David Swain

Strangely we eventually had 20 drop together just before 11 am and then a few more during the day leaving just nine missing at dark. Most of those missing were having their first race but one promising early bred darkness cock which is absent had already flown Hullavington three times. Apparently the lads who took the birds up said although the weather was fine, almost all of them (something over 300 I think) circled for half an hour before clearing the lib site.

Anyone living near Hullavington (between Swindon and Bristol) who can tell me what the weather is like. We had 53 YBs liberated there at 8am with Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland clubs and were expecting a quick blow home with the wind behind them. Had one on its own at 9.30, then another ten mainly in singles in the next hour. Not at all what we were expecting from well trained young birds in what seems perfect weather here (sun and well broken cloud with excellent visibility). Can only hope things look better by lunch time or I fear something has gone drastically wrong ( hawks,clashing etc)

Our last two weeks of YB racing have given plenty of food for thought. Racing along the coast to the east from Littlehampton (under 80 miles) with the Dorset Fed on Saturdays we have had only 50 per cent returns each week. The weather has been fine, but in both races after the early batch we have seen nothing on the day and only one next day and had none reported except one which a bird-watcher reported as being killed by a hawk about 15 miles from home. Compare this with two North Road races from Hullavington (about 60 miles) on Sundays with Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland fanciers where we have had 100 per cent returns on the day (although here again two have been injured) and most home within about an hour of the first. The weather certainly hasn't been a factor in our case. Makes you think doesn't it ?

Dorset Fed up at Littlehampton at 7am with wind given as light NE. Our first were back just before 9am for 80-odd miles, but usual patchy returns so far.

At Dorchester, 15 miles south west of Blandford, it is cloudy but reasonably bright, only brief glimpses of the sun but dry and visibility is excellent. Wind very light north easterly. We had birds from Littlehampton in under two hours this morning so you should have a good race.

I don't think there is one single answer to the problem of heavy young bird losses. Just to give you a couple of examples. A friend liberated 19 well trained ybs close to Lulworth Castle racepoint in Dorset yesterday for a 20 mile toss and almost immediately they were attacked by two peregrines. They split into small groups, some crashing into trees in their attempts to escape. Result - only six back. We had two ybs come in from a fancier in Taunton (about 20 miles away) which had been lost two days earlier when he had a disastrous toss not far from our loft. They were fed and watered and kept in a basket and liberated two days later by a friend who was going to within five miles of their home loft. One was back at our place within the hour. How and why did it find its way back to a location it had only been at for two days when we have lost several dozen ybs at much shorter distances which were bred here? I am sure other fanciers have had similar experiences. I think raptors, weather, clashing, people breeding too much rubbish, yb sickness and several other factors all play their part.

Still 20 down at 6.30pm and after 9 hours on the wing I doubt if we'll see any more tonight. Makes you wonder why you bother - but after 45 years in the game I suppose we'll keep coming back for more !

Gave ours two late evening tosses - 7pm-ish - from 5/10 miles and they took absolutely ages, coming back in ones and twos right up until dark with most of the rest coming next day at various times and eventually losing five out of 60. Today they went 15 miles, up at 9.30am and nothing until 1pm, then 15 in an hour ( all in ones and twos) and they're still dribbling in! Weather perfect, so what is happening to them ? Funny thing is apart from one which has a possible broken leg, the ones which are back all look fine and not particularly flown out, just a little stunned. I know it means that at least they are all having to think for themselves and saves singling them up - but what we'd give for an occasional good toss when they all race back together in good time.

£3.50 a bird for tomorrow's 100-mile flip from St Malo is bad enough - and you can't even use it as preparation for Bordeaux or you break the 7-day rule ! What are the NFC playing at ?

They were mostly paired around mid-February. Do you think they would have been better kept back until later ?

Anyone else discovered that they fly well as YBs - and then prove to be a huge disappointment as yearlings despite coming through the moult well ? We tried them in 2005 for the first time and had excellent results, but now we've hardly got any of them left and quite a few went down in the early training tosses from ridiculously short distances considering how much racing they had under their belts last year. From asking around it seems a few other fanciers have found the same and have now given up on the system because it just isn't natural. Any thoughts ?

But if they are that bothered (and any farmer will tell you that DEFRA are pretty hot on other regulations regarding animal movement) it could only take one fancier breaking the ban and racing from overseas could be stopped. Just one other point - if you stick to the rules and get beaten into second place by a bird you know went across the water the previous week, are you going to object ?

So I guess the thousands of birds which flew from France yesterday are now safely tucked up in isolation. Does that literally mean they are in their own little loft/crate for the next week with no contact with any of their loftmates ? Is that what DEFRA expects ? Perhaps someone could tell us.

Central Southern Classic FC up at Cholet at 6.15am in light north west. Bright sunshine and virtually no wind in Dorchester (Dorset)

Anyone like to predict what effect DEFRA's seven-day isolation rule is going to have on overseas racing for south of England clubs ? With so many fanciers in one national/classic club or another how many will want to send their birds to club races of just over a hundred miles to Picauville and the likes if that disqualifies them from a big event a week later ? If this situation re-occurs next season I reckon overseas club racing will become a thing of the past.

Saturday-South, Sunday-North might be a start but it won't solve everything. In Dorset we had a very poor race from Sennen Cove with the NFC on Sunday given that it was a short distance, old bird race. We had only one of four on the day to be sixth section, our 2nd Open Bordeaux BBC winner of 2004 came early next morning and another three year old cock was reported in Ireland on Sunday night which suggests some clashing with the Irish birds at Bude. Just don't know what to make of pigeon racing any more ! A few years ago we would have expected 100 per cent in half an hour from that kind of distance and I am afraid I can only see the decline accelerating if this kind of racing continues.

Don't forget the British Barcelona Club and the Central Southern Classic who are both going north next Saturday. Great planning I don't think. Isn't it time the big organisations conferred with one another ? To have four major races on the same day is just plain daft and only hits the birdage for everyone.

Dorset Fed up at 11.30 at Eastbourne. Wind on their noses, low thick cloud, mist and drizzle all afternoon in South Dorset so no surprise the birds are struggling. Why couldn't they use some commonsense and wait until tomorrow, sorry I forgot, we are talking about the Dorset Fed after all !

Acccording to the RPRA website the meeting lasted two and a half hours and there was some very frank discussion. But DEFRA say they will need to go away and think about the points our representatives raised and that means it is going to be mid-June at the earliest before a decision is made. Peter Bryant rates the chances as 50-50.

Peter, Sounds as though the rain on the line of flight, combined with the strong wind and the late liberation probably accounted for the poor race down here. Still no sign of the five well-raced birds we are missing from eight sent, but after continuous rain until mid-afternoon, the sun has come out at last so hopefully they are close enough to make it back before dark

Mike, So what's the answer if you live near the south coast, keep them all at home on the off chance that we will be able to fly from France this season - what if DEFRA never let us go across the channel again - worst case scenario it could happen, although of course we're keeping our fingers crossed for some good news later this week. Incidentally our young birds are all trained north to begin with because we can't get any distance from the south (unless we can find someone to take them out in a boat!) and nearly all our old birds are also trained north before racing south for the same reason.

Yorkshire Dales ?

Returns poor racing from north to south west (see thread on British Barcelona Club from Ingleton). Guess it was ok if they had even a bit of help from the wind which was very strong westerly here yesterday. The 1.15 liberation meant the slower birds just didn't have enough flying time to make it before dark and torrential rain and poor visibility this morning has probably shut out most of the absentees. We are still waiting on experienced birds that have flown Palamos and Pau. Could it be they don't like being turned round!

They do have a website but it doesn't appear to get up-dated very often and can't find any mention of yesterday's race, perhaps they need to take a leaf out of the MNFC book, they seem to give their members an excellent on-line service.

Held them until 13.15 when the weather apparently improved. Wind was given as north at the racepoint but according to the weather reports I picked up on the web it couldn't have been like that for long. Here it was very strong westerly all day and we expected winner to be well over to the east of the country. Heard however that the winner could be in Bristol which would be a pretty good achievement given the wind direction.