Bilco

Thanks, Dicky Darky for the kind words. I suppose Dovescot is quite right, my training WAS calculated to scare the sh** out of the cats, but it convinced them not to attack my pigeons. To my mind the end justified the means, it worked, and we had 17 years of (I think) happy cats and contented pigeons. Once my mogs got the idea that the pigeons were not to be touched everything ran smoothly, and they (the cats) evinced no feelings that I could detect of being put out. If they were lying in the sun and a pigeon approached, the cats would sit up, look, then flop down and go back to sleep again. the pigeons walked round the cats and showed no signs of fear, though if a neighbour's cat came on the scene they flew off quickly.

What are you taking the pi** for Dovescot? I DO like Siamese cats, they're great little animals, highly intelligent, handsome and very affectionate. That doesn't stop me smacking their backsides to train them out of bad habits though. I've had pigeons since I was just past 7-y-o, and I'm 80 next year so that's a fair while. I still go pigeon shooting though, and have logged bags of well over 100 on many days out. I cull injured birds, useless birds, sick birds with equal impartiality, it is a task that has to be done. Sentimentality is not permitted to interfere. I love(d) my late wife and kids, but as a trained professional regular soldier of 27 years I would not shirk from shooting human beings if the need arose. So what's wrong with liking pussies then? LOL. Cheers, Bill.

Hold on Timbarra. Just because Jstoon is a slop doesn't mean he has to think all the time like one. He has a mind of his own and is entitled to his opinion, as you are to yours (or isn't he allowed to have one in your view?) I like Siamese cats, and have had several in my lifetime, they all had to be trained NOT to touch the pigeons though. This training took the form of a smack on the *expletive removed*, a shouted "NO" in their faces while I shook the sh** out of them, followed by three somersaults through the air to end in the middle of the fishpond. It took three such dips before my favourite Xuxa got the message, and when he did it stuck. He would step off the path for a pigeon, or even look inside the loft, note everything going on and then continue walking round the garden. He lived to a ripe old age (17) before falling ill to Hyperthyroidism. He still chased sparrows though! He was terrified of Seagulls, they came at him up on the rooftop with their huge beaks snapping and he fled from them. It takes all sorts, and none of us has a divine right to judge. Domestic pigeons have a right to be protected (which is why I hate birds of prey so much) but I don't go looking for birds of prey to kill them, I do however reserve the right of self defence, and damn the bad Law that says I may not defend my property. Jstoon would come looking for me if he knew I was guilty of that, daft isn't it? Cheers, Bill.

I went to HotRod in Newton Abbot, and bought an electric fence generator (Eagle 100) and it has belted out a spark every second, day and night, for the last 19 years. That spark has been channelled through a wire Twilweld grid on the loft roof (a foot wide) and three inches away from that another Twilweld grid is earthed. The cat walks across the first one, but when it touches the next it completes the circuit. Once is enough, they never come back for a second dose. If the outer grid is the positive one, and you also wire the fence or wall that the cat uses to access the roof, they get a shock trying to scale to the roof, same result. The number of cats that have tried to cross it are legion, and the birds stay safe. Think cat and use the same pattern of touch and go round the garden and your birds are safe 365 days/nights a year. Cheers, Bill.

I witnessed exactly the same behaviour on the west coast of Portugal, when I went there to live in late 1986. The predator would wait on at high altitude and then as the race birds (Pigeons) came along the coast from liberation at Sagres, it would dive, strike and let the bird fall into the sea or on to the sand. I never saw it pick up a single body. I did meet a shepherd lad with a .22 rifle who happily killed hawks, because he hated their manners and he loved Pombos (Pigeons). I paid him 100 Escudos (Then about 40p) for every dead predator he brought me over a two year period. I'd cut their feet off so he didn't bring the same one twice. He kept those cliffs as clean as a whistle from Villa Bispo to Zambujeiras (Alentaijo).

EVERY Pigeon fancier CAN help if he or she wants to. Shut your birds up for the winter, build a good strong 6 ft by 6 ft by 6ft aviary if you haven't got one.

Whoa lads ! First, pigeons are NOT livestock. I had this out years ago. To be classed as livestock they have to be kept for the production of "Meat, eggs, products from their bodies, i.e. feathers/wool/leather etc". If they were livestock we could defend them when attacked. But they're not, so we can't. Natural defences include Canker, and since we cure canker in our birds, that stops the hawks catching it, and saves their lives. Shooting lands the gun with a fat fine and possibly a jail sentence, so unless you can beat radar, cameras, infra-red night vision, snooping spies, etc, that's out. (And the spies stay hidden after they have spotted you, they dare not risk confrontation, for they know that some fanciers will not hesitate to kill them too, but they will photograph you, car number, etc). OK, so you can level the score when you get out, sooner or later, but in the meantime you pay. That leaves the silent ally, poison, and the RSPB make damned sure that ANY poison you can use is unavailable, they have it off the shelves faster than you can say knife! BUT, they do not control all the world, yet, though they are trying with their control of "Birdlife International" - their other name. There are poisons available in faraway places, like Oz and the USA, but getting them here is dicey, and using them is dicier, because remember poisons do not stop being poison after they have killed their first victim. They go on doing it, so other carrion eaters are killed, so are cats, dogs, foxes, even children can be poisoned by handling traces of the stuff. So you take your pick and live with the consequences. Of course there are other methods, nice quiet ones, like netting - in hidden places - traps under water where the hawks come to bathe and clean up, and so on. They need constant monitoring, so the ball is in your court. One day we will discover a surefire solution, and then the fat will hit the fan and the squalling will start. Of course there is always the other answer, escalate the war to people, those who hold the big sticks and who use them. They do it to us, why not we do it to them?

Flagyl, Canestan, Ronidazole 10%, Copper Sulphate crystals ("Bluestones"), even Bicarb will keep it in check.

The old original mouthwash, but the new stuff does it too.

Money to burn Bruno ? A whole teaspoon of it? LOL.

LATEST FROM RPRA HQ: AI UPDATE Many of you know that the French Association last week announce to the French Government that they intended to ignore the racing ban. This caused a review by the French Ministry and I am told but have not yet seen it confirmed that the French Government have agreed for pigeon racing to recommence with the exception of German federations, AI still being rife there. This news was conveyed to DEFRA with a request to review their racing ban from the continent as a matter of priority in order that we could make arrangements for young bird racing. The response? Quote “We are under no obligation to take the same decisions as the French Government! Our vets are keeping the situation under constant review.” Unquote! Totally, totally frustrating. I have now referred this response to the Chief Vet. Last week at a meeting of the President and Vice Presidents it was agreed that we should canvass Council members to agree to exploratory legal advice to see if we would have a case to challenge these somewhat bizarre DEFRA decisions. Council has agreed to that and I have put the wheels in motion. It will entail getting opinion of Counsel (a barrister) who specialises in litigation. I will of course keep you advised on progress on this.

Hi Ronnie, Sorry, been otherwise engaged elsewhere, did not see your request at Post 8. All that you really need to view was the statement under "COMMENT" - which gives a brief statement of the predicted situation for 36 hours. The Index was low, and gave little problem. Last weekend's weather, continuing into this week as Bruno points out, is much more of a problem to fanciers at present. There was (this morning) no sunspot activity visible. Cheers, Bill.

Funny . . . its gone all quiet. LOL.

Peter Fox says in answer to my request for clarification, that Liberations are now allowed in France, as of 10 p.m. tonight. Something seems to have worked ! Good innit ?

What's illegal about mounting a legal challenge? What's illegal about challenging authority? That's how potential Dictators are prevented from being Dictators. PS: Did you mean "Martial Law" Roland? Cheers,

I think Iain that DEFRA are very well aware that our birds pose no problems, and I feel sure that their Veterinary department at Weybridge/Tolworth will have advised them of all the many tests that have been carried out without effect on Pigeons, world wide. They are just being "Safe rather than sorry" about the problem, and do not intend giving an inch in case they are kicked for it in the event that things went wrong. This is why we MUST pursue a challenge on their authority, and sue them for restitution of our sporting rights and privileges. Human Rights are important items with the EU, they place a lot of store on our freedoms.

I can smell it coming. One tight arsed little git, chock full of his own importance, is going to have a fit when he sees and hears that La Federation Francaise is racing and ignoring "The Rules", and he is going to order that all the pigeons at a particular site, or lib point, should be destroyed, Just watch it happen! THEN stand by for blasting. Oh to be a fly on the wall when it happens.

I imagine their second word would be "Korf"

LOL. Old age. Cheers,

Well, they do say that "Its an ill wind that blows nobody any good" (or something like that) and the good news is that H5N1 has been diagnosed in 29 birds of prey to date, mostly carrion eaters, but we live in hope. Now, just think what might happen if H5N1 were to be found in the Exe Estuary, or Falmouth, or in any other place where birds of prey live off the wading bird community in winter time? Terrible ! Cheers,

01329-664436 or 07709 913131 Cheers,

Hi Steve, As explained elsewhere, the French Fanciers have revolted against the order to keep their pigeons at home, and are participating in an act of civil disobedience. If the authorities retaliate it will provoke a lot of problems for Mr Sarkosky. As I said elsewhere : QUOTE: Seems some people misunderstood. The "french meeting" was of the French Pigeon Federation, a bit like our RPRA but alive. They met and decided that they did not like being treated like morons by their equivalent to our DEFRA and are practising civil disobedience in that they have resumed racing, in defiance of their Governmental edict that they must not do so. If the French DEFRA starts getting heavy handed, the course of events is expected to be "as usual" in France, when Dockers, Railwaymen, Airport staffs and anyone else interested turns out in support, and the country will grind to a standstill. Mr Sarkovsky is being tested. Being a shrewd gent I suspect he will call for his 'DEFRA' to explain the whys and wherefores, and if he comes to the same conclusion, that Colombae are not Gallinae, arses will be kicked. This could be interesting, and an excellent object lesson for our DEFRA lads and their "Kick the Pigeon Fanciers" mentality. There are people who will see their action as sheer folly, but I reckon time will tell that pigeons and pigeon fanciers are not as green as they look. Cheers, Bill.

Several groups of pigeons have been scientifically tested by properly licensed and well organised Veterinarians, worldwide. They have jointly arrived at the same conclusion, i.e. that pigeons are not susceptible to Avian Influenza (H5N1). Further, these same Vets opined that pigeons (Colombae) should not be governed by regulations pertaining to poultry (Gallinae). To this effect the EU jointly issued a Directive in April 2007, stating that pigeons are now not included in the species Gallinae . DEFRA received a copy of this Directive in April this year. They have sat on it and done NOTHING to comply with the terms and provisions of the Directive. They continue to treat pigeons as poultry, and to order conditions and provisions covering pigeons that simply do not apply in the EU Directive. We, that is the fanciers who have had ebough of being treated as idiots, have had enough. We now intend to challenge DEFRA in the Courts and to sue for the restitution of our sporting rights and privileges, and compensation. Are you for us, or against us?

Hi Ryan, The Pigeon Navigation forecast site you mean? I don't know where he gets his data from, because I can see nothing to indicate poor conditions this weekend. It doesn't mean that he is wrong, just maybe he knows something I don't ! Weather wise (rain etc) is looks poor, but insofar as Solar radiation is concerned there is "nothing on the clock" as far as I can see.

Look at your Search site, is it ticked at "Search the web" or "Search UK". I have just accessed the site, it is there. Cheers,