Racing pigeons V Raptors (1 Viewer)

Interesting debate on Radio 2 today ( Jeremy Vine show ), pigeon fanciers want more protection for their racing pigeons from the R.S.P.B with regard to problem birds of Prey,it seems they are asking to ' take out ' ( Shoot ) the odd rogue raptor preying on pigeon lofts, !!..everone has their own version of a perfect world it seems

Mark

I heard some of this. Jezzer Vine may be a decent political commentator but he is an absolute ****wit whenever he talks about nature. He has absolutely no grasp of anything, and I had a real sense yesterday of him being fundamentally on the pigeon racers side on nothing more than sappy anti-killing wet nappiness.

He didn't understand the RSPB is for wild birds and racing pigeons are domestic, which isn't exactly rocket science (I don't suppose he even appreciates that the RSPB and RSPCA are different). He also had no idea that predation pressure is one of the things that actually improves the racing pigeon breed (so he fundamentally doesn't understand evolution let alone ecology) and that all the pigeon fanciers have to do is lock their birds up when not exercising them.

It was a pity nobody called in and explained that pigeon racing is as vicious as greyhound racing, with poor performers and returned lost birds having their necks wrung by the owner - no retirement homes for pigeons!

John

7 days on and the "Kill all raptors" brigade are chewing their way out of the woodwork. "Little old ladies with traumatised Budgies" calling for the complete annihilation of Sparrowhawks next? "Models" afraid to let their pussies see the light of day because of Foxes?

Once again, this is another example of human interference gone crazy all in the pursuit of Money as usual, ...big bucks in Racing Pigeons !!

Know a pigeon fancier who told me that our urban peregrines which are nesting on a bridge being revamped that the peregrine had took 29 of his top pigeons this year.
I was always lead to believe they took the skem birds has they (Pigeon fanciers) call them. He then had the audacity to tell me that he was going to try and climb the bridge and destroy the nest and kill any young or smash any eggs, because of the construction work making it available to climb abut nest site is impossible to reach unless you have rope and there only myself and another BTO nest recorder plus county recorder were it is, plus the bridge is fully alarmed with 24/7 security, so I then replied with the same audacity that he knew I would do anything to protect all creatures great and small and that he knew I was on the sick volunteering for the RSPB but was a active nest recorder (only have use of 1 hand/wrist) but still recorded nests for the BTO, my fellow nest recorders climb the trees, that with his cheek and audacity he would be taking a dip in the river. However not a chance of him or anybody reaching them birds, even with ropes, location impossible to reach. Thank god

Damian