Pigeon Talk

[WVduckchick]

I'm glad Bugsy is OK today @WVduckchick. Have you got a plan if she's left alone again tonight?

I want to check her crop when I get home, to see if they are still feeding her or what. Then go from there.....

 

[WVduckchick]

It's a tricky deal. I generally would not breed from birds until I had flown them for a minimum of 2 years to assure that they were mentally and physically strong. Mr Bluebar as per his story was an exception that worked out for me. I remember an ash red hen that I was watching increase her depth over the course of a summer training always pulling up just before she hit the tree tops. I mentally decided she would be either a super star or eventually a roll down. Never got to find out as one day just as she was pulling out of the roll a Cooper's hawk snatched her.

I cannot even imagine witnessing that!

 

[sourland]

I cannot even imagine witnessing that!

I have a love/hate relationship with raptors. I have dozens of similar memories - some the birds won others the hawks won. Hawks would generally attack as the birds were coming in to land. They were hawk evasive while flying. I can still hear the aerodynamic sound of a Pergrine falcon chasing a pigeon down to earth. Pigeon hit a fence by the loft and so did the hawk. Pigeon ran beneath loft and hawk flew away. Within minutes hawk returned and landed on ground searching for pigeon - highly unusual I think for a Peregrine.

I would stand in the back yard calling the birds in and clapping my hands to ward off the hawks. I had a good red mottled cock bird that was generally late coming in. One day I thought that he had cooped and started towards the house just as I turned I saw a Cooper's snag him right at the landing board. I felt guilty about that.

I loved flying, breeding, selecting my birds but at my present location (that I hope to never leave) I just can't justify doing it any longer. I miss them.

 

[WVduckchick]

I have a love/hate relationship with raptors. I have dozens of similar memories - some the birds won others the hawks won. Hawks would generally attack as the birds were coming in to land. They were hawk evasive while flying. I can still hear the aerodynamic sound of a Pergrine falcon chasing a pigeon down to earth. Pigeon hit a fence by the loft and so did the hawk. Pigeon ran beneath loft and hawk flew away. Within minutes hawk returned and landed on ground searching for pigeon - highly unusual I think for a Peregrine.

I would stand in the back yard calling the birds in and clapping my hands to ward off the hawks. I had a good red mottled cock bird that was generally late coming in. One day I thought that he had cooped and started towards the house just as I turned I saw a Cooper's snag him right at the landing board. I felt guilty about that.

I loved flying, breeding, selecting my birds but at my present location (that I hope to never leave) I just can't justify doing it any longer. I miss them.

I love all your stories! I so glad you still share your experiences and knowledge with us, even though I suspect it causes you to miss them a bit more.

 

[sourland]

I love all your stories! I so glad you still share your experiences and knowledge with us, even though I suspect it causes you to miss them a bit more.

You know, it both helps and hurts. Whenever I feel the temptation rising I remember the day I made my decision. Cooper's had just snagged an ash red cock - perhaps the Cellar Pigeon - can't remember for sure. Flew down the drive across the road into the neighbor's foundation shrubbery. I was in hot pursuit (fully clothed this time) and hawk left the pigeon. I picked him up and started across the road telling him how lucky he was when he convulsed, gushed blood, and died in my hands. Tears in my eyes I verbalized, "I can no longer do this."

I am screwed, because I can not just 'have' them. I have to fly them.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Bugsy is looking good this morning.
View attachment 1619913

And here’s the inside of the box. Yes, it needs cleaned out lol
The ledge on the right is where Clyde sleeps. So when the top lid is closed, he is right up under the roof.
View attachment 1619914

Good idea bio.

I forgot to tell you all that i flew my 2 racers yesterday. They did good and trapped fine. A roller got out during it and typically they would follow the homers and get lost but it stayed close and i got it back in. I may fly some more because i havent seen a cooper in a long time. Im not sure where they alll went.

@Hokum Coco have you lost any more birds? Whats your head count?

Glad you were able to fly them and all went well!

Head count was down to 33 birds then yesterday morning one bird made it home though a blizzard and white out conditions. I am now up to 34. It's bands were in tack and I could not hazard a guess to how long it had been missing. One disadvantage of having totally white birds and keeping poor records. Something I hope to improve on in the New Year.

Glad you had another return.

I cannot even imagine witnessing that!

X2

I have a love/hate relationship with raptors. I have dozens of similar memories - some the birds won others the hawks won. Hawks would generally attack as the birds were coming in to land. They were hawk evasive while flying. I can still hear the aerodynamic sound of a Pergrine falcon chasing a pigeon down to earth. Pigeon hit a fence by the loft and so did the hawk. Pigeon ran beneath loft and hawk flew away. Within minutes hawk returned and landed on ground searching for pigeon - highly unusual I think for a Peregrine.

I would stand in the back yard calling the birds in and clapping my hands to ward off the hawks. I had a good red mottled cock bird that was generally late coming in. One day I thought that he had cooped and started towards the house just as I turned I saw a Cooper's snag him right at the landing board. I felt guilty about that.

I loved flying, breeding, selecting my birds but at my present location (that I hope to never leave) I just can't justify doing it any longer. I miss them.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I am screwed, because I can not just 'have' them. I have to fly them.

I know exactly how you feel. One thing about raptors they do not always take the weakest in the flock like nature had designed them for. It also seems as soon as you have an emotional attachment to a bird it seems ear marked for it's demise. It has happen to me and my grand daughter time and time again.

Here is a link to one story of a memorable day.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-grand-daughters-dove.941710/#post-14468896

 

[backyard pigeons]

@sourland im glad you join in over here and give us some much needed help at times. But man, i feel bad for you. I would have a hard time getting rid of my birds. But it seems you did the right thing considering how many rapters you had. How many birminghams did you have at a typical time? Did you just do birms or did you have oriantal rollers or anything else? I love hearing your stories and advice.

 

[backyard pigeons]

I think they know our favorites! one should always follow the old rule. Never fly a bird you cant afford to lose. Whats your worst rapter in canada? Do yall have coopers?

I know exactly how you feel. One thing about raptors they do not always take the weakest in the flock like nature had designed them for. It also seems as soon as you have an emotional attachment to a bird it seems ear marked for it's demise. It has happen to me and my grand daughter time and time again.

Here is a link to one story of a memorable day.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-grand-daughters-dove.941710/#post-14468896

 

[Hokum Coco]

Whats your worst rapter in Canada? Do yall have coopers?

They do range in the southern areas of Canada I am not sure if we have them in New Brunswick. That being said the most devestating raptor of pigeons has to be the Peregrine Falcon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_falcon