bad taste for Peregrines? (1 Viewer)

[Edward woodwood]

well put Gajo

we aint gonna get past that core question are we?

 

[Gajo]

It's just that the Peregrines get the good-uns
Mark

Actually, the Peregrines get mainly the bad ones. Good, 'survivor' racing pigeons adopt another tactic when chased by a Peregrine - they fly low. The peregrine cannot stoop for fear of damaging itself. Besides, in a flat chase, a champion racing pigeon will give a peregrine a good run for its money, and the pigeon is built for endurance and speed.


Gary

 

[Bluetail]

Mark
Im sorry but the only ones in denial are those that underestimate the havoc that Peregrines and Sparrowhawks wreck on racing pigeons.

How do you know they wreak havoc? What is the percentage of racing pigeons to feral pigeons that they kill each year and - particularly - what research provides the figure?

 

[Pie Face]

Mark
Im sorry but the only ones in denial are those that underestimate the havoc that Peregrines and Sparrowhawks wreck on racing pigeons.

Don't apologise Tom I know the damage they cause because my colleague has told me. Hold on a minute that must be hearsay then!!!!

 

[Andrew]

ooo arr dem Birkenhead folk always keep taking my wheels!!!

 

[Andrew]

Hi Tim
Do hope your not trying to class pigeon flyers with the BNP if so it would be a cheap jibe and not worthy of this forum .

Andrew
Whats this flyiong that pigeons do.
You been at that there scrumpy again?

Hypocritical ****!

 

[Gajo]

well put Gajo

we aint gonna get past that core question are we?

As with most 'debates' as this, we won't Tim.

I love racing pigeons for their tenacity. I saw many pigeons return home badly injured, and it is almost miraculaous that they made it. I have seen my father heap such loving care on such a bird, reluctant to kill it until it was obvious it would not survive.

I also love birds of prey, particulalry Peregrines. Such deadly beauty.

Another statistic that needs considering is how many pigeons are killed by overhead power cables. I know in areas of special risk, the lines are 'corked' so the pigeons can see them more easily, but out in open country, there is a toll on the racing population. I have seen the damage powerlines can do to a pigeon that survives.

Gary

 

[Gajo]

Hi Anthony
I see the anti racing pigeon brigade are at it again .
I can tell you now this aversion therapy wont work, what will they come up with next kevlar body suits or PPMs (Pigeon to Peregrine Missiles) the real answer as we know is to limit the number of raptors . Now I will don my helmet and take cover

No, have you ever seen how an Osprey avoids soiling its own nest (other BOP probably do the same).

Train racing pigeons to do the same when in flight. The rear gunner will get them every time.

Or perhaps fit them with those decoys that jet fighters deploy to distract heat seeking missiles. :h?:


Gary

 

[Andrew]

Wonder what racing pigeon pie tastes like!

Probably awful but knowing I am p*****g off two certain people I will savour it!

 

[pete1950]

Pray tell where your figures come from.
And please not the old "I know this pigeon fancier" nonsence

The numbers reared I gleaned from a Pigeon web site, although I will admit it might be out of date, the site gave numbers of Fanciers at circa 80,000 this equated to circa 25 birds per loft, this would be overcapacity even with natural mortality, then there is the economic side, I don't believe anyone would keep birds that are of no use as breeders or flyers, Pigeon Racing is a hobby but there has to be an element of business practise to manage and maintain a healthy loft at minimum cost.

The hypocrisy is you want to have Peregrines culled to satisfy your wants and ambitions, yet you deny that Fanciers themselves destroy unwanted birds, even when someone has witnessed it, or has a mate who will admit to it, because you want to be seen as squeaky clean.

Animal husbandry is not a squeaky clean business, it is dirty, decisions on which animal or bird lives or dies are made purely on financial implications, there is no room for sentiment.

I suspect the old lady with the bag of corn who slips into town each morning feeds more racers than have ever been killed by a Peregrine, there just isn't enough Peregrines to make the serious dent into the National flock that you claim.

 

[Andrew]

P*****g doesn't get asterisked!!! Wow!

(this thread has descended into pointlessness so I will babble nonsense!)

 

[Edward woodwood]

Hey Andrew

it started out as babbling nonsense and then decended into pointlessness

may all your pigeons be peregrined - I really do not care - there is at least one redeeming point to the whole thing......no one is going to take your points remotely seriously and a cull of peregrines/sprawks will never ever happen.

Isn't there a pigeon fancier forum where you can grumble among yourselves?

P.S. There are very few racers round Norwich since i got my eye in with my trusty old Black widow catty.

 

[Nightranger]

Mark
Ah at the stroke of your pen its now halved (admit it your just guessing)
And just because you say its true dont make it so,remember it used to be true that the world was flat .

Erm Tom, my memory is not that bad, Anthony or yourself stated that around 4,000,000 pigeons were bred each year just last week. Now correct me if I am wrong but you stated that Mark's figures were greater than the number of birds bred. Nevertheless, this is exactly the problem we have to eliminate becaue no two fanciers seem to be in agreement with each other when it comes to making a point. Look at the hole Anthony dug over preserving songbirds by keeping pigeon racing going. I don't know why you should think Mark is plucking numbers out of the air because he has evidence to hand and I would say that 1,000,000 is a gross (not 144 times inaccurate...LOL) underestimate. Besides, if we take your argument about "just because you say its true...", then this must apply to fanciers figures too. In other wrods everyone in the whole world is telling lies about everything.

 

[Nightranger]

Actually, the Peregrines get mainly the bad ones. Good, 'survivor' racing pigeons adopt another tactic when chased by a Peregrine - they fly low. The peregrine cannot stoop for fear of damaging itself. Besides, in a flat chase, a champion racing pigeon will give a peregrine a good run for its money, and the pigeon is built for endurance and speed.


Gary

Better than that, studies of peregrines have shown that the falcons rarely catch a healthy pigeon in stright line flight. The falcon's aim is actually to turn the pigeon because the latter has to slow down or fly a longer course allowing the falcon to square the circle (as it is known in dogfighting - also called deflection shooting, where guns are used).

 

[Anthony Morton]

Wonder what racing pigeon pie tastes like!

Probably awful but knowing I am p*****g off two certain people I will savour it!

On the contrary. What you don't understand is that by constantly making puerile comments containing nothing more than foul and abusive language you are not only exposing your inability to string more than a couple of words together without 'fuffing and cuffing' but also giving me endless opportunities to slap you down. Keep it up - you'll soon reach your 5,000 postings target, then perhaps we can all get some peace!

By the way, how much longer before you come up with an answer to the question; 'Are you a falconer?' or is there perhaps something about it that you don't understand? If so, I'll be happy to elucidate!

 

[Jane Turner]

Better than that, studies of peregrines have shown that the falcons rarely catch a healthy pigeon in stright line flight. The falcon's aim is actually to turn the pigeon because the latter has to slow down or fly a longer course allowing the falcon to square the circle (as it is known in dogfighting - also called deflection shooting, where guns are used).

I started a thread.. which ended up remarkably like this one of course, where I detailed my personal obeservations of watching Peregrines hunting.. I have two pairs and stray wanders using the airspace in front of my house for hunting. Peregrines find it much easier to catch racers than feral pigeons and my hypothesis is it something in the way they are bred/trained that takes their ability to read warning signs and or take evasive action.

I should be grateful to the local pigeon fanciers (yes it still makes me titter that phrase) for breeding specially designed flying peregrine dinners since they are taking the pressure of the local wader populations.


Edit: The thread is >----- here ------<

 

[Andrew]

On the contrary. What you don't understand is that by constantly making puerile comments containing nothing more than foul and abusive language you are not only exposing your inability to string more than a couple of words together without 'fuffing and cuffing' but also giving me endless opportunities to slap you down. Keep it up - you'll soon reach your 5,000 postings target, then perhaps we can all get some peace!

By the way, how much longer before you come up with an answer to the question; 'Are you a falconer?' or is there perhaps something about it that you don't understand? If so, I'll be happy to elucidate!

Blah, blah, blah, blah . . . . .

What would a falconer be doing here!? Which begs the question what are you doing here!?

You must VERY brainless to not be able to work out I am NOT a falconer. Also not to be able to work out that I am responding to your clap trap with more clap trap thereby wasting your time. A vicious circle. You win the clap trap game as I am not wasting any more breath and off to enjoy some birding.

 

[Anthony Morton]

Better than that, studies of peregrines have shown that the falcons rarely catch a healthy pigeon in stright line flight. The falcon's aim is actually to turn the pigeon because the latter has to slow down or fly a longer course allowing the falcon to square the circle (as it is known in dogfighting - also called deflection shooting, where guns are used).

Ian,

You make it all sound like some jolly avian olympic games and not a matter of life and death!

I will leave someone else to question your undoubted knowledge of dogfighting and shooting matters.

 

[James Lowther]

Ian,

You make it all sound like some jolly avian olympic games and not a matter of life and death!

Anthony, nature is always a matter of life and death. Now, instead of expending your energy bandying insults with Andrew, or sniping at the RSPB, or accusing birders of wanting to 'ban' pigeon racing, or crunching the numbers, how about you actually make some attempt to answer the central fundamental point in this debate, that has been raised by at least 4 people without response from either yourself or The Tom:- Why would we, as *wild* bird lovers, ever think that a cull of peregrines/ sparrowhawks to protect someone's *hobby* was even remotely justified?
James

 

[Anthony Morton]

I started a thread.. which ended up remarkably like this one of course, where I detailed my personal obeservations of watching Peregrines hunting.. I have two pairs and stray wanders using the airspace in front of my house for hunting. Peregrines find it much easier to catch racers than feral pigeons and my hypothesis is it something in the way they are bred/trained that takes their ability to read warning signs and or take evasive action.

I should be grateful to the local pigeon fanciers (yes it still makes me titter that phrase) for breeding specially designed flying peregrine dinners since they are taking the pressure of the local wader populations.


Edit: The thread is >----- here ------<

Titter ye not, Madam. If you really believe that pigeon fanciers ARE only breeding 'flying peregrine dinners', then what would happen if they all stopped? What other species would be predated instead to make up the shortfall left by the absence of racing pigeons? However, Ian Peters claims that I've dug a hole for myself by claiming it would be the UK's already declining songbird population but by suggesting that pigeons take the pressure off the wader population in your area, aren't you at least partially agreeing with my prediction?