mealybar

Looks like I was blocking the line just before the good news came through :X :

Really strange, I phoned the RPRA about 20 mins before posting up what I was told (posting 5:07pm). Got email dated 5:08pm from the BICC secretary saying that they had the phonecall saying were on for channel racing but only to as far as Bordeaux. Madness!!, but its great to finally have a DEFRA decision

Spoken to the RPRA today; DEFRA haven't made their minds up yet, but they are hoping for a decision before the end of the week. As a consequence any channel racing planned this for this weekend is cancelled.

Hi Gez, I'm looking for a battery opperated ultrasonic repeller for mice, rats, cats, etc. Have you anything? Richard

A shorter distance sure, but no mean feat was put up by Village Lad 2 x 1st Open UNC Folkestone, 28,307 & 21,969 birds competing; Porter & Stevens of Percy Main.

Hi, Not sure how much the P & P would be, maybe check out the amtrak website? Looking again at them there is 1 possibly two which could go streight on your loft, others need a little attention. Will get a photo later on for you. Fifer, sent you a pm.

To pick up on Jimmy's point, I was thinking about the birds memory the other day. My youngsters only seen me a few times before because of being away, and rightly they were nervous of me, the stranger in the loft. Old ones in just the next section immediately remembered me, remembered their trapping whistle from last year, and remembered where the loft was when I took them for a toss the other day ;D While in the stock loft - there is one pair of stock in each section of the loft - it was amazing how differently the youngbirds being reared reacted to me going in to feed them. Even though both pairs are more or less the same age, one pair kept under the box hidden out of the way, and only came out to the feeder to pick about with mum and dad once I'd gone (they even looked up at the grill to see I'd definately gone!); and the other immediately came out when I went in and were quite happy to be played with and handled. I think they pick up a vibe of behavour from their parents at a very early age, you will see a pair of youngsters in the nest either be aggressive towards you - you know how they stand up and 'click', or back away into a place for 'cover'.

Maybe an easier way to get the results from the mini-sites is via http://www.pigeonbasics.com/clubs/statistics.php - gives the latest 20 results sorted by liberation date/time.

UNC doing 1660ypm ish in Hartlepool which was 11:29, 268 miles from Brookland. Other UNC times I heard; 11:30 Skinningrove, 11:26 Billingham, 11:55 Horden (thick fog here). Word was the best ones are up the top end.

I've got 5, 5 hole stall traps on the old loft, doing nothing so here they are. All are wooden, made locally (Woddys); some are in better condition than others, £20 for the better ones, £10 for the others. All would only need a sand off and a coat of paint. Richard

Beautiful day here (Hartlepool); good visibility, not a cloud in the sky, bit of a nip in the wind last time I was out.

UNC liberated at Brookland at 6:45am

Best flyer in my area will be the person who last topped the fed sheet This is pretty good flying I'm sure you'll agree: 3 first feds within 7 days; North Weald 28th May - also 1st Section 6 - 7th Open UNC 20,721 birds, Melton Mowbray 31st May (Wednesday federation catchup race for missed races in May because of the weather), North Weald 3rd June,,, the partnership: Patterson & Westmoreland - Hartlepool

Tomorrow will see the UNC racing from Brookland, while the rest of the NEHU are a couple of miles away at Eastbourne. Another spot the difference is their racing for the Queens Cup, UNC aint! I cant understand the UNC denying its members the chance to fly for what may be the most prestigeous race this season; members of my club were dismayed by the decision, how did it go down in your area of the combine, Speight? Carl? Ste?

Getting used to the race basket, I put a bit of seed inside the pannier, and placed it in the loft with the front flap open.

A couple of years back my birds were going off 'ranging' for a good time, ended up finding out that they actually went off, landed in a field out of sight where they would sit and peck about for half an hour before fliting over the hill and back. :-/

Was wondering this thismorning when my ybs woudnt trap up :B Yesteday I gave them a bit more in the trough but still took the feeder out once 3 or 4 had visited the drinker. Out of interest what are fanciers feeding their youngsters just at the moment, and how much?

Well done

Good to see you back :)

strays@rpra.org

If you have a program like Photoshop/Fireworks/Microsoft Picture Editor/... open your photograph and edit them so they are approx 400 pixels wide (fits onto the webpage without causing problems then) and then save the photo as a JPG, using compression or quailty settings at round 75%. Your photo should then be the right size to upload On the otherhand, I think there is an update in the pipeline for the forum software that will automatically resize your photos when you upload them. Cant be sure how soon it will be available though. Richard

Well done

1222 in the Fife Fed from Wakefield. About 1280 in Hartlepool Fed from UNC North Weald 7am lib.

Beautiful day here in Hartlepool, heat is getting up now too, 24 degrees in the loft just now.

Sorry to come back to a topic already covered, but I've just read the last few days postings. Secondary flights; what length would you consider short/long. I remember reading in some of your previous writings on the SAPML about cutting the secondaries, please could you jog my memory and remind me what purpose this was for. Thanks Richard