b.massey

Well Done P Thomson

Yeah every day the pair are coming over here for there free grub.... They had 3 young last year so maybe they were the ones filmed! What chance we got when 5 percy's are smashing into them every time there out! only the 2 adults again the now but will soon be they young again so we think its bad now but 2 months and tortured all over again

Lost another YB yest... Never seen it but my club mate chapped door to inform me he watched it. Wee white flight hen He tried to set a firework off for the bang to scare but sadly never worked and another one goes to feed them BAST*RDS

Well done Fred and John Also well done Lumsden and Colligan. Good birds at those times

Thank you Daisymay Yeah fingers crossed Frank and hopefully fanciers can contact her through out the UK and let the ball roll for people to hear our story! Anyone looking to contact her please do so jennie@avalanchemedia.org

Hi guys Dunno if you's all seen that THE FIFER had put up to contact Jennie who is a journalist if we were experiencing BOP problems. I contacted her and here is my story thats getting put to local papers... Please let me know thoughts... Deadly nature reserve predators stop father and son sharing their beloved sport A Rosewell resident who has grown up racing pigeons fears for the future of the sport. Brian Massey has raced pigeons with his father since a child but says this tradition has been ruined by a growing threat to the sport. He and other local pigeon fanciers say the peregrines on the cliffs at Hawthornden Castle cause great reason for alarm. Pedigree pigeons and song birds are diet staples of the peregrine falcon. Brian Massey is 27 and has been keeping racing pigeons for 15 years. "This year I am missing 11 of my birds. One recently returned from a race with a slice along her body and lots of feathers missing from her wing" he said. "This predation problem is ruining our sport - my dad has now decided to stop pigeon racing after 45 years, as he's had enough. "We've been racing birds together ever since I can remember." Brian keeps 60 racing pigeons and explains that there are seven pigeon fanciers with lofts in his village - all experiencing the same problem. He fears the escalating problem could mean the death of not just his birds, but the sport in five years. He says that peregrines attack by swooping under the pigeon so they always leave the same marks on the ones which escape - making victims of these attacks easy to recognise. Brian says that the damage done by these predators extends further. "Pigeons will panic and dive into the nearest area to try and escape - which sometimes results in them killing themselves by hitting the ground, trees or a building. "If the peregrine attacks a flock of say 30 pigeons while in their line of flight, they might only catch and kill one or two, but the others could end up damaging of killing themselves in their panic to get away. "Pigeons are also known to fly hundreds of miles in the wrong direction to escape, leading to exhaustion and getting lost." The pigeon fanciers in Rosewell keep around 500 pigeons between them, but Brian estimates about 4000 racing birds in the area to be at risk from the nearby peregrines which are capable of hunting a 15-mile radius. He believes that the installation of manmade nesting sites in cities and towns, to encourage peregrines should be stopped, or at least reduced, to allow racing pigeons safer flight paths. "Pigeon fanciers are bird lovers - we're not against birds of prey. We just want the peregrine population to be left alone to colonise more natural nesting sites. This would really help reduce the threat to our birds. Nature should be allowed to take its course." Brian is desperate for the impact of birds of prey on pigeon racing to be recognised: "We are extremely attached to our birds. Just like any cat or dog owner would be distraught if their pet was attacked or killed, so are we when are pigeons return attacked or worse still, dead." “The scale of the problem here means more of our birds will become a food source. Sadly, these birds of prey don’t discriminate between feral and racing pigeons. Brian explained that soaring peregrine falcon numbers in the UK are also having a detrimental effect on the population of other native breeds such as songbirds. In the 1960s, the peregrine falcon was almost extinct in Britain. Killed during the Second World War to stop them preying on messenger pigeons, peregrines then suffered the impact of pesticides. But new levels of protection and restrictions on pesticide have helped the bird of prey to recover. Peregrines are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act – however racing pigeons have no legal protection from the increasing threat from birds of prey. Rosewell pigeon fanciers say they need to let out their birds for exercise and training regularly - and the growing numbers of both peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks pose a direct threat. Many British lives were saved during World War II, thanks to the efforts of pigeons carrying information across enemy lines and concerned pigeon fanciers in the area think these birds deserve to be protected. Brian believes the racing pigeon suffers an unjust reputation. "They are far from being vermin. Feral and racing pigeons are a whole world apart." Pigeon racing is a long-standing British tradition; HRH The Queen is the patron of the sport and has around 200 racing pigeons in the royal lofts at Sandringham. There are about 60,000 fanciers in the UK who race their pigeons from April to September, using the winter months for breeding and husbandry. UK pigeon fanciers have formed the national Raptor Alliance to lobby for change in the protection of their racing birds. Currently, birds owned by the 60,000 pigeon fanciers in the UK have no legal protection against increasing attacks from soaring sparrowhawk and peregrine falcon populations.

Now my 2 widow cocks and 5 natural hens sounds a crap idea!

Well done charlie and good flying from lumsden and colligan

Very very Sad news.... Never met him in person but was in loads of contact on here about my situation with fanciers lung... RIP

Otterburn 3 118 birds 8.30am E/NE wind 58 miles 1st M D Winter & Dght Blue Pd Cock 1.14.22 1392 vel 2nd M D Winter & Dght Dark cock 1.14.42 1386 vel 3rd C C Winter Gay Pd Hen 1.15.48 1366 vel 4th W Tytler Blue cock 1.16.17 1357 vel Pools 10p 20p 30p 40p 50p £1 £2 £5 B Massey Blue C 1357vel ( 4th time full pools in 5 races) Acc carried forward Well done

Midlothian fed lib from otterburn 8.30am into east north east wind. Good luck

Yeah very much aprreciated..... The one member who has stuck by is stb looks a happy man! Mibi knows something we don't and we might wake up to several stopped clocks haha. Club secretary Jimmy Simpson

Thankless job peter.... As I said its not ideal but at least racing... I'd rather be otterburn than anywhere near witton castle!!!!

Midlothian fed are going to otterburn... 58 miles to myself. Not great but least its something I suppose. All the best to fed members!

okay thats fine with me Peter. Hope wee get a good wee race on sunday

No I am simply asking if a fed further north than us are going to ripon can we go further or is it set that we are going to Otterburn. A race is a race but 3 otterburns at 58 mile aint ideal if we can go further. We are 3 races away from the 1st SNFC inland national and next week see's the first race in out Gold cup for fed yet we aint even past 132 miles yet. Roll that in with 2011 yb programme and we have yearlings that have had 11 races and not even got 170 miles on back. I know its no ones fault but I am simply saying if other feds can go down 100-150 miles on sunday are we looking at this option or simply otterburn?

is that a hope?? and still Ripon?? Our fed is saying it could be otterburn only 58 miles for us?? better taking them a toss

Midlothian fed 24 hour delay.... Update 1pm 2moro to see if racing sunday

Pigeon racing is a lot of luck.... First you need the pigeon healthy, then fit! Have that and you have a chance! I have stood many times at the loft and others in my fed tell me that the first bird they got that day would have been last choice at picking! Untill the day wee can track them we just never know. Saturdays race there some leading birds came home out the north. Then others out west and majority south. Who is to know what batch was leading but its clock that tells winners. Heard all excuses from bad traps, to noisey neighbours! Can't win a race if not in clock

3 pigeons for me Selby 165miles Doubt we will have race tho

No need to call libline 2moro then

If nothing changes towards the BOP then pigeon racings end is in sight! We can have one last chance at saving it. If everyone was to find out the things they could do to there racers so if they do get caught by BOP then the pigeon would die but also be a nasty meal for the BOP. Then we would cut the population very quick. But all fanciers need to take action as one or two here and there is not enough

Mirrors in widow hood cocks box.... Soon as they go fighting with well..... themselves! I basket cock. Hens I just let nature do it..... 10-12 day eggs and a YB is what my hens race best too. My hens have just laid eggs weekend there. So perfect for opens/Nationals. Thats all I am aiming at 2012 so bit of luck and hopefully find my self in SNFC result on first attempt

Think he is drinking it the now

I like to use honey on a sunday Then fresh water with plenty grit and minerals 27/7 up till wed. Then Naturaline Thurs Fri and back from race to find glucose