Bluedoo

My basket training with youngsters begins the week they are weaned. Catch them and put them in the basket. Then every race day during the OB season they go in the basket. The longer the races the longer they are in there. And put a drinker on as well, if they are in for a while. If you do it from when they are squeakers they think nothing of it. Of course its a lot easier when you only have a few.

25 old and 12 - 15 youngsters.

Happy New Year to everyone, hopes it's your best yet.

Merry Christmas to everyone. Birds already done. Mildest morning we've had in a good while.

For those of you with kids (of all ages) http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/8392636.stm No great shock to me. If they'd asked I could have saved them £60,000. I'm blessed with plenty gulls and a few percies too. I think our local council was going to try this as a supposed deterrant.

All the best for the future, you've left something to be really proud of.

http://www.superantispyware.com/ its a freebie and does pull out things your normal anti virus progs miss.

Yes Timo, thats the one I was thinking about. Must have another look at it.

Ok thanks. I did recall he/she wanted feedback. Never actually tried it myself.

Did someone not write a program and post the link on here.

No, but speak to your union.

Me too, just hopefully less mistakes than before.

Maybe in your neck of the woods, but up here they're bigger than that and yes they do take pigeons. Definately 2 of mine that I'm aware of.

"IF the sparrowhawk is big enough to kill and eat pigeons" IF.........do you actually keep pigeons? If so where?

I would be more inclined to agree with Mr Bills where he states "pigeons and songbirds". Bearing in mind the figures usually trotted out by the BTO,RSPB etc are at best usually at least 10 years old, and usually older than that. Also take in to account these figures are usually breeding pairs so you can at least double the amount of raptors nesting. Then add in the young and immature birds and suddenly 297,000 may not be that far fetched.

Also lucky you still want 20!

Got to ask, why yellow?

If its working, don't change anything. If you try something new at this stage it will probably upset your birds.

For what its worth, as far as clashing goes, then Lanarkshire should have had a far greater pull on whoever they clashed (if they did) with. I dont think there were too many feds with their birdage. In the past I believe there was a far greater risk of clashing , far more pigeons in the sky on the same day. Im thinking back to racing with the railways, when far narrower corridors were used, and with a lot less access to present day weather forecasting and communications. It will be interesting to find out where the birds start getting reported from.

Yes I've seen it. I've also heard of birds coming home and not being being clocked. Theres still too many flaws in the systems.

No worse than a bird damaging its leg and having to have its metal ring removed. Why would a chip break down? They use them for animal passports. And lets face it theres more chance of the bird breaking down. Or are there still just too many flaws in the system!

Well once you checked the ring worked you could superglue it in place. Or do the ets brigade still want the option of moving them around?

I've got it Easyjet.............they get blamed for a lot too.

According to our good old friends the rspb, the corn bunting population in NE Scotland has dropped by 83% in 20 years. Guess what they are blaming it on............. Thats right! Its farmers.