craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Sept 24, 2014 20:15:00 GMT
Update 1 October So we contacted the pigeon racing club and they directed us to a local man who came round yesterday. Apparently Pidge is missing some of his flight feathers, which is why he couldn't make it off the ground. The chap said a hawk had probably attacked him! But the feathers will grow back, so he took him to stay with his pigeons. Our house is quiet now but I am glad he's gone somewhere more suitable. Thank you all for your support!  UPDATE 25/9 We took Pidge to release him this morning, and he flew into the air...and crash landed on the ground. He tried to fly away but couldn't. so we picked him up and brought him home again. There is no visible injury, so we've contacted the owner again and we'll see what happens next! (and alright, I'm quite enjoying having him around a bit longer!) ***** Last Saturday, we were at a small local theme park when my BF noticed a child pick up a pigeon. The kid was so surprised that he promptly dropped it again, and BF noticed that the pigeon was wearing rings marking it as a racing pigeon. Being in 'Frontierland' surrounded by children playing at being cowboys definitely wasn't the place for it, so we brought it home. Turns out you can report lost racing pigeons online using the code from the ring. I was a bit concerned as apparently sometimes racing pigeons that get lost are 'destroyed' by their owners because they're not very good at racing. However the owner rang us yesterday and said he'd be thrilled to get it back as almost half the birds he sent to that race haven't returned yet. Apparently they released them in really heavy fog and all the poor things got confused. We've been fattening Pidge up ready for the journey home, and if the weather is good we plan to release him tomorrow morning. He/she is very friendly and I'm going to miss him!  |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:35:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2014 20:16:35 GMT
That's awesome! I hope Pidge has a safe journey home!
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Post by Anne-Marie on Sept 24, 2014 20:19:57 GMT
What a great story - and Pidge is so cute! I'm a little sad you have to say good-bye. Hope you will post more photos of Pidge's release. Is the owner going to let you know when Pidge makes it back to him?
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Post by *christine* on Sept 24, 2014 20:22:13 GMT
You what a what? Am I the only one who has never heard of a racing pigeon? who just picks up a pigeon at an amusement park?
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Sept 24, 2014 20:29:46 GMT
You what a what? Am I the only one who has never heard of a racing pigeon? who just picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? Lol, is it a UK thing? I don't even know if they do it elsewhere in the world. Basically they are homing pigeons - they drive them hundreds of miles away in cages, release them, and then the birds fly home. There's whole societies and everything: www.rpra.org/Pidge was basically wandering around looking lost. BF noticed the kids mucking around with it, so he stepped in to save it  It's got rings on its legs, so it's obviously not a wild one. Who picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? I guess we do |
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Sept 24, 2014 20:31:29 GMT
What a great story - and Pidge is so cute! I'm a little sad you have to say good-bye. Hope you will post more photos of Pidge's release. Is the owner going to let you know when Pidge makes it back to him? I'm hoping to take photos tomorrow when we let him go. Pidge should make it home the same day, so I really hope the owner will let us know! I'm trying to work out how to do a map to show how off-course he'd gone. But he was pretty lost. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:35:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2014 20:46:26 GMT
It's not just a UK thing. Mike Tyson had a short-lived TV show about racing pigeons. My grandfather raced pigeons and until last year, my dad did too. When my son was 4 he locked my dad in his pigeon coop and the only way he could convince him to open the door was to tell him the pigeons were pecking his feet. My son told him "They better be pecking you!" LOL I think a racing pigeon was the most expensive bird ever sold. A racing pigeon named Bolt sold for $410,000. My daughter when she was a baby with one of Papa's pigeons.  |
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Post by *christine* on Sept 24, 2014 21:00:14 GMT
You what a what? Am I the only one who has never heard of a racing pigeon? who just picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? Lol, is it a UK thing? I don't even know if they do it elsewhere in the world. Basically they are homing pigeons - they drive them hundreds of miles away in cages, release them, and then the birds fly home. There's whole societies and everything: www.rpra.org/Pidge was basically wandering around looking lost. BF noticed the kids mucking around with it, so he stepped in to save it It's got rings on its legs, so it's obviously not a wild one. Who picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? I guess we do I've heard of messenger pigeons, I think that's what they're called. And I wasn't calling out you and the BF for picking up a pigeon - just wondering what kids walks around and picks up a pigeon? I'm glad you stepped in to save it! Obviously they aren't like regular pigeons that would be looking for food if they're used to being kept right? Probably horrified by all those loud kids! |
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Post by sisterbdsq on Sept 24, 2014 21:06:52 GMT
THAT IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,412
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Sept 24, 2014 21:19:55 GMT
Am I the only one who has never heard of a racing pigeon? Seems like it. They are very common in Yorkshire and even the Queen has racing pigeons! |
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Sept 24, 2014 21:40:49 GMT
Lol, is it a UK thing? I don't even know if they do it elsewhere in the world. Basically they are homing pigeons - they drive them hundreds of miles away in cages, release them, and then the birds fly home. There's whole societies and everything: www.rpra.org/Pidge was basically wandering around looking lost. BF noticed the kids mucking around with it, so he stepped in to save it It's got rings on its legs, so it's obviously not a wild one. Who picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? I guess we do I've heard of messenger pigeons, I think that's what they're called. And I wasn't calling out you and the BF for picking up a pigeon - just wondering what kids walks around and picks up a pigeon? I'm glad you stepped in to save it! Obviously they aren't like regular pigeons that would be looking for food if they're used to being kept right? Probably horrified by all those loud kids! Oh cool, I didn't think you were calling us out, but I've already had one person going "they'll just wring its neck" so I am a little bit defensive! If the owner didn't want it back we had a rescue place all lined up for it, but he was really pleased to know that we'd found Pidge and he really wants him home. I had no idea racing pigeons were such an international thing! How cool |
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Post by cmhs on Sept 24, 2014 22:17:42 GMT
Last year, my kids and the neighbor's kids found a racing pigeon that was injured. We have a friend who is a naturalist so we called her for advice. She was able to locate the owner from the info on the band. We are in NJ and the owners were in Long Island. They met up somewhere in the middle and returned the bird to its very relieved owners! We have a picture of the reunited bird/owners. It was in a race when it was injured.
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Post by mrsscrapdiva on Sept 24, 2014 23:15:09 GMT
Oh that was sweet that you "rescued" the pigeon. I hope it gets home safely!
My Pepe raised and raced pigeons back in the 70s and early 80s. He passed away in 1984. He loved his pigeons. As kids we thought it was neat to hold them as babies.
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brandy327
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,353 
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Post by brandy327 on Sept 25, 2014 0:20:31 GMT
You what a what? Am I the only one who has never heard of a racing pigeon? who just picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? I had NO idea either!!!! |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Sept 25, 2014 1:05:22 GMT
I've heard of messenger pigeons, I think that's what they're called. I think they're called carrier pigeons.  |
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Post by darkangel090260 on Sept 25, 2014 4:42:42 GMT
Do you know all the nasty thing types bird carrier.
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Post by alibama on Sept 25, 2014 15:16:39 GMT
anyone other then me now what a racing pigeon? How cool would that be. Very nice thing you guys did!
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loco coco
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,662
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Post by loco coco on Sept 25, 2014 15:24:14 GMT
ha, never heard of that! Very cool though
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Sept 25, 2014 17:15:10 GMT
We took Pidge to release him this morning, and he flew into the air...and crash landed on the ground. He tried to fly away but couldn't. so we picked him up and brought him home again. There is no visible injury, so we've contacted the owner again and we'll see what happens next! (and alright, I'm quite enjoying having him around a bit longer!)
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:35:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2014 17:20:02 GMT
Oh dear. Do you think you fattened him up too much?  |
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loco coco
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,662
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Post by loco coco on Sept 25, 2014 17:20:58 GMT
oh no!! well now that youve rescued him twice, maybe he is meant to be with you! |
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Post by sisterbdsq on Sept 25, 2014 17:24:24 GMT
I would take him to the vet with the owner's permission. Seems you've bonded with Pidge and if he dies because you couldn't SEE an injury, you'd probably be devastated and forever traumatized.
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Sept 25, 2014 17:41:30 GMT
Oh dear. Do you think you fattened him up too much? Haha! He still looks pretty trim. I'm waiting for the owners to get back to us, but I think a Vet trip is probably in the future. How have I bonded with a pigeon?! BF has always wanted a parrot but I've been very anti-bird (we have several other fluffy pets). The longer Pidge is here, the more I feel I am losing the argument |
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Post by meeko77 on Sept 25, 2014 17:43:32 GMT
Aww. Sweet Pidge.
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Post by alibama on Sept 25, 2014 17:45:08 GMT
You are going to have to put him on a diet now so he can fly home lol.
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Post by KikiPea on Sept 25, 2014 17:47:53 GMT
UPDATE 25/9 We took Pidge to release him this morning, and he flew into the air...and crash landed on the ground. He tried to fly away but couldn't. so we picked him up and brought him home again. There is no visible injury, so we've contacted the owner again and we'll see what happens next! (and alright, I'm quite enjoying having him around a bit longer!) Awwww, poor birdie. I hope it's okay and makes it back safely to it's owner! |
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Post by Zee on Sept 25, 2014 17:51:51 GMT
Uh-oh. I'm worried what might happen to him if he can't fly--he'll be worthless to his owner. Maybe they'd rather have you keep him?
Keep us updated!
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Post by Zee on Sept 25, 2014 17:52:36 GMT
Do you know all the nasty thing types bird carrier. Yes, I'm sure she is aware, Captain Killjoy. |
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Post by lillieleigh on Sept 25, 2014 18:46:53 GMT
Maybe that sweet bird wants to stay with you.
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Sept 25, 2014 18:51:36 GMT
I hope it's just a temporary setback for Pidge; and, that Pidge is flying again soon.
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It's got rings on its legs, so it's obviously not a wild one. Who picks up a pigeon at an amusement park? I guess we do 
