Albear

Roland put a rubber on them yourself.

Happy birthday Vincent, have a good one!

There we are Pete, look at the difference in price!! Mind horses don't fly I suppose!

Welcome, looks a nice set up.

Hi Owen, don't know the difference between molasses and black molasses. But you can get molasses cheap at most equine stores (apologies if they are different)

Absolute tosh, the purpose of the forum is not to debate rules! It's the same old gramaphone record, stick to the rules stop creating trouble, there's been some great topics lately on pigeons, banter etc why do you and others try and ruin the site by always bringing up your dissatisfaction of the rules, there are other sites that you are obviously happy with the rules, why don't you stay on those, that way you'll be happy. If you don't agree with the rules you shouldn't sign up.

the Albears in County Kerry 2 years ago

A regular suggestion seen many times from those who want to change the site to their way of thinking. Why? You signed up to the rules, making open suggestions stirs up trouble. If you genuinly think this is a good suggestion do it the right way contact admin, not drum up discontent, far from soothing things you are doing the opposite

No suprises with the quality of bird and dedication of fancier, well done Stuart

It always amazes me how other forums get brought up and they are unsuccessful in most cases as well!! This forum has set rules, they are the rules for this forum which we agree to abide by when we join. If you're happier with other forums because the rules suit, then use those instead of this one. If you think the rules on here need changing pm admin but remember it ain't a democracy, none of us have any right to set the rules , unless of course you own the site!!

Bruno and I had many a run in a few years back and since; but I'm delighted he's back, he has in my opinion integrity

Peter very sorry to hear but you have your priorities right. It was a pleasure meeting you and having you transport my birds, you provided excellent service. My very best wishes to you and your family and good luck to the new owners Alan

Last night had a 'phone call from a very good friend in Northern Ireland, he had a YB reported near Exeter from last weeks Talbenny National. Reported by a non fancier, I picked the pigeon up this morning, in immaculate condition bred from top pigeons but the non fanciers said it couldn't fly they caught it with a fishing net in the garden, my feeling is that it was attacked by a hawk and was sheltering. Interestingly they had an eagle owl on the roof of the dormer, I asked why they had one, they said it kept the sea gulls from nesting on the roof!! Could this pigeon have seen the eagle owl and thought it was safe near it?????. At the same time on my way back I called back to a local fancier and he had an Irish stray in that he had reported several weeks previous an old bird; again a lovely pigeon no injuries. I am convinced we have two problems in Devon & Cornwall, that causes huge losses to our area, a) the BOP and the military prescence and communication networks, between Tiverton and Barnstaple it's hawk alley and there are several communication hotspots I understand. I'm with Bigda here, the airwaves I'm sure are causing huge problems for the lesser quality pigeons and the hawks are frightening the life out of the birds. Can you imagine the fear felt when someone is hunting you to kill you? I think these are the two major issues affecting us all. To all the organisations liberating down here you would help yourself by moving further east but unfortunately they are dotted all around the south coast now. To the Irish Talbenny has to be a deadly site for you, the peregrine population along the North Cornwall, North Devon coast is abundant as it is inland all the way through. It's a tough route but I think flying the continent East - West would help the vast majority of us, at least the birds will have several hundred miles before they start hitting the areas over populated with hawks.

As some will know I lost my licence in June because of medical reasons , thankfully I have just got it back. So my YB have had no training. I have also been waiting to move my birds to a new loft about 400yds from the current one. Because of this I gave my first round away and paired very late, my second round weaning at mid July, the proposed date to move into the new loft. Unfortunately the farmer’s plans whose land I have my loft on have not worked out, (he has been very kind to me). Today he has told me it will be 4 to 8 weeks before I could put a new loft up. Now to my YB I have about 33 from the second round that have been out of the loft half a dozen times but not for ¾ weeks and a further 33 l/b about 7/8 weeks old that have not been out of the loft but in the trap. The oldest ones if possible I would like to get going I can train this month if that’s a good idea, I would like to get some of the l/b going too, if of course I hold them . I’m at a loss as to the best way to do this as time for decent weather is limited and of course they are moulting. Can anyone suggest a plan for getting them trained to 20 mile within the next 3 or 4 weeks weather permitting? Or am I wasting my time and better of offering them cheap to help finance next years racing? Or wait until next year and train them once mated? Any advice, views , suggestions gratefully accepted. Thanks

Not sure about that, lots of choppers down here with the main base near Yeovil fly regular over me to marine base in North Devon, doesn't bother percy and the chopper could be much higher with good cameras but a bit pie in the sky I suppose!

Don't disagree that this is well worth doing but it will not be a quick fix, it will cost money and at the end of the day thre is no guarantee that we will get a proven result. Would a couple of helicopters with cameras following convoys possibly do as much?

When I said a set of races from the same race point, what I was trying to say was that you would probably need a period perhaps 5 years before you could start to show a consistent pattern.

Bigda I think that's a good idea but the cost at this stage is prohibitive. To prove anything, you would need to do a set of races from the same race points. Studyingone race would prove nothing and you would need to do the whole convoy. What happens when 20% of the convoy that return go over the mast and then 50% of the rest detour around the mast, what does that prove>/ Does it mean the 50% were rubbish, I'm sure the mast people would successfully aregue this. I'm not being negative but devil's advocate

Interesting debate, in the last two weeks there have ben 3 YB Nats, Irish, NFC and Scottish, what unites them all is poor returns. In my section only 10 YB timed on the day, not bad on the east though, but racing up the east compared to the west tends to be easier because of prevailing winds and flat land with few peregrine particularly in England. I have no answer to why other than wind , topography and hawks. GPS however has fascinated me, simply because I don'r know exactly what it would teach us. Let's say you attach a GPS and the bird flies so far and then the gps is static, i.e. the pigeon is dead, wires, hawk, gun, how would we deal with that, how would we identify cause, we might find the GPS but would we find a carcass? I doubt it because some predator will have taken it which ever way it dies. And what if the pigeon ends up on Arran for example what does that prove. How could we scientifically produce a balanced report. I would suggest by putting gps on every single pigeon in a convoy, that way you could record current whereabouts of GPS but what would it prove, you still could not prove or show what has happened to the pigeon. I'd be interested in alternative views on this and how GPS would work, my mind is not closed on this, it needs opening however to how it would help us.

Bit late in the day but well done Davy, chuffed for you, and congrats to everyone else some good birds timed, commiserations to all those who din't meet their expectations/hopes. Time to start planning for next year's YB.

Sorry Michelle going off well done Frazer great to hear you've won (been away so missed stuff) delighted for you butty!

Well done mate and Mr Donaldson. Hope the rest of you lads and lasses get them this morning. Alf are you sure it was tea??

Michelle if you need some stock let me know, I have been unable to race my YB this year so I'm sure I can help you out with a few decent birds, just pay the carraige if you need any

Been over the valleys visiting the outlaws, just been reading the thread, well done Mitch and Delboy cracking performance out west, and Ian good one up there in the Granite. Good luck to you all tomos hope they come for you, especailly my mate DJW and Vincent and hope you Peterhead lads get some early ones.

Great test for a yb, takes a good pigeon and fancier to be successful at that distance. The very best of luck to you and of course everyone else , hope conditions are good and true so you'll have a good idea of theri capabilities.