Bid to protect pigeons from hawks ends in fiasco

[micko and jack]

http://www.robedwards.com/2010/01/bid-to-protect-pigeons-from-hawks-ends-in-fiasco.html

[sammy]

no surprises there  :

[andy]

They should be re-located with some lead

[OLDYELLOW]

What aload of Crap Linda Brookes should spend a week with a fanciers thats getting attacked by bops , trial not even run fer a year  baterys last 9 days this study on the face of it must of been headed by Chuckle Brothers with several 3 year olds kids in data control , beyond a joke and back to square one , no-one gives a dam about a few pet pigeons wether there racing or otherwise , use as many deterents as you want guys the only way to fight any war is to stand up and be counted , my birds are my lifestock , lifestock can be classified as food , the bop is a theif , minum for steeling another mans food is 12 months however ill be the judge and jury and determine the bops sentance

[gulkie]

relocation is a load of crap,do they think that all the lofts are in one area,

if i catch a bop in my area and take it somewhere else all i do is move the

problem to somone elses loft, where the hells the logic in that.we cant beat the

rspb there are to many charities giving to them, let us take drastic measures

and stop giving to charities , and maybe someone will sit up and take notice

of our plight

[Roland]

I think we need a dozen more Bilco's and Les's.

But then if we had a hundred more of each ... most would still do nowt but moan and whinge.

Let me assure any and everyone, RSPB included, any Hawk or B.O.P. that tears one of mine to bits  had better enjoy it! If needs be, hopefully  the carcase  will be taken back to it's youngsters and mate, for it will be the last supper for them.

Mine will only fly out when well Salted with Lard.  Doesn't hinder them in any way whatsoever. But will certainly not die in vain if the case has to be! It would also help to reduce these aerial killers.

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

A lot of hard work has went on within the SHU for the last 15 years and it looks like it has all been a waste of time and money,

 

The talk of deterrents by the RSPB and National heritage looks like the only way forward this is something that the RSPB have been desperately  trying to promote for a long time to us fanciers, so with their blessing/understanding and given the fact that dummy Owls and CD's etc dont work every pigeon fancier from all over the uk will have to educate/ deter those BOP that pigeons are no longer a tasty meal. All pigeon fanciers in 2010 and years and beyond should have a few pigeons that are flavored (legal of course)with something that the BOP do not like and these few in turn could be released at the loft at the height of these attacks or in singles before a training liberation, if every fancier in the UK done this then i'm sure BOP would evntually turn to another source of food .  

 

[Guest IB]

BHW recently published an SHU article on the trial which gave a good outline of it and the range of folk (and procedures) they were up against who tried to stop the trial from ever happening. I'm surprised reference has been made to a newspaper article instead, which does not contain one quote from anyone owning pigeons, but which gives our 'friend' Mr Duncan Orr-Ewing, and therefore the RSPB,  the very last word ~ try yet more deterrents. It conveniently left out that fanciers who had initially agreed to take part were then faced with having to watch their pigeon being ripped apart first, then the body being used as bait in the trap to catch the sparrowhawk. Not something I'd readily agree to, would you?

 

The SHU did not regard the trial as a fiasco, there was further evidence from it that deterrents don't work, as lofts using the new 'deterrent', mylar tape, suffered more attacks than ever before. It's use made things worse.

[Roland]

Yep, like the RSPB state and promoted, salt is a great detterent. They never come again.

[sammy]

which gives our 'friend' Mr Duncan Orr-Ewing, and therefore the RSPB,  the very last word , they can have the last word all they want IAN but its not going to save there preciuos beasts, talk is cheap so let them carry on talking and every man that keeps pigeons get aff there a---- and do something about it ,man on here been saying this past couple of years so listen to him ,enough said   ;D ;D ;D

[micko and jack]

I'm surprised reference has been made to a newspaper article instead, which does not contain one quote from anyone owning pigeons, but which gives our 'friend' Mr Duncan Orr-Ewing, and therefore the RSPB,  the very last word.

 

I came across this late last night while traweling for sale ads for fantails

and with all the trouble fanciers are having with BOP

i thought this would have been of interest

and me posting this up lets other fanciers see whats going on

just in case like me they knew nothing about it

mick

[Guest Davy Fleming]

No point in having a go at Linda Brooks as not her fault mate, she and her husband also have doos and get the same as everyone else. But got to agree it all seems a waste of time and makes me see the red mist when these blinking things come near the loft. IF and I say IF we were going to have any chance whatsoever we need people with power on our side to fight our corner. Very difficult situation we ALL find ourselves in but we can do worse and convince someone from the TELEVISION  to come and make a documentary of these attacks and let people see what actually happens. Just a thought . As for relocation , that's a laugh as been proven it doesn't work even taking them 80 miles . HOPELESS,  and as someone says what's the point giving someone else a headache. Know what will happen if it comes near me anyway IT WILL BE WELL LOOKED AFTER AND TAKEN CARE OFF BEFORE BEING RELEASED FOR GOOD . so anyone from the media have friends in the right places

[Novice]

Any report on any subject is always open to interpretation.

Here we have the interpretation of a biased reader in favour of the RSPB. Unfortunately they failed to publish the views of the SHU.

The report did several things.

It proved that attacks are frequent (unfortunately the survey was outwith peak times).

It proved that deterrants did not work.

The fact that when a sparrowhawk was relocated it was replaced by another proved that we are at saturation point with these killers.

Relocation could only be short term plan as we would soon run out of location sites.

The solution to this problem now lies with the fanciers and is open to interpretation but could include rescheduling our racing and breeding programs to eliminate this vital food source when it is most needed. This would result in a further decline of the song bird population resulting in a possibly restriction on BOP numbers.  

[Guest Davy Fleming]

Novice , Don't disagree with anything you said but relocation simply doesn't work so therefore it ISN'T even a short term plan. As for reporting these attacks there wasn't even a fraction of them reported. I am absolutely sick of the situation like everyone else but we may need to think a little more albeit difficult

[Novice]

Novice , Don't disagree with anything you said but relocation simply doesn't work so therefore it ISN'T even a short term plan. As for reporting these attacks there wasn't even a fraction of them reported. I am absolutely sick of the situation like everyone else but we may need to think a little more albeit difficult

 

Like you I was part of the survey and found it to be a bit of a chore completing the paperwork.

When the project started I felt it was an exercise which had to be done to allow us to draw conclusions and decide what to do next.

[Guest Davy Fleming]

Absolutely correct  mate, a chore, but we did what was asked

[Guest IB]

 

I came across this late last night while traweling for sale ads for fantails

and with all the trouble fanciers are having with BOP

i thought this would have been of interest

and me posting this up lets other fanciers see whats going on

just in case like me they knew nothing about it

mick

 

Wasn't bothered by the fact that you posted it Mick, what bothered me was some of comments in replies that seemed to ignore that the article was very biased against pigeon fanciers, yet some of these same pigeon fanciers chose not to criticise the article, and criticised instead a Union that had succeeded in getting at least the Scottish Government to recognise that we do have a problem which needs sorted. Remember, according to some of these people, birds of prey don't cause fanciers problems, they are just behaving 'naturally'.

[Guest Davy Fleming]

WELL SAID IB

[Guest stb-]

 

Wasn't bothered by the fact that you posted it Mick, what bothered me was some of comments in replies that seemed to ignore that the article was very biased against pigeon fanciers, yet some of these same pigeon fanciers chose not to criticise the article, and criticised instead a Union that had succeeded in getting at least the Scottish Government to recognise that we do have a problem which needs sorted. Remember, according to some of these people, birds of prey don't cause fanciers problems, they are just behaving 'naturally'.

 

well we will just naturaly take care of it

[ch pied]

A Trap 100 is the only answer .

[Roland]

Just think  :-/ if a few years back, - as fanciers now should be doing, because the same ole song will still be playing -, fanciers had listen to the likes of Bilco, Less, and a few others, the RSPB would be striving to get the fancy around the table to talk in regards allowing Hawks, and B.O.P. a little lee way.

So in 3 years time, the 3000 fanciers or so left will be saying, 'If only... if only 3 years ago we'd stopped whinging and got of our butts and listened up  to the like of Les, Bilco and them very few isolated voices and done something then, we may have stood a little chance.... But let's face it, the main ideaa now is.... 'If only I can see my time out with the doo's then it will be alright, it won't matter as there won't be a pigeon left any road. :o