By the time you read this our breeding season will be in full swing. Our first bred young birds will be flipping about the garden learning how to use their wings. Our birds at this time of year are at their most vulnerable with birds of prey mainly the sparrowhawk and the peregrine. The sparrowhawk seems to attack them as they alight the loft or whilst walking around the top Of the loft using surprise as it’s main form of attack whereas the peregrine seems to take them straight out of the air. I watch the sparrowhawk daily attack my neighbours bird feeder where blackbirds, starlings, finches etc are taken on a regular basis. This is all part Of nature and although I accept it I don’t like it.

I first met Snowy 30 odd years ago. As my mother-in-law got older her 4 daughters would take it in turns to visit her on Sundays, help out with the house and cook her a Sunday roast. Lamb and pointy cabbage would always be on the menu followed by apple pie and custard. I would always go and visit my best friends in London, Ling Bros. Snowy would always turn up and have a Sunday dinner. A retired dustman or bin man as they were called, he was in his 60s but was fit as a fiddle. He raced pigeons to his 1st floor flat in Canning Town. There was no access to his garden so everything had to be carried up the stairs from his garden, through his flat and down the stairs to his front door. He trained and raced his birds everyday so he made the journey about IO times a day. Snowy had lost his wife a few years earlier but always had an eye for the ladies. On meeting Snowy his opening line was “How’s Josie ? You looking after her” I knew exactly what he meant and just smiled. A few years later he started visiting the local knocking shop once a week and openly spoke about his encounters.

Now all pigeon fanciers have too many birds at the end of the year and Snowy would ask me for them. I put the word out locally and agreed to take them to London in 4 weeks time. They had to be alive and I think they ended up at the local Chinese or Indian. This particular weekend I turned up with a basket of pigeons. He only got El a piece but it saved us culling them. “How many you got” Snowy asked.”28″ I replied. “Shame you could not find another 2 and I could visit my favourite place” He laughed. Can’t remember if I gave him the other E2.Snowy died in his late eighties and is a character I will never ever forget

Until next time