by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 17, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes
The mangy pigeons that congregate around Dúlra’s house like a gang of street drinkers are an eyesore. At least six sit on the roof waiting to be fed. When the first one arrived six months ago, Dúlra wasn’t bothered – it’s nice to have an extra species in the garden. But word of Dúlra’s generosity must have spread in the bird world, and soon there were half a dozen.
They know they’re on to a good thing – regular feeding with Dúlra’s high protein (and high cost!) bird mix.
Neighbours probably think he’s got a pigeon shed – but instead of prize-winning homers and racers, these birds are the common city feral type that you have to step over in Belfast city centre. The ‘rats with wings’ so derided by city dwellers the world over.
Dúlra spreads bird food liberally on the path every day for the finches, robins and other small birds. The pigeons sit on the roof like sentinels, the white-stained slates proof of their presence. And as soon as Dúlra’s magic mix of seeds, husks and peanuts is scattered, they’re down before the back door has even been shut.
At first Dúlra resented them. These birds are mongrels rather than pedigrees. They originated from the wild rock doves and stock doves, which bred with racing pigeons who never made it back home. Over time, they’ve come to depend on people like no other bird, their populations being most dense where our own populations are most dense – city centres. But truth is, while we may think there are a lot of pigeons, there are probably not much more than 10,000 in Belfast. Because we see them so often, they appear more common than they really are.
As the summer went on, Dúlra’s cold heart began to thaw. These birds were loyal. They weren’t heading to the hills any time soon, like the finches. And they were patient. They would sit staring at the garden for hours, waiting for their patron to spread his rich bounty. Probably more than anything else, their confidence was contagious. If these pigeons were landing in the garden and not nervously flying away at the first gust of wind, then other birds tended to stay put too.
One pigeon in particular was prettier than the rest. It looked just like the wild rock dove which it was obviously descended from. The rock dove is now very rare, its population having been diluted by breeding with feral doves. Dúlra saw one once on a cliff-face on Tory Island off Donegal, a solitary bird incubating its eggs.
This one in Dúlra’s garden had the same two black bars on its wing, and a healthy iridescent green sheen on its neck. The oil-rich mix of seeds that Dúlra offers will do its plumage no harm at all.
In the street Dúlra would have blanked it, but now that it was a regular in his garden, he found himself admiring the perfect plumage.
Tragically, it was those same feathers that he found scattered on the lawn this week after they’d been ripped asunder. Dúlra needn’t have minded about the pigeons becoming pests – the local sparrowhawk is his unpaid Rentokil agent.
One by one the pigeons have been picked off with the precision of a sniper. Dúlra actually saw the sparrowhawk stooping for her kill this week – it was certainly a ‘her’ because only the female sparrowhawk is big enough to kill a pigeon. She was hovering near the house, being pestered by a crow, when she suddenly folded her wings and fell like a stone into Dúlra’s garden. And a bit like the kids’ song ‘ten green bottles sitting on the wall’, Dúlra knew there would be one less pigeon in his garden.
Today there are just two pigeons on the roof. Dúlra feels like a guard on death row, fattening the two remaining birds up for their inevitable date with the executioner.
But now he’s on the side of the pigeons. Hopefully, somehow, he’ll help them see through the winter.
Glengormley Reader: I saw a flock of about 40 geese this week arriving in from the north, flying in a V-shape and honking excitedly.
Dúlra: They are probably white-fronted goose, gé bhánéadanach, which arrive from Greenland.
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 Pigeon Patrol | Mar 16, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services
Two women were allegedly assaulted after asking a man to stop feeding pigeons in Finsbury Park.
Police and paramedics from London Ambulance Service were called to the park at about 8.30am on Friday after two women sustained head and facial injuries.
A woman in her 30s had been at the park with her daughter and saw a man feeding the birds.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the woman asked the man to stop before she was allegedly assaulted.
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)
A second woman, who is in her 20s, intervened and was also assaulted, police said.
by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 15, 2016 | 4-S Gel Bird repellent, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
A HOME-owner says his garden has become a no-go zone because it is inundated with birds – making him the most pooed on man in Britain.
Fed-up Daniel Norman has got so sick of the raining excrement every time he steps outside he is demanding his local council takes immediate action.
He claims he is constantly plagued by a barrage of bird poo from pigeons roosting in a derelict building next door.
The 25-year-old is now wants council chiefs to board up the old pool hall which has become home to dozens of offenders.
Daniel lives behind the former Pot Black building in Plymouth, Devon, which has been left severely dilapidated after a fire ravaged it nine years ago.
He says pigeons have been nesting in the grade II listed property, which is now owned Plymouth City Council (PCC), and constantly drop their faeces in his garden – meaning he cannot even hang his washing out to dry.
Daniel lives in social housing owned by Sanctuary Housing but, according to the driver’s mate and warehouse worker, the housing association says it can’t do anything to rectify the problem.
He said: “I’ve been fighting this case for the last five years.
“Because the building is not boarded up, the pigeons are going in there and roosting. If it was boarded up, it wouldn’t be an issue.
“But that seems to be too much to ask.”
Daniel contacted the council and an inspector from environmental health visited his property offering to send a team “every week” to clean up the mess – but made no offer to board-up the windows.
In July, the council pushed through a compulsory purchase order to take responsibility for the sale of the building, previously belonging to the Mechanics Institute.
Labour’s Councillor Chris Penberthy, responsible for housing, said at the time that the interior was in a “filthy state” and inhabited by breeding pigeons who were “making a mess everywhere”.
Since the order, which was not contested by the owner, went through, it is now the council’s responsibility to maintain the building.
A Plymouth City Council spokeswoman said: “We are currently in the process of an enforced sale action under the Law of Property Act 1925.
“This process works in the same way as a mortgage company selling a property to recover mortgage arrears. This means that the council does not take ownership of the property, but it gives us the ability to sell it.
“We understand the frustrations of local residents over the state of the building which is why after repeated requests to the owners to sort out the building we took tough action.
“Whilst the sale is going through we will review the current situation of the building to see if there are any additional steps we can take to secure the building.”
A spokesperson from Sanctuary Housing said: “We sympathise with those living nearby and have repeatedly arranged for the garden to be cleaned.
“Our contractors also attempted to clear the area earlier this month, and we are speaking to Mr Norman in order to arrange an appointment so that the work can be carried out.”
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 Pigeon Patrol | Mar 14, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Spikes, UltraSonic Bird Control
Up until a few years ago, Kimberley was free of Columba livia domestica, the domestic pigeon. But suddenly, you could spot one or two in town, and now you can seldom walk through the Platzl without seeing them.
The image of people tossing crumbs to pigeons is fairly iconic — picture St. Mark’s Square in Venice. But not everyone appreciates the presence of pigeons. At their regular Council meeting last week, Council was asked by a local business owner, Michelle Forbes, of City Bakery, to do something about people feeding pigeons in front of hers and a neighbouring business.
Forbes says feeding attracts more and more pigeons and they are becoming a problem.
“Initially there were three or four pigeons, which is not a problem, but as he has persisted feeding the pigeons every morning, this has grown to about 30 birds that have taken up roosting on the bakery roof and surrounding roofs. This is a health issue, as the large number of birds leave bird feathers and droppings, with feathers ending up inside of food establishments, which could actually have businesses shut down.”
Forbes told Council she had spoken with the bylaw officer and City staff, but doesn’t feel there is a satisfactory solution yet.
She believes pigeons should be added to Kimberley’s Do Not Feed Wildlife Bylaw.
Mayor Don McCormick says Council had quite the discussion about where pigeons fell into the city’s wildlife bylaw.
“How broad is the bylaw? We’re going to review that,” he said. “At the end of the day, people know you shouldn’t feed pigeons.
“There is not a lot a municipality can do to stop something people know they shouldn’t do. But if you see it, speak up. Peer pressure associated with behaviour can have an affect.”
McCormick says there are a lot of restaurants in the Platzl, many with outdoor patios.
“People eat outside, crumbs are dropped. If there’s less of that, the pigeons will go away. It may not be a major issue, but we’ll pay attention.”
However, McCormick says there is a broader aspect to this beyond pigeons or deer, and that’s the notion that if there’s a behaviour you don’t like, the city has to stop it.
“There is no way one bylaw officer can cover everything,” he said. “Our bylaw enforcement does respond to complaints coming through. It’s the only realistic thing we can do and for the most part it works well.”
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 Pigeon Patrol | Mar 13, 2016 | Bird Deterrent Products, Bird Netting, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes
The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica in downtown Ho Chi Minh City is well known not only for its French architecture and beautiful grounds but also for hundreds of friendly pigeons there.
The birds are friendly enough for tourists and locals to feed them right out of their hands.
They usually play on the sidewalk, perch on the roof of the church or nearby buildings, and gather every time someone feeds them beans.
Many couples choose this destination for their wedding shots, as the pigeons often become a special feature that makes their photos unique.
Established by French colonialists, the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was constructed between 1863 and 1880.
It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters.
Hundreds of friendly pigeons often wander around the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica in Ho Chi Minh City, and gather every time someone feeds them. Photo: Tuoi Tre
A student feeds pigeons at the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Besides pigeons, finches also gather to eat food from locals and tourists at the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre
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)
