ally mac

-7 in the loft last night, will be interesting to see what it is tomorrow morning. Birds all seem happy enough though. Al.

There was something on the news tonight, gas companies asking for more from their suppliers, not sure how it all works.

Tragic news, RIP. Al

Think that might have been me, couldnt get it going with photomizer but downloaded Yawcam from the web and got it going with that. Search for web cam drivers and you should find it. Al.

Harry Maidment, Rembrant2coo. That and the meally are Harry's, lovely doos.

One of Harry's, it is a nice doo. Cant wait to get some YBs from all these and see how they do in the next few years.

Nice one Paul, fascinating programme. Al.

Liberation at sea. Al

Wouldnt know pal, Any Irish lads reading this thread fill us in ????????????????

I was talking to Willie McCray, the skipper, he said that a few never left the ship till they got closer to land but never mentioned any in the water. The freeboard (height from the side of the ship to the sea) on these boats would be about 12ft or so. Al.

My old mans pal was the skipper of a coaster during the foot and mouth outbreak, He took a boat load of doos from Ireland to be liberated at sea. Cant remember where it was though, maybe some of the Irish lads will remember. Al.

Happy new year Frank!!!!!!!!! ;D

PMSL

When I saw the thread I thought you were selling one, thought my luck was in :-/

Thanks once again for your thoughts chaps. The doos do seem settled on their perches I have to say. I think I will have a careful look at them at night etc and have a wee think in the next wee while. Al.

I would like to put up 2 x 2010 late bred YBs. I dont have any race wins or such like to promote these birds but I do hope I have the makings of a good team. If there's no bids I will make a wee donation to the fund myself. Anyone interested can pm me if they like. Al.

This was posted on another site, dont know if it might be of help. do you know any racer guys in your area, they will get a weekly paper called the British Homing World. Ask them for a copy dated jan 1st 2010. page 72 theres a long article about the laws concerning keeping pigeons. you never know you may find somthing that may be of help to you.

That will be quite easy,got an airgun ;D. Can you elaborate on it triggering the moult? When would it trigger it if its the same every night? I actually wondered if it might even be a wee benefit when they are breeding, maybe less chance of being caught of the nest?

I found this when I was tring to find out about a loft of pigeons that were kept at the wartime seaplane base in Oban. One of my old bosses first jobs when war broke out was to build a loft in the boatyard that was being used for the seaplanes. Part of RAF Coastal Command operated from the Shetland Islands, using Catalinas to patrol the northern sea routes looking for U Boats returning to Germany. The crews used to go out on 22 hour missions, searching for and, if possible, sinking any U Boats. As each plane ws ready to leave the crew collected two pigeons from the lofts, just as a fail-safe in case the radios packed up or any emergencies arose. In October 1942, Ted Southern was asked to sustitute for another crew member on a mission, so he was not flying with his own crew, which was always a little unsettling. Towards the end of the flight the weather turned really bad with gales and fog, so the Catalina was not allowed to land at Sullom Voe in the Shetlands, and was directed to Aberdeen, but there the storm conditions were just as bad and the plane was directed to Oban. With petrol running low, and finally running out, the plane was forced to ditch in the Atlantic. There was no radio contact, so the captain put messages as to their location into the leg capsules of each pigeon and sent them off. There were two life rafts, but accidentally one of them drifted off with only two men in it, which left too many men for the other raft, and everyone voted to stay on board the plane. One of the pigeons never made it home, but White Vision flew 60 miles against the gale force wind with visibility down to about zero, and landed exhausted and with lots of feathers missing. From the message in the capsule, calculating wind speed and tidal drift, the RAF sent out the launch and came across the Catalina after about forty hours. As the last man jumped the gap between the tossing plane and the launch, the plane immediately sank, as though someone or something had been holding it up until that moment. The two men who had drifted off were picked up later, with the result that White Vision was responsible for saving 11 men, and was awarded the Dicken Medal, one of about 33 pigeons to be honoured in this way. White Vision was bred by Fleming Brothers of Motherwell, and she lived until 1953. How many other people can say that they owe their existence to a pigeon? If she had not reached her loft, the crew would have drowned, Ted Southern would not have survived and married my Mum and I wouldn't be here writing this.

My loft has a street light about 60 ft away and because the top half of the loft is open at the front there is always a bit of light shining in. Do you think this will effect the birds. I made it worse last year when I trimmed some trees to let more sun reach the loft :-/

Ive been putting all my pairs together for a few hours each day, some in nest boxes with a front dividing them, others in seperate sections and a pair in the aviary. Hoping when they are put together to have less problemss.

Aye your probably right Sammy :-/

Can you have 2 sheds that size?

If he feels that strongly about Afganistan he should move there!!!!!!!!!!! Think this country is too soft!!!!!!!!!!!!!!