Biirds trapping in dark

[Guest]

Yesterday it was our last race a 300 miler.  Returns were not good to say the least and I'm glad I left 1/2 my birds at home.

 

After dark last night I went out onto the patio for a smoke and glanced over at the loft (Still had the front down but the trap closed) Looked pretty empty.  A minute or so later I saw a bird trying to get in through the trap.  It was about 8 pm and pitch black, there's no such thing as street lighting here, I just had the outside light of the loft on.

 

I've never had this happen before, has anyone else ???????

[pj1001]

This happened once a couple of years ago Linda with a 2 year old chequer hen from a race from Sennen Cove. It was a hard race with the winning bird in the club being clocked around 18-30. It was decided due to only a 4 birds being clocked in the club by 21-00 to put checking out time to midnight as there was pool monies etc still to be won in the club. At 23-32 we clocked the chequer hen, I went up to lift the clock which was in the corridor of the loft to go to the club and just as I opened the loft door I heard a fluttering of wings. I don't know if she was sitting on a house roof nearby and when she seem me flew to the loft or she was flying all this time, but she ended up 6th club and lifting the pools and nom.

 

PJ

[schouwman71]

in 1990 i had a bad training toss from newark 47 mls,waited until it was dark to lock up then stood up at top of the garden talking to another fancier,to my astonishment i had 3 pigeons fly straight up the allotments and land on my loft, we only noticed them because they were white pieds and the house lights stood them out.The rest came the next day but the 3 must have been flying at least 20 minutes in the dark,all 3 were berlange delbars.

[Guest]

A young blue cock that Jimmy White bred for me this year, homed in darkness from Witton Castle, 110 miles, at 9pm. Had to get the carport, garage and kitchen lights on to create enough light to get him in.

 

Also had a couple of old birds, hens, home in darkness this year, one heading for her second night out, badly injured in a hawk attack. These hens were full sisters

 

My first experience was December 2003 when I had a latebred hen, not long on the wing missing for three days. She came back on the third night, after dark. Carport, garage and kitchen lights on to get her in. This hen was a full sister to the two hens, above.