by johnnymarin | Oct 20, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Clark County commissioners will consider language for a new ordinance that would outlaw feeding pigeons from private property.
The pigeon problem was discussed for nearly an hour after Teresa Oxborrow asked what could be done about a neighbor attracting hundreds of the birds by regularly feeding them.
“Because they are fed so well, some of them are as big as chickens,” Oxborrow told commissioners. She also had video of the suspected neighbor feeding the birds in her Spring Valley neighborhood.
“Pigeons are basically flying rats. They don’t eat out of bird feeders. They’ll eat anything on the ground,” declared commissioner Chris Giunchigliani.
While there’s an ordinance that prohibits feeding pigeons on public property, it does not apply to doing the same on private property.
In coming months, the commission will review language for a possible new ordinance to address feeding pigeons on private property.
In large numbers, pigeons are destructive and are difficult to remove from a place where they have become comfortable.
“I mean she’s got buckets and buckets of food. That’s all she must buy,” said Oxborrow, in describing the regular feeding of the birds.
“The pigeon droppings have destroyed patios, rooftops, and lawn furniture,” she said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 19, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Budgie lovers are in a flap over a city pet bylaw they say is turning dozens of respectable, longstanding bird keepers into scofflaws.
Several members of the decades-old Hamilton and District Budgerigar Society Inc. showed up at a city planning meeting Tuesday to appeal for an exemption from the city’s animal control bylaw – which infamously limits all residents to no more than four pets.
The limit introduced in 2012 is already unpopular with owners of cats, dogs and other more traditional pets.
But it is really ruffling feathers now for avian aficionados who routinely keep 40 to 120 birds – typically on the higher end if they participate in birds shows, said society vice-president Scott Aird.
“For that, you need at least 100 birds,” said Aird, whose relatively modest “chatter” of 60 budgies earned the wrath of bylaw a few months ago and resulted in both a $125 fine and an upcoming December court date.
For now, a bird-loving acquaintance is boarding Aird’s illegal brood. But other urban club members are also becoming worried about losing their birds to a neighbourhood dispute.
Budgie owners represent hundreds, and probably thousands, of illegal feathered friends – and Aird suggested that doesn’t include all of the equally off-limits small “cage birds” that are likely flying under the radar.
Aird said he was told his bylaw visit was prompted by a noise complaint. But despite the name, he argued a “chatter” of indoor budgies is less noisy than say, four legal macaw parrots or four excitable dogs in the backyard.
“Our birds are contained, they’re largely indoors in homes, garages or specially constructed out-buildings,” he said.
Aird said the budgie group disagreed with the bylaw limit when it was approved, but wasn’t aware of the impending change in time to formally oppose it.
The rule didn’t ruffle any feathers, however, until bylaw officers started showing up on doorsteps.
“We’ve been here (as a society) for 70 years,” said Aird. “We’re law-abiding. But it is impossible for us to meet the letter of this law.”
The group asked Tuesday for a bylaw exemption for all “small cage birds,” noting the city has already granted an exception to owners of racing pigeons.
Councillors received the presentation, but didn’t ask for a staff report or suggestion a motion.
That leaves budgie lovers pondering an appeal to help for national avian organizations, noting pigeon owners benefited from lobbying by the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union.
(That group memorably argued to councillors that owners raised “athletes,” not pets.)
Aird noted councillors even seemed friendlier towards community requests for backyard chickens, even if that pitch has been narrowly turned down in the past.
“If you can do it for pigeons, I feel like it’s not unreasonable to consider an exception for us,” he said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Oct 9, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Q: I am not a hardcore outdoorsman, but I do enjoy a little dove hunting when the time rolls around each year. Typically, I get invited to a friend’s lease a few times a season and, thankful that the group I hunt with pools our take, end up with two or three freezer bags of birds when it’s all said and done. The problem is that my dove preparation, which consists of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a grill, does not impress the missus. At all. Do you have a favorite dove recipe with which I could better please my wife?
John Carter, Austin
A: Texas is blessed with both the largest population of dove in the country and, unsurprisingly, the largest population of dove hunters in the country. As such, it makes sense that Texans would consume a lot of dove. Equipping oneself with a good go-to cooking method is important, so the Texanist is glad to hear from you, Mr. Carter.
The bird of peace’s most succulent pieces are the breasts, but that succulence is, alas, relative. While doves themselves are bountiful, the same cannot be said of their bosoms, which are unimpressive in both their size and, if the Texanist is going to be honest, overall toothsomeness. Au naturel, dove are small, a smidge gamy, and wholly unsatisfactory as a standalone entree. If you were to serve the Texanist a plate with five or six scrawny bits of salt and pepper-seasoned dove and nothing more, he would be left feeling about as excited as your wife.
Thankfully, the Texanist has one word for you that will guarantee a more pleasurable experience for both Mrs. Carter and yourself. One delicious, mouthwatering word. And that word is—drumroll, please—bacon. Really, what’s not enhanced by way of a good old-fashioned bacon wrapping? Over the years, it has been the Texanist’s gluttonous delight to have consumed bacon-wrapped shrimp, bacon-wrapped asparagus, bacon-wrapped dates, and prosciutto-wrapped melon (The Texanist thinks of prosciutto as a type of Europeanized bacon). He is particularly fond of bacon-wrapped hot dogs, which are known colloquially in various locales as danger dogs, Mission dogs, Tijuana dogs, and when stuffed with cheese, francheezies or Texas Tommies. The Texanist has also heard them referred to as gout dogs.
And then there’s bacon-wrapped jalapenos, which are good, and bacon-wrapped jalapenos with cheese, which are delicious. Hey, the mention of bacon-wrapped jalapenos and cheese, in addition to making his mouth water, has reminded the Texanist that he was supposed to be working on an answer to an important question. Where were we? Ah, yes, dove. And jalapeno. And cheese. Wrapped in bacon.
Say hello to the Texanist’s World-Famous Dove Poppers.
What you’ll need:
- Dove
- Jalapeño
- Cheese
- Bacon
- Toothpicks
- Tequila
- Mylanta (optional)
How to do it:
- Take the jalapeño (the official state pepper of Texas) and slice it in two, lengthwise. Give it a rinse.
- Take a dove breast (the unofficial migratory game bird breast of Texas) and cut in half, lengthwise.
- Give these pieces the Carter treatment: olive oil, salt, pepper. Maybe a dusting of garlic powder, too.
- Cut the cheese (rimshot) into lengths similar to the jalapeño and dove. (The Texanist prefers Mexican cheese and has good results with queso fresco, queso blanco, queso cotija, queso Oaxaca, and has even used queso crema.)
- Combine the dove, the jalapeño, and the cheese, and wrap tightly with a half-slice of bacon, securing it with a tequila-soaked toothpick.
- Repeat until there is no more dove.
- Throw on a grill for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until bacon is sizzling and crispy.
- Gobble ‘em all up, washed down with the libation of your choice.
Additionally, it’s never a bad idea to augment the poppers with an entrée of juicy ribeye, sided with the sides of your choosing. The grill’s already hot, so might as well, right?
Bon appétit, Carters.
Now that’s a recipe that will not only satisfy the missus, but will, the Texanist bets, have her begging for more.
And please remember to stay safe, mind your bag and possession limits, and know your dove before you blast them out of the sky—the common ground dove, Inca dove, and band-tailed pigeon are off limits. Happy hunting. And happy eating.
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 | Sep 24, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
BELLEVILLE – One good thing about fall approaching, besides the melancholy panoply of colours, is the fact the outdoor wedding season will be over and, thus, many doves and white pigeons will survive at least another several months.
There are many myths and misconceptions about birds and their behaviour. Perhaps the most annoying and dangerous is the one where a wedding couple releases white doves into the air.
The ritual is intended to symbolize peace and freedom. But while the happy couple is whooping it up at the reception those poor birds are flapping their wings for the last time.
If the birds are released too close to sundown they will not be able to orient themselves and find their way home, which is the breeder’s home. Birds can’t navigate in the dark. Also if they’re domestic-raised they possess no survival skills. Even those with a fighting chance probably have no notion of hydro wires or crows, ravens and hawks.
Most ‘white doves’ are pigeons bred to be white. Even white homing pigeons are in danger. Genuine ring-necked doves as well as white king pigeons have little if any chance of survival.
At least, most wedding doves are purchased from breeders. It is illegal to buy and release any store-bought bird.
All birds do not fly south in the winter and not just ones from the Southern hemisphere. And those that do fly south usually get there by an indirect route, first heading east or west. Ornithologists are not agreed on why this is so. The precious little hummingbird is supposed to fly all the way to South America but North American hummingbirds have rarely been seen in Panama and never south of there.
There is the myth flightless birds are easy prey. Usually, however, they are flightless because they don’t need to fly. They can run or swim faster than their enemies.
The rhea, for instance, can run as fast as any horse. Ostriches and cassowaries can run nearly as fast and kick like giant UFC fighters.
In southern British Columbia a few weeks ago, while sitting outdoors at a table, I had the strange experience of close contact with a hummingbird. It flew to the table and hopped onto my forearm before taking off. It didn’t pause there but rather touched down for a nanosecond. Nevertheless, it was a nanosecond of wonder.
Because people love these birds so much many put out feeders. Last year a friend sent me a photo taken on Christmas Eve of a hummingbird at the feeder outside his kitchen window. The water in the feeder was dyed red ostensibly to provide more attraction to the bird. This is a misconception.
Some people are hesitant to leave home for long periods in the winter because the poor hummingbirds might starve. They won’t.
They feed elsewhere. Hummingbirds need amino acids — protein — to survive and get this from tiny insects, particularly aphids and mosquitoes.
Another domestic bird feeding myth is the one about making sure to keep peanut butter away from birds because it will choke them. It won’t. It is, in fact, a good idea to set out some peanut butter in the winter because it supplies the bird with much needed fat.
And then there is the myth that birds don’t sing on the ground. Observe the flicker and the common robin to realize the folly of that one.
The Seven-Colours, from Brazil, defies several myths. Not only does it sing on the ground but seems to sing when happy, Getting down on the ground and rolling around before springing to its feet to emit an incredible cry that alternates between a train whistle and a sobbing woman and followed by a song of 30 different syllables. It’s a tanager.
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 | Sep 21, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Police forces of the western Iranian city of Kermanshah have seized pigeons which were used by drug dealers for carrying narcotics.
The local police came across these drug carrying pigeons in a dealer’s house during one of their operations to cleanse the city’s suspicious neighborhoods from dealers and addicts.
According to a Farsi report by the Mehr News Agency, a local judiciary official said the drug dealer used to tie small drug packages to the legs of these trained pigeons so that they could transfer them to the desired places across the city.
Kermanshah’s anti-drug police have captured all these birds, he 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 | Sep 17, 2017 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
When the woman who was to become my wife in later years – and eventually my ex-wife – took me the meet her parents for the first time, I failed to recognise the main warning signs of incompatibility.
These were homing pigeons circling the house, a Blue Bulls flag flying from the TV aerial, a Ricoffy tin tied to the fence for a post box and the chairs fashioned from of old car tyres on the stoep.
Another, more subtle indication that I was on the wrong side of the railway track, was an actual railway track across the road.
Once inside the house I should have noted other oddities – the block of a Datsun 1400 engine on the coffee table in the lounge, oil dripping onto the carpet; the JH Lynch print on the wall of a half-naked woman lying on top of a tree stump; their nine dogs’ barking which made it sound like I’m at the SPACA; and the missing guest toilet door…
Coca-Cola crates
That people who made The Simpsons on TV look boring had such a beautiful and well-mannered daughter was baffling.
She seemed to be the only normal member of a family of complete loones and during that first visit kept apologising for everything.
Such as when her mother got a bit overexcited with the wrestling on the ancient Barlow Vision TV and shouted at the top of her voice: ‘Grab him by the goolies, grab him hard and rip it off!’.
She also apologised profusely when I got oil on my trousers after not noticing the four pistons lying on the couch and suggested we rather go sit in the kitchen.
Once there I discovered why the toilet doesn’t have a door – it was moonlighting as a table on top of some Coca-Cola crates.
While sitting at the toilet door cum kitchen table the smell of tripe being cooked made my throat close into a spasm and I was desperately hoping for the visit to be concluded before lunch time.
Shopping trolleys
The back door was one of those farm-style jobs with a bottom part and a top part, and behind it the pack of nine dogs went rabid.
It might have been the smell of the tripe or perhaps it was me, but whichever, I stayed well clear of the door because a big black mongrel with a severe case of mange was propped up against the bottom door, chewing on the wood like he hasn’t had a meal for days.
The smaller mutts were attacking his legs and every now and again the black dog – Slash – would go down for a few moments during which an epic dog fight would take place.
For a second I pitied the poor burglar who falls into their jaws, but then realised there’s absolutely nothing worth stealing.
Even Checkers were clearly too afraid to ask for their trolleys back because I counted 12 lying in the backyard next to the pigeon house.
Open plan toilet
Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone back after that first visit, but I did and eventually learned to accept my in-laws for who they were, and while I never got used to the smell of tripe hanging in the air like death, I did end up using the open plan toilet.
You just had to time it right and as a precautionary measure, shout out loud that you are going to the toilet, so people know to give you a few minutes.
I eventually came to love my peculiar in-laws very much and stayed in touch even after the divorce, but won’t do it again and to this day I am extremely suspicious of people who keep homing pigeons.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
