[Womble]

Meet Walter, our new racing pigeon!! 



He turned up in our yard last Saturday, so we gave him some grain and water, and tried to send him on his way.......... However, a week on, he's still here, roosting every night on the roof just outside our bathroom window.



We've E-mailed the relevant pigeon racing association, but haven't heard anything back yet. Perhaps his owners don't want him any more? He's clearly a rubbish homing pigeon in any case!! 

I'm quite sure we can't be alone in this sort of thing. So, what strange animals have turned up unannounced on your holding??

Womble.

[little blue]

we had a "homing" pigeon repeatedly throughout last summer....

we have also adopted (with permission of course) a cockerel (black silkie) and a young light sussex from next door,
I've tried to adopt the odd pheasant and partridge, but they dont habg around very long!

My o/h fell in love with a black labrador who used to come visiting, before we had the GSD, but it was soon claimed!
Unlike the lovely grey cat who wanted to stay but started bullying our old boy & had to go.
  our neighbours used to "look after" a cat for the holidays... she spent more time with us than them! think she was related to our old lad, they were very similar!

[faith0504]

lovely photos,

we have the pheasant visits every day, they just come fill there bellies and go on there way,

a border collie comes every morning to say hello then goes on his way

thats about it up to now, will wait and see what new arrivals turn up in spring and summer 

[Fleecewife]

We had a racing pigeon once too - Pooey Dooey    He flew in the living room window one day and set up home on top of the dresser. I first noticed him when I had a feeling someone was behind me - looked up and there was Pooey Dooey.  I tried to evict him to the barn, but if ever a door or window was open, back in he came.  We eventually caught him and phoned the number printed on his wing.  His owner arrived in a big Merc (must be money in racing pigeons  ) and he was escorted away in a cage on the back seat.  He was apparently an excellent racer but his group had been attacked by a peregrine during a big race and he was the only survivor. The owner was very pleased to get him back.

We once had a cat, Polkinghorne (yes, I know) who did the reverse.  He had a perfectly good home with us, but loved to go round to people's kitchen doors and pretend he was starving.  When we lived in St Andrews, it turned out that 7 people thought he was their cat    Before that we had lived in Anglesey and he disappeared for 9 weeks.  I eventually tracked him down but didn't recognise the football he had become.  He had been adopted of course and every time he miaowed, they fed him    Not good.

[NorthEssexsmallholding]

lovely photos, we had a racing pigeon suddenly come down into the farm yard one day while I was moving the beans into a grain store, it just was pecking around, spent the afternoon there before setting off on its way again.

[Womble]

we have the pheasant visits every day, they just come fill there bellies and go on there way,

Yup, we used to have a visiting pheasant too, but they eat so much! She just disappeared one day though - <whistle> no idea what happened </whistle>

[Mo]

We've had a couple of racing pigeons stop off with us.
Both times we contacted the relevant organisation with the ring number.
The first one was from the Isle of Wight and was collected by a local guy who was going to pop him on the next available transporter. They have transport dropping pigeons off all over the place.
The second one carried on with journey after a short stopover. We got an email from the owner to say he had made it home.

[Mo]

we have the pheasant visits every day, they just come fill there bellies and go on there way,

Yup, we used to have a visiting pheasant too, but they eat so much! She just disappeared one day though - <whistle> no idea what happened </whistle>

 
 

[Rosemary]

We found a dog once. She was a black and white terrier and she followed our dogs. I took her to the police station but they just recorded it and said she could go to the pound or I could take her home. Naturally, we took her home. She was a delight - by bedtime, we had decided to call her Poppy and were debating whether she'd need one or two coats. Her real owner phoned the following day and came for her  I did offer to have her for holidays but he never got back to me 

[darkbrowneggs]

Racing pigeons are regular drop by visitor as I keep a flock of white doves.  Sometimes the just have a bit of R&R and then get on their way, sometimes they pair up with one of the resident birds, so I get odd markings, but as my flock is continually harried by sparrowhawks they seem to pick out the birds with markings first

If I can I catch them and phone usually Amtrack calls to collect.

Various dogs appear, usually with contact details attached and get duly returned.  The odd cat takes up residence in the barn, which involves endless phone calls to locals till we can track down who's it might be.

Did get a white sheep many years ago which jumped in to join my flock of black welsh mountain

MOST EXCITING was a pair of Hoopoes some years ago which stayed about a week feeding on my exceedingly waterlogged lawn outside the kitchen windows.  I have to admit I didn't tell anyone till they were gone as I didn't want to be inundated with twitchers 

All the best
Sue

[Sylvia]

If you can catch a racing pigeon and look under it's wing you may find the 'phone number of the owner. I know a lot of folk say that a racer who comes home late gets knocked on the head but, in fact, most owners love their birds and are glad to see them back, however late

[Cinderhills]

MOST EXCITING was a pair of Hoopoes some years ago which stayed about a week feeding on my exceedingly waterlogged lawn outside the kitchen windows.

Didn't know what they were until I checked online.  What a fabulous looking bird and how lucky were you.

[darkbrowneggs]

I didn't know what they were at first either and it took a long time to work it out as Hoopoes are invariably shown with their combs up in the illustrations, which apparently they don't do all that often.

I took a photo through the kitchen window, but it was very poor, cameras have improved immensely over the last few years.  It was printed out at Boots, and when I got it home I nearly threw it away as it just looked nothing.  But I did keep it.  Sometime I will scan it into the computer and see if I can get it to look at least like a pair of birds!!!!

I did have a kingfisher visit one of my pools a couple of times a few years ago - but I never had a camera to hand and they fly off so quickly if you move much

All the best
Sue

[Womble]

If you can catch a racing pigeon and look under it's wing you may find the 'phone number of the owner.

Yes, it said that on the website, but unfortunately not on this one. We've done the best we can for now, by reporting his ring number. If the owner wants him back, that's fine with us, or if not, I'm fine to give him a home here, as he's a friendly enough chap.

[northfifeduckling]

all that comes vistiing here is neighbour's dog (I still don't want him here!!!) and now their cat,too. Thank goodness our old lady does not go out much any more, not sure she'd be up for a fight! The odd pheasant comes to feed on the grain , which is fine by me, but wow, can they fly!