Novice

Looks like good news to me!

Personally I am just that bit wary that the forecast will alter before Saturday and that it will be a reasonable racing day! Forecasts have been known to change a great deal From Wednesday till Saturday.

In the simplest of terms we control the food supply but we are too old fashioned to change our ways and withdraw this food when they are feeding young. If we withdraw pigeon from the menu they will decimate the song bird population, various other breeds will become endangered and then and only then will numbers of raptors be restricted. We have been the RSPB biggest ally in their programme of raptor reintroduction.

Lanarkshire were at Appleby

Ayrshire federation will liberate at 09:30 at Otterburn.

About 70% cloud cover with a SW breeze in Ayrshire.

Misty in Ayrshire but hopefully that will burn off soon.

One possible explanation! The whole of the sun's magnetic field is about to "flip", according to NASA - with warning signs being spotted by observatories around the world this year. This "flip" happens every 11 years, and coincides with the greatest solar activity in the "cycles" of the sun, known as "Solar Maximum" - with sunspots and "coronal mass ejections" on the surface of the sun. "It looks like we're no more than 3 to 4 months away from a complete field reversal," says solar physicist Todd Hoeksema of Stanford University. "This change will have ripple effects throughout the solar system." The effects are so powerful they will be felt beyond Pluto - and may affect phenomena such as cosmic rays, which some believe can alter the climate on Earth. Scientists have recorded these "flips" for decades, but the process is still not fully understood. This particular "flip" has already puzzled scientists - with one magnetic pole of the sun appearing to flip "too early" last year. I know for a fact that, on liberation at Stobs Camp on Saturday approximately 50% of the convoy set off in the correct direction while the remainder flew into the wind going in the opposite route from home.

They know the cause but they are just not prepared to share that with the general public. They will eventually appeal for funds to preserve the food supply for their flagship killers.

Dry and overcast in Ayrshire with strong southerly winds.

Grey and wet in Ayrshire.

More importantly has he ever been to an AGM.

Please believe that there is a great deal of communication and co-operation between Scottish Race Controllers. When dealing with our counterparts South of the border there is certainly less co-operation. This does not apply in all cases but certainly in some. Losses on Saturday were unacceptable on what appeared to be good racing day. We all have gut feelings about weekends when the "air just doesn't feel right" but can you imagine the uproar if a Controller were to postpone a race based on his gut feeling? There will always be high losses at the first few young bird races while fanciers are as gung-ho in attitude as they are. I applaud Lanarkshire's training scheme as their birds were well schooled before the race. In my opinion another 2 factors which contributed to losses on Saturday were a high KP index on Friday and electricity in the atmosphere on Saturday. The R.P.R.A web site is a useful tool and should be more up to date than the BHW which is published in advance. Recently I wrote to the R.P.R.A asking that, as a first step to improving race day communication, the web site should be made dynamic allowing organisations to post potential liberation times and relocation of transporters as they happen. Hull NR liberating at Perth on Saturday is an example of how this would be a positive step. This idea was rejected out of hand. There is no doubt that should be able to improve our performance. The governing bodies should be able to obtain detailed weather reports and Kindex warnings which they then circulate to interested parties. Sorry if this post sounded long winded but there are occasions when Race Controllers just can't win.

Ayrshire will liberate at 09:00 from Stobs Camp.

Ok magic that's what I like to hear--Ayrshire will probably liberate about 09:00 now. Thanks for that.

Thanks for that please keep us informed of any change hopefully for the better.

dry in Ayrshire with some cloud cover. Early low mist rising above the loch. Anyone from the borders online?

I see Jock King has timed as well.

I am sorry this is such a long read but I believe the Anglers Trust have scored a victory and we should take a lesson from them. Below is the content of today's media release. Angling Trust team hails breakthrough over cormorant problem Anglers and fishery managers have today welcomed the decision by the Natural Environment and Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to replace the current bureaucratic and wholly inadequate system of licensing the control of cormorants with a new catchment-based approach which will allow for predator control based on local needs rather than arbitrary national limits. The Angling Trust’s Action on Cormorants campaign received high profile political and celebrity backing including from TV presenter Chris Tarrant. The Angling Trust has invested a huge amount of time and energy over the past three years campaigning for angling clubs and fishery managers to have the right to protect fish stocks from predation by cormorants. Bird numbers have exploded out of control since the 1980s to the point where the survival of many fish stocks was being dangerously threatened. For example, on the once famous Hampshire Avon Environment Agency surveys have shown a virtual collapse of roach in the middle reaches of the river where cormorant predation is the highest. Salmon smolts attempting to return to the sea have been dangerously depleted in many rivers endangering successful recruitment in future years and rural fishery businesses have seen their livelihoods threatened as a result of unsustainable predation. Although details are yet to be fully clarified, the main features of the catchment-based system look set to include: * an end to arbitrary national limits on numbers of birds to be shot * three regional advisors to be appointed to support fishery managers, funded by Defra * cormorant numbers to be assessed annually by catchment * as long as the conservation status of the birds are not threatened, the scheme will continue annually In his letter to the members of the Defra review group Richard Benyon made clear his determination to protect fish stocks saying: ‘We must balance how inland fisheries and aquatic bio-diversity can be protected from fish eating birds in an effective, proportionate and timely way.’ During the review process the Angling Trust published a 10,000 word ‘Dossier of Destruction’ illustrating the impact that the increase from 2,000 to nearly 30,000 of over-wintering cormorants has had on fisheries, angling clubs and rural businesses. There were 80,000 hits on the Trust’s special Cormorant Watch website recording sightings of the birds. Angling Trust Chief Executive Mark Lloyd said: ‘Back in 2010 the Angling Trust persuaded Richard Benyon to review the hugely-bureaucratic rules which have completely failed to protect fisheries and wild fish stocks from the dreadful affects of a near 15-fold increase in cormorant numbers in the UK over the last 25 years. Time after time we had reports of angling clubs and fisheries whose stocks were in real trouble only being allowed to shoot a couple of birds a year when literally hundreds of these lethal predators were wreaking havoc on the local fish stocks. ‘We’re delighted that we have won a major decision from the government this week to announce sensible predator management measures and will work with them to find a sensible balance between birds and fish in each and every catchment. The current situation had got completely out of control and real action on cormorants has been long overdue.’ Angling Trust Campaigns Chief Martin Salter added: 'This is looks like being really good news for both angling and fisheries and is a tribute to years of hard work by many people who were not prepared to stand idly by and watch our fish stocks being decimated by squadrons of cormorants, many of which are European birds not native to the UK. At long last, those of us who care for the nation's fisheries will be given a chance to deliver a safer environment for young fish and threatened species. ‘We are particularly grateful to Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon MP, his Labour predecessor Ben Bradshaw and all the other MPs from right across the political divide, including our colleagues in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling, who have supported this campaign. Thanks must also go to everyone who sent off one of the 100,000 postcards produced by the Angling Trust to lobby their MPs and to our friends in the angling and countryside media for regularly highlighting this important issue. Now the challenge is to make Mr Benyon’s new scheme work so that our fish get a fighting chance to survive and breed.’ George Hollingbery MP, Chair of the APPG on Angling said: ‘I particularly welcome Richard Benyon’s insistence that it was perfectly possible to produce a scheme that allows for greater and more effective control of cormorants without endangering the conservation status of either birds or fish. I hope everyone will now get behind what is an entirely sensible approach based on the needs and challenges in individual catchments.’ The declining roach stocks of the Hampshire Avon became a centrepiece of the Action on Cormorants campaign with a 16,000 petition from the Avon Roach Project being presented to Richard Benyon in February 2012 by a delegation that included celebrity anglers Chris Tarrant and Feargal Sharkey and wildlife film maker Hugh Miles. TV presenter Chris Tarrant said: ‘At last we seem to have a government minister who is prepared to take action to enable angling clubs and fishery managers to protect our vulnerable fish stocks from unsustainable predation by squadrons of these lethal predators whose numbers have expanded incredibly over the last 20 years'. Trevor Harrop from the Avon Roach Project welcomed the news saying: ‘We are delighted by this announcement, and see it as a victory for common sense. Now, we look like having the right to protect our vulnerable and endangered fish populations, the work we do through the Avon Roach Project to restore the river’s natural fish population stands a far greater chance of succeeding.’ RSPB member and award winning wildlife film maker Hugh Miles added: ‘At long last we are seeing some sensible concessions to save our valuable fish life from the tragedy of unsustainable predation by cormorants. This follows years of hard and dedicated work by the Angling Trust and many others and represents a real triumph for all those who have contributed to the campaign.’ Environment Agency data shows that angling in England & Wales is worth in excess of £3.5 billion to the economy and generates nearly 40,000 jobs. Rural businesses have warmly welcomed the Government announcement on greater controls of fish-eating birds. Adam Fox-Edwards from the Arundell Arms in Lifton, Devon, the premier game fishing hotel in the South West said: ‘It is important that both the public and politicians realise the huge economic value of both our fish and fisheries. Cormorant numbers have spiralled out of control in recent years and it is vital for businesses such as ours that a sensible balance is restored.’

The most recent forecast I see is for some thunder with rain most of the week at Clermont. However I think we will just need to wait and see how the weather changes as the week progresses.

Here are my ideas. There is no doubt the raptor problem is a very large threat to our dying sport. We need to fight this on all fronts. The raptor protection legislation was introduced to stop them from becoming extinct. This is no longer a serious possibility. Instead they have become a nuisance. The raptor population now far outnumber the natural food source. They prosper because we feed them domestic pigeon. Now if the supply of pigeon were to be restricted at times of peak demand then the raptor would decimate the song bird population and the RSPB would be forced to take action to protect other native species. We can move the equilibrium of this equation legally by rearranging our breeding and training schedules to restrict the availability of pigeon at peak times. We should not be racing or training pigeons during late July and the entire month of August when Percy is killing for fun. We should not have birds loft flying during the month of February when the hen Sparrow hawk is particularly active. We need to breed early young and condense the race program (while still enjoying the same number of races). We can do this by breeding early and having a period when both old and young bird races overlap. Mid-week racing should also be a feature of the condensed schedule. The RSPB powers may be far reaching but they will never be able to alter the biological clock of their pet killers. On the other hand, given central coordination, we have the power to alter our schedules for a few years to achieve our objective.

There is only one way peregrines are doing so well and that is because we supply them with prime meat when they are rearing young and training their young to kill. We need to change our racing and breeding schedules and then they will decimate the songbird population. Then and only then will their numbers be controlled. We are our own worst enemy.

What products are we talking about here?

Mr&Mrs Guenther&G/Son Dumfries 16.09 A Lees Eyemouth 15.52 W Van Nuil Gretna 16.06

I quoted the wrong time it was 6 hours. I phoned him just as he timed.