by johnnymarin | May 11, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Some years ago, Gordon Corera, the BBC’s security correspondent, covered a strange story about a dead pigeon found in a chimney in Surrey. Attached to the pigeon’s leg was a message that stumped even the code-breakers at Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters.
Corera, determined to decode the message, visited the National Archives in Kew. There, perusing the contents of an unusual file, he chanced upon the incredible story of Operation Columba: a top-secret British mission to collect intelligence from behind enemy lines during the Second World War using homing pigeons (Columba livia is their scientific name).
So starved of useful knowledge about enemy movements were the British that, at one point, MI14, a military intelligence unit at the War Office created specifically to gather information about the German effort, briefly considered employing the services of “an astrologer and water diviner, ‘Smokey Joe’, from Yorkshire”. Pigeons, in this desperate situation, were a boon. The homing instinct of pigeons, as Corera writes, is an inexplicable super-power. Blindfolded and dropped hundreds of miles from their lofts, pigeons make their way “home” in a matter of hours. Scientists cannot explain how they manage to do this.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, pigeon fanciers – collectively known as “the Fancy” – in Britain were called on to register their birds; any pigeon found without a ring was culled and owners who hadn’t registered a pigeon weren’t allowed to buy bird food. Some 18,000 lofts were registered with the National Pigeon Service in 1939. And between April 1941 and September 1944, 16,544 pigeons were dropped in an arc stretching from Denmark to the south of France.
Each pigeon, with a tiny green Bakelite cylinder the size of a pen-top tied to its leg, was placed inside a special container along with two sheets of rice paper, a pencil, a questionnaire and a resistance newspaper. The boxes were dropped from an altitude of 600 to 1,000 feet by aircraft flying at 180 miles an hour – easy targets for enemy fire.
The exercise was animated by the hope that men and women under Nazi occupation might pick up the box, recognise its purpose, write down German positions on the rice paper, insert it in the green canister, tie it to the pigeon’s leg and release the bird into the skies. Some of the pigeons ended up as dinner. Some were probably never found. Yet, astonishingly, Operation Columba yielded results.
Corera narrates the poignant story of a Belgian priest who, upon finding a Columba pigeon in July 1941, laboured with a small band of patriotic anti-Nazis to share intelligence with the British; the information they supplied – written in minute characters on the rice paper – was so detailed that it filled a dozen pages when transcribed in England. The group, calling itself Leopold Vindictive, posed for a photograph before releasing the bird at 8.15am a few days after coming upon it; the pigeon was home by 3.30pm.
Members of the Leopold Vindictive were willing to risk their lives to spy for Britain. But, as Operation Columba became hampered by petty bureaucracy, they were eventually discovered and killed by the Nazis. Most of the pigeons, too, lost their lives on their flight home. The Germans released hawks against the British pigeons.
Corera’s previous book, Shopping For Bombs, meticulously pieced together the story of the nuclear black market built by AQ Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb. He brings to this book the same rigour. Although it sags a little in the middle, Secret Pigeon Service is a riveting and revelatory book.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 10, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
Their coos may be an annoyance to many, but one man’s actions to try and deter pigeons from his area resulted in a talking to from the RCMP.
Drayton Valley Mounties say on May 1 just before 11:30 a.m. on 50th Avenue in Brazeau County a report came in of an individual shooting a gun at pigeons in a neighboring yard.
Several members attended the scene due to the potential seriousness of the situation. A man was located and police advised him of the risks involved with shooting any type of firearm in a residential neighborhood.
Safer options to remove pesky pigeons from invading your space include placing a decoy owl or hawk, wind chime or an aluminum foil pan on your deck or patio.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 8, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
THE Eastern Province Fancy Pigeon Association will host its annual regional fancy pigeon show Saturday, May 12th at Altona Primary School in Greenbushes near Port Elizabeth.
According to Nic Hanekom, secretary of the Eastern Province Fancy Pigeon Association, the keeping of fancy pigeons as a hobby exits in many forms.
“Pigeons have been linked to humans since ancient times. Already by the year 3200BC pigeons were kept in Egypt for meat purposes, as well as used as messengers,” said Hane-kom.
Those who are interested in keeping fancy pigeons are advised to select a breed with a tame nature.
“Stick to clean leg breeds with normal beak lengths. Breeds with abnormal ornaments like crest and muffs, as well as breeds with very short beaks, should be left to the experienced fanciers.
“Also guard against the urge to start off with too many breeds. Rather try to visit a number of shows and breeders before you make your choice,” said Hanekom.
The South African Fancy Pigeon Association (SAFPA) was founded in 1943, with the sole purpose to promote the fancy pigeon sport in South Africa. This organisation is divided into provincial regions which on an annual basis host shows. The SA Championship Show rotates between the regions and takes place during early July.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 7, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
At quarter past six at dawn, a large flock of pigeons perch on top of huts bordering the Besant Nagar beach and wait.
After a good game of volleyball, a bunch of men drag sacks, open them and take a handful of grains from them. Within seconds, hundreds of flapping pigeons shift into view. “Every day, about 15 of us feed 150 kg of grains like wheat or millet to thousands of pigeons,” said B. Sunil Kumar.
Collective exercise
Six years ago, as a casual exercise, each of them got some grains and fed a few pigeons on the beach. Last year, they decided to make it a collective exercise every day, he added “We all know each other because we have been playing volleyball. Since some of us were feeding separately, we wondered why not do it on a larger scale,” he said.
They spend a few thousands every day to buy the grains. Once a week, they buy the grains and store it in one of the houses. “Our grandfathers in Rajasthan have been feeding pigeons. So, we thought we can do it here. It makes us all happy,” said P. Mukesh.
Soon, they plan to have a small, cement structure for birds to drink water. “The heat is going to get worse and birds certainly need more water. We already installed a huge bowl, but it was stolen from the beach. Now, we are going to place another one,” Mr. Mukesh added.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 6, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
A homeless man in Los Angeles has the constitutional right to sue the city after animal control officers euthanized 18 of his pet pigeons, federal judges ruled Tuesday.
A three-judge panel from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said Martino Recchia can file a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services under his Fourth Amendment rights, which bar unreasonable search and seizure. Animal control and law enforcement officers seized Recchia’s 18 pigeons, one crow and one seagull in November 2011 without a warrant after he was questioned by police and allowed them to search his streetside cardboard cages and boxes, according to court documents the Sacramento Bee obtained.
After discovering several of the animals were unhealthy, police were ultimately asked to seize them for a veterinarian euthanization.
A lower district court ruled in the city’s favor during Recchia’s previous lawsuit, but the three federal judges in California are still questioning whether or not his Fourth Amendment rights were violated. Los Angeles Police first confronted Recchia on the street on November 3, 2011, according to court records, where they discovered the 20 pet birds in his possession. The animals were covered in blankets and towels and all had access to food and water. Authorities said the birds were covered in feces, unable to fly freely and the newspaper lining of their makeshift cages were soaked.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | May 4, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
How many birds is too many for a homeowner to feed?
A northeast Albuquerque neighbor claims a nearby home has so many feeders that birds they’re causing a mess, and that neighbor is asking the city to step in.
While plenty of tall trees surrounding the northeast part of Albuquerque, one home in particular near Eubank and Academy has been a magnet for birds for years.
Neighbor Katie Conant lives near the home that draws all the birds.
“If you watch you’ll see ’em flying in,” said Conant, pointing to more than 15-foot tall bush in the neighbor’s yard.
“They’re definitely doing some stuff to encourage more birds to come on site and get a free meal,” said Conanet.
Conant says this year, she’s dealt with a lot more of what the birds leave behind, especially on her pool cover where bird droppings are evident.
“You know it’s a little upsetting, we come out and I’m like, ‘I’m going to have to scrub,” said Conant.
While Conant says she’ll clean up the mess on her own, other neighbors aren’t so happy with the homeowner who’s attracting the birds and have reported the home to the city.
An anonymous neighbor recently sent a complaint to the Albuquerque 311 website, SeeClickFix.com, titled “Pest Pigeons.” The anonymous complaint calls out the neighbor’s home by address, claiming it has “multiple feeders that “attract rodents” and leave “excrement all over.”
The complainant also asked the city if there are “any codes or rules to limit the number of feeders in people’s yards.”
The city of Albuquerque’s Urban Biology Division hasn’t talked to the property owner yet, but the idea of facing questions from the city for backyard bird feeding has the neighbors talking.
“We didn’t have any thought of doing anything,” said Conant, who didn’t write the complaint.
“It’s a nice yard and they enjoy sitting back there and watching the birds, leave them alone,” said Mike Schaeffer, another neighbor who called the complaint “petty.”
The homeowner hadn’t seen the complaint until KRQE News 13 showed him a copy of it on Monday afternoon.
“We’re birders, you know, we love to bird,” said the homeowner, who admitted to having several feeders in his yard.
However, the homeowner, who says he’s fed birds for years in feeders raised off the grounds, doesn’t believe he’s done anything wrong.
“You can look anywhere over town, there’s huge flocks over the power lines, you know, you ought to talk to PNM,” the homeowner chuckled.
The city says it will send someone from the Urban Biology Division to check out the home this week. The department says the only ordinance against bird feeding is specific to pigeons. The ordinance prevents people from feeding pigeons by hand.
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)
