first toss today

It's heartbreaking at times Phil, when we lose birds to hawks here in Swansea, I alway think about johnnorm,it's bad here, but for him to get his birds into west wales he really has to run the gauntlet, I'm sure he has trouble even loft flying

we train in the stroud valley its a nightmare with the falcon... hawks are no bother training another 12 miler for ours shortly

Another toss today from 20 miles, they're coming well from this point so we are going to bring them back to 15 miles next week, just to get them to break from that point, just going to drum it into them now

oldstrain wrote:

we train in the stroud valley its a nightmare with the falcon... hawks are no bother training another 12 miler for ours shortly

Darren - when I use the worded 'Hawk' I meant RAPTORS in general:- Peregrine, Lanner Falcon, Sparrow hawk, any other flying-killing bird that would attach a racing pigeon - not forgetting the world famous
sh**e hawk or course!

Have a good-un.

Phil

we had a good toss this morning this 12 miler is very important its a break point usually they go down the river easy option which is not desirable we want them cutting across country away from the motorway and river and finally today on the 5th toss from this point they got the message ,straight out of the baskets off across the country away from the river and motorway no turning and all in the loft on arrival having demolished their awaiting breakfast  ...excellent another one from the same point tomorrow before we move them up to the last stage of training we don't train past 24 miles first race is 61 miles ...yeah their all a nightmare phil when they come calling atb

Going along nicely Darren, I took mine to work in my car.
I took my work van out, and I'm showing a new driver my route so he can cover me when I go on holiday,
I got to my first drop, opened the van up and Doh! I left them back at my work.
I had to call my boss to let them up, so they had a nice long 1400 yard toss. Nightmare.
When I got to work, they'd put a meat pie and stuck a label over it with a picture of a pigeon and printed Ginsters steak and pigeon pie.
They were all looking out of the window laughing when I went to my boot.

Boosey wrote:

Going along nicely Darren, I took mine to work in my car.
I took my work van out, and I'm showing a new driver my route so he can cover me when I go on holiday,
I got to my first drop, opened the van up and Doh! I left them back at my work.
I had to call my boss to let them up, so they had a nice long 1400 yard toss. Nightmare.
When I got to work, they'd put a meat pie and stuck a label over it with a picture of a pigeon and printed Ginsters steak and pigeon pie.
They were all looking out of the window laughing when I went to my boot.

ah well free lunch at least eh steve atb

Lofty wrote:

No chance of getting the birds out today, washout with thick fog, every time we start them back up the road something turns against us, oh well, start again tomorrow, need to train hard now, week Saturday the first one and Luke is already having sleepless nights

Got it about right Lofty, it appears on the sleeping side etc you sleep well & just let Luke feel the pain there.
*****

Boosey wrote:

Going along nicely Darren, I took mine to work in my car.
I took my work van out, and I'm showing a new driver my route so he can cover me when I go on holiday,
I got to my first drop, opened the van up and Doh! I left them back at my work.
I had to call my boss to let them up, so they had a nice long 1400 yard toss. Nightmare.
When I got to work, they'd put a meat pie and stuck a label over it with a picture of a pigeon and printed Ginsters steak and pigeon pie.
They were all looking out of the window laughing when I went to my boot.

Magic . Now I know why you drive a van Boosey . Saving grace is many a tale like yours could be told I would suggest. Now my tale for the day. Remember a month ago here I mentioned I went bush
(50 k's plus) for my first toss as such. Well I had my one & only report come in from the ones I lost there this week & believe it or not, it was at the brick specialist One brick per pigeon per perch on the floor in his loft & the man I have tossed with at week ends for years as such. 20 x 7 loft & his mob would be 250 odd which were out flying all the time I was there picking up my bird. Mentioned Omega 3/6 along with many other things while there & he & told me in 50 odd years he has never even wormed his pigeons & respritory issues are a none event for him & things like omega 3/6 & the like. he will just leave to the expert types   who I would say for many couldn't even fly over a jam jar compared to his brilliant results from my perspective, that he has had for many years in his little back yard etc.

we are off to basket up shortly for the last toss of the week it wont be long now 2 weeks before first yb race

Had a bad one yesterday, birds beat me home , again, but no one to trap them so when I got there they were sitting on the roof of the house which is unusual,went through the house opened back door and there's a cat sitting on the shed, , took ages to get them in, trying to land on the shed but taking off again and back onto the roof, must have freaked them out, hope they've forgotten about it today

I feel your pain lofty, I've had that happen before, some forget quickly, but I had one nervous on the trap, forever after.
All got their own little quirks.

sorry to hear that roy we got trellis around the tops of our lofts seems to keep them off the lofts we had another good one today 16 miles that's it til Monday now atb

Nice one Darren, mine had 27 miles today,
Won't know if they got home until i get home from work.

Boosey wrote:

Nice one Darren, mine had 27 miles today,
Won't know if they got home until i get home from work.

thanks steve hope their all there when ya get home

One missing from today, from the usual place so hoping it makes it back, light coloured bird so maybe "Percy" has had its tea

All mine home.
Fingers crossed for your one lofty.

good to hear trainings going well lads I think we can all expect to lose a few along the way atb

Yeah I lost 1 last week out of my Tumley hen.

We've lost 4 so far training, which is pretty good considering the losses down our way, lads are losing 20/30 ybs in a single toss, so we're feeling ok at the minute, sorry it's 5 lost

Lofty wrote:

We've lost 4 so far training, which is pretty good considering the losses down our way, lads are losing 20/30 ybs in a single toss, so we're feeling ok at the minute, sorry it's 5 lost

4 could be OK but then that would depend on how big the pot is etc Lofty . When I picked up my champ my stray from the other day here, I was told of one bloke here recently who lost 40 odd pigeons & had 20 reported from 7 kilometres from home. May just suggest to him to go bush next time like I did, instead of tossing in the suburbs etc. Save on petrol maybe.

we have lost 1 training from the first 12 mile toss the hens were coming back all day long but we lost 4 off the loft which is unusual as they were up and flying for a few weeks when they went ...we had half our ybs away one night after a loft fly ...all part and parcel of the pigeon game

oldstrain wrote:

we have lost 1 training from the first 12 mile toss the hens were coming back all day long but we lost 4 off the loft which is unusual as they were up and flying for a few weeks when they went ...we had half our ybs away one night after a loft fly ...all part and parcel of the pigeon game

True O/S Explains etc why many of us unfortunately, go mental over time .  

It's a nice day here so it's the last 20 mile toss for them then a couple of 10's and into the first race, let's hope everything goes ok, worry about the birds with everyone losing so many

hope it was a good one roy we had the day off as we had a drive down to the tip of cornwall for a ck bird today but ours will be on the road in the morning