We were driving up to Fayetteville on Scenic 71 last weekend for the St. Patrick’s Festival on the Square when we had to pull over at Winslow. The sky was black with pigeons.
We were stuck at Mikey’s One Stop for a full half hour while they passed. The clerk said this happens every spring and sometimes 10,000 pigeons roost in the trees along the river behind the store.
I know the old proverb, “One swallow does not make a spring,” but how about 100,000 pigeons?
— Ian Zephyr,
Haskell
Dear Ian,
It was wholly a pleasure to hear from you. And congratulations! You and your family witnessed the annual spring migration of the famous pigeons of Mission San Zahurda de la Jorogado.
The pigeons begin arriving at the old mission in Gravette each spring in the days before what the locals jokingly call the “venal equinox.” That’s when the sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic.
This year, spring arrived in Arkansas at 6:45 p.m. Friday. Today, therefore, is the first full day of spring and all the pigeons should have arrived from their wintering grounds by now.
There are about 2,300 folks in Gravette and by some estimates, there are about a hundred pigeons for every man, woman and child in town.
The historic mission, on Spavinaw Creek on Arkansas 59 just south of the city limits, was founded in 1542 by Father Cabeza de Gato after he split off from the Hernando de Soto expedition to minister to the Wah-Zha-Zhi Indians.
The priest’s simple mud and wattle structure was expanded and modernized over the years to today’s impressive brick and sandstone Greco-Roman style structure (an architectural anomaly for early Northwest Arkansas), which dates from 1842.
The mission is the most northern and eastern of the famous string of Spanish outposts that begins in south Texas with Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) and stretches beyond the Red River to Arkansas.
San Zahurda’s picturesque complex of 18 buildings is on the National Register of Histrionic Places and is famous for its tart muscadine wine, muscarine sauce and, of course, its pigeons.
Each year on the first day of spring, visitors from as far away as Tulsa, Neosho, and Harrison come to San Zahurda to witness thousands of pigeons end their migration from their winter home at Mango Deck bar on Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The birds have been performing this annual ritual since long before the mission was founded, but their numbers have greatly multiplied since the early 1900s.
Curator of the San Zahurda museum and unofficial “pigeon daddy” is Lamar Ferreira, who has held the post for the past 17 years.
“Most of our returning birds are feral pigeons,” Ferreira says, “but we have a number of fancy pigeons who’ve joined the migration over the years and it’s always a delight to welcome them back.”
“We had more than 20,000 visitors last year,” Ferreira says of the annual PigeonFest going on today at Pop Allum Park. “We hope to top that figure this year if the weather holds out.”
Although the festival is a boon to the Benton County economy, there are those who do not welcome the influx of birds or tourists for the annual gathering.
“I guess it’d be OK if the birds stayed over on the mission,” says Luther Higgins, who lives on Arkansas 72 on the way to Hiwassee. “But those rats with wings spread out all over the county and leave their droppings on every rock and tree for miles around. If you ask me, they’re a dang nuisance.”
Ferreira is amused by the rat reference. He hears it frequently.
“All pigeons are descended from the noble rock dove, mentioned numerous times in the Bible,” he says. “They have been a benefit to mankind for centuries.”
“Yeah, tell that to my cousin, Wilmar,” Higgins responds. “He come down with the histoplasmosis from them birds.”
“That’s poppycock,” Ferreira insists, pronouncing it in the original Dutch as “pappekak.”
“The Association of Pigeon Veterinarians National Avian Disease Task Force affirms that the raising, keeping and exercising of pigeons and doves represents no more of a health hazard than the keeping of other communal or domestic pets.”
“I’m just glad that pigs don’t fly,” Higgins retorts. “If they did, them yahoos over at the mission would have us knee-deep in porker poppycock. I don’t know what it is they feed them birds, but I bet they have ’em hooked on that muscarine sauce.”
Until next time, Kalaka reminds you to take your cameras and that muscarine sauce goes just swell with squab.
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.
DAHO FALLS, Idaho — Police in Idaho Falls have lifted a code red for the downtown area after a gunman was spotted on top of a commercial building on North Eastern avenue.
The incident happened at 550 North Eastern Ave. on the corner of Birch Street at Great Western Foods.
Officers blocked streets surrounding the building between First and Broadway and Boulevard and Shoup Avenue.
The IFPD and Bonneville County swat teams responded to the area.
After an hour, the swat team was able to get the gunman off the roof of great western foods.
They then identified him as a 16-year-old boy with a pellet rifle and scope.
Officers spent several minutes trying to get the teenager to put the gun down and leave the roof, but after making eye contact with officers he ducked and hid.
Officers say the boy was on top of the roof at great western foods shooting pigeons.
Joelyn Hansen spokesperson for the police department says the boy will not face charges.
“Officers you know are the ones that you know just depends what is going to be the best avenue as far as address the situation and that’s why it’s left to officer’s discretion,” said Hansen.
No injuries were reported and the name of the boy is not being released
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.
NORWAY — The pigeons are back in the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street.
A broken first-floor window on the back side of the vacant building appears to be the access point, and it’s not the first time they’ve gotten in through broken windows.
In July 2013, building owner Sam Patel was notified by Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman that the town would take legal action because the broken windows were a public hazard. The eight broken second-story windows and the lower half of the eight third-story windows eventually were covered with plywood.
Patel, a retailer in southern Maine, purchased the empty, partially-renovated, three-story, brick building in December 2012 from TD Bank. It was transferred to Patel’s limited liability company, Jasmin LLC, on Dec. 14, 2012. Since then, no action has been taken to reuse it.
Efforts by the Sun Journal to reach Patel were unsuccessful.
In 2008, the interior of the building was gutted by the former owners, but efforts to renovate and reuse the building ceased in 2010 when they lost control of the building in foreclosure.
The building remains empty. The first floor is covered with pigeon droppings and the tin ceiling appears to be rusted and broken in many spots. Temporary electrical lighting remains in the ceiling and a few pieces of lumber are on the floor.
A study of Odd Fellows Hall by Resurgence Engineering and Preservation of Portland several years ago indicated it would cost more than $800,000 to fully renovate the building.
The Odd Fellows Hall was named one of Maine’s 10 most endangered historic places by Maine Preservation of Portland in 2013.
The basement and first floor were built in1894 after the “Great Fire” destroyed much of the downtown business district. The other floors were added in 1910. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of Norway’s historic downtown district.
The third floor contained a high-ceiling ceremonial space for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Norway Lodge No. 16, which owned the building during the 19th century. The second floor had a kitchen and large dining area, along with law offices and a courthouse. The first floor traditionally has been storefronts.
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.
Sunday marks the commencement of wood pigeon hunting season which continues until the end of October. The Finnish Hunters’ Association points out that many of the birds in southern parts of the country are at present from the second brood, therefore birds flying in pairs or alone should be saved at the start of the season.
If you go into the woods today…be sure to know your wood pigeon (pictured) from your stock pigeon. The latter is a protected species.Image: Erkki Sillanpää
Wood pigeon hunting traditionally opens the start of the hunting season. Abundant populations are the main reason for the pigeon hunt, with the fleet and unpredictable bird proving highly popular game year after year.
The Hunters’ Association also points out the importance of species identification. The stock pigeon, which is a protected species, is smaller than the wood pigeon and doesn’t have white spots on its wings. Its mode of flight is also different.
Hunters should also keep in mind that they cannot move in a field in which crops are unharvested without the farmer’s permission and that the shooting without permission is prohibited within 150 metres of inhabited dwellings.
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 true sportsman or sportswoman cringes at the thought of blasting away at pigeons released from cages only yards away. Gun enthusiasts and average citizens should join in the rejection of this “sport,” one with no sense of fair chase as should be the case when hunters go into the woodlands and fields of Pennsylvania in search of game.
The arguments against live pigeon shoots are sound. The birds often are only wounded and they must be dispatched.
At the infamous Hegins, Schuylkill County pigeon shoots of the late 20th century, youngsters would race onto the field and wring the necks of wounded birds. That scene helped doom the Hegins shoot, which was the site of anti-pigeon shoot demonstrations for many years.
The use of trapped animals also is an issue. It is the antithesis of animals in the wild, including pheasants rising from the cornstalks.
Now, the state Senate has before it a bill that would ban such shoots. A live pigeon shoot was held only days ago at the Wing Pointe Resort in Berks County. Again, there is outrage that live birds are being shot when clay targets would suffice, the same clay targets tossed before thousands of shooters who agree that it is inhumane to shoot pigeons out of the air.
The Humane Society of the United States endorses the ban. The National Rifle Association supports live pigeon shoots.
It is another example of the NRA, which advocates for Second Amendment rights, going over the top and actually hurting its own cause and harming the very sportsmen and gun owners that it counts as members.
The comments of Humane Society spokesman John Goodwin carry weight. Shooting live pigeons released from cages, he said, “is no more sport that shooting chickens coming out of a henhouse.”
Should the Senate pass the bill, it is expected the state House would concur. The hope is that a bill will pass during the session that runs through October. The Senate Game and Fisheries Committee voted 10-4 for the bill. We urge the full Senate to promptly pass the legislation and send it on to the House.
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.
NORTH PEKIN — The Village Board on Monday approved an ordinance that will allow residents to own chickens, rabbits, pigeons and doves in the village limits, and another ordinance that prohibits other farm animals.
Trustees Suzan Tisdale, Gene Wamsley, Russ Blumenstock, Alex Lambie and Kathe Curless voted in favor of the ordinances. Trustee Kenney Simmons was absent. Both ordinances take effect immediately.
The first ordinance requires residents wishing to keep chickens, rabbits, pigeons and doves to obtain a free permit from the village. A resident may have only six chickens, 12 pigeons or doves, and 12 rabbits. Permits only will be issued to residents of single family lots. The housing for the animals must be 10 feet from the rear property line and side property line of a lot. The pens cannot be in the side or front yard. The shelter must be kept clean, the ordinance said.
The pens and shelters must be covered and ventilated to protect the animals from bad weather. Electric service to the structure cannot be provided by an electrical extension cord. Storage vessels containing feed for the animals must be impervious to pests and vermin, the ordinance said.
Violations of the ordinance will result in a fine of $50 to $300. For each subsequent violation, the homeowner can be fined not less that $100 nor more than $500. A separate offense means each and every day the violation continues, the ordinance said.
The board also approved an ordinance prohibiting horses, bees, cattle, sheep, ponies, goats, mules, pigs, swine, hogs, ducks, geese, roosters, minks, foxes, or any other livestock, poultry or wild or vicious animals dangerous to humans. If such an animal is found in the possession of a resident it will be confiscated. If a police officer deems the animal an immediate danger to a human, it can be killed by the officer. The owner can be responsible for the cost of impounding or killing the animal.
Mayor Steve Flowers, who only votes if a super majority or a tie-breaking vote is needed, said Tuesday there have been multiple requests over the past few years for the village to allow chickens and other animals. The board thought it was appropriate to allow residents to have such animals to “offset food bills” because of the economy. He said there was no opposition to the two ordinances.
Flowers said the ordinance protects residents as well by requiring that all of the animals be kept in pens. He said the village does not want free-roaming chickens.
The village researched the Tazewell County ordinance and those of other municipalities and came up with the document passed Monday, said Flowers.
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.
Dear Ian,
