Pompey Mick

It is not illegal to kill so-called vermin, but it is illegal to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal whether it is vermin or not. Contact your local SPCA voicing your concerns and get this indiscriminate method of extermination outlawed, it is a disgrace such methods are allowed by the local council.

My club has 25 Unikon systems, we are building a fund which currently stands at £1200.00, I'm hoping for a substantial reduction in costs for multiple replacements. Our American counterpart, now on PigeonChat, Mrs Bouquet (formerly Hyacinth)says that the batteries are lasting for 10yrs in the States. The bottom line is you have to pay for electronic technology to be maintained, and if you want the manufacturer to stay in business then regular maintenance is a necessary evil. If the Club owns the ETS then steps must be taken to build a maintenance & replacement fund and likewise for fanciers.

You're obviously talking about more than one person clocking otherwise you just take the clock with you or wear the harness for the T3s

Southampton & Dist. N.R. Fed. 27TH APRIL WINDRUSH 4TH MAY STRATFORD 11TH MAY MELTON MOWBRAY 18TH MAY NEWARK 25TH MAY MELTON MOWBRAY 1ST JUNE WAKEFIELD 8TH JUNE NEWARK 15TH JUNE HEXHAM 22ND JUNE NEWARK 29TH JUNE BERWICK 6TH JULY STRATFORD 13TH JULY PERTH/ NEWARK THE DECISION FOR PERTH WILL BE MADE 1 WEEK BEFORE THE RACE, WHEN BIRDAGE WILL BE KNOWN. 1 WEEK BREAK YOUNG BIRD 27TH JULY WINDRUSH 3RD AUGUST UPPER HEYFORD 10TH AUGUST STRATFORD 17TH AUGUST UPPER HEYFORD 24TH AUGUST STRATFORD 31ST AUGUST MELTON MOWBRAY 7TH SEPTEMBER NEWARK IT WAS VOTED THAT THERE BE ONLY 7 RACES FOR YOUNG BIRDS. OFFICES HAVE REMAINED THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. SECRETARY------ SALLY OSBORNE CONVOYER-------ANDREW OSBORNE DRIVER-----------PAT HARRIS RACE CONTROLLER---SALLY OSBORNE WEATHER ADVISOR----KEITH THOMAS WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST FOR THE 2013 SEASON SALLY SALLYO

http://www.buggerthebankers.com/

Early last year I was working at a school in Blair St. just North of the Blackwell Tunnel, alongside the A12, and a peregrine had a killing platform on the block of flats just the other side of the A12. I could see it about 8 floors up on a ledge plucking its prey, and it would stay there most of the day. Did you see Ray Mears programme on the Yorkshire Dales showing a peregrine plucking what looked like a bluebar pigeon.

Will the mini-sites ever be resurrected in the original format or are they completely finished. I thought they were an important part of Pigeonbasics and a way of getting deserved publicity to Club & Fed fanciers who seem to get totally overlooked these days due to the surfeit of National & Specialist racing.

We need to give more support to this group: http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/save_our_songbirds.html and divert funds given by bird lovers away from what has become a blood sports society which is now the RSPB .

Favourite time is when a bird folds in ahead of schedule, least favourite is when you see a local fancier get one and you're still waiting.

When you say you only have 6 hens to race, does that mean that you have 18 cocks without hens or have you hens you are not racing.

They should be ready for a substantial increase in food intake now, you will need to get them into a feeding regime before they go out again. If your cocks are driving, just let them out, do not let the hens out again until they are sitting as a driven hen is not the best of trappers anyway. Make sure you let the birds out about an hour before the specified feed time, if they are driving and peckish they should be no trouble to trap as long as there is no repeat of your cat problem. Make sure you are on hand all the time the birds are out, and if you do see a cat do not make too much noise and unrest in scaring it off as sometimes more damage is done by the fancier chasing away a cat than the actual cat itself.

Overcast with light drizzle here on the South Coast.

I'm normally a user of Tic Beans but this year is the first time I've not got a bean in the loft due to unavailability & price. I'm going to try some barley as a hopper feed for the first time ever, I intend to supplement it with some higher value hand feeding when required. I was thinking of adding some brewers yeast to the barley on a regular basis,it's going to be a bit of a learning curve. Any tips?

Try their site: http://www.rpra.org/racing-handbook/ring-list-and-pricing/

Got 4 pair of Stock just hatching, only looking for about 16Ybs as I have 14 Latebreds already resident in the YB loft which I have started training when there are breaks in the weather. Not breeding off my race team due to cost and available space.

Well the football was c**p , more's the pity that it wasn't called off, today has been sunny & dry but the wind has been up to gale force,still the birds had a good fly.

Damp,overcast & very windy down here on the 'sunny' South Coast, will be going to Fratton Park this afternoon as the match has survived an 8.00am inspection. Don't know how much 'good cheer' will be on offer though as we lurch from one financial crisis to another. Perhaps '13 will be our lucky year.

You're sure to have a Merry Xmas now and a prosperous New Year with a decent party to celebrate your excellent good fortune. Well Done!

IF YOU SEE A FAT MAN… Who's jolly and cute, Wearing a beard and a red flannel suit, And if he is chuckling and laughing away, While flying around in a miniature sleigh, With eight tiny reindeer to pull him along, Then let's face it... Your drink's too strong! Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!

Now's the time to put that 'Awards for All' grant application in.

As already said, all 'N' prefixes are issued to the National Flying Club every year for their member's use. I wouldn't have thought they would still have the records after 32yrs, the RPRA only keep records for ten years after which the rings have to be re-registered to keep them active.

Hi Ben, Due to your location you may have better luck on Pigeon Chat which has a lot more southern based fanciers on it. http://www.pigeon-chat.com/viewforum.php?f=2

When my Dad was alive he was a pest control officer for Portsmouth City Council, every winter we would shoot & trap ferals in Church Roofs, School Roofs, Railway Stations, the Barracks, The Guildhall, every major building in the City had a feral population. The number of rung birds inside buildings was minimal, stray racers always end up on balconies and ledges, the only rung pigeons that were allowed to roost with the feral colonies were usually YBs, they just wouldn't accept a stray into their colony much the same as our pigeons mercilessly chase a stray that has entered the loft. It's all about territory, but they will accept a young immature pigeon into their midst, natures way of strengthening the genes with a cross.

Have they got a website

As I've said before,Scotland is more Independent within Britain than England ever was, you are still a classified country (we are 'that part of Britain') you have a Parliament we have not, you have a National Anthem, we haven't, and I envy you. If Scotland gets its independence then there is every chance that England might arise as a Country in its own right again. From an Englishman's (hope I don't get arrested for saying that) point of view it seem's that Scotland does better out of Britain than the English do at grass roots level, so who's nest will be feathered the best with Independence I leave that to you to judge. I wish you Lad's well in your quest for Independence because then we might get a bit more home rule ourselves.