We were driving up to Fayetteville on Scenic 71 last weekend for the St. Patrick’s Festival on the Square when we had to pull over at Winslow. The sky was black with pigeons.
We were stuck at Mikey’s One Stop for a full half hour while they passed. The clerk said this happens every spring and sometimes 10,000 pigeons roost in the trees along the river behind the store.
I know the old proverb, “One swallow does not make a spring,” but how about 100,000 pigeons?
— Ian Zephyr,
Haskell
Dear Ian,
It was wholly a pleasure to hear from you. And congratulations! You and your family witnessed the annual spring migration of the famous pigeons of Mission San Zahurda de la Jorogado.
The pigeons begin arriving at the old mission in Gravette each spring in the days before what the locals jokingly call the “venal equinox.” That’s when the sun crosses the celestial equator on its way north along the ecliptic.
This year, spring arrived in Arkansas at 6:45 p.m. Friday. Today, therefore, is the first full day of spring and all the pigeons should have arrived from their wintering grounds by now.
There are about 2,300 folks in Gravette and by some estimates, there are about a hundred pigeons for every man, woman and child in town.
The historic mission, on Spavinaw Creek on Arkansas 59 just south of the city limits, was founded in 1542 by Father Cabeza de Gato after he split off from the Hernando de Soto expedition to minister to the Wah-Zha-Zhi Indians.
The priest’s simple mud and wattle structure was expanded and modernized over the years to today’s impressive brick and sandstone Greco-Roman style structure (an architectural anomaly for early Northwest Arkansas), which dates from 1842.
The mission is the most northern and eastern of the famous string of Spanish outposts that begins in south Texas with Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) and stretches beyond the Red River to Arkansas.
San Zahurda’s picturesque complex of 18 buildings is on the National Register of Histrionic Places and is famous for its tart muscadine wine, muscarine sauce and, of course, its pigeons.
Each year on the first day of spring, visitors from as far away as Tulsa, Neosho, and Harrison come to San Zahurda to witness thousands of pigeons end their migration from their winter home at Mango Deck bar on Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The birds have been performing this annual ritual since long before the mission was founded, but their numbers have greatly multiplied since the early 1900s.
Curator of the San Zahurda museum and unofficial “pigeon daddy” is Lamar Ferreira, who has held the post for the past 17 years.
“Most of our returning birds are feral pigeons,” Ferreira says, “but we have a number of fancy pigeons who’ve joined the migration over the years and it’s always a delight to welcome them back.”
“We had more than 20,000 visitors last year,” Ferreira says of the annual PigeonFest going on today at Pop Allum Park. “We hope to top that figure this year if the weather holds out.”
Although the festival is a boon to the Benton County economy, there are those who do not welcome the influx of birds or tourists for the annual gathering.
“I guess it’d be OK if the birds stayed over on the mission,” says Luther Higgins, who lives on Arkansas 72 on the way to Hiwassee. “But those rats with wings spread out all over the county and leave their droppings on every rock and tree for miles around. If you ask me, they’re a dang nuisance.”
Ferreira is amused by the rat reference. He hears it frequently.
“All pigeons are descended from the noble rock dove, mentioned numerous times in the Bible,” he says. “They have been a benefit to mankind for centuries.”
“Yeah, tell that to my cousin, Wilmar,” Higgins responds. “He come down with the histoplasmosis from them birds.”
“That’s poppycock,” Ferreira insists, pronouncing it in the original Dutch as “pappekak.”
“The Association of Pigeon Veterinarians National Avian Disease Task Force affirms that the raising, keeping and exercising of pigeons and doves represents no more of a health hazard than the keeping of other communal or domestic pets.”
“I’m just glad that pigs don’t fly,” Higgins retorts. “If they did, them yahoos over at the mission would have us knee-deep in porker poppycock. I don’t know what it is they feed them birds, but I bet they have ’em hooked on that muscarine sauce.”
Until next time, Kalaka reminds you to take your cameras and that muscarine sauce goes just swell with squab.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
The charity has now put out an appeal to homeowners to be careful with netting they put on their roofs to deter gulls this summer.
RSPCA inspector Liz Wheeler said: “We see this kind of thing happening all the time during the summer months.
“People put netting on their rooftops to deter birds from nesting but it’s often not put up properly, causing birds to become trapped and to suffer.”
Safely in the arms of the firefighter
Firefighters had to cut the bird out of the strong nylon netting and wire on the roof in Princess Avenue, Worthing, It was found to have some wing damage, so the bird was taken to a local vet, who kept it in overnight so it could regain some energy after its ordeal.
Ms Wheeler added: “It is an offence to intentionally trap wild birds like gulls, so we are asking people to be mindful of their actions and make sure that if they do use netting, they install it correctly and regularly check and maintain it.
“We spend all summer getting trapped gulls out of roof netting and it’s easily avoidable.”
Gulls and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal to intentionally kill, take or injure wild birds – action can be taken against them only under licence. Anyone who traps a bird may then be responsible for its care under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
We spend all summer getting trapped gulls out of roof netting and it’s easily avoidable
RSPCA inspector Liz Wheeler
It is also illegal to take or damage a nest or egg of a wild bird. Herring gulls in particular are a species of conservation concern in the UK and research has shown that overall herring gull populations are actually in decline.
Each year, around 2,000 reports are made to the RSPCA about wild birds trapped in or behind netting. A major cause is bird-deterrent netting. This can be a humane and effective way of keeping birds off structures without resorting to lethal measures, but it must be fit for purpose, correctly installed and regularly checked and maintained.
Problems arise when netting is put up incorrectly or becomes damaged, leaving gaps where birds can enter and become trapped. These birds can suffer a long and painful death from injury or starvation. Bird-deterrent netting is often fixed in high or hard-to-reach areas, making the rescue of trapped animals difficult and dangerous.
People who see dead birds in netting, or are aware of a regular issue of birds becoming trapped in netting, are asked to tell the RSPCA the address, property owner (if known) and date of the incident by emailing wildlife@rspca.org.uk. The charity will then write to the owner with advice and guidance.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Pigeons have been ruffling the feathers of more and more people in recent years.
Last year, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) received 2,490 complaints about them – mostly about hygiene, environmental issues resulting from their droppings, and concerns over diseases and people feeding them.
The increase has largely been attributed to AVA’s First Responder Protocol implemented in 2012, which includes a 24-hour hotline for reports of animal-related issues.
The Straits Times Forum has also received letters about pigeons pecking on food scraps at coffee shops and hawker centres.
Junior college student Ng J-Cyn said Ghim Moh market is a particular hot spot. Pigeons fly within “inches of diners to peck at crumbs or food waste on the floor”, said the 16-year-old, who is concerned about them spreading diseases. She added: “They also contribute to a very negative dining experience.”
Fellow Forum contributor, Ms Lee Kay Yan, 41, believes the pigeon population will explode unless people stop feeding them.
She said: “Three to five pigeons don’t cause a nuisance but a flock of them do.”
The feeding of pigeons has been banned since 1973 and those caught flouting the rules are fined up to $500. Last year, 60 people were caught doing it, up from just 10 in 2011.
One of the diseases pigeons can spread is psittacosis, a bacterial infection of the lungs with pneumonia-like symptoms.
The bacteria become airborne when the bird droppings dry up and can be inhaled by humans.
Dr Christina Low, medical director of SMG Medical, said the health risk to most people is low, although infants, the elderly and individuals who have low immunity “are more vulnerable”.
She advised people to wash their hands thoroughly before meals and reduce pigeon attacks by clearing unfinished food and dirty crockery.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) requires all food shop operators to clean tables promptly and cover rubbish bins. Those who fail to clean tables, for example, can be fined $300 and given four demerit points.
As for Ghim Moh market, the NEA said it has asked the table- cleaning contractor to step up the clearing of tables and crockery.
The agency added that it has so far received only one complaint about pigeons at the market.
Nationwide, it received 35 pigeon-related complaints last year and 36 the year before.
The AVA said it responds to pigeon-related feedback by working with the relevant parties, such as town councils and the NEA.
While poison bait is traditionally used for heavily infested areas that need fast elimination of the birds, a spokesman for pest firm Pest Solute said the use of netting at roof gaps, spikes or a type of sticky gel on window ledges to prevent the birds from nesting is more commonly used.
Food areas are a little trickier and need a combination of these measures, according to Ms Gloria Ngoi, business development manager at bird control firm Mastermark.
These methods, however, are not sustainable if people continue to feed the birds, said Forum writer Ms Lee.
“Preventive measures are better, through good design of buildings to prevent roosting and entry by birds.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
DEAR JOAN: I am writing about a barking dog problem, and it’s not what you think.
We live in a very quiet neighborhood and are retired, so we are home a lot. Our next-door neighbors have two small dogs that usually spend all day in their backyard. Surprisingly, they tend to be very quiet for a couple of “ankle-biters.” They only bark briefly when somebody walks past, or in response to a dog on the other side of their fence, or for other normal reasons.
About once a day they go bonkers when their owner comes home (they know the sound of his car), but that only lasts for a minute at most, and the way they carry on actually makes me laugh.
Cute is cute, but a dog’s barking can lead to trouble. (Jill Johnson/Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Somebody nearby has complained about these dogs to the county and our neighbor has now gotten two letters notifying him to keep them quieter. He is doing his best to improve the situation, but cannot confer with whoever complained because they took the coward’s way out and never attempted to meet with him directly.
How can our neighbor defend himself and his dogs? We are the residents most affected by the barking, and we do not mind. There are plenty of other dogs in the area that bark more than these two, and for no particular reason.
Can the county do anything to take away his dogs? Shouldn’t the county survey all the neighbors to determine the seriousness of the problem, rather than rely on one person’s anonymous complaint? It is kind of surprising to me that I am taking the side of the dog owner, but I am steaming mad that somebody is being a cowardly jerk.
Barbara Hill
El Cerrito
DEAR BARBARA: The county is obligated to notify the owner when someone makes a complaint about excessive noise, but for a full investigation to be launched, two or more people, living in different households within 300 feet of the barking dog, must make complaints.
The law defines excessive noise as being “so continuously or incessantly as to unreasonably disturb the peace or quiet.”
Whether the county is officially investigating or not, it would behoove your neighbor to be proactive. If it is determined that the dogs are a nuisance, they may be taken away and euthanized. The owner also can face fines and fees. Plus, keeping dogs as quiet as possible is the good neighbor and responsible pet owner thing to do.
I’d recommend leaving the dogs indoors, where their barking would be muted. If that’s not possible, there are many anti-barking devices on the market.
First Alert recently sent me its Bark Genie automatic ultrasonic bark deterrent unit to try with my yappy dog. The device emits a high-pitched sound when it detects barking.
It stopped my dog in mid-bark, but it also made him not want to be inside the house when it was turned on. He moped around like I’d taken his favorite toy away from him. I’m now experimenting with the company’s handheld device.
The devices can be placed outdoors, and considering what’s at stake, trying them would be a good idea. There also are anti-bark collars that emit ultrasonic sounds or release a spray of citronella. Personally, I wouldn’t use a shock collar.
You also can write a letter of support, outlining your experience. Your testimony could be important if nuisance charges are filed.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
NORWAY — The pigeons are back in the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street.
A broken first-floor window on the back side of the vacant building appears to be the access point, and it’s not the first time they’ve gotten in through broken windows.
In July 2013, building owner Sam Patel was notified by Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman that the town would take legal action because the broken windows were a public hazard. The eight broken second-story windows and the lower half of the eight third-story windows eventually were covered with plywood.
Patel, a retailer in southern Maine, purchased the empty, partially-renovated, three-story, brick building in December 2012 from TD Bank. It was transferred to Patel’s limited liability company, Jasmin LLC, on Dec. 14, 2012. Since then, no action has been taken to reuse it.
Efforts by the Sun Journal to reach Patel were unsuccessful.
In 2008, the interior of the building was gutted by the former owners, but efforts to renovate and reuse the building ceased in 2010 when they lost control of the building in foreclosure.
The building remains empty. The first floor is covered with pigeon droppings and the tin ceiling appears to be rusted and broken in many spots. Temporary electrical lighting remains in the ceiling and a few pieces of lumber are on the floor.
A study of Odd Fellows Hall by Resurgence Engineering and Preservation of Portland several years ago indicated it would cost more than $800,000 to fully renovate the building.
The Odd Fellows Hall was named one of Maine’s 10 most endangered historic places by Maine Preservation of Portland in 2013.
The basement and first floor were built in1894 after the “Great Fire” destroyed much of the downtown business district. The other floors were added in 1910. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of Norway’s historic downtown district.
The third floor contained a high-ceiling ceremonial space for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Norway Lodge No. 16, which owned the building during the 19th century. The second floor had a kitchen and large dining area, along with law offices and a courthouse. The first floor traditionally has been storefronts.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
A true sportsman or sportswoman cringes at the thought of blasting away at pigeons released from cages only yards away. Gun enthusiasts and average citizens should join in the rejection of this “sport,” one with no sense of fair chase as should be the case when hunters go into the woodlands and fields of Pennsylvania in search of game.
The arguments against live pigeon shoots are sound. The birds often are only wounded and they must be dispatched.
At the infamous Hegins, Schuylkill County pigeon shoots of the late 20th century, youngsters would race onto the field and wring the necks of wounded birds. That scene helped doom the Hegins shoot, which was the site of anti-pigeon shoot demonstrations for many years.
The use of trapped animals also is an issue. It is the antithesis of animals in the wild, including pheasants rising from the cornstalks.
Now, the state Senate has before it a bill that would ban such shoots. A live pigeon shoot was held only days ago at the Wing Pointe Resort in Berks County. Again, there is outrage that live birds are being shot when clay targets would suffice, the same clay targets tossed before thousands of shooters who agree that it is inhumane to shoot pigeons out of the air.
The Humane Society of the United States endorses the ban. The National Rifle Association supports live pigeon shoots.
It is another example of the NRA, which advocates for Second Amendment rights, going over the top and actually hurting its own cause and harming the very sportsmen and gun owners that it counts as members.
The comments of Humane Society spokesman John Goodwin carry weight. Shooting live pigeons released from cages, he said, “is no more sport that shooting chickens coming out of a henhouse.”
Should the Senate pass the bill, it is expected the state House would concur. The hope is that a bill will pass during the session that runs through October. The Senate Game and Fisheries Committee voted 10-4 for the bill. We urge the full Senate to promptly pass the legislation and send it on to the House.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Dear Ian,
