Woman who slipped on pigeon poop gets €25,000

A bar assistant who slipped in pigeon poop at the open air restaurant in which she worked at Dublin’s Heuston railway station, has been awarded almost €25,000 damages against CIÉ.

Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, heard that Leann Walsh (25) tended tables on the decking outside the Heuston Refreshment Rooms.

Barrister Karl Finnegan, counsel for Ms Walsh, told the court she had been working outdoors on May 15, 2013, when she stepped in pigeon faeces and her right leg went from under her. Mr Finnegan said she fell on her knees and back, suffering soft tissue injuries to her ankle, knees and lower back.

Gerry Ryan, counsel for CIÉ, told the court the Irish Rail Company had entered a full defence. Barrister Sarah Corcoran, for the Heuston Refreshment Rooms, said her client had denied liability.

Ms Corcoran told the court the problem of pigeons was a serious one for her client, who had asked CIÉ to deal with the matter.

Judge Groarke, awarding Ms Walsh, of Merrion Court, Blackhall Street, Dublin, €22,500 damages with special damages of €2,148, said he would make an order in favour of the restaurant against CIÉ.

He said the restaurant had tried to get CIÉ to deal with the problem but CIÉ had decided not to take appropriate steps.

 

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.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Pigeons too are characters in Parava

Actor-director Soubin Shahir’s directorial debut Parava has not just humans, but also birds as significant elements in the story. “As the  title says, the movie has birds, especially pigeons, in many scenes,” says director Soubin Shahir.

“Not just the birds, Parava is about every living being,” added Soubin.   “Though we have started shooting, it is too early to discuss the plot in detail,” added Soubin. Parava, shot in and around Kochi, is a comical ride with tinges of adventure. The story revolves around a group of children.
Parava will be produced by Anwar Rasheed. The movie has Shane Nigam.

 

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.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Woman faces aerial bombardment after £8k pigeon control measures may have moved pests to rooftoops

Woman faces aerial bombardment after £8k pigeon control measures may have moved pests to rooftoops

flockPeople living near a railway bridge in Frome say they have been plagued by pigeon faeces since an £8,000 pest control project forced the flock to move.

Felicity Young, who lives near the Rodden Road railway bridge, said around a dozen birds have taken up residence on the roof of her house and are bombarding her property from above.

She said the smell of faeces is overwhelming and is worried the birds may be damaging her home.

Pigeon-proofing spikes were installed on the bridge at a cost of £8,000 in November.

Frome Town Council and Network Rail teamed up to solve the problem of bird droppings under the bridge and chipped in half the money each.

Ms Young’s fire extinguisher has been peppered in bird feceas

Since spikes were installed there has been a reduction in the number of pigeons on the bridge, but a few remain.

A large number appear to have moved to a nearby telegraph pole and are continuing to defecate on the footpath below.

Ms Young thinks some of them have also moved to her house.

She said: “Since the works were carried out on Rodden Road railway bridge, a dozen or so pigeons have taken up residence on the roof of my house, so I have had a very unpleasant experience.

“You can see the sort of mess they are causing, not to mention the smell. As I cannot access my roof I have no idea what other damage they might be causing up there.

“The pigeons only appeared once the spikes were fitted at the bridge, and I had never had pigeons roosting on my roof before that. I’m not sure if other houses are affected in the same way as although they settle for a while on neighbouring roofs along New Road at dusk, they then roost overnight on mine. Last night I estimate there were at least a dozen.

“I have been in touch with the town council which has suggested it may have to consider a cull. It can’t come soon enough for me.”

A large number of pigeons have taken up residence on Ms Young’s house

Another resident recently voiced concerns at a town council meeting over the continued presence of pigeons in the area.

She said: “I’ve been campaigning to have spikes put under that bridge for six years and now that we’ve got them it has had an effect on the pigeons underneath – there are a limited number still there.

“The problem still remains on a telegraph pole just next to the bridge however. The pigeons are continuing to poo on the footpath below and when it gets wet the path can become incredibly slippery.

“There must be around 40 pigeons on that pole at any given time.”

Some have even moved to a nearby telegraph wire

She said: “The footpath (near the bridge) has not been cleaned and it’s still very sludgy. You would have thought that when the spikes were installed the path would have been cleaned.”

Frome town councillor Colin Cobb said: “We have been dealing with this issue for a while now. There are a few bits that have been missed under the bridge but there are certainly far fewer pigeons than there were before.

“With regards to the cleaning of the footpath, The Landscape Group should have seen to that and it is something we will have to chase up with them.

“It’s difficult for us to police the telegraph pole. There were some 50 pigeons living under the bridge so it’s natural that they would now look for somewhere else to sit.”

Frome Town Council has been approached for further comment.

 

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.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Someone’s poisoning the pigeons in a Nova Scotia town

Someone’s poisoning the pigeons in a Nova Scotia town

posioningIt was the last thing Rebecca Taylor and her family expected to come across when they went out for groceries, and it was very unsettling.

While she was inside the Truro Superstore on Elm Street last Friday, her husband and 17-year-old daughter spotted a bird they thought was injured. A short time later the poisoned pigeon died in her husband’s hands.

“It looked like it was being electrocuted,” she said. “It was having seizures and defecating. He picked it up and was holding it when it died. It suffered at least half an hour.”

They spotted a small group of people standing around another dying pigeon, and one that had already died.

“It’s cruelty to cause an animal to suffer so long and in such a way,” said Taylor.

Upset by what she had seen, Taylor contacted Dr. Helene VanDoninck, of the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

“I’ve had poisoned pigeons before and they’re usually poisoned by Avitrol, which is marketed as humane, but attacks the nervous system and causes seizures,” she said.

“Their temperature goes up through the roof. Even if someone doesn’t like pigeons, this is not a humane way to get rid of them. “

She has saved some but others died despite her efforts. One was rescued outside a King Street business on Tuesday.

Since last Friday, 10 more dead pigeons have been found in the Elm Street parking lot.

Both Superstore management and property owner David Snook were unaware anyone was using poison in the vicinity until they were notified of the dead birds.

Bruce Nunn, media advisor with the NS Department of Natural Resources, said it is usually illegal to poison wildlife, including pigeons, according to the provincial Wildlife Act, although those licensed under the act may legally use Avitrol to control pigeons.

There have been cases of animals in Nova Scotia being poisoned in violation of the act and the department plans to look into the Truro poisonings.

“Trying to get rid of pigeons this way is useless,” said Van Doninck. “They could poison 100 and more would come back if there’s a suitable roosting spot.”

 

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.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Saving Grace Aims to Reduce Feral Cat Population

Saving Grace Aims to Reduce Feral Cat Population

feral catROSEBURG, Ore. — Roseburg animal shelter Saving Grace is starting a program to help control the feral cat population in Douglas County, called Operation Fix ‘Em.

To help get the program started, Saving Grace got a $10,000 grant from PETCO to fund the operations to spay and neuter the cats, and reduce feral numbers.

“Communities that have been practicing trap-neuter-return of feral cats are slowly over time seeing progress on the issue of community cats in their communities, so this is something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” said Executive Director Wendy Kang.

Feral cats sometimes come into the shelter, but often don’t do well in homes. So, Kang said the best option is to catch, fix, and release.

“So, for feral cats, really, their best option is to be able to stay where they are, but not producing more kittens, and creating more problems for humans,” said Kang.

Kang said that in communities like Portland, they’ve been doing this program for 10 years and are seeing their feral population decrease.

Saving Grace’s veterinarian says there’s another benefit as well.

“We’re stopping unwanted cats getting a lot of unhealthy issues at home.. because if you spay and neuter them, you don’t have a lot of cats out there that are going to spread disease amongst themselves,” said Veterinarian Steve Frack.

They’ve fixed 46 cats so far, and have enough money to fix about 240 more.

However, they said they can always use more donations and help with Operation Fix ‘Em.

Kang said, “One of the things we need is more people to volunteer and help us with the trapping. We also need to identify more of the colonies that are in Douglas County.”

If you’d like to volunteer, donate, or adopt an animal, you can call the shelter at (541) 672-3907, and visit their website.

 

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.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)

Kanazawa Station uses falconry to drive away problematic pigeons

Kanazawa Station uses falconry to drive away problematic pigeons

A falcon takes off in a flurry of motion from the arm of a falconer at Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture as tourists stand enthralled.

Surrounding landmarks such as Tsuzumi-mon, a wooden gate in the motif of traditional Japanese hand drums, and a modern glass dome named Motenashi, after the word for hospitality, provide a compelling backdrop for the remarkable exhibition.

Set amid such conspicuous structures, its small wonder that Kanazawa Station was recently lauded for its beauty by a U.S. travel magazine.

“Cool!” one spectator cheered. “Impressive!” commented another.

Though it has all the trappings of a tourist attraction, the avian display is actually driven by a crucial mission: keeping pigeons, and their regular aerial bombardments, away from the station.

Pigeon droppings had been a source of concern for city officials since the dome, which was completed in 2004, was in its design stage. From around 2008, local pigeons began using it to shelter from inclement weather as well as from their enemies. For a city that hosts one of the world’s most beautiful train stations, this was a serious concern.

At first, the city tried nets, then wires and pigeon repellent — all to little effect. Their droppings, meanwhile, continued to sully the buildings and were the scourge of tourists.

In dire straits, a section chief at the city government’s road management department, Masahiro Fujita, consulted with a bird control company managed by a falconer in an attempt to get a handle on the situation. The grand opening of the extended Hokuriku Shinkansen Line was not far off.

From June 2015, trained falcons began to circle Kanazawa Station twice a week, and after two months, the area’s roughly 100 pigeons had disappeared. Each day of patrolling costs ¥30,000, and the city set aside nearly ¥500,000 for the campaign under its budget for the current fiscal year to March 2017.

“No large-scale construction work is needed. It only involves one person and a falcon,” Fujita said, emphasizing the method’s cost efficiency.

To the delight of the local tourism industry, the falconry also proved a hit with visitors to the city of Kanazawa, which is an old castle town.

The falconry is also attracting attention from overseas visitors. Falconer Takayuki Yoshida was questioned and photographed so much that he set up a signboard with an explanation in Japanese and English.

“I like it. It goes well with the atmosphere of the station,” said Satoru Kawauchi, a 36-year-old visitor from Tokyo who watched the patrol.

According to the Japanese Falconers’ Association, a nonprofit organization, falcons have come to carry out a wide range of assignments, including tackling problems with wild bird droppings at factories and reducing the number of aircraft bird strikes. Some falconers have started businesses, an association official said.

 

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.

Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)