Loft Log 09/23/2008

Time flies when you are having fun…!

Most of you should have received a pool sheet by now.  If not, they should be available for download on the web.

I apologize for not sending a email out sooner.  Several of you have called or sent individual emails, so feel free to do so if you are inclined.

I have been plagued by hawks.  Hawks in the loft, hawks attacking them flying, hawks flying overhead when they are in the loft.  Seems like the hawks are all over these days.  The hawk in the loft killed one bird, but I guess if a hawk is going to kill a bird, I appreciate it when he is willing to do it in a captive environment.

All of the birds, except one, went to the 150 mile race.  I shipped 90 birds, and would have shipped another except I did not see it in the crate.  Maybe it was a good thing, as I only received 46 birds on the day.  Beautiful weather, slight tail wind, birds coming right home after training tosses, but the race was a bit tougher that it should have been.  I did eventually get ~76 birds home, and maybe another one or two yet this week.  Other flyers had a bit of trouble too.  The race should be posted on the web at some point.

My birds came from the North on the south race.  Not a good sign, but with a tail wind maybe that is expected?  It was their first race, so they will lean a lot more over the next few weeks.  Some flyers are saving their birds, and not racing at all.   I suspect that they are in for a large surprise on the convention race.

I plan on skipping the 200 mile race this weekend, and racing the next 100, and the convention race.  There have already been two races canceled, and I have skipped two races.  This weekend I will go for 70 mile or so, rather than the race, weather permitting.

Now that I have electronic bands on, I have some training tosses on the web.  Most training tosses are from my 30 mile spot, which is all the time I have in the AM with going to work too.  So I am up at 5:30 AM, basket birds and left the yard by about 6 AM.  (Good thing I have my loading chute).  Arrive at the release point at 6:30.  Wait for the sun to come up and release birds at 6:45 or so.  It’s light enough to see, but as soon as I see wild birds flying, the birds are out.  Then it’s back to the city to get ready for work and try to beat the traffic that starts by 7 AM.

The birds are fully molted and look fantastic.  Some of the hens are on eggs.  I had then separated for a while, but I have them back together after the hard race.  When they were separate, I was letting them back together after each training toss.

All in all, the birds are looking good.  I hope that I can motivate them enough to win the race.