by Ryan Ponto | Jan 30, 2017 | UltraSonic Bird Control
A PERSISTENT pigeon feeder has vowed to continue his hobby despite being fined £300 by a court and warned he faces jail if he continues.
Paul Charlton is known as the ‘Pigeon Man’ in Bath, Somerset, where he draws large crowds by allowing dozens of birds to balance on his arms and head.
Last year he was slapped with a Community Protection Notice by the council but was convicted of breaching it on a number of occasions.
He has now been handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order and warned he will be hauled back before magistrates and jailed if he breaches it.
But Charlton, 42, claims that feeding the birds is his ‘profession’ and he is refusing to pay the fine or stop encouraging the airborne menaces.
He told Bath Magistrates’ Court: “I’m going to carry on feeding the pigeons. I will have to go to prison before I give you a single penny.”
Charlton was spotted breaching his order on three occasions – May 9, May 10 and September 23 last year.
He denied three counts of breaching the notice against him but was convicted in his absence on November 21.
Last year the birdman was slapped with a Community Protection Notice
The eccentric performer earns a living by balancing pigeons on his arms, shoulders and head and gives members of the public grain to feed them in exchange for coins.
Speaking before the sentencing, he said: “This has been my job for the past four years. It is how I pay my rent and my bills. I make a living out of it.
“It’s my occupation whether people want to see it as an occupation or not. It makes people happy.“
Charlton, 42, claims that feeding the birds is his ‘profession’
Barrister Carrie-Ann Evans, acting for Bath and North East Somerset Council, told the court: “He understood what was required of him to stop feeding the pigeons.
“Despite this he carried on feeding the birds and providing grain.”
She also read out a victim statement from the manager a café by the Roman Baths, who said: “Paul Charlton feeds the pigeons directly outside my premises.
“We have a responsibility to make sure the tables are clean and hygienic.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Jan 19, 2017 | UltraSonic Bird Control
Kendrapara : About a hundred pigeons have succumbed to an unknown disease triggering avian flu scare in a far off village in Mahakalapada tehsil of Kendrapara district, sources said.
Some death incidents of fowls were also reported from nearby localities last week. The avian beauties are dying almost on a daily basis, a veterinary official said.
With scares of bird flu gripping the state after such incidents of crow deaths and culling of poultry at Khurda, Keonjhar, Rourkela the deaths of pigeons in Mahakalpada has triggered panic situation of bird flu.
Meanwhile, veterinary experts have visited the area to take stock of the situation and have collected blood samples of the winged species for laboratory examination.
Although the exact reason for the death of the birds is yet to be confirmed experts said there was no reason for panic since the deaths could also be due to ‘Ranikhet’, a virus borne disease or could be due to Vitamin C deficiency or even due to food poisoning, a senior veterinary official said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Jan 10, 2017 | UltraSonic Bird Control
HYDERABAD: The blue rock pigeon, one of the commonest birds in urban areas, has been given notice. At least at the main entrance of the KBR National Park in Banjara Hills. Every morning and in the evening, a man armed with a stick stands guard there and drives the birds away from the driveway outside the park gates.
“It is my turn to do this job now,” says Sridhar, a guard at the park, who otherwise patrols its pathway that is popular with morning and evening walkers.”We used to have hundreds of pigeons here, but now this place is clean,” he says, pointing to the cemented stretch with pride. “Yesterday, I asked sweepers (employed by the municipal corporation) to clear this place of droppings. See how clean it looks today,” says Sridhar, beaming with pride after a job well done. “We paid them extra money , given by our officials.”
KBR National Park has been for some time a favourite spot for people to feed pigeons, with nearly a couple of thousand birds converging at the gates. “The situation was getting out of hand and there were even complaints from road users that when the birds flew in large numbers, they were obstructing traffic,” says district forest officer Vinod Kumar. “So a decision was taken to try and get the place clean again.After all, hundreds of people come to the park for morning and evening walks and runs, and we cannot put their health in danger.”
Explains senior veterinarian and former ‘zoo doctor’, M Naveen Kumar, “Pigeons in large numbers are known to carry bird influenza (bird flu) and even avian tuberculosis.While bird flu is passed on to humans, in case of avian tuberculosis, it is a two-way street. Humans catch it from birds and birds can catch TB from humans.”
But with no studies ever conducted in Hyderabad on the health impact of large congregations of blue rock pigeons on humans who come in close contact with them, Naveen says the case so far is of “noth ing reported, nobody both ered”.
Studies like the one pub lished in the Indian Journal of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology by Shrikant Deo and nine other researchers in 2014 establish that feral pigeons are “reservoirs and potential vectors of a large number of microorganisms… causing infections and allergic diseases that can be lethal.” The 2014 study says that direct contact with pigeons is not required for humans to catch such diseases. “Pathogens can be transmitted to humans mainly via excreta, secretions, or dust from feathers spread in the environment.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Jan 7, 2017 | UltraSonic Bird Control
This photograph illustrates one important reason for maintaining and hopefully extending the population of our native wood pigeon or kereru.
About to be swallowed is a red plum about the size of a $2 coin. Most observers, when comparing the size of the plum with a pigeon’s quite narrow red bill can’t really imagine how the bird’s bill could open wide enough to allow the plum to be swallowed.
However, a few seconds after the photograph was taken the plum was gone.
The bill is hinged in such a way that quite large fruit can be swallowed whole with ease. Five more plums were eaten before this bird flew away to a nearby gum tree for a rest.
Now a number of our native trees such as miro, karaka and tawa have large fruit and the native pigeon is the main disperser of the seed of these trees.
Without the pigeon, conservationists predict that there would be minimal regeneration of these important native forest trees.
The trouble is that kereru is under threat.
Predators such as stoats, cats and opossums take both eggs and young pigeons and unfortunately they are still being poached by short-sighted humans who believe that a feed of pigeon is more important than the efforts to conserve this valued species.
Fast moving cars also injure and kill a number of low flying pigeons and it’s good to see “watch out for kereru” road signs appearing in many districts.
Four pigeons visited this particular plum tree and during about a week the red plums were gone, and so were the pigeons.
Where did they go to?
Just down the road was a yellow plum tree with slightly larger plums and the change of colour didn’t seem to bother the pigeons.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Dec 24, 2016 | UltraSonic Bird Control
Superb Story can add the totepool Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle (2.50) to his big Cheltenham Festival win at Musselburgh.
Young Skelton pulled off a fine training performance to bring him back from a lengthy lay-off to prevail in the ultra competitive County Hurdle at the big meeting, but suffered the reverse side of the coin when the gelding had to be pulled up in the Galway Hurdle in the summer.
Given plenty to of time again to recover from those exertions, Superb Story is back in great heart and connections have long targeted this valuable objective. He still looks well handicapped despite a big weight and he’s the type to continue to improve in readiness for a return trip to Prestbury Park in March.
Vyta Du Roc was not beaten that far in the Hennessy on his return to fences five weeks ago and he looks to have found a good opportunity in the Watch Live Racing On BetBright.com Handicap Chase (12.50) at Cheltenham.
Henderson opted to give the Welsh National and a return bout with Hennessy hero Native River a miss with the eight-year-old in favour of this less demanding test and the move should pay dividends. A smart novice last season, he is back in A1 nick at home.
Whisper is a difficult horse to read at times, but he seems on great terms with himself at the moment and should maintain his unbeaten record this season in the BetBright Dipper Novices Chase (1.25).
Henderson has had plenty of problems with this high-class staying hurdler over the past 12 months, and he was only hopeful he might prevail on his chasing bow at Exeter on this day 12 months ago. However, Whisper never fired at all. Once again, expectations were not that high on his return here last month, but that was only down to a lack of peak fitness.
Under a fine ride from Davy Russell, he jumped nicely and overcame the pre-race fears by galloping on strongly up the hill to notch his first win over larger obstacles. He took some useful scalps along the way and the Seven Barrows shrewdies are now looking for him to step up another level, especially after an accomplished schooling session under Noel Fehily on Mandown in Upper Lambourn on Friday morning.
Stablemate O O Seven will also go well but the Nicholls-trained Clan des Obeaux should be the toughest nut to crack.
Lough Derg Leader can emulate former stablemate Singlefarmpayment and win the Betbright Casino Handicap Hurdle (2.35) for Tom Lacey.
The six-year-old has made great strides north in the ratings so far this season and should be more than able to overcome a lumpy 11lb hike in his assessment for an impressive win at Doncaster last month.
The concluding EBF Stallions & Cheltenham Pony Club NH Flat Race looks a fascinating renewal, with some of the top trainers around represented, but perhaps Newmarket mayor John Berry will be able to strike a blow with White Valiant.
The son of Youmzain overcame odds of 80/1 to win on his racecourse bow at Huntingdon, scoring in great style under Daryl Jacob.
Jacob is required to ride Daphne Du Clos for Henderson and Potensis Bloodstock on Sunday but Davy Russell is an eyecatching booking for Berry, who looks to have a very useful tool to go to war with.
The very much in-form Fehily forsakes Cheltenham for the delights of Haldon Hill and Exeter, and he should kick the afternoon off on the right note with the highly-rated and impressive bumper winner Neon Hill in the opening Passage House Inn Topsham ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle (12.40).
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Dec 23, 2016 | UltraSonic Bird Control
It was one of those trees that one sees and still does not see, hiding in plain sight. I had walked near it many times and often glanced at it when scanning the landscape, but never actually looked at it. Perhaps its size was the reason. It was small for a banyan, barely two stories tall, standing behind a shack at the corner of a village crossroad near a cluster of tea shops. On one side were small patches for growing vegetables, followed by a bamboo grove. On the other side, a rapid descent into a rectangular plot where the earth had been dug out neatly. Underneath the banyan grew smaller trees, weeds and tall grass. Tucked away at a neglected corner of the road to nowhere in particular, the banyan never gave me reason for a second look.
I would have continued ignoring it were it not for a village boy. One day, when I was searching for birds in the village, he appeared at my side. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Looking for birds,” I replied.
“Did you check out that bot tree? It gets many birds.”
“That one?” I pointed. He nodded.
I looked at the tree carefully now, top to bottom, side to side. Nothing was moving in the thick round crown of deep green.
“But it is empty,” I said.
“You just have to visit it at the right time of the day, and look carefully.”
“What is the right time then?”
“Oh, I don’t know… mornings, but afternoons also, and some days at noon…” he said unhelpfully, “but, you can see lots of pigeons in that tree – green pigeons.”
After that conversation I was more attentive to the banyan. One afternoon, I was in the neighbourhood, looking for a coucal – a dark-red bird that looks like a cross between a chicken and a crow – that had ran into a roadside bush. Unexpectedly, I heard the loud flutter of wings and looked up to see a flock of green pigeons descending on the banyan.
I was thrilled. I had been trying to photograph these yellow-footed green pigeons (horials) for a long time. Here they were, playing in the tree, swaying and jumping from branch to branch, gobbling up the banyan fruit. Their meal lasted for a few minutes and they took off, all together, in search of the next fruity tree.
Spending more time at the banyan since that day, I discovered that its fruits attract coppersmith barbets, doves, bulbuls and many other birds in addition to the horials.
One afternoon, while waiting for the horials, I saw something move in the bushes underneath the tree. It was a brown shrike, here for the winter from colder places, hunting for insects. And while I was watching it, a cuckooshrike landed on a plant right in front of me. It hopped around looking for its own insects. Then a drongo appeared – it was probably hunting in the fields – and buzzed the cuckooshrike repeatedly, trying to drive it away. But the cuckooshrike persisted, jumping from branch to leaf to grass, and kept hunting.
And so life played out its ever mysterious moves in and around the banyan. If there is a banyan near you, this winter might be a good time for a closer look.
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)
