Roland

http://news.aol.co.uk/families-shocked-as-pelican-swallows-pigeon/article/20061025025009990001

Our Connie is a worker flat out for the sport Good Pigeon News. Pigeon racing is coo-l A partnership of bird, human By Denis Cuff Knight Ridder/Tribune news Published June 7, 2006 Chicago Tribune, United States - 26 minutes ago CONCORD, Calif. -- Ron Actis paced his back yard and scanned the skies above Kirker Pass for his pigeons racing home from Nevada. It was a 180-mile, four-hour-plus romp for the birds. It was an exhilarating and torturous wait for their owner, breeder and trainer. "I never eat breakfast on race day. I'm too on edge," said Actis, who has raced pigeons as a hobby for nearly 50 years. "Every week on racing day, it's like the first time for me. I get so excited when I see that first bird coming in and tucking for the landing." While millions of other Americans watched horses race around an oval track in the Kentucky Derby that day, Actis and some 200 other Bay Area residents entered their thoroughbreds of the skies in races unlike any in sports. The competitors, trucked to a central starting point, set their own courses to their own finish line. Each bird flies to the home coop, getting its bearings from the sun, the earth's magnetism and low-frequency sounds. Winners are judged by calculating speeds, not times, over their respective courses. Athletic birds The unusual format helps explain the low profile and widely misunderstood nature of pigeon racing, a sport built around a bond between dedicated people and athletic birds. Homing pigeons can fly from 40 m.p.h. to 60 m.p.h. in races that cover 100 miles to 1,000 miles over territory they sometimes have barely or never seen. The feat is the equivalent of a human running 100 miles in a day without a map. In wars, homing pigeons have delivered messages saving thousands of soldiers' lives. Roman armies used them. A pigeon called GI Joe saved 1,000 British soldiers out of radio contact in 1943 by delivering a message to call off a bombing attack that would have blown them to bits. In peace, the birds keep coming home to roost and race. "These are not common wild pigeons that you see pooping at BART stations," said Actis, 64, a retired plumber. "These are domesticated, pure-bred athletes that are trained, fed and cared for by humans to bring out their homing instincts." In the human part of this people-animal partnership, the shrinking ranks of pigeon fanciers breed and care for birds from chick to champion. Many rise at 4 a.m. to sweep cages, give medicines or prepare birds for workouts. Some stay up late at night for lost birds to return. Most racers are middle-age or older men who compete and socialize in a sport that some jokingly call poor man's horse racing. "We are a dying breed," said Don McKinney of Danville, Calif., who took up the hobby in 1961. McKinney is a member of the 79-year-old Martinez Homing Pigeon Club. His son has taken up the sport. High costs deter newcomers. Racers can pay from $100 per bird to tens of thousands of dollars per bird. Pigeon lofts, where the birds live when not racing, can cost thousands of dollars to build too. It's time-consuming The time commitment of regular cleaning, caring and exercising birds also can deter people. Newcomers typically face a long period of losing to experienced racers who have mastered the intricacies of breeding and training. Nonetheless, McKinney said the low profile of his sport doesn't dilute his passion for breeding and hatching to racing his birds. "You can be Al Davis in your own back yard," McKinney said of his sport. "There is no [former footfall commissioner] Pete Rozelle to tell you what to do." To get birds with talent, owners need to learn about breeding. But proper training can hone those skills, fanciers say. Both breeding and training are high on Actis' priority at his loft, a network of neatly painted white and blue rooms that might be mistaken from the outside as housing for humans. "That's Lady Janssen over there," Actis said of his prize breeder imported from Europe. "It was raised by the Janssen brothers of Belgium, probably the most famous pigeon people in the world." Pigeon racing began in Belgium in the 1800s and is a major sport there. Actis wouldn't divulge the price of Lady Janssen, but some pigeon fanciers say they have paid thousands of dollars for a top breeder. Lady's Janssen's babies will race for the first time later this year. Actis and other trainers gradually fly their young birds increasingly longer distances to build up endurance and homing skills. To be sure, success depends on the uncanny navigation ability of the pigeons. "When you take them places they haven't seen, homing pigeons come home. No other bird does that," Actis said. "A wild pigeon, we call them commies, has the ability to come from five miles away, but our racing birds must find their way 500, 1,000 miles or more." Pigeon racers who move often will give their older birds to someone living nearby. Once in their new home, the racers will rebuild their flock with new birds hatched at the new location. Birds occasionally get lost, however. "I had one bird that didn't come back for a year," said pigeon racer John Cannon. Another pigeon returned after a month with its neck slashed by a hawk's talons. The pigeon recovered. Raised from babies "If you own birds, you have to expect nature to take its course," Cannon said. "I try not to get too attached to them, but you can't help it when you band a pigeon in the nest as a baby, spend time with it, and talk to it when you're scraping the cages." Races remain the ultimate test for the birds and their owners. The night before a recent Saturday race, Actis and other pigeon owners brought their birds to the Martinez clubhouse for the race check-in. Club race organizers held the birds over an electronic scanner that read an electronic chip on a band attached to the birds' leg. This computerized information can be updated later when finishing times are added. The racers joked, compared bird notes and ate barbecued sausages at the shoreline clubhouse decorated with photographs of top pigeons and members of the club. The next morning, Actis was alone again, walking a wooden platform by his loft while waiting for the birds to return in two races from Nevada. "They should be here," he said, squinting into the sunlight. "The wind might have slowed them down, or blown them south." A week earlier, Actis' lead bird circled over his house for about 45 seconds before finishing. It lost the race by 30 seconds. This morning, Actis' first bird arrived and passed promptly through the coop gate to trigger an electronic clock to record its finish time. The bird didn't win, though. Actis gave the bird a drink of electrolytes and a meal of light seeds with a low oil content. "You wouldn't want to eat a big steak after running a marathon," he explained. Later, during the second race, Actis' first bird came in first out of a group of some 400 birds racing 250 miles. "It was a thrill," he said. "I'll be ready for next week."

Guenia Pig a choc bar for the lad around the corder... The rest 20 minutes at a demolition sitre, and a £5 builds a complete new inside lol. couple of Lintals planed and Garden Lime rubbed in with a slight damp cloth... stops it flying about and not getting in birds eye. cool. for the 4 x 2 in nest boxes, placed on the beer mats soaked in creaote.

Sorry forgot to look at this topic... I like the 4 x 2 inch block of wood in boxes. In hens, or cock sections sometimes of course, they may mate up. On a thin perch they can't mate up. On the wire door - for easy cleaning, they wont mate up, On they floor they would... Of inquiative guienea pig (Rabbit) scampers over ... they stay on perch resting peacefully.. As for feeding and watering a fold down shelve in an inward slope is put down. So their feding and watering is of the floor. Water spilled, grains spilled (very little) runs out between the little 1/2 inch gap over the trough.

Remember when the Permisculous sixty's started, the 'Right' to do as one pleases and have ne redress, then their children, Primrose and Gladiola etc, - besides getting into Parliment ... taught their kids, Doesn't may as long as you enjoy and have love' .. Now under the 'Human Rights' act one has the Right to do what they want.... whether later accountable to their action or not. So one has the right to Rape, Pillage and Burn.... and told off if court. Soon one will see folks being charge for preventing this crimes... For though realistic folks believe them to be wrong, they have the right to do the deed, and to stop them wil - is - against their 'Human Rights'!

Don't look if squeamish http://207.46.11.124/cgi-bin/getmsg/F0008%2eJPG?&msg=9B718E9C-8E1C-4189-90B5-B340267D8A62&start=0&len=1615989&mimepart=5&curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&b=ce9f53f7c66e6e04a076ee3d51bf40e7&disk=10.1.106.221_d209&login=rosscoley&domain=hotmail%2ecom&_lang=EN&country=UK&SafeRedirect=%26hm___ts%3d1162377005%26hm___ha%3dfd1335cde0fa15bc20c78e7c5174e046

Lol... Yeah don't mind the refereeing ... as Long as I don't get thumped lol... But it doesn't require refereeing, as it is a free for all and no holds barred ... Thik the only thing would be not to bring in innocent family / friends for unjust slagging... Mind I'd rather have a ringside seat than be in the square in any shape or form lol.

Not refering to this site Rose... didn't know we had any Mode lol... but don't need any here obviously. Could have a 'Tammy's Ring' for Members Only with a different entry code for settling heated, or personal heated debates I suppose. Roly's Ring worked well, in as much that the would be School teachers would come on then refuse to go into the ring after stirring it up. Soon realise that they had lost all and any redabilty.... But honestly this site and many more are really tame and placid... should have seen SOME of the Eye sign debates, ET discussions, waal were just great, and I still get a great laugh in disbelieve saying myself 'Nah ! Was that really said!' in the cold light of day. But now it's mostly just the jovial banter and good humour leg pulling amongst seasoned flyers, who still get the odd question... but the archives are used and are a gold mine... between the crap scenario's lol

Not refering tpo this site Rose

Camano Site... I believe the best personally for straight forward and logical thoughts of genine help from poster has had some real up and downers. There was a lot of the Scool Teacher types that wanted to ban, bar and keep certain ones quite. Ye the Knowledgeable ones that frown and told them about pouting lips when not having each other agree and getting a pat on the bach syndome. Yes they boycotted, threathened, sulked and at Days end after 5 years ... then a 'Ring' wasput up for 'Private Posters' to have a free for all. The ones not really worth a light and would be modulators seldom use it now, and just pop in from time to time to stir it up ... which is good for figures soar when there is a good bust up going on. The owner was, and is right, he pays for it and says 'He only has the right to ban! And no ones been banned yet. I'd defy any body to find a better, more enlightening site than Camano. Just looking through the feast of archives is still a great refresher course and will put any one, novice and pro alike on the right trail ... and some parts are actually hilarious. Yes I'm not interested in egoistic modulators ... enough said before I get banned lol.

Wooden V perches A wire trough under the perches and a guinea (or rabbit) on the floor!

Truth is stranger than fiction ... Total distances of miles and time taken may put Vic right, as I know a few scenarios in Maths that defy logic. On this one the court is out as I haven't the basic knowledge - Ashamedly- as to how the system works.

I believe that in this day and age that the word 'Jealousy' is over used and too often for the wrong reason... including sometime a easy word of convienience. Why, I doubt jealousy very muck. I deranged sence of making a point! A feeling of frustrastion that they are mature enough to overcome and deal with in a appropiate way! A sad sence that it will make a diference to their warped idea of what the feel is right or WANT. In any scenario a very sad and forlorn case which again the perbritrator achieve nothing and a hard time, cast assuming love has been callously chastised unjustly. I feel for you Sid, like most others do I'm sure. And I dread to even entertain the notion that it was related to his post as a prominant Sec. P.s. and it akes me wonder again about the safty of ET's on allottments.

Well I still see countless 'Public Places' and 'Transports' that are supposedly be made to accomandate Wheel Chairs, Blind Dogs, etc. etc. and Sufferers of M/S etc. etc. and they are by law technicoly discriminated, and in that same scenario, I am afraid Peter is coming the old 'Codswallop' big time. Who enforce these acts...! Nah a new lawyer needs to be challendging his 'Ole Mucker' of gabbabe!

Paulo says the above is the best option otherwise you are discriminating against poor people like me who won't be able to afford ETS and don't have electricity in their lofts so will have to reply on shitty battery packs and pay a forture for rings. If it comes in I'm still using a clock won't be able to afford the cost of ets Paulo THEY can run on batteries just the same. If no ones pinched them all out of the allotments...

Nah Alf ... he's happy! The ones forking out are miserable lol

Lol... wish I could do it lol ... well perhaps not! lol

You know in reality most censor others subconscienely any way. Out side of personal uncouth attacks, and bad language there isn't any thing that should be deleted, let alone banned. Many don't like my style of writing, so they don't read it... others don't like how and what I say, so they don't read me. That is great and fair. But for anyone outside of them two reasons - Religion and politics are a bad post any way - to put themselves up as holier than thou, a right to judge, and the to curtail is ludicrous and smacks of selfish egoistic mania bordering on the perverse sense of their own inadequately and wanton recognition. To ‘lord Over’ is a patronising sin OF the underprivileged brain power.

from 450 miles upwards.

Living upto the name of the Scots eh! Mind I am taking this entire topic as a tongue in cheek banter... so they may just remain canny, canny give yer this and canny lend yer that lol

Ace if the velocity is the lower one than you anticipated, would that mean you still was top or not? And if so be nice to know how you plan to proceed ... if indeed at all. Purely from a personly view, as not really any of my buisness.

The fewer the better ... easier to manage, easier to observe, and cost effective. 12 pairs is realistic best ... two roads then 24 racers tops... no real need for a stock loft if your intent on 'Racing'. The only reason for a stock loft need is when a season goes horriblely wrong and you ned to replenish. But if a few late breds are reared regulay for 18 months down the line, then the 'Second string to the bow' is as good as your gonna get. Set the perches to a convienent number and lose birds rather than add. Never add perches. 3 years down the line, if you have it you will be a force to be reckoned with. Of course birds can only achieve so much, and any bird only a certain amount ... so a better bird will always be infront of a lesser bird. I have a few New intro#s this coming season... old birds just to pot about with and used to rear new strains youngsters... The yearlings will be flown dry and then a late round. Will get about 30 youngsters all told... the old birds having to make way for the new arrival. Then next season only rear say20 to 24 tops. Unfortunately some will be where I make mistakes, and keep the wron ones, but though that will quite possibly happen, I'll never know becus they will be gone and I'll have to use the cloth left to make my coat.

An hour longer disco dancing ... We will sleep long enough when dead lol

life & technology Email this page Print this page Friday, Oct 27, 2006 NASA launches mission to study solar flares full image NASA has launched a mission to observe solar flares. (iStockphoto) (CBC) - NASA launched two satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida late Wednesday as part of a new mission that will observe eruptions from the sun known as solar flares. The radiation from solar flares can interfere with electrical and communications systems on Earth, can wreak havoc on orbiting satellites and harm astronauts performing walks in space. The spacecraft launched on Wednesday at 8:52 p.m. ET are called STEREO, for Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory. NASA used a Delta II rocket to launch the space probes one on top of another. Notebooks: Don't pay for shipping Scientists said they hope the $550 million US mission, which will take two years, will shed some light on solar flares, giving them information on their origin, evolution and interplanetary consequences. The solar flares are considered to be the among the most violent explosions in the solar system. Scientists also hope the satellites will act like a pair of eyes, working in tandem, to give them the first ever three-dimensional views of the sun. Solar flares eject about a billion tonnes of the sun's atmosphere into space, travelling at a speed at 1.6 million kilometres an hour. They cause the phenomenon known as the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis. Sexy singles are in your area at Date.ca. NASA said it thinks information about the solar flares will assist astronauts who go to the moon, and on future trips to Mars. Technical problems delayed the launch of the twin satellies a number of times and concern about high winds delayed Thursday's launch by several minutes. NASA managers were concerned that winds might send toxic material over urban areas if the satellites exploded accidentally. But about 15 minutes before the launch time, the winds were deemed acceptable and the rocket powering the spacecraft blasted off. With files from the Associated Press

Well Like my case I still kick my self and the principle that I didn't take it up... and I was niave to say the least, first season and told by many secs 'Not worth chasing '... It was as that hole in my guts would have been filled... So outside of a few ruffled feathers and a nose or two tweak, even put out of joint, you have nothing to lose... Self esteem and self satifaction mean a lot down the road. Not the losing out later on... BUT the fact you sat back and let it happen and did nowt. For it isn't he that tries and fails that is a failure, it is he that doesn't try. That's it's I'm afraid in a nutshell. Dam if you do and darned if you don't ... but you know best how you will react down the line. Maybe you can swallow it and let by gone be bgone. Like I posted before when my mate won the Gold Gold (Feds) and they put the wrong name up, when they offered to put it right the best they could he shrugged and said... 'Nah don't bother me noine, I know I won it, and it will soon be forgorren ... so don't ruin a good cup ..' Some man was Bill Cooper.