Thames North & Eastern Counties Flying Club
The race season started for the Thames North on the 8/4/2017. When asked at the A.G.M. if I could put pen to paper in order to cover general racing. I put it to the floor that this maybe difficult as this club was very diverse in the sense that it covered a very wide area and was already being written about by numerous scribes. But I would give it a try as I knew many fanciers would not get a mention. So if my journals are not what you expect then please bear with me.
Over the past 50 years that I have been writing I also have been reading, when reading one sure thing comes to mind and that is if I enjoy an article so will others. It is also a fact that articles need to be set out properly with numerous sub titles so the reader can quickly find something of interest and not be put off by a sea of words. Quite often I start in the middle of an article, like it then go to the beginning.
Hawks and Falcons
My last Thames North article contained a few paragraphs about Birds of prey, as several fanciers mentioned their interest. Even though the mention of hawks and falcons for some can lead to hysteria, I will try to set out some facts and statistics covering this subject in order to judge what your chances are of being affected by birds of prey while enjoying your sport. First let’s take a look at what almost caused the extinction of the two main predators that have a bearing on the racing pigeon, the sparrow hawk and the peregrine falcon.
During the 50s 60s and the 70s the use of organochlorine pesticides especially D.D.T. led to the decline in these two species almost to extinction in some areas. The reason for this phenomenal was that D.D.T. remained active in the environment for many years, seeds that were treated with these pesticides were being taken up by the prey birds of the hawks and falcons. The D.D.T. then concentrated its self in the fatty tissues of the predators, which then acted by reducing the calcium in their egg shells. For instance the sparrow hawk by 1990 was only hatching 6% of its eggs, but once the pesticides were banned by the government all over the western world the European sparrow hawk by the year 2000 was hatching 17% of its eggs. In the U.K. East Anglia where these pesticides were used intensely the sparrow hawk for all intensive purposes no longer existed. The peregrine falcon was suffering a similar fate. In America where the peregrine falcon was thought to previously have suffered from egg collection and shooting. It was not until the pesticides were removed plus the help of dedicated enthusiasts who reintroduced to the wild young peregrines falcons bred from captive parents, that the peregrine falcon was finally taken off the endangered list on August the 25th 1999. Since then the peregrine has flourished.
Myths concerning the Peregrine Falcon
The first myth that needs addressing is that the peregrine falcon is being drawn into cites by the promise of a nest box supplied courtesy of the National Trust. Most certainly the camera that is usually installed is not part of this myth; this digital instrument is placed to promote this predator by relaying its activities to all who are interested, adding security to the nest site. Now to explain why there is a myth concerning the placing of boxes in order to draw the peregrine to a certain area. The facts tell us that the nest box chases the peregrine not the other way round. So let’s look at the facts the peregrine falcon selects his nest site in a habitat that can support them and their chicks throughout the nesting period. This habitat revolves around food supply, which must be easily accessible. The rock pigeon (dove) plays the biggest role in the food chain. The food supply is mostly soured by feral pigeons, which are hunted mostly at dawn and dusk, when this food supply is most active i.e. early bird catches the worm and going to roost. This is where the falcon’s clock will be very active. The peregrine falcon does not have a calendar so is highly unlikely to break away from their successful six day a week hunting program to go after Saturdays flocks of racing pigeons. Also baring in mind hunting a fit racing pigeon is rarely successful. So once again choosing a nesting site that is on the pigeon racing routes does not hold water. The statistics used in the placing of a National trust nest box is based on the facts that peregrine falcons mate for life and once they have found a successful nest site they return year after year. Peregrines may use up to seven scrapes in their surrounding habitat, over the years, but will always return to the previous year’s nest site if they had successfully raised their chicks there in the previous year.
Peregrines do not have many predators
Some other interesting points, some of the large owl families are the peregrines only predator because they are known to take chicks from the nest at night. This is probably not unusual as the peregrine falcon can be a mighty adversary swooping from the sky at over 200 miles per hour, with talons like four inch nails, as sharp as a samurai sword. It is actually documented, that on one occasion a golden eagle that was assaulting a peregrine nest was hit by the female peregrine in what is known as a drop (swoop) leaving the eagle incapacitated. The peregrine is also a humane hunter which has a notched beak allowing it to snap its prey’s spinal cord.
Conclusion
The National Trust needs to put much more emphasis on our native species of birds and less on birds of prey, such as new introductions of these predators into our National Parks and forests. Before mans interference tips the balance causing deterioration in our other native species. There is an army of back garden nature loving enthusiasts like my wife for instance, who was horrified to witness a sparrow hawk snatching a female blackbird off the fence. Especially as she had just been watching it feed a nest of youngsters or her abhorrence towards the end of last summer when she witnessed probably the same female sparrow hawk ripping a ring neck dove apart. If our National Trust calculated the rise in number of these villains and the amount of birds it needs to kill to survive a year. Then the introduction of other native species of birds of prey by the R.S.P.B. into our less active National parks and forests may stop.
City dwelling peregrines are drawn to this habitat by an abundance of food, which they hunt to survive and sustain a nest of chicks 24 7. It is very unlikely that they would change a very successful hunting pattern to hunt racing pigeons on a Saturday. The down side of course is that these city dwelling peregrines are very successful at breeding so do add to the peregrine population. The young peregrine often struggles to survive their first year, were as the sparrow hawk have a documented survival rate of 34% in their first year and a survival rate of 69% among the adult population with a cut off point of around four years old.
Rural dwelling peregrine falcons also have to survive 24 7 and would frequent a habitat with plenty of prey birds. These predators would also have a hunting sequence to for fill their needs. The racing pigeon generally only races on Saturdays, they are also hard for a peregrine to strike because of the speed and agility of a fit racing pigeon. So it is usually only by chance that a confrontation would occur. The same cannot be said of the vulnerable pigeons, birds that are sent not trained unfit in the young bird season often sick as well as being often not basket wise. When these birds fall behind they become easy targets for the birds of prey as well as being the building blocks of the future feral.
Weighing up the situation
Most confrontations that may or may not occur with birds of prey can be avoided. The bird of prey that gives most pigeon fanciers a problem is the sparrow hawk, this back garden bush wacker actually accounts for less than 1% of racing pigeon fatalities according to documented calculations. If one studies what normally occurs most of those are avoidable. It is hoping that this documented research and conclusions has becalmed the situation that many of us feel we are in and will not add to the hysteria that often surrounds the mention of hawk or falcon. Let’s go forward and enjoy racing our pigeons without believing there is a hawk or falcon waiting around every corner.
T.N.&.E.C.F.C. Race 1 flown on the 8/04/2017
Littlehampton Liberated at 11.45am into a moderate easterly wind. 53 Members sent 1138 birds
1st open Mr & Mrs John Buckfield Wickford vel 1619.598 ypm 2nd & 3rd open Mr Steve Smith Basildon Vel 1619.559. 1619.198 ypm 4th 5th 6th open Mr John Cowlin Hullbridge vel 1616.677 1616.352 1616.028 ypm
The first race for the Thames North saw a fair turn out of birds being sent by a reasonable amount of Thames North members, considering that although the weather was unbelievable good, temperatures topping anything in the past for the time of year, for some it was still a very early start. The preparation time for member’s birds would need to start much earlier in fact in the latter part of the winter with a lot of our more distance minded fanciers not wanting their team to be curtailed by starting to early. For the members that did race a very good race was enjoyed with excellent returns. Although the overall race was clearly defined the first three birds were only divided by decimals. In first spot was the team of Mr. & Mrs. John Buckfield. John is noted for his excellence in sprint racing and is never very far from the top of the result, flying some of the best Heyland & soontjens there are to be had.
Second & third was taken by Mr Steve Smith of Basildon station only loosing the top spot by a second decimal. Steve tells me his sprint hens are on fire at the moment he had been training them hard, with them stepping up doing everything asked of them. Steve best sprint birds go back to his old Janssen family that won well for him on the North road. Steve is one of our unsung heroes who works tirelessly as secretary of the Laindon pigeon club as well as being the supervisor at the Basildon marking station for the Thames North. Steve also tells me that he and his good friend Tom Hendley (Laindons chief clock setter) have formed a partnership with all of the stock birds now residing around Toms loft and the young birds bred from them being shared.
In 4th 5th & 6th is young John Cowling hope he doesn’t mind me calling him young as he is now a husband and a dad but I just remember him as a young man on the many club Belgium trips. John is another excellent flyer particularly when it comes to inland races; he seems to have the answers especially when it comes to multi drops. John is also a partner in the Formula 1 breeding lofts so you can be assured that only the best lines are kept.
T.N.&.E.C.F.C. Race 2 Flown on the15/04/2017
Bedhampton Liberated 11.15am into a moderate North West wind 59 members sent 1378 birds
1st 2nd 4th open Jake Hammond & son of Burnham on Crouch vel 1660.898 1659.272 1657.619 ypm 3rd & 6th open Mrs Meg Murray of Burnham on Crouch vel 1657.619 1649.825 ypm 5th open Mr Mickey Watts of Southminster 1650.790 ypm.
The second Thames North race of the season saw the lead pigeons dropping into the sleepy town of Burnham on Crouch. In the pigeon racing world one such name that is quickly recognised is that of Mrs Meg Murray of Burnham on Crouch, the reason being is that Meg has claimed fame by winning numerous classics and Nationals alike. But on this occasion it was the turn of Meg’s club mate, Mr Jake Hammond, who not only managed to get a pigeon in front of Meg, but actually managed to get two. When interviewing Jake the first thing he said was once I knew I was in front of Meg I knew I had a good one, because she’s never far off the pace. In actual fact Jake was ecstatic with his win and explained he knew the birds were very fit as they had been flying very well at home. He went on to say the hens in particular had come well in the last couple of weeks,” you know they live in a shed you can hardly stand up in but they love it”. Jakes first bird was a yearling Soontjen hen; this hen had that hard B.I.C.C. Falaise y/b race last year as well as being his second bird last week. Jakes 2nd open was a three year old Soontjen cock. With his 4th open being a yearling cock of Lee Bastone’s Staf Van Reets. Jake was preparing this cock for a channel race.
3rd & 6th open of course was Mrs Meg Murray. Meg’s family have won outstandingly down through the generations over a long period of time so to give you an idea of how they are bred I asked Meg to e/mail with the details. The first bird a six year old hen was bred off a pair of birds gifted to her by Lee Bastone quite a few years ago. The sire was a Willy Tass and the dam an SVR through Radar. They have both gone now, but they did produce outstanding birds for her and others. In fact the cock that took 6th place this week was a son of the hen that came 3rd, showing how these winning genes are still being passed down the generations. His sire is off another pair of great stock birds (also gone now) Sooty and Mealy. Sooty was a Vandenabeele and Mealy a Janssen Loots.
In 5th open was Mickey Watts of Southminster, Mickey’s performances with his Vandenabeeles are phenomenal with outstanding National performances that are well documented.
T.N.&.E.C.F.C.Race 3 flown on the 22/04/2017
Poole Liberated at 12 30am into an East south east wind. 64 Members sent 1413 birds.
The first six positions were all taken by Hullbridge marking station
1st 3rd & 4th open Tony Buckfield Hockley vel 1446.078 1441.978 1436.097ypm 2nd open Mickey Watts Southminster vel 1444.299ypm 5th & 6th open The Gladwin & Jarvis fmly Team vel 1435.510 1435.358ypm
Colchester marking station
Dave Sanders of Sanders &son was 1st & 2nd in the Colchester marking station also making 7th & 8th open in the overall race with vel of 1435.333 1435.190ypm. Dave has flown south for the past two seasons with great success particularly in the East of England channel races. It was not long ago when I was recording Dave winning the Essex & Kent amalgamation on the North road. But even with all that glory the south still held a hankering for him. Close up behind Dave is Mr & Mrs Turner of Fingrinhoe taking the next three positions in the Colchester station vel 1428.350 1427.650 1426.734ypm. Keith & Linda Turner are another outstanding team that were owners and racers of the great champion SVR cock Red Danial what a pigeon 19 first and also a champion breeder.
Maldon marking station
Our newest station with most of its members having to fly north road birds south (of course all this will change when young bird racing starts). At a first attempt Mr Ian Wallis and daughter who are also past North road Essex & Kent amalgamation winners, managed to pick up 21st open vel 1420.644ypm with a young north road hen.
Laindon marking station
For the previous two weeks Steve Smith has timed Laindon stations first pigeon. But this week saw two new members at the station timing the lead pigeons Mr Dave Coward Talbott and the team of Alex Mackenzie & brother Tony vel 1414.714 1413.896ypm both David and the Mackenzie team are National winners and gearing up for the first channel races.
Training
Thames North members are extremely lucky in the sense that pigeon fancier Terry Bentham organises a training pick up twice a week. The trainers are transported in a customised Geraldy trailer; with the choice of two destinations you can either have an approximate 40 mile toss or a 60 mile toss or both on the same day. The crates are loaded accordingly for each destination. Nearly all the lads train with Terry. Allot of the lads who like to sprint tell me they prefer the 40 miler and the 60 mile toss is lined up in a favourable direction for the channel races.
E.J.Sains
