Liverpool Lib 26/05/07

[Pompey Mick]

I arrived at the Portsmouth lib site on Southsea Common just as they were liberating, I didn't think they would be liberating until slightly later. There was a cold northerly wind blowing and it was overcast with no sun, but brighter to the east. Visibility was good. Once they were liberated the birds were reluctant to clear, like swarms of bees criss- crossing the skies. Fairly large batches were still visible 45 mins after liberation. The combination of a cold head wind and overcast conditions will make this a testing race. It's 10.50 and still no sun, still cold, but brightness coming from the North. Hopefully the day will improve for my own race from Messac, up at 9.00.

 

I will post the video as soon as I've downloaded it

 

[johnny11]

Mick it would be good to see the video, as fed sec I was told they hung around for 5-10 mins before clearing, Should they have gone at 8-00am

 

John

[Pompey Mick]

http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q156/PompeyMick/?action=view&current=2007_0526libs2605070004.flv

[Pompey Mick]

How was the race, the batches cleared Portsmouth eventually, but fanciers all over Portsmouth remarked on the numbers of pigeons milling about.

[Guest Vic]

Good pictures! the sky itself tells the story.Big gaps in most clubs, won in the forties, but plenty missing, I got 15 from 20 but not a happy bunny at the moment. I had two at 13.04 (12 mins behind our winner) yet they will be in the first eight by what Iv'e heard. 20 members sent over 200 birds. What a week to have a bad one, with the channel racing coming up.

[RoryTheRed]

Bilco did warn everyone that this weekend would be erratic.

 

 

http://www.pigeonnavigation.com/

[tubbles]

Thanks for the video Mick. As for the race, perhaps luckily i only sent 6 and obviously i'm not as good as Vic cos i was bottom in the club and happy to make it that high. eventually clocked in at 14:08:02 comfortably bottom. Our winner is 1170 ypm, no where near the Fed winner (at least i think its the winner) He clocked in at 12:39:?? what a way to finish the inland season, just about everyone in the club was birds missing at the 5 o'clock strike. Bloody nightmare. Like Vic said we now have up until Thursday to get the channel team ready.

[Guest]

cracking video mick lets everyone see how there libs go maybe start a wee trend now where we can all see our own doos going up well done mick

[peterpau]

Trouble with videos is on a tough day like yesterday once the birds are in the air. You would have people queing up to hang the convoyer. Once they've gone they've gone. I am 22 short from yesterday. The truth is we got brother and sister, so they could do it ?We are up with the top 5% so!

[tubbles]

I agree Rose, but, in this country it is quite rare to have the perfect racing day. Any east in the wind and it is normally a little hazy, blowhomes people complain about the race being over too quick and as in our race yesterday, it was a nightmare but looking at the video i have trained in worse conditions and expected them to get home.  As far as i am concerned, i will have no complaints to tell the convoyer about. the video seems to show the weather was clear, ok cold wet on the way and low cloud, but, who trains on such days, I know I for one have done in the past and the forecast said exactly that. At the home end it was quite a pleasant day to wait for the birds not too cold and just the odd spit and spot of rain. Some of the losses will probably be down to natural wastage and by that i mean that yesterday was just about the first slow race of the year for us south roaders. the birds that were coming great guns in the fast ones got a taste of wind yesterday and were found wanting. I am still two out at ten o'clock Sunday but that happens at 200 mile races.

[peterpau]

Rose agree with you entirely but, no convoyer would let them go if he thinks he is gonna do himself out of a job. I for one would not like to have liberated yesterday or two weeks ago. They have to lib at some point and we put these boys on the spot every week. Not a job I want, and I take my hat off to anyone brave eneough to do it.  

[peterpau]

Tubbles you seem to think on similar lines to me. We are two down from the top 5% at our last race, but clearly some of our birds were not up to the job yesterday. Show me someone who has a loft with no weakness in it.

[tubbles]

Peter i hope that didn't come across as if i was saying someones birds were rubbish, it's not what i meant to say. All that was meant was we have had North East winds at the beginning of the season but it was sunny and warm so you know that the wind is not strong enough to blow out a candle. Our races for the first seven of eight inland races have been between 1391 and 1766 but, yesterday (1170 winner)was a real North wind, miserable day but these races make or break a season, my race was awful but i timed in was bottom took it on the chin and put all the names of the p**s takers in my little black book lol.

 

To me a race is a race, as soon as the birds are up it's mine against theirs. Nobody congratulates the convoyers or race controllers on a good race so why does everyone dive in feet first when they liberate and we have a bad one. The first change of conditions can't be blamed on the convoyers.

[martin dunks]

you think you had a bad race from portsmouth ? you could of been racing with the mnfc  from falaise ' here on the east coast  grimsby area , in our duplication club 17 birds out of 283 made it home on the night  returns this morning very thin , our fed birds travelling back from eastbourne  hopeing  for maybe a huntingdon release  

[Diamond dave]

Martin,

Have you any idea what happened to the MNFC birds. I only fly 8 cocks - I sent 6 of them and only ahd 2 back. 4 of the missing birds are experienced channel pigeons 3 & 4 year olds.

I have to agree with Peterpau and Tubbles, looking at the great video, the visibility was good enough to cut the strings but this seems to be more than just a hard race. 2 of the birds that I am missing are what i would call "hard" day pigeons and have scored in such weather but they are still missing...... The rest of the club members are all saying much the same.

I dont think its so much a question of if they should have gone up or not but more a question of what happaned to them when they were up.

This isn't just a question of the MNFC liberation Because it affected most of the libs from the south coast and beyond........Perhaps Bilcos theory is correct!

[martin dunks]

i havent a clue listened to all the theorys last night pigeons missing in the club were previous winners from bergerac   nevers etc  was fog over the channel  to blame , any east coast birds the other side of the pennines will struggle to home today in this wind and rain

[johnny11]

Maybe it had to do with something on your side of the country. Sent 7 to the MNFC national had 5 back yesterday in reasonable time and one this morning with one missing.

[tubbles]

Hey Johnny11 not a bad weekends racing matey well done all round mate. ;D ;D

[peterpau]

Tubbles I certainly think we are good birds short and I aint happy at being so many short but we are missing a lot of birds and there is no way I would want to be convoyer. I have had bad training chucks, imagine what it would be like if you liberated 4000 birds and watched as they circled the site for half an hour. I chucked mine out 10 mile down the road and knew I'd made a big mistake but once you've done it, it's done. No going back. You know we've sold birds, that I was well proud of. We are birds short that have been in the top 5% more than once. No we didn't send rubbish and felt we'd get better returns but. No offence taken.

[martin dunks]

well over 3/4 of birds missing and i mean well over spoke to several fanciers in this area this morning; late morning; and thier channel team is virtually wiped out was it a race at all costs

[pigeon bird]

i know how you are all feeling cscfc from cholet was just as bad, some members still yet to time in from yesterdays liberation, and everyone over 70% + down  they definatly got this one wrong.

[johnny11]

Guys

 

Looking at how many people all over the country experienced bad races it cannot be attributed to bad race advisors maybe one or two yes, but there must have been something in the air to cause all this. The liverpool guys are very experienced I fail to attribute blame to them

[Guest Vic]

Blanket, overcast, heavy clouding. No sign of sun. cold north wind. Low temperature.It all adds up! Good visibility was the deciding factor that swung it in their favour.

[gangster]

any more from the liverpool lads on returns from yesterday...

[kingy1975]

i raced myself from portsmouth and dropped 3 out of 9. but i had a even worse race from failaise with the mnfc were i sent 15 and had only 4 return on the day and 1 next morning. my season is now wrecked as they were cocks returning home to sitting hens .