.
Adam Kirby is banned, meaning George Baker takes over. Kirby also misses the ride on the Jeremy Noseda-trained Novis Adventus in the Download the Betway App Handicap earlier on the card, having been quite positive about the horse when riding him last time out on his debut for the trainer. Martin Harley (who some would have expected to have been aboard Grendisar for that matter) is on board and Novis Adventus is expected to appreciate this slight step back in trip.
Limonata can finally come good on her second start for Harry Whittington in the Betway Handicap at Lingfield. Henry Candy would have hoped to have won a race with this half-sister to his stable star Limato, but she proved just a little frustrating and she has moved on to his close neighbour with the hope that a change of scenery will do her good.
Although beaten into fifth on her debut for the Sparsholt trainer, she was not beaten at all far, and connections are now trying their luck with cheekpieces for the first time. She has pleased at home since and, with the headgear in place, she looks worth one last chance.
Somethingthrilling has improved steadily this year and should go close in the Stallions Breeding Winners Conditions Stakes. She has progressed steadily as a four-year-old for David Elsworth and it was interesting that he also entered her in the Listed event on this card over a mile and a quarter. It did not looks her best trip however, and she is better judged on her win over this course and distance on her previous start.
Consul de Thaix is arguably the least-exposed horse in the line-up and could well make the most of his light weight in the Wessex Youth Trust Handicap Hurdle at Ascot.
Nicky Henderson has long held this valuable prize as a prime target for the four-year-old, who showed very obvious promise during his first season before going down by only three-quarters of a length to stablemate Brain Power, having been set plenty to do, on his reappearance at Sandown two weeks ago.
Connections are confident there is much more to come with the benefit of that outing behind him and he is fancied to turn the tables on Brain Power, even though he is also expected to progress from the run. Modus is another who commands respect, and those looking for a big outsider might want to risk an each-way investment on the former John Ferguson-trained Chesterfield.
The Druids Nephew is reported back to something like his best and is just preferred to Triolo D’Alene in the Lavazza Jolie Silver Cup Handicap Chase.
A very useful performer for Andy Turnell in his youth, he has been a grand servant for Neil Mulholland, and won a big handicap for the Limpley Stoke trainer at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015. Despite a couple of sound performances when underfoot conditions were right last season, he has slipped down to a mark just 2lb higher than his Festival win, and the going will again be to his liking here.
Walt can beat former stablemates Minstrel Royal and Ballinure in the Foundation Developments Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. Bought by Mulholland after showing promise in a typically light early campaign for Nicky Henderson, he has come on for his debut effort for his new trainer at Ffos Las just over a month ago and looks the sort to progress further.
Andy Kelly can put an early unseat on his return from a lengthy spell out at Kempton firmly behind him and is worth an interest in the BGC Partners Handicap Chase. Emma Lavelle has always thought highly of the seven-year-old, but connections have had to be remarkably patient after he sustained another setback following an impressive debut win over fences at Plumpton just over a year ago. He was none the worse for his spill at the Sunbury course, and deserves a change of luck for a stable in better form than has been the case for some time.
Ut Majeur Aulmes can step up on his pleasing comeback effort in a good class event at the Newbury Hennessy meeting and win the Stockton Brook Handicap Chase at Haydock. Victor Dartnall’s charge has a fair bit of chasing experience but seemed to take a significant step forward when winning his last two races of the 2015-16 campaign. Although beaten into fourth at the Berkshire course, he stuck on to good effect behind Ultragold and looks nicely handicapped here with useful claimer Ciaran Gethings taking off 5lb.
Tearsofclewbay is held in high regard by Philip Hobbs and can give some of her more experienced rivals a scare at a price in the Listed Abram Mares Novices’ Hurdle. She produced a smart turn of foot to beat a decent field at Worcester on her latest start, and looks ready for this step up in grade despite a two-month racecourse absence.
Nicky Henderson’s runners at Fakenham are always worth a close look and Argante will be fancied to send punters home happy in the closing Independent Racecourses Maiden Hurdle on Sunday. He threatened to be involved in the finish until meeting serous traffic problems on his comeback at Ascot last month, and should be the one to beat in what looks an interesting heat.
Looking forward to next Wednesday, James Fanshawe has his sights on a raid at Newcastle, featuring Star Storm in the fast-track qualifier over two miles. A talented type on his day, he was given a midsummer break to have his wind tweaked and has come back in decent form since, being the only horse to give the smart Western Hymn a proper race in Listed company at Kempton in October.
Two miles is utterly uncharted territory, but he has the ability to switch right off in his races and it would be no surprise to see him relish the move up in distance. Singapore Sling, set to join Star Storm on the lorry up the A1, should take some beating in the maiden too.
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.
7 auctions closed this Sunday, raising no less than 492,350 EURO in total. The highlight of this weekend was the auction of Gevaert-Lannoo, which raised an impressive 221,925 EURO.
Freialdenhofen & Sons – 18 pigeons – 1,964 EURO/pigeon
Father Freialdenhofen and his sons Heiko & Dirk have been one of the top players in the extreme long distance. As every year, they sell a group of young birds of their best breeders in an exclusive PIPA auction. They sold 18 young birds at an average of almost 2,000 EURO per pigeon. The most expensive pigeon was a youngster of Forrest Gump, which goes to The Netherlands for 3,400 EURO. The auction raised 35,350 EURO in total. A remarkable number of Chinese and Taiwanese fanciers joined the bidding, as 12 out of 18 extreme long distance pigeons were sold to these two countries. The pigeons were sold to Taiwan (6), China (6), The United Kingdom (3), Slovakia (1), Russia (1) and The Netherlands (1).
Van Toor Brothers – 130 pigeons – 1,442 EURO/pigeon
This auction marked the end of the Las Vegas dynasty, as all the pigeons (minus a round of unflown youngsters) were sold today, raising no less than 187,425 EURO, with an average of 1,422 EURO for 130 pigeons. The most expensive pigeon are Olympic Tamara x Olympic Santa Ana, which were sold for 13,400 and 11,400 EURO respectively, to a Chinese and a Belgian fancier. Some Taiwanese fanciers have been quite successful with the Van Toor pigeons in recent years, which explains why no less than 36 pigeons will be shipped to Taiwan. The 130 pigeons were eventually sold to China (43), Taiwan (36), Belgium (9), The United Kingdom (9), France (6), Slovakia (5), USA (5), Spain (3), The Netherlands (3), Poland (3), Germany (2), Serbia (2), Japan (1), Bangladesh (1), The Philippines (1), and Sweden (1).
Gevaert-Lannoo – 54 pigeons – 4,110 EURO/pigeon
The eye-catcher of this weekend and also in previous weeks was the auction of the Gevaert-Lannoo racing team. They had potentially their strongest season ever in 2016, and they decided to contact PIPA to sell their entire racing team, along with a small group of unflown youngsters, or 54 pigeons in total. The 2 stars of this auction were sale 1 and sale 2 of part 1. The first is a hen that won 4 provincial or zonal second places, the second is a cock that won the title of 6th Nat. Ace Pigeon KBDB longer middle distance young birds last year. Bidding for sale 1 (Princess 95) started at 16,000 EURO Sunday morning, and the bidding continued until 2 hours and 30 mins after the official closing time. No less than 13 fanciers placed a bid, and the pigeon eventually got sold to a Chinese fancier for 39,000 EURO.
Sale 2 (Prince 26) was even more remarkable, with a start price of 10,4000 EURO on Sunday morning. The bidding continued until 3 hrs and 30 minutes after closing time, with 12 fanciers trying to win the bid. Another Chinese fancier eventually placed the winning bid of 39,000 EURO. The other pigeons were very successful as well, with sale prices as high as 17,400 EURO, 10,800 EURO, 10,400 EURO, and 9,600 EURO. The 54 pigeons eventually raised 221,925 EURO in total. The pigeons were sold to China (33), Taiwan (9), Belgium (6), Germany (2), Italy (1), Japan (1), Poland (1) and Romania (1).
Jo Bauters – 7 pigeons – 1,914 EURO/pigeon
It was the first time that Jo Bauters organised an online auction on PIPA, and it was a successful one with an average of almost 2,000 EURO per pigeon or 13,400 EURO for 7 young birds. The two most expensive young birds are a brother and a sister of the 1st National Ace Pigeon KBDB longer middle distance YBs 2016, which were both sold for 3,400 EURO to China and Portugal respectively. The 7 pigeons were sold to Taiwan (4), China (1), France (1) and Portugal (1).
Thibaut-Boons – 10 pigeons – 1,490 EURO/pigeon
This has been one of Belgium’s strongest middle distance combinations for years, and they will be joining the upcoming Olympiad as well with their 1st Olympiad Pigeon Cat. B. This time they only sold a group of young birds, which raised an excellent 1,500 EURO on average or 14,900 EURO for 10 young birds. The most expensive one was a daughter of Victor, which goes to Taiwan for 2,600 EURO. The 3 most expensive pigeons will be going to China & Taiwan. The 10 pigeons were sold to Belgium (7), China (2), and Taiwan (1).
Philippe Brantegem – 9 pigeons – 1,283 EURO/pigeon
Philippe Brantegem had his very first online auction as well, and it was quite a successful event with an average of 1,283 EURO per pigeon or 11,550 EURO overall. The most expensive pigeon was sale 2, which goes to a Belgian fancier for 1,800 EURO. 8 pigeons will be shipped to Belgium and 1 to Taiwan.
Mark Evans – 5 pigeons – 1,560 EURO/pigeon
Just 5 pigeons in this auction, with most notably a youngster of Mr. Blue x Special Blue (sale 1), which goes to France for 5,600 EURO. The 5 pigeons raised 7,800 EURO in total, and will be shipped to France (1), China (1), Belgium (1), Taiwan (1) and the USA (1).
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.
Marshall Rauch made a name for himself as the first Jewish senator in North Carolina. Before that he played basketball for Duke, fought in World War II, helped integrate Gastonia, and was the largest producer of Christmas ornaments in the world.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Rauch about his legacy and how his faith played a key role in everything he did including the Christmas business.
Interview Highlights:
On growing up in Long Island during the Great Depression:
It’s nothing like it is now. [I] grew up in a little town comparable to maybe Belmont, or Mount Holly, North Carolina, at this time. It was a great place to grow up, we were one mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Lots of youngsters, lots of open fields to play pickup football or baseball on.
On participating in the lesser known sport of pigeon racing:
I was just attracted to it right away. The purpose was to raise the pigeons and then race them. We had a club and they would take the pigeon on the train, I remember, maybe 100 to 200 miles away, turn ‘em loose and then the idea was to have the first pigeon that would get back to your coop.
[It] could have been an expensive hobby. But what we did is we would go out in a park with a wooden box, a stick, and a string. You put corn under the wooden box, you keep it raised with a short stick, and you got a string on the short stick and you get far away. When the pigeon would go in there to eat the corn, pull the stick out, and you captured yourself some adult pigeons. Then we were able to buy eggs from a fella who had some really good pigeons, I mean, I believe we paid like 35 cents for pigeon egg, brought it home […] When they had eggs, you could put other eggs in there with them and they raised them. Eventually you’d get a nice flock of really good pigeons and [we] had a lot of fun with it.
On attempting to bring the one-handed-shot to his high school basketball team:
When I played basketball in High School, now you’re talking about ‘38, ‘39, and ‘40, we shot fouls underhand and set shots were with two hands. They even frowned on one-hand passing if you could have done it with two hands. And that was the way it was, we accepted that […] Stanford came to Madison Square Garden and we heard about this one-hand shooting, they were the first ones to bring it on. So we went to Madison Square Garden, watched them do it, came back and tried to do it on our own team. And the coach would have absolutely none of that…
On fighting in World War II:
They put me into the infantry after that, and I had an exceptionally fortunate career because I was in combat for about a year and a half, and thank God I never got scratched […] We went over in a big convoy, and I was on a troop ship, the George Washington. I don’t know how many thousands of us were on there, but there were a lot. And I didn’t like it down in the hole, and I was sea sick. I came up and was allowed to walk around. I go to the front and see the big guns, but they were made of wood. The guns on that troopship were made of wood. And of course that gave me great confidence.
On integrating businesses in Gaston County:
That is something that is still dear to my heart. Gastonia was just like every other small Southern city. You had two water fountains, I think it said coloured and white, and you had separate bathrooms and you couldn’t even eat in the same restaurants let alone stay in the same motel. School were not integrated. And I was asked to be Chairman of the Human Relations Committee that was going to attempt to integrate Gastonia. Well it was a great committee, we had great fellas on the committee and we were able to accomplish the integration of Gastonia without incident.
On being a Jewish man in the Christmas business:
I’ve had my buddies tease me about that and still do. Took me a few years to get the right answer, but the answer I give [is] ‘No, I belong in the Christmas ornament business. One of our fellas started it!’
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.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday marked his 74th birthday anniversary by releasing 74 pigeons, and observing a special parade and inspection of the guard of honour mounted by the Nigerian Army.
The low-key event, which took place at the fore-court of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, witnessed the Inspection of Guard by the president.
The guard brigade, headed by Musa Yusuf, the commander, brigade of guards, also performed a special birthday silent drills, accompanied with special military birthday song in honour of the president.
President Buhari also cut a cake and released 74 pigeons from a cage as part of the activities marking the anniversary.
President Buhari also signed birthday anniversary register where he wrote: “I am impressed with the special drills presented by the Guard Brigade”.
Service chiefs, Ibrahim Idris, inspector general of police; some ministers, including Lai Mohammed and Muhammad Bello of the FCT; Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president; Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, presidential spokesmen, attended the event.
Gabriel Olonishakin, the chief of defence staff, who briefly spoke with state house correspondents, congratulated the president on his 74th anniversary.
“We are celebrating with the President and we wish him well and good health. We wish him all the goodness of God as he pilots the affairs of our nation to greater heights,” he said.
Tukur Buratai, the chief of army staff,who also spoke to the correspondents, described President Buhari as “a great man and we are very pleased with his accomplishments over the years.
“He is a good leader”.
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.
In 1810, 24-year-old attorney Henry Marie Brackenridge traveled down the Ohio River to Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and what was still known as the French Illinois Country. Upon passing Louisville, his party encountered the unrivaled natural spectacle of the passenger pigeon, once the most abundant bird on earth.
“In part of the river where the vision extended at least ten miles down … the whole heavens to the edge of the horizon were covered and concealed by a flight of wild pigeons and remained so for upwards of two hours,” Brackenridge later wrote. “During the whole day immense flocks continued to pass.”
Brackenridge, a reliable observer of the American frontier, estimated the size of the principal flock at 10 miles wide and 120 miles in length. This staggering account was no exaggeration, squaring as it does with many 19th century observations, including those of ornithologist James Audubon.
Passenger pigeons — which as late as the mid-19th century numbered in the billions — were found in the forests of North America’s eastern half. Although Central Illinois was mostly tallgrass prairie, the timber along its rivers and streams and in its scattered groves was enough to sustain, at times, prodigious numbers of these birds. In this part of the state they would appear in great abundance several weeks in the spring and then again in the fall.
William B. Carlock, born in 1842 in a log cabin about 12 miles northwest of Bloomington, recalled the “great flocks of wild pigeons” that would pass through McLean and Woodford counties in the spring. He also mentioned the communal pigeon stews and fries held by the early pioneers.
The Rev. John W. Denning, the longtime minister of First Methodist Church of Normal, settled in the area as a young boy in 1849. “Wild pigeons were so numerous that, in their flights, they darkened the sun,” he said. “They congregated in such numbers at their roosting places that large branches were broken off the trees. People did not waste powder and shot on them in those days; they simply killed them by knocking them off their roosts with long poles.”
A network of railroads began linking Central Illinois communities in the early 1850s, speeding the demise of the passenger pigeon. Railroads everywhere gave hunters the means to travel considerable distances to the site of large roosting colonies. And with railroads came the telegraph and the ability to make known the location of colonies to interested parties both far and wide.
These twin revolutions in transportation and communication made possible a rapacious, unsustainable exploitation of what was, after all, a limited resource. Hunters interested in passenger pigeons for market or sport, along with families and sometimes whole communities, would congregate under the colonies with traps, nets, poles, firearms and whatever else would further the slaughter. The scale of violence entailed in these large-scale “harvesting” operations remains shocking, even to those well-versed in the blood-soaked history of the Euro-American advance across the continent.
Even more tragically, the nestlings were highly desired by hunters for their tender meat. This selective targeting decimated successive generations of squabs and contributed greatly to the subsequent population crash.
McLean County resident E.L. Rodman remembered “wild pigeons beyond number” in the 1850s and 1860s. He said that Thomas Bolby, who lived in Old Town Township east of Bloomington, would use a “stool pigeon” (or decoy) and net thousands of birds at a time. “He would take them to Bloomington by half-wagon box loads and I think that one load would have been sufficient to supply one (bird) to each person in the town, for it was not a large place then,” noted Rodman in a 1922 reminiscence.
As if this wanton slaughter wasn’t enough, hundreds of thousands of pigeons were taken captive so sportsmen could organize shooting contests using live birds.
“A pigeon shoot will come off LeRoy Friday this week,” reported the April 20, 1875, Pantagraph. “Five hundred wild pigeons have been secured, and a good time may be expected. Lovers of the sport are invited.”
In early October of that same year, the Bloomington Shooting Club received 2,000 live passenger pigeons for a two-day program at the old west side fairgrounds. The carnage included “world-renowned exhibition shot” Adam H. Bogardus killing 50 birds in eight minutes, all the while loading his own gun. “This will be by far the largest shooting tournament in Illinois this year,” boasted The Pantagraph, “and nearly all the best shots in the West will participate.”
The slaughter in Illinois continued into the 1880s, at least in the larger forested sections of the state where the bird could still be found in sufficient numbers. “Hunters report immense quantities of wild pigeons around Havana (Ill.),” noted the March 15, 1882, Pantagraph. “One man got 900 in one day, and killed as high as 20 at a single shot.”
By the mid-1890s, the days when millions upon millions of passenger pigeons passed through Illinois were gone, never to return. “Wild pigeons are rapidly becoming extinct in this country,” reported the Nov. 13, 1895, Pantagraph. “They made biennial visits to this locality several years ago in large numbers, but have been decreasing in numbers each year of late until very few of these birds are ever seen here now.”
Twenty short years later, wild pigeons had disappeared from not only Illinois but from the entire North American continent as well. “Martha,” the last known passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo on Sept. 1, 1914. “From billions to none in less than a century,” it was said of this appalling tragedy.
There are passenger pigeon taxidermy mounts and specimens in universities, museum and various research institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere. The John Wesley Powell-Dale Birkenholz Natural History Collections at Illinois State University include three “stuffed” pigeons, two of which are mounted. The third, a “study skin,” is dated May 26, 1877, and originated from Warsaw, Ill., a Hancock County community along the Mississippi River. The two mounted pigeons came from R.H. Holder, a Bloomington resident and amateur ornithologist.
Back in the fall of 1914, word of Martha’s passing was cause for somber reflection among some in Central Illinois.
“There is a touch of sadness in this announcement to those who still remember the millions of these beautiful birds that used to sweep in migratory flight across this country,” reflected The Pantagraph. “Every man who was a boy in those days can still picture to himself the long extended and graceful lines in which they moved, column after column, for hours and even days.”
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.
A ROSS-SHIRE MP has told PM Theresa May that mobile phone coverage is so poor in some parts of the Highlands that people would be better using carrier pigeons.
Challenging the Prime Minister to take mobile infrastructure in the Highlands more seriously, Ian Blackford said coverage needs improved across Scotland.
Speaking in the last Prime Minister’s Questions session of 2016, he said that results just published by the Government’s own infrastructure watchdog put the UK behind even countries like Romania for coverage – making this one of the poorest served areas in the world.
“In the Highlands it is typical to get the message ‘no service’ and it would often be better to use carrier pigeons.”
Carrier pigeon better bet than mobile phone in some areas, claims MP Blackford. Picture: Fotolia
Will the Prime Minister recognise this is not acceptable and take responsibility for improving the mobile infrastructure. It is time to connect the Highlands to the rest of the 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.
IS IT TRUE that tempers flared in George Street on Wednesday and Cabinet on Thursday over Minister of Commerce Donville Inniss’ call for somebody to be held responsible for the environmental issues currently affecting several businesses on the South Coast?
Is it true that some ministers expressed frustration with the manner in which Inniss continually speaks out on issues in a manner that could be interpreted as him distancing himself from them?
Can someone break the silence that characterises the Government’s handling of most issues and state if it is true or not that many in Cabinet are concerned that by his statements Inniss is seeking to promote his leadership credentials over and above Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and Richard Sealy?
Can someone in the Democratic Labour Party’s hierarchy confirm or deny that there is a general consensus in the party and Cabinet that Inniss’ statements tend to hurt the image of both as effective institutions and moves have been quietly discussed on what can be done to muzzle him?
From what Cou Cou has been told, media-savvy minister Stephen Lashley has been tipped to take over responsibility for information and to be the primary spokesperson on all matters for every ministry to ensure the Government’s response to anything going forward is handled in a timely, efficient, professional manner.
Cou Cou awaits word on each of these with bated breath.
Holding noses over Boyce
A POLITICAL STINK is brewing on the South Coast even worse than the overflowing sewage seeping through the manholes and on to the road.
It involves the support businesses and residents will give to incumbent Christ Church South representative John Boyce when the time comes after he was a no-show at a town hall meeting to discuss the impact the sewage problem was having on them.
Cou Cou was told some business people and residents at the meeting were overheard saying among themselves that if Boyce could not be there to hear them in their time of need, then he better think again about coming to ask for their support in the forthcoming general election.
We are not sure what they meant by “their support”, so we can’t say if they were talking political or financial support. What we can say for sure is that the minister seems to be in “doo doo” over his non-attendance.
A container of worms
AN EMBARRASSING incident over the repossession of a newly renovated container is causing a bumpy ride in a certain ministry.
According to usually reliable sources, the rented container was renovated for $60 000 to house an outpost of a Government department. It had all the creature comforts – a roof, air conditioning and electrical fittings – and only needed tenants to move in.
But it appears someone in the ministry dropped the ball. Or there was no money to pay for the lease.
Whichever is the case, the fact is that the office which is supposed to house Government employees whose job it is to help the public prepare for a major exercise in the coming months now sits closed up, the new roof off and no one knows if it will be removed from the site or not.
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.
Bath’s Pigeon Man has told magistrates they can send him to PRISON but it won’t stop him from feeding the birds.
Paul Charlton got his nickname thanks to his act, in which he balances pigeons on his arms, shoulders and head and giving members of the public grain to feed them in exchange for loose coins.
But the 42-year-old is fighting an attempt by Bath and North East Somerset Council to stop him performing which could see him fined up to £2,500.
Charlton appeared at Bath Magistrates’ Court on December 19 having been convicted of three charges of failing to comply with a community protection notice ordering him to stop feeding pigeons.
Dressed in a dark suit with shirt, tie and waistcoat, he told magistrates: “You can put me in prison for as long as you like but when I come out I will go back and feed the pigeons.
“I’m being treated like a criminal here and I haven’t done anything wrong.
“I have done what I have been asked to do by the Government.”
In response, lead magistrate Roger Witt said: “No, you have done something that you have been asked not to do by the local authority.”
Last year, Charlton was issued with a community protection notice by B&NES Council ordering him to stop feeding the pigeons.
But on May 9, May 10 and September 23 he was seen by council officers to be carrying on his act.
Charlton denied three counts of breaching the notice against him but was convicted in his absence on November 21.
At court for Charlton’s sentencing on December 19, a barrister acting on behalf of B&NES Council argued the defendant’s act caused “quite a lot of inconvenience” to cafés in the centre of Bath.
Carrie-Ann Evans told the court: “Essentially the notice asked him [Charlton] to stop giving grain to members of the public to feed the pigeons and stop giving grain to the birds himself.
“This is causing quite a lot of inconvenience for neighbouring cafés who have birds flying onto their stock.
“As a result quite a large amount of stock has to be thrown away.
“Mr Charlton was observed doing exactly what he was told not to do by the terms of the community protection notice.
“When spoken to by council officers he was quite clear in his admissions that he continued to feed the pigeons despite the terms of the notice against him.”
In response, Charlton claimed a “senior psychiatrist” had told him to continue feeding the birds.
Remonstrating with the clerk of the court, he told her: “I’m bored of you.”
Charlton, of no fixed abode, faces a £2,500 fine for the three offences.
B&NES Council has also asked for £450 costs.
The case was adjourned until January 23 pending the preparation of a psychiatric report.
Charlton was granted unconditional bail until then.
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.
Power outages, however long they may be, slippery walking conditions, snow-covered ground and very cold temperatures all let us know we are in a Maine winter. These conditions rule our lives and the lives of all creatures in the natural world for awhile, but as we all know, life goes on, and we adapt the best we can. Some humans and some other forms of wildlife revel in the snow and ice.
Getting food is very important for all creatures in order to survive. Feathered residents and visitors to the islands keep feeders especially busy in December. Redpolls arrive and stay through the first part of April. They come with the snowflakes and leave when spring approaches. These birds are about the size of chipping sparrows, are darkly streaked, grayish brown and have white wing bars. The breast and rump are pink, and the adult has a red cap and a black chin. You’ll notice them when they arrive. These colorful wanderers drift into the Northeast every winter in considerable numbers and are lovely to see. From a distance, you could easily mistake them for goldfinches until they get close enough for you to see the pink breast and red cap of the male redpoll. Redpolls often flock with goldfinches and pine siskins.
In the winter, they spend the short days searching for food and eating. At darkness, they retire to a thicket of evergreens to sleep. Their food consists mostly of the seeds of birches, alders and grasses. At your feeder, offer them sunflower seeds, millet, hemp, hayseed and rolled oats.
If you notice a new or different bird at your feeder, make note of the kind of bill the bird has. Grosbeaks, for instance, have thick, large bills rounded in outline. Finches, sparrows and buntings have bills much like that of a canary. A crossbill‘s bill is like none other, with its unusual crossed mandibles. Noting these facts makes identification so much easier.
Also note how the bird searched for food. Did it look for insects and grubs beneath the bark? Such birds usually have tweezer-like bills in order to grab tiny pieces of food. Owls and hawks have hooked bills for ripping apart their food. Birds flying through the air catching insects have big mouths and small bills. Noting these different characteristics will help you identify a new bird very well. It’s also good to snap a photo if you can. Even a poor photo is helpful sometimes.
Wherever I have traveled in the world, I’ve been able to figure out a new bird or at least the type of bird I was seeing for the first time by these methods. A memorable moment for me in Greece happened when I saw a nuthatch around the walls of some ancient temple. The bird was going in and out of a nest. There was no doubt that it was some sort of nuthatch, a new one on my “life list.” In South America, an oriole-type bird attracted my attention, and I was able to key it down using these helpful hints. Kingfishers, of course, are easy. Wherever you are in the world, if you see a small or large kingfisher, you know to which family it belongs even if you don’t recognize that particular kingfisher. Here on Mount Desert Island, we only see the belted kingfisher. Tropical kingfishers may be very large or small and different colors, but their shapes and habits loudly say, “I am a kingfisher.”
Where you see the new bird should be noted as well, and note what it was doing. Be a good detective and gather lots of clues to help with identification. I’m always glad to help if I can.
Mallards display their courtship antics in November and December, so watch them if you get a chance. When their favorite ponds freeze, you’ll find them in local harbors. You can even do your bird watching from the comfort of your car if you have good binoculars with you. The courtship ritual is often done after they have fed well. It’s fascinating to watch and sometimes very funny.
One chilly day, I passed several mourning doves drinking and bathing in some melted waters next to the road. In spite of the snow and cold temperatures, the birds were splashing and preening. There’s nothing like a good bath. During our winter, mourning doves gather in large flocks and roost together. If the winter snows are not too crusty, they will winter well, for they feed on grass and weed seeds and any berries they can find. In periods of freezing snow and when an icy covering encases seeds and everything else out of doors, they have great difficulty in finding food, except at a feeder. Their feet are not strong enough to scratch through crusted snow. Some mourning doves do migrate, but others stay here all year.
In the air, mourning doves are quite special to watch, for they bend their wings back after each wing stroke, and their long, pointed tails stream elegantly behind them. If you are close enough to hear them take off, their wings make a whistling sound you can hear easily. The call of the mourning dove is a plaintive “coo-coo coo coo” rising and falling in pitch and repeated many times. You probably won’t hear them call until spring. It is then they pair off and do their cooing.
You commonly see larger doves or pigeons at local docks. Actually, these larger doves are not native to America but were brought by the European settlers. They have adapted well. The tall buildings of a city are similar to the cliffs on which they prefer to live. If you live near a dock or the water where they hang about, you may have them coming to your feeder in large numbers. My suggestion to this situation, if you don’t want them coming, is to stop feeding for a week or so in hopes of discouraging them so they will go find food elsewhere.
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.
Chickens and pigeons have been kicked to death by thugs in an “absolutely horrific” spate of attacks.
And in one particularly cruel act, a 15-year-old goose was killed after the culprits seemingly stamped it to death – before they buried its head in mud.
Police say allotment holders – including pensioners – have been left “heartbroken” after discovering the shocking acts of violence against the animals.
It appears the livestock were kicked and even stamped on, while others were seemingly let out to escape at the council allotments in Hartlepool.
Cleveland Police say the allotments, between Elmwood Road, Thornhill Gardens and Wiltshire Way, were targeted between Sunday and Monday.
A 69-year-old man was left distraught when between 1pm on Sunday and 9am on Monday someone got into a shed and opened a chicken coup.
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.
Five-year-old Jannatul Maida was having the day of her life to see so many colourful exotic birds up close under one roof.
The exuberant young girl was seen enjoying herself and moving from one stall to another with her father at the fancy birds and pigeons exhibition in the city yesterday, held at Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU).
The exhibition was jointly organised by Chittagong Bird Breeders’ Association, Chittagong Fancy Pigeon Breeders’ Association and Association of Avian Veterinarians, Bangladesh. Workshops and training for pet bird owners were also organised during the event.
Sakhawat Hossain, father of nursery student Jannat, said, “My daughter loves birds very much. I brought her to this exhibition since it’s a great opportunity for seeing varieties of fancy birds and pigeons in one place.”
Emon Chowdhury, a student of Premier University, and his two friends were among the hundreds of bird lovers who thronged the day-long exposition with their family and friends.
“We didn’t want to miss this chance of seeing so many beautiful birds at the same time,” Emon said in between taking photographs and selfies with his friends and the colourful birds.
Shamsul Arefin, deputy commissioner of Chittagong, told reporters at the exhibition, “Never before have I seen such a large number of birds at one place.”
Chief patron of the exhibition, CVASU Vice-Chancellor Prof Goutam Buddha Das, said, breeding of pet birds needs to be encouraged to save wild birds and such breeding of birds could “generate income as well”.
Near about 50 species of 150 fancy foreign birds and 100 species of around 200 pigeons were on display as well as on sale during the event, said Dr Saddam Hossain, executive secretary of Association of Avian Veterinarians, Bangladesh.
Budgerigar, Cockatiel, Lorikeet, Goldfinch, Eastern Rosella, Western rosella, Sun Conure, Blue Crowned Conure, Love Bird, Long-tailed Finch and White Finch were a few to name among the fancy birds displayed at the show.
A few noteworthy varieties of pigeons were Jacobin, American Fantail, Bokhara, Potter and Shakar.
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.
PLANS to remove two trees by the water tower in Tower Close, Emmer Green, have been postponed as one of them has been found to have a pigeon nest with eggs in.
Thames Water said the work would not take place until the nest is empty, which was not expected to be before mid-December at the earliest.
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.
Unsure of how to control a tourist boom that has prompted street protests, Barcelona has at least come up with a way to stop an invasion of the feathered variety: by putting pigeons on the pill.
Experts estimate there are 85,000 pigeons in the city and they blame the birds for spreading illnesses and covering people in excrement.
Now authorities plan to introduce the contraceptive nicarbazine, which does not harm the birds’ health, in 40 feeding tanks. It is hoped the population will fall by 20 per cent in the first year and 70 per cent within four years.
Ada Colau, the left-wing Mayor of Barcelona, has opted for an “ethical” solution. In the past, council workers captured pigeons in nets and killed them using carbon dioxide.
A more difficult problem comes in the form of tourists, nine million of whom visited Barcelona last year. Residents have taken to the streets to protest against the numbers, fearing that the city will be overwhelmed. The council has fined accommodation rental websites Airbnb and HomeAway €600,000 ($850,000) each for advertising flats without tourist permits.
Meanwhile, Ms Colau has been criticised by tourism companies for a plan to cut the number of hotels in the CBD.
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.
Unsure of how to control a tourist boom that has prompted street protests, Barcelona has at least come up with a way to stop an invasion of the feathered variety: by putting pigeons on the Pill.
Experts estimate that there are 85,000 pigeons in the city and they blame the birds for spreading illnesses and covering people in excrement.
Now authorities plan to introduce the contraceptive nicarbazine, which does not harm the birds’ health, in 40 feeding tanks. It is hoped that the population will fall by 20 per cent in the first year and 70 per cent within four years.
Ada Colau, the left-wing mayoress of Barcelona, has opted for an “ethical” solution. In the past council workers captured pigeons in nets and killed…
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.
A flock of doves at Bristol Zoo have taken on the challenge of becoming foster parents – and raised a group of endangered Mauiritius pink pigeons.
Different pairs of Barbary doves took on the job of hatching the rare pigeons after their own mum proved unreliable at incubating the eggs.
The female pink pigeon had recently arrived to the zoo’s sister attraction, Wild Place Project, in the hope she would pass on her valuable genes.
After hatching, the doves fed the pink pigeon chicks as if they were their own, despite them growing to be larger and a different colour to themselves.
In a further twist, the fifth youngster was raised by another threatened species – a pair of Mindanao bleeding heart doves, which originate from the Philippines.
Wild Place manager Will Walker said: “Like all pigeons, it’s not unusual for some pink pigeons to be distracted from their parental duties.
“However, each egg is incredibly precious and, crucially, each chick represents valuable genetic diversity for the species.”
The island of Mauritius is located around 2,000km off the southeast coast of Africa, and was notably the home of another rare bird, the now extinct dodo.
In the early 1990s, the pink pigeon population had declined to fewer than 20 birds remaining in the Mauritian forests.
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.
TREVOR WEEKS: Injured pigeon was found to have been shot WRAS Rescuer Iain with the rescue Canada goose at Piltdown Pond SUS-161123-101421001 07:00Sunday 27 November 2016 0 HAVE YOUR SAY We were horrified on Monday when we received a call to a grounded pigeon in Hailsham High Street. Barely able to muster the strength to stand let alone get away, the pigeon was picked up and immediately it was clear he had a horrific wound under his wing. He was rushed to the casualty centre where Kathy, Katie and I examined him and immediately suspected he had been shot due to the compacted feathers pushed into the wound. Sure enough as the plug of feathers was pulled out so was a large 8mm ball bearing, along with more damaged tissue and feather behind it. The pigeon was in good condition and good age before this happened, so it is very upsetting indeed to see him suffering in this way. Shooting animals or birds and leaving them sick and injured to die a long, lingering death is just plain cruelty and illegal. Due to how recent his injury was Sussex Police was informed. This is one of a number of shot birds we have had in from Hailsham. If anyone has any information on who is doing this please contact the police or us privately. If anyone witnessed the incident please contact Sussex Police by dialing 101 and quoting ref 0904 of 21st November 2016. Another upsetting case was a juvenile gull rescued at Norman’s Bay. The poor bird has a huge fishing hook through the soft tissue at the corner of mouth. After working on the bird at our casualty centre the hook was safely removed. We have had a beautiful grebe admitted from West Rise Junior School in Eastbourne on Tuesday. He is being taken straight to the Swan Sanctuary by rescuer Tony for specialist care. We are very low on newspapers and desperately need our supplies topping up! Any size newspapers but try to avoid the magazines that come with them if you can. If you have any, please bring them to our Casualty Centre, The Shaw Barn, A22, Whitesmith, BN8 6JD. We have two donation bins outside our reception at Unit 2. Rescuers have been all over East Sussex this week, from Hastings to Burgess Hill and everywhere in between. Rescuers Andrew and Charlotte dealt with a baby hedgehog out during the day, they have been to a crashed goose, looked for an injured swan in Eastbourne and released a sparrowhawk back to the wild. Kathy and I had our Sunday lunch interrupted after a poorly pigeon was found in Uckfield High Street. We rushed down which is thought to have had a collision either with a vehicle or window. We gave emergency first aid before the pigeon was brought back to the Casualty Centre to be further assessed. Chris Tucker at Bexhill Wildlife Rescue dealt with a window strike owl for us in Sedlescombe. Luckily the owl was only stunned and flew off before capture. Rescuers also dealt with a cygnet crash landed in Linfield Road Eastbourne, a hedgehog and a partridge in Ringmer and a dove in Newhaven. At one point we had all our ambulances out on the road plus volunteer in their own vehicles all at the same time! I was called out Saturday morning to deal with a collapsed fox in Uckfield’s Victoria Park Pleasure Ground. My first visit was unsuccessful in finding the fox. The finder was waiting for us but luckily local councillor Ian Smith spotted the fox and rang us for help and met us at the car park to show us direct to the casualty. The fox was in a very serious condition and was rushed to Henley House Vets where they were able to stop the fox from suffering further. Tony meanwhile rushed to Old Heathfield after a woodpigeon smashed through a window. Surprisingly the bird had no severe injuries apart from a graze to the head. The window definitely came off the worst! Katie was also busy with a hedgehog being delivered to the centre after being found early in the morning. Luckily nothing wrong other than just being way too small for hibernation. Rescuers Kathy, Iain and I visited Piltdown Pond to check on a Canadian goose with a damaged leg. Kathy was able to encourage the goose away from the water’s edge where she was able to quickly catch the goose before Iain and I had finished screwing net heads on our rescue polls. A huge thank you to everyone who donated towards our thermal imaging cameras. After reports of a hoglet running around Eastbourne sports park, centre manager Chris Riddington thought he would just take a look on his way home. Using the new thermal imaging cameras he managed to spot the hoglet running through some undergrowth. Thinking job done, Chris continued to play around with the camera on the way back to the van and when a small glow appeared, he quickly investigated. One became two hedgehogs. Both too small to hibernate and were quickly on their way to a nice dinner in Katie’s warm orphan room. These two would not of made it without kind donations from members of the public. Chris would have had no chance finding them otherwise. Donations will also help to pay for these guys to stay with us over the winter whilst they fatten up for spring. Thank you so much for all of your support! It really makes a difference, they only weigh 135 and 160g! A sparrowhawk has come into care after flying inside City Electrical Factors in Hawthorn Road Eastbourne. Flying around the bird was hitting the beams and glass windows. WRAS rescuer Tony Neads was able to catch the bird which has now been admitted to WRAS’s Casualty Centre for observation and because a blood on its head. We hope he will be a quick turn around and be back out in the wild shortly.
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.
In 1810, 24-year-old attorney Henry Marie Brackenridge traveled down the Ohio River to Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and what was still known as the French Illinois Country. Upon passing Louisville, his party encountered the unrivaled natural spectacle of the passenger pigeon, once the most abundant bird on earth.
A ROSS-SHIRE MP has told PM Theresa May that mobile phone coverage is so poor in some parts of the Highlands that people would be better using carrier pigeons.
Five-year-old Jannatul Maida was having the day of her life to see so many colourful exotic birds up close under one roof.
PLANS to remove two trees by the water tower in Tower Close, Emmer Green, have been postponed as one of them has been found to have a pigeon nest with eggs in.
Unsure of how to control a tourist boom that has prompted street protests, Barcelona has at least come up with a way to stop an invasion of the feathered variety: by putting pigeons on the pill.
A flock of doves at Bristol Zoo have taken on the challenge of becoming foster parents – and raised a group of endangered Mauiritius pink pigeons.