Diary

1. July 19, 2004
2. October 4, 2003
3. May 23, 2003
4. March 14, 2003
5. January, 2003
6. October 25, 2002
7. August 31, 2002
8. July 22, 2002
9. June 24, 2002
10. May 25,2002
11. May 16,2002
12. May 5,2002
13. April 28,2002
14. April 21,2002
15. April 11,2002
16. April 6,2002

July 19, 2004

Several people have noticed that my diary has not been kept up to date recently. "Now that I'm over eighty" seemed like a good excuse but not really. Things have been happening in my life which have interfered with my writing. I've decided that I must get on with life and here is an update to the diary.

Recently I made the decision to stop active racing and just keep a few birds for interest. Most of the birds will be sold or auctioned to help my club buy a new truck. That process has already started. I will post a list of all birds on this site in a few days.

Another project is to write a book on pigeon racing, and my 76 years of experience should help with that. The book will be an 'easy-read' without a lot of bragging and boring details about this bird and that. The outline is ready and all that's left is for me to fill in the text.

One of the things about my website is how it puts me in touch with people all over the world. I've been able to help find owners of lost birds in countries far from my home in Canada. The numbers are now well into the hundreds. I am always happy to give advice to new starters and try to answer every e-mail (sooner or later). I corresponded with a young fellow in Australia and he tells me he is very happy watching his birds come home. He has just started and I'm just giving up and that makes me feel good.

October 4, 2003

Looking back on the 2003 racing season I find it wasn't too bad after all. The young birds were consistent and I had very few losses. The results in the one-loft races were passable. There are still four birds left for the yearling series in the Alberta Classic, I was second in one of the Le Tour Races, I was fourth in our club derby which was a tough one with no day birds.

I am procrastinating about not racing again next year. Now that the electronic clocking is in place it is much easier and there are some promising birds which should be given a chance. So no more talk about quitting racing! I would miss the cameradie with my club members; they are a great bunch.

Now is the time to be doing loft renovations. I am working on the widowhood boxes, trying to make everything look neat and shipshape. I found some storage units at Home Depot that make great perches. Sixteen 12"X12"X12" units in a set made from melanine. The only drawback is putting them together. The instructions said it was easy, so maybe it's just me.

In just over a month the first show of the season will be taking place in our area. There are eight classes for racing pigeons and I am starting to select my team. Some of them need more time to moult out completely, but some are at the stage where they look like future champions. I am definitely not biased!

It is not too early to be making plans for next year's racing season. This year I raced old birds on the natural system and I will be going back to widowhood even though it takes more work. Living on an island doesn't make it easy for training.

One thing I have decided to do is update all the articles on my website. Things change don't they?

May 23, 2003

This was to be the year of recovery from last season's tough racing conditions. The club has changed routes, now racing with the North Road Club of Vancouver. For the first two short races it was like waiting for a marathon race. The third race was better, then the fourth race was a disaster. The birds had to spend three nights in the transporter cages. I cannot justify sending my birds under these conditions, so I have stopped old birds.

The young birds will be raced on Vancouver Island with no 50-mile ocean trip at the end of the races. I will race the young birds and then change my participation to showing and one-loft races only. This has been my plan all along, but it would have been great to end with a good old bird season. My birds did well enough in the races but the going was hard.

My stock will be reduced to a few show stock pairs, a few colour breeding pairs and some racer stock to breed young for one-loft races. So far I have sent 20 birds to one loft races in New Brunswick, Alberta, Victoria and our own club race series. Progress of the birds can be followed on the Internet. It's almost like being there!

When I sent my entries to the Alberta Classic I received a picture, via the Internet, of my birds after they had arrived. Dr. Karl Frank is managing this race and it is very well done. Andy Skrobot manages the New Brunswick race and he does an excellent job reporting on the progress. It's nice to know the birds are in good hands and have a good chance when they race. I think one-loft race series are the way to go for the future... it is for me anyway.

March 14, 2003
Yesterday there was a goshawk sitting on top of the racing loft. The goshawk is the largest of the accipiters and the most aggressive and persistent. In this area they appear in the spring and then move on.

The race team has been flying out, but they're now shut in until the end of the month due to 10% losses to the predators. This year the club will experience a new route with the North Road Club of Vancouver, but the birds still have to finish the races over 40 miles of ocean.

My team will race on the natural system which is less stress for me and the birds. Breeding has been good so far and there are plenty of prospective champions in the loft. Now I have to juggle the calendar so that I have young ready for the various one-loft derbies, 20 entries in total.

The first 2003 enquiry about a lost bird has arrived, this one from New Jersey. Last year I had dozens, even two from the United Kingdom. I have obtained a supply of vinyl stickers which fit over the electronic bands I will be using this year. My phone number is on the sticker. It is much easier to locate owners when a phone number appears on the bands.

After this season I will be 80 years old and it is time to "downsize" to numbers which will limit my participation but increase the pleasure. I often look back to the time when I had a maximum of twelve pairs in a six foot by twelve foot loft with two compartments. At that time it was all natural flying and predators were very few. Sometimes there were no losses in a season's racing. Oh, for those good old days. In my club, last year was one to forget and we are looking forward to a normal year's racing in 2003.

January, 2003
A new year and hope for better racing than we had last season. My club is cooperating with the North Road Club of Vancouver this year, a different route but still very challenging. I have entered birds in four different one-loft race series, eighteen entries in total. My stock loft contains plenty of birds which have had one-loft race experience or have bred birds which competed successfully.

The Capital City Racing Club show in Victoria was held on December 14. I entered 10 birds in 5 of the 12 classes and the results pleased me. Third in the overall points total, First and Second Flown Yearling Cocks, First and Second Unflown Young Hens, Second Unflown Old Hens (the first bird was from my loft shown by another fancier).

Recently I obtained some racers for colour breeding. Two solid blacks, five yellows and three 'interesting' colours which will be introduced into the racers and the show types. I like to have experiments on the go, but I must be careful not to overcrowd.

One of my club members, Warren Chadwick, visited a few days ago. He brought me two birds from stock which I had several years ago. They are mostly Bricoux and Timmerman background. I persuaded Warren to take some of my stock birds in return, all proven breeders of winners. I like my birds to go to lofts where they will be valued and appreciated.

October 25, 2002
In about ten days the first show of the year takes place. Although it is a poultry club show there are some classes for racing pigeons and the judge is an excellent pigeon fancier. He now specializes in American Show Racers but has extensive knowledge of true racers and show-type racers. The show is being held in our club 'territory' and I think our members will give good support.

There's also an auction and I decided to put some of my surplus stock into the auction with the proceeds going to the club. I'm a member of the club as I have chickens in addition to the pigeons. For a few weeks now I've been deciding which birds to enter and making sure that they're in good condition. There are four types that I can enter: true racers, US type racers for show, British type racers for show, and a cross between the US type and true racers. I've entered ten birds with representatives from the four types. It will be interesting to see how the various types fare in the overall results. More on that in the next diary entry.

For next year I've entered twelve birds in three different one-loft competitions which run a series of races. At present I'm working on the pairings to give me the best chance in these races. The timing also has to be worked out so the youngsters will be ready on the suggested dates.

The racers don't go out for exercise on a regular schedule at this time of year. Weather is one factor and fooling the predators is another factor. If the predators can't figure out when there is a possible meal, they may stay away. They do appear occasionally to check things out and to watch the wild bird feeders.

It is difficult to imagine that in a few short weeks it will be time for the fanciers who breed early to start mating up. One of those fanciers might be me. I am ready, but haven't finally decided yet.

The last two seasons were inconclusive. The first year I did well with young birds on a natural routine, and last year I had them on the darkness system, but the young bird racing was mostly cancelled due to early training losses with the club and combine. The natural routine is less stress on me, and on the birds. And a little procrastination is good for the soul, and other parts of the body. I will decide later!

August 31, 2002
It's difficult to believe, but it's almost September again, and that means only 21 days until it's officially Fall -- Autumn to you Brits. The children have gone back to school, the tourists have left the island and life returns to normal with shorter ferry line-ups.

The pigeon racing is over for us and it is a season we would rather forget. There were old bird smashes and the young bird season started with a smash training toss that resulted in the cancellation of racing.

What did we learn from all this? Well, there's all winter to ponder the question.

Now that I'm approaching eighty, I'll be looking for more enjoyment and less stress as I've mentioned previously. I'll divide the racers into three smaller teams and race one team each week. This will mean fewer birds to catch and basket, less disturbance for the birds and a good chance of avoiding some of the hazards that we have had this season.

One positive aspect of the bad season is the performance of offspring from certain pairs. This means I can start building a family around these pairs, along with the new acquisitions which still have to be progeny tested.

Since I only started racing again two years ago it's as exciting as being a new fancier!

A couple of weeks ago I was able to obtain some birds which resemble the Olympiad type that I had in the seventies. These birds are of the Doug McClary family from Britain. I got them through Thomas Mattacchione, Silvios' son. Thomas is using them as his education fund project! They're beautiful birds and will give me a lot of pleasure.

I have a lot of things in my head about breeding, showing, etc. and I want to get them all out, so there'll be new articles coming which I hope you'll enjoy.

July 22, 2002
Young bird club training starts in a few days and I am a bit behind in my preparation. The youngsters have been ranging far and wide so they have had a good look at the island at least.

Predator falcon attacks seem to have tapered off but the accipiters are still around. One day there were four empty perches at roll call and one of these birds has since been reported from Salt Spring Island.

The sexes are separated and ready for a little exploitation in the races. There are three training stages from 60 miles and then the first race is 80 miles. We have the option of five young birds races from 80 miles or a series up to 180 miles. It gives us the opportunity to see how things go in the early races before we commit them to the longer ones. I like them to have a good testing so I will likely opt for the longer series.

A few days ago I received an e-mail message from South East England asking if I could assist in finding the owner of a lost bird. The people had found me on the Internet. I was able to tell them that the bird was from Great Britain and gave them the phone number of the Royal Racing Pigeon Association to call. I think the bird was from Northern Ireland and I presume it has been re-united with its owner. It shows what a small world it is when we have the power of the Internet. I was at least four thousand miles away and could help find the owner of the lost bird.

June 24, 2002
The old bird racing season is over and it is time to watch the young birds develop and hope that they will give a good account of themselves.The old bird season ended with two very tough races and left me with more questions than answers.

Falcons are visiting on a daily basis and the youngsters are on a very irregular exercise schedule with a view to outwitting the predators. Yesterday one of the pigeons in an effort to escape a falcon attack crashed into one of the house windows. The window is broken but the bird seemed to have survived with no ill effects.

So far there are three "lost off loft" entries in the breeding records. When I was walking Bridget our Black Lab a few days ago I found evidence of the demise of one bird--lots of light coloured feathers at the side of the road; it was a light grizzle.

When I joined the Mid-Island Club I was told that I would have to breed a lot of youngsters to stay ahead of the predators. It is a dilemma, as I prefer to keep the numbers down. There is only one consolation, with the falcons around it is not necessary to flag the birds.

Recently I acquired some more stock: three young birds from Bob Paulsen of the Victoria Club which I purchased at the auction held as part of the annual show in January, and four birds from Bjorn Bjornson, also of the Victoria club, which I obtained when I traded him my Tauris electronic clock. My club has decided to go with the Unikon clock. I will discuss these birds under the "Origin of Stock" link.

May 25, 2002
We have a race today and it is pouring with rain. Well, we don't have a race yet, as there is no word of a release.

Last Saturday we came 6th, 7th, and 8th in the race from 101 miles. There were 15 birds in the first drop and the clocking was fairly good. There is still one red cock missing. I mentioned before that we only clock three birds in any race. This takes some of the reality out of the results. If I get 6th, 7th, and 8th positions on the results sheet but another fancier who clocked ahead of me had twenty birds home in time to clock them all in a winning position, etc. I think you can see what I mean.

I pay careful attention to velocities and clocking times to try and ascertain how I did really. I know the three-bird clocking rule was done to avoid more successful fanciers dominating the result sheet but reality has to be faced and the results put in perspective.

I have just received word that the birds are being held until one o'clock for a decision on the weather at that time. The forecast doesn't look good and they may eventually bring them back to avoid sacrificing good birds.

Word came that the birds were released at 3:50 p.m. from 90 miles. The weather was overcast with little wind at the home end. The first arrivals came at about 5:35 and within 20 minutes all twenty-two were home. At one point I looked up and saw a large flock coming in high, some of my birds dropped in out of this flock and the rest went on.

The first clock bird was 6th in the club last week and also 3rd club in the first race. I was experimenting with some different forms of incentive, but this bird has not been paired up and is just being flown to the loft. As a young bird he only had one race and was returned home 'in a box' from Victoria. In some lofts he would have been culled but I liked the look of him and decided to keep him. His brother was 6th club in the first race and two brothers scored as young birds. It is my policy not to take young bird results too seriously and consider them as just part of the overall education. As I am more interested in longer races, I like to see consistency in my racing team.

The results of the Saturday race are now available and we were 1st, 2nd, and 6th. The first bird (number 26959, a blue check cock) has now scored in all three races and he was in the first drop each time. There were others which also did the same but the three-in- the-clock rule keeps them off the result sheet. However, they are in my records and that is the last word.

May 16, 2002
The first race was held last Saturday from 90 miles in good weather. I sent 22 birds (17 cocks and 5 hens) and they were all back within 30 minutes of my first arrivals. There were about nine on the first drop and it was very confusing with widowhood cocks and hens arriving together. The first bird to enter the loft got out again because I didn't close the opening above the stall traps. That won't happen again! The club rule is that we clock only three birds and we got third position, sixth and seventh. I am very pleased with the consistency of the team (all yearlings).

The young birds have been out a few times and have taken some short flights around the area. Their education will now have to become serious. When they were out for the first time one young cock headed straight for the stock loft where it was hatched. The lofts are about 50 yards apart. I think this shows intelligence and I have made a note of his number.

Yesterday I received a phone call from someone on the island asking if I had lost a pigeon. The bird turned out to be from Washington State in the US. There was a phone number on the band so I contacted the owner who said that it had been lost in a race from Oregon. It is still here recuperating before I release it to see if it will return home.

May 5, 2002
The widowers are now flying like widowers should and it is exciting to see them. Today they disappeared for a long time and I was beginning to worry, then they came back in racing line going like mad. They had their first club training toss, sixty miles over the ocean and they were all back in good time. The second toss was cancelled as the weather didn't look good. I had already decided not to participate when I received the phone call.

There is another toss in a few days and then into the first race from ninety miles. I have already alerted friends and neighbours to be ready to participate. I think I mentioned before that my team is all yearlings so it is going to be an interesting time. The schedule is extensive and I will have to be careful not to overtax them.

The young birds are all weaned and are on the darkness system. When I raced before, about ten years ago, there was no such thing as the darkness system. I am trying it this year just for the experience. Next year I will go back to early breeding if it gives the same results. I don't wean the youngsters until they are about a month old and I don't worry about getting them out and about early. They have a good view of the outside world and are getting themselves oriented.

The blue cock 121 which tries to get into the youing bird loft all the time was the first back on the sixty mile training toss and he headed straight for the young bird loft. Do I detect a little exploitation needed here?

April 28, 2002
I know that it is income tax time but this is more interesting and more important to me. Also I have a computer program which will help do the tax stuff! The last two days have been days of change in the loft and I think it is more traumatic for me than it is for the birds.

The sexes have been separated and today the cocks flew their first exercise period after the separation. I had to coax them to do an hour but a unique flag helped them. My step-daughter Michelle gave me a whirligig thing that is shaped like a fish. It is very colourful and the tail spins around wildly in the wind, if there is a wind. This evening the hens will get their turn. All the nest bowls have been removed and washed ready for basketing days. On Tuesday we basket for the first club training toss. This is from 60 miles and is mostly over the ocean. Flying over the ocean is not going to be a new experience. When you live on an island you can't avoid it somehow.

The change to the racing feeding system is now being made, briefly it is like this: a food trough full of barley before the birds all the time except on basketing days, plus varying amounts of the general mix...and twenty-six different herbs and spices. Speaking of Colonel Sanders, do you know what he said when he was asked why the chicken crossed the road? "You mean I missed one! How careless of me." You will realize of course that part of the feeding system is not quite true. Good luck in the races.

April 21, 2002
It's a small world! At the end of the young bird season last year a stray entered the loft. From the band I could locate the club of the owner. I phoned several times to no avail and finally I talked to a live person and left a message. The message didn't get through because I didn't hear anything from the club secretary. The stray then disappeared so I thought it had gone home. Just recently it re-appeared at my loft.

This time I left a message for the club secretary and got an instant response. The owner of the bird phoned me. As we were talking he said that my name was familiar and had I lived in Port Alice in the 70's. I told him that I was the principal of the school there. He then told me that I had taught his children. This was twenty-eight years ago and because a stray pigeon had entered my loft we were having this conversation. He asked me if I would like to keep the bird; it had obviously decided that my loft was now its home. It had been lost 'off the loft' at his place when it was quite young. The bird (a nice light grizzle) comes from a very good family and the previous owner is sending me the pedigree.

The race team is looking good and soon they will be on a modified 'roundabout' system as I want to race both sexes. The club has a schedule of ten races from 90-600 miles. On two weekends there are two races. I will be getting my neighbours and friends involved again so I hope it is a good season weather-wise.

A few minutes ago I had to go outside to get something from the barn. As I went through the door I saw a Cooper's hawk with a pigeon on the ground. I scared the hawk away and went to look at the pigeon which I thought was dead. I was surprised when it stood up and then flew to the loft. Later when it entered the loft I checked it and found the only damage seemed to be on the foot which had been bleeding. I hope it will be much smarter for its experience.

April 11, 2002
Our club race shedule has been put back a couple of weeks to take advantage of the better weather later on. It throws my schedule out somewhat but I will adjust. Today will be mayhem in the loft; it is time to remove all the eggs and get them on another cycle so that I can put them on widowhood two weeks before the first race. I have about twenty young birds weaned and a few more to come to give me a team of about thirty-two. They are weaned when the feathers under the wings are nicely grown. Food at this point is plentiful and they are on a regime of supplements--all natural. I am pleased with the way they look and act.

Yesterday I visited one of the local beach areas to try and spot a pelican. Someone had reported seing one the day before. This is not entirely unusual as brown pelicans have been seen before but not too often. I reported it to the local wild bird alert network so people will be looking for it.

Today at 4 p.m. we had a peregrine attack. It was not a very serious one and the peregrine flew off when a couple of eagles flew over. I must be more vigilant now that they have appeared. A pair usually nests on the cliffs on the north side of the island. I can report that none of our aircraft is missing after the attack.

April 6, 2002
Our first club race is on April 27th and that is just three weeks away. The racers are on open loft, getting themselves fit, being very busy around the garden and taking off for frequent flights. They are all yearlings and were allowed to choose their own mates. I will get them on widowhood two weeks before the first race except for a couple of pairs that I may try something different with for that race. They will have a few short training tosses on-island, I can't get much more than 5 miles and then its off on the ferry to get in a couple of longer trips before the club training takes place.

Around-the-loft exercise is necessary and is gradually increased to one hour morning and evening. This can be varied according to circumstances. I have been observing behaviour to see if there is anything I can use for extra motivation. One blue cock has sneaked into the young bird loft through a gap over a door a couple of times, so I shut him out by putting a strip of wire over the door. Today I noticed him trying to get in through the front of the loft. I will let him into the young bird loft before I basket him for the first race. It might work but only once probably.

Two other cocks seem to have taken a dislike to each other. Perhaps I can exploit this by putting one in the other's nest box before basketting. A mealy pied hen which did well in the young bird races has been slow to lay. She and her mate have built a massive nest and are still busy carrying material. I am hoping that she lays before the first race and will be very keen on her nest. I don't quite know how to manage this because she is in the widowhood loft. Maybe I can remove her to the hens' loft and put her back in her nest with warm eggs from the stock loft, just before basketting for the race. I will only try this exploitation for the first two races, then it is serious widowhood until the longer races. I am interested in one bird which does not flock with the others when they are out exercising, it is a real loner and we will see how this develops.

The young birds are on the darkening system this year. Normally I start breeding early and it is not necessary to use the darkening system. I did not darken l
ast year and did well enough in the races, so who knows? After all our club does not have an extensive race program and we don't race for money or other rewards, just the glory. Why not keep it simple?

Interested in racing pigeons, pigeon racing, homing pigeons, raising pigeons, facts about pigeons, carrier pigeons, passenger pigeons, lost birds, lost pigeons, pigeon breeding, pigeon breeds, pigeon lofts, rolling pigeons, fantail pigeons, tumbler pigeons, pigeon facts, pigeon breeders, pigeon coops, pigeons for sale?

Email me at laurholb@telus.net.