First training toss

Today our club had our official first training toss, about 13 miles, I am driving the van and keeping a video diary of the training because of the perigrine problem.
And I have to say it didnt disapoint, after about 1 minute after lib The Perigrine arrived and chaised them all over the sky, smashing into them serval times before along came number 2 and also had a go. Cant say for sure if they took ant I didnt see them actually hit but it was at a fair distance as the birds had gained hieght, I tried to video it all but it was difficult as I lost them on the screan quite a bit so will watch it back tonight and see If tis worth posting the video.
ARENT YOU GLAD YOU DONT LIVE IN WALES>????

do u no bret jones from wales mate and im glad i dont liv ther mate if thats wot happens

must admit i could,nt take losing birds nearly every day like you lot do, it is heartbreaking considering how much work goes into pigeons for them just to be taken so easily

true ray, i dont know how some fanciers cope with the losses..........altho every week we read about it in the pigeon mags that fanciers are having to pack in because of it......

To be honest lads its vertually all we talk about now, We have had a couple of breeder buyer sales and its the main topic, who,s been hit and when and how many we have lost.
Last week in the nice weather everyone was training and they all got hit at different places and times, Some fanciers are saying its the worst year ever, I just think they have started hitting us a bit earlier this year and it seems worst, but everyones getting hit now at home around the loft, some fanciers just are not letting the birds out for exercise, it will be 2 or 3 20 milers and then first race 90 miles, they have a better chance that way rather than keep on training and loseing birds, but its just the way it is down here we accept it as normal.

was talking to my brother today martyn, he lives in goole......over the weekend he had his birds out and as he was stood just in front of the loft door a sparrow hawk swooped right past him into the loft doorway after a little red hen...........he said it happed so quick he didnt have time to react and he scared it away as he ran towards the door, luckyly it didnt catch any of the pigeons.

by what ive heard off other people the hawks have no fear of humans and will attack other birds just feet away from people.

peel bros wrote:

must admit i could,nt take losing birds nearly every day like you lot do, it is heartbreaking considering how much work goes into pigeons for them just to be taken so easily

Will second that Ray

I dont think that is really true, they do have fear, and will stay away if they see you. They are focused on the bird and its movement and are unaware of the humans, maybe your brother was standing still looking at the birds when it struck, the hawk just didnt recognise him as a threat, once he moved and the hawksaw him it probably went sharpish. But if they hit a bird down and not even kill it, they will have it on thier minds and come back within minutes to see if its still there, providing you again stand still and hide they always return.

well i was told by my mother who is a keen gardener that a while ago she was just stood in the garden when a sparrow hawk flew past her approx 2ft away and attacked a bird, it didnt even bat an eyelid that she was stood there and flew off with it.

2 years ago in the winter about november I let some birds out for a bath while I cleaned out suddenly there was birds everywhere, when I looked up 2 sparrow hawks had hit down a big grizzle cock and were trying to pin it down fortunetly it was a big cock and was strong and heavy so they couldnt carry it off, I ran out and shouted at them but they still kept going at the bird until I almost got to them and they flew off, they were very bold, and very hungry I suspect, I never saw them again they were probably migrants travelling together.

i think once they have "locked on" to their target they dont see or care about anything going on around them..........all they focus on is the prey/victim.

yes thats true.

are there any precaustions you take martyn to try keep attacks down to a minimum.....?
i have two large mirrors out at an angle to the sun so it reflects hopefully onto any incoming hawk...........dont know if it actually helps but its always worth a try i think.

The only thing I have david is a gun, I always watch my birds exercising and never let them out when Im not there, tried it and lost too many birds, its a bit of a pain and ties you up but esential, I cant let them out to fly and clean out unless my son is in the garden on watch. sad days.

certainly is sad days martyn, i never remember it been like this 20 odd years ago when i raced...........i know why its like this but what help do we get from the rpra?

oh while im on the subject i hear david bills has been sacked...........

terrible

pas go ray and collect 200.
you have got all the posts correct

thanks

wat a lovely day today just the wind ... was hopeing to train today aswell i ended up flying them round loft for hour morrning and tea time too

kept mine in too windy for mine

terrible weather here today, was worried the roof might blow off.............

give out nice weather down here over the weekend hoping to go to the
coast with the family so the birds are going as well , lyme regis or exmouth
its about 25 miles .

wind died down now but still cold and wet, so could be nasty again tommorrow.....

its gunna be nice

hows the training going wraggy, when your first race again.....?