Week 4
Sunday was a scorcher and it almost set a record. The
temperature was 32.4 C at the airport so it probably reached close to 35
C in the yard. We are always a few degrees warmer in the summer
and a few degrees colder in the winter. The birds were let out at
6:30 and flagged. Almost everyone flew. About 20 went very
high up and disappeared to return an hour later. Trapping was slow
again. Some will be going out hungry for tomorrow's exercise
period.
Today
was another hot day. It reached 30 C but the winds were very brisk
from the south making it quite comfortable in the loft. The birds
were out early and flagged again. All the birds went up except of
a few of my late breds who where just weaned a few days ago. A
group of 30 kitted and flew strongly around the loft and disappeared for
30 minutes. Two birds stayed up for a couple of hours flying around
in the vicinity. Trapping went quite well this morning.
Almost all the birds were in by 8:30.
A hawk circled high above the loft just before dinner. It was a
good time for him to be circling because all the birds were tucked in
the loft safely and it had to leave to look for dinner elsewhere.
June
22 - The birds have been flying in several groups. On
Tuesday a group of about 20 birds disappeared during their morning
exercise and didn't return until the late afternoon in 30 C heat.
Some of them looked totally exhausted and I suspect some are still
missing.
Yesterday their were no birds in the aviaries at 7:00 which is a sign
that I had an unwanted visitor. I decided to let the birds out at
8:00 but they were still reluctant to go out. Eventually they did
and most of them went up to fly immediately. I called them in 30 minutes
later when I thought most of the group had landed. When I
was feeding them it looked like a few were still missing so when about
15 arrived at 11:30 I wasn't surprised.
Early
this morning 3 birds
were sitting on the loft and waiting for me to let them in. All
were bred here. One had been gone for 3 days and had a line of
feathers missing across its chest from 11:00 to 5:00 o'clock.
There was a little bit of blood at the lower end. It had lost some
weight; other than the minor injury he is fine.
The birds
were let out around 8:00 and most went up to fly on their own. A
few are becoming infrequent flyers and had to be flagged to get them up.
Most of the team flew for over 30 minutes and then I called them in.
They trapped quickly because some of them had missed yesterday's meal.
Today I became a little smarter and decided only to give them half their
portion
incase some were still ranging. Ninety minutes later about 20
birds arrived and casually flew around the loft and landed.
One red who arrived earlier this month was in the group. He was
also in yesterday's group that went ranging for over 3 hours. I
was surprised that he flew off again this morning because he missed
yesterday's meal.
Today I fed the birds all they could eat.
June 23 - The Upper Canada National was
flown last weekend June 17. Mike van der Jagt who flies a very
small team of widowhood cocks had 3 birds in the first 50 against 193
lofts and 2781 birds. Congratulations Mike. Bill Sheridan of
Pondview Lofts who made arrangements to place birds from 5 Maritime
lofts in the AU Band Race placed 7th. Bill flies his birds on the
natural system and is having an excellent year competing against the
widowers.
The
birds were let out this morning for their exercise period in mostly
overcast skies. Shortly after they were let out a slight drizzling
rain fell. About 40 birds flew in the comfortable rain for a good
30 minutes. The birds were called in an hour after they were let
out without incident.
