by johnnymarin | Jan 26, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products
Boomer has a new home and a flock to fly with.
The banded pigeon who had taken up temporary residence at the Silver Creek home of Debbie Marzoni in June is roosting and flying in Kamloops.
Arriving in Marzoni’s backyard in early summer, Boomer happily accepted food, settled into her greenhouse and followed her around as she worked in the garden, while keeping a wary eye out for her cats.
While the greenhouse was a suitable summer abode, in September Marzoni began worrying about how the pigeon would fare in winter. The band Boomer was wearing was outdated and untraceable.
As cooler weather approached, Marzoni acted on expert advice, including taking Boomer as far away as Vernon in the hopes the bird would file a new flight plan.
But Boomer found her way back to the Silver Creek greenhouse within a couple of days.
In late September, Marzoni began seeking more suitable accommodation and, following a story in the Observer, received offers of a new home.
The one Marzoni chose for Boomer, who turns out to be female, is Greg Wagner and his Doves Above Kamloops, located at his home near Thompson Rivers University.
Wagner and his pure white “doves” are released for special celebrations in the Kamloops area. Following their release, the birds fly back to their comfortable home.
“There are two types of doves; true doves don’t have a homing instinct,” he says, pointing out why he can’t actually use doves for his business. “These are pure white homing pigeons.”
Rather than feeling duped, Wagner says most people attending the celebrations are usually keenly interested in the birds.
Wagner, whose family lives in Salmon Arm, was made aware of Boomer’s need for a home in an email from his sister.
“Are you missing a bird? Do you want a bird?”
He met Boomer when he came home for Thanksgiving and has since introduced her to the flock.
“She’s doing fine; I kept her inside for almost two months,” he says, noting when he first let her out with another group of birds, Boomer flew up and looked around. “She stayed out for the first night, which is common; it has happened with other birds I’ve re-homed.”
Wagner says he thinks the reason the birds stay out for a night or so has to do with their homing instinct.
“Maybe they go away to reactivate the homing instinct,” he says. “but after a night out, I think she realized there was food and water here so she came back.”
Although she’s getting better at keeping up with the other birds, Wagner says he’s not sure Boomer has the greatest homing instinct.
“She’s a little bit off,” he says, noting homing pigeons can return home from 200 miles away or more. “A bird from Lethbridge was sold to a Vancouver owner but two or three days later turned up back in Lethbridge.”
While she may not become part of the flying business, Wagner has other plans for Boomer and a darker male pigeon in the flock.
He had no intentions of breeding the male – who had other ideas and has since bred with Boomer, so he plans to use them as surrogate parents.
He removed Boomer’s eggs, which she produced at the end of last week, and says, not only does he not plan to breed the amorous pair, this is not a good time to incubate eggs.
Laughingly Wagner notes, he removed Boomer’s eggs and replaced them with wooden ones he purchased on Amazon.
“After 10 or 12 days, they’ll abandon the wooden eggs.”
Next up for Wagner and Doves Above Kamloops is a bridal show at the end of January. He has previously been called upon to release birds at weddings, funerals and a special cross removal ceremony at a local church.
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)
by johnnymarin | Jan 25, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Some children and adult patients with compromised immune systems have been transferred to another area of the hospital away from the source, which the health board said was a “non public area,” and the droppings were removed.
However, a separate issue was then found in the sealant in some of the hospital’s shower room.
Investigations are continuing and air quality tests are being carried out.
The infection is caused by inhaling spores, carried in the air, of the fungus Cryptococcus, which is found in pigeon droppings.
Most infections are mild and produce either no symptoms or a minor influenza- like illness.
However the disease can cause meningitis, high fever, blood abnormalities, pneumonia and even death.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said control measures were immediately put in place, including the installation of air filters and there has been no other cases.
A spokesman said: “We have found a likely source in a non-public area away from wards and the droppings were removed.
“The small number of paediatric and adult patients who are vulnerable to this infection are receiving medication to prevent potential infection. “This has proved effective.
“As an additional precaution, we have also installed portable HEPA filter units in specific areas. These HEPA machines filter the air continuously to give us reassurance for this vulnerable group of patients.
“During the detailed investigation, a separate issue has arisen with the sealant in some of the shower rooms.
“Repairs are underway and our maintenance team are working to remedy this issue as quickly as possible with the minimum disruption.
“As a further precaution, a specific group of patients are being moved within the hospital due to their clinical diagnosis and ongoing treatment.”
Teresa Inkster, Lead Consultant for Infection Control, said: “Cryptococcus lives in the environment throughout the world. It rarely causes infection in humans.
“People can become infected with it after breathing in the microscopic fungi, although most people who are exposed to it never get sick.
“There have been no further cases since the control measures were put in place.
“In the meantime we are continuing to monitor the air quality and these results are being analysed.
“It remains our priority to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff.”
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)
by johnnymarin | Jan 24, 2019 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
In a bizarre but sweet incident, Western Railways stopped services for 5-minutes to rescue a pigeon during peak morning rush hour on Wednesday.
A pigeon got caught in a kite thread and was stuck on an Overhead Equipment mast in Mumbai’s Goregaon railway station. One of the passengers saw it and informed the station master. The latter promptly alerted the Fire Brigade and other requisite authorities, Times of India reported.
After that, the OHE’s power supply was halted for five minutes from 10.28 am to 10.33 am and the bird extricated from its trap.
The authorities were aided by Goregaon’s Samkit Group that offers bird protection and rescue services in the city.
Following Makar Sankranti, social media and animal rights activists were embroiled in serious debate regarding the danger sports like kite flying can cause to birds. An image of a parrot hanging dead from ‘noose’ made of a kite string after the kite-flying festival left many shocked and disturbed.
But while the parrot met an unfortunate end, the pigeon fared better and managed to save its life, thanks to Western Railways.
A similar incident occurred last year in September when a train operator in Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s newly inducted magenta line stopped the train on the tracks to save the life of a bird which had fallen on the tracks.
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)
by johnnymarin | Jan 23, 2019 | Pigeons in the News
Further efforts are being made to overcome problems being caused by pigeons at Berwick town hall. Berwick Corporation (Freemen) Trustees has already carried out works on the Grade 1 listed building to prevent the birds nesting and roosting. Now, it has submitted an application for listed building consent for the installation of UV stabilised polycarbonate anti-pigeon roosting spikes on two blocked up windows openings. A report with the application states: ‘There has been a significant problem around the northern and eastern elevations with pigeons on the second floor and first floor windows. This is causing damage to the masonry of the building and creating a public health hazard below. There are two infilled window openings which are now being used by pigeons.’ Berwick Town Council planning committee has made no objection.
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)
by johnnymarin | Jan 22, 2019 | Bird Deterrent Products
A man has been left devastated after discovering three of his pigeons had been shot dead.
Sean Wardle, of Carlin How, made the grim discovery when he went to the allotments below Mount Pleasant on Tuesday afternoon to feed his birds
He told how he arrived at the site to find three of his Tumbler pigeons were dead after being shot.
The 49-year-old, who visits the allotments every day, says each of the birds had a “slug hole in the back of their neck”.
He said: “I’m devastated really.”
Self-employed Sean, who has had pigeons for over a decade, keeps the birds in a pigeon loft.
However he has had a number of previous issues – this was the second similar incident at the allotment in the last six months and in 2014 he discovered four of his pigeons and four chickens dead after having their heads pulled off.
On Wednesday, Sean said he had reported the latest incident to the police but said they been out to see him and had not phoned.
A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said on Wednesday: “We’ve received the report, it came in yesterday just before 4pm.
“It will be recorded as a crime and someone will be in touch with Mr Wardle to take further details for investigation.
“Officers assess each call for the threat, risk and harm and have to prioritise incidents where the public are in immediate danger so that resources are used in cases where people are most at risk when the call comes in.
“Police resources are limited and we aren’t able to attend every call into us immediately, but officers will contact the caller as soon as they are able.”
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)
