Flying with MyWhiteDoves

Royal Visit of HRH Charles Prince of Wales

Mike Long — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:30:43 +0000

OK, so it's a little weird that the last post had to do with the House of Windsor and today I'm writing about Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall's visit to Saint John.

It's Victoria Day today and as it happens, Charles and Camilla were in Saint John to represent the Queen in honour of her Diamond Jubilee. I wanted to add a little something to the day, and welcome them in a special way, so I basketed up 7 of the doves and took them with us, planning to release them at some point.Weather-wise, we couldn't have asked for a better day... not a cloud in the sky (4th day in a row... quite a stretch for Saint John ). The birds were in this heart-shaped basket that I usually use for weddings.

We headed uptown around 10:30 thinking that we'd have to get in there early to beat the crowds. As it turned out, we didn't have to go that early... BUT, the fact that we did, ensured that we got a really really good spot. As their arrival got closer, I figured I'd better talk to someone about what I was planning to do (I didn't want security to jump me when I lifted a basket up to shoulder-level within view of the royals). They weren't too hesitant and merely said not to do it when they were right in front of us and that it would be best to do it well before they got to where we were.

Charles was on our side and Camilla on the opposite side of the street. As they approached, several members of the press corps asked what was in the basket. When I indicated that it was a team of white doves that I planned to release, they asked me to come closer to the street. At this I looked immediately at the security personnel (someone different than I'd spoken with earlier), asking if THEY were OK with that. They were and simply said to hang on... he'd signal when it was OK to release them.

As they approached, people surged forward a bit and Mr. Security sort of had other things on his mind so he didn't give me the cue. Charles passed in front of us and just before he did, my daughter shot this photo of him (we were pretty close).

Once he passed however, I threw caution to the wind and opened the basket. There was a massive cheer as the crown saw the birds come out. Charles turned back to see what the commotion was as the birds were starting to kit up. SO... it's not like we had a chat about them or anything, but he definitely knew that doves had been released in honour of their visit. Pretty cool.

Because I was the one doing the releasing, I don't actually have any pics of the birds going off... It'd be really cool if some of the press corps people caught the Prince with the doves flying off in the background. If anyone sees any pics like this (either online or in the news) I'd LOVE to know about it... please let me know. There was a girl from the Telegraph who spoke with me afterwards, but sh didn't get a pic of it (because it wasn't an official part of the program, no one really knew about it until after the fact).

They spent close to an hour on Prince William St. before heading to an event at the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal. So we actually got to pack up our stuff, take it back to the car & then walk down... with plenty of time to still see them come down Duke St.

My White Doves have now officially flown in honour of the future King of England.

All in all a very cool day. The kids were pretty excited...
... the big kids too! :)

the new 'House of Windsor'...

Mike Long — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:10:27 +0000

photo by Saint John photographer Silas Cheeseman

I love it when a story has a happy ending,
don't you?

This story began back on October 29th, when local Saint John photographer Silas Cheeseman saw a rather remarkable sight. A pure white dove pecking the ground in a parking lot near his home. He was able to capture a couple of images of the bird. We were put into contact by a mutual friend who knew that I kept birds like this and thought it might've been one of mine that had failed to return home. As soon as I saw the photo though, I knew it wasn't one of mine as none of my birds are banded with blue bands. I figured one of two things would happen to this bird.

Best-case scenario... it would find a food source, fuel-up and head back to wherever it was that it had come from (after all... that's what Homing Pigeons do, right!?).
Worst-case scenario... it would fail to find shelter and a reliable food source (homing pigeons are not used to having to forage for food), weaken and fall prey to a predatory bird such as a hawk or a falcon (we have both in Greater Saint John) or fall victim to the winter weather.

Had Silas seen him on a fairly regular basis, I could've gone over and tried to rescue it, but he never saw it after that. Thus ends chapter 1.

Chapter 2 began on December 21st (nearly two months later) when I got a call from Annetta, a resident of the West Side, who had found a slightly wounded, pure-white homing pigeon while walking her dog. She was able to pick up the bird but, having little experience with birds, entrusted it to the care of her neighbour, Bud, who'd had several birds over the years and indeed still had some. Together they dubbed the bird Windsor after the street on which they'd found it. Again, we were put in contact by a mutual friend who knew that I raised whites.

Bud knew that he wouldn't really be able to keep the bird long-term, because it required a larger cage than he had and different care; Windsor was not your average house-bird! He did, however want to keep him for a bit so that his daughter, who was coming home for the holidays, could see this special find (after all, it's not every day that one finds, and gets to care for, a pure white dove... now THAT's a special little gift from heaven!). It was decided that they'd get back in touch with me after Christmas and would bring the bird over to join my flock. Today was that day.

Having been able to see the entirety of his band (IF 2000 FOYS 14442), here's what I now know about Windsor.

he is registered with the International Federation of American Homing Pigeon Fanciers
(a pigeon fancier's club founded in 1880, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.)
he was born in 2000... making him 11 years young already
he was bred & banded by FOYS Pet Supplies (America's oldest bird supply company, founded in 1887), in Beaver Falls Pennsylvania. Not only do they sell pet supplies, but they also raise and sell several breeds of pigeons, including pure white homing pigeons.
His unique identifier number, among all of FOYS birds born in 2000, is 14442.

What I suspect is that this bird was sold to a customer, in one of the New England States, who released it either in the context of a race, or a white dove release ceremony of some kind. From there it likely got blown off course due to a severe weather system (heaven knows we get a few of THOSE coming up the coast!). For now, though, Windsor has a new home... hence the title of this post: the NEW House of Windsor.

All in all, it's amazing that this bird, accustomed to 'easy-living' for some 11-years, survived at least 2 months in the wild without getting taken down by a predator (white birds tend not to 'blend in' very well, making them a visible target). I'd say that like England's royal House of Windsor, this little bird must come from pretty good stock!

What's next?

I've contacted FOYS to see if they can tell me anything about who that bird belonged to originally. Among pigeon fanciers it's common practice to see if a lost bird can be returned to its owner (I've had it happen to me... read about the incredible flight of 'Voyager Gerhardt'). What complicates things in this case is a teeny little thing known as 'The American-Canadian Border'. It's possible that the owner would not want to drive the distance to retrieve this bird. Even if they did, it would likely involve a certain hassle to get the bird through Customs. None-the-less, we'll make contact and try our best... that's what pigeon-guys do!

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'Tailor-made' for your 2011 wedding!

Mike Long — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:54:17 +0000

Fall 2011 must be highlighted somewhere as one of the most mild autumns on record. Even as I writed this post (Dec.28, 2011) it's roughly 8o celcius (46 fahrenheit). That's not bad for the near arrival of January!

One of the surprise 'side effects' that it had, was to bring the birds back into breeding mode. The birds had pretty much quit breeding 'round about August, this is fairly common. For guys that run bigger lofts, August is a time when they split up the breeding pairs, keeping the hens and the cockbirds in separate areas. This ensures that the birds have a bit of a break (raising 6-8 kids in 6-7 months will do that to you!).

Since I have a small loft, I just don't have the space to house them separately. Usually, the cooler temps and shorter days induce a natural 'shut-down' period, so I don't have to be concerned about late breeding. This year though, it seems that the milder temps trumped the shorter days... and they kicked back into gear.

This little guy (I say 'guy' although I won't know the sex until he's older) is the first of that wave to hatch. If you've been following the blog, you will have seen a post on him already. He is an

e-NOR-mous little bird. His nest-mate died only a day or so after hatching so Tailor has had the benefit of exclusive feeding rights from his parents. He 'bulked up' as it were and can now proudly bear the title 'Buff-Bird'... (a couple months from now, all the young hen-birds will be screamin' his name & fainting when he does a fly-by!).

If his 'chest' looks a little dirty in the 24-day pic, it can be explained by the 13-day pic. Here, it looks a bit like the bird is resting his head/beak on a bulging pillow, but that 'pillow' is actually his crop. Put plainly, the crop is his food pouch. He is fed a couple of times per day and the food stays in here until it is gradually digested; making him very front-heavy. As the feathers on the bottom of the crop come-in they are almost constantly rubbing against the bottom of the nestbowl and whatever might be there... hence the dirty look (not to worry though, this will quickly disappear as the bird becomes older, moves around more and begins preening itself).

By 24 days, he's looking like an adult bird in many ways, although the presence of the yellow down and the as-yet pale & soft beak, still give away his youth. Most of his feathers are in with the exception of a few at the base of the neck, which you can see, and under the wings. Once the feathers begin to come in under the wings, it's typically time to think about weening the young bird from it's parents, so that he gets used to feeding himself... a necessary step considering that he would also typically begin flying at around 40 days. I think I'll go easy on him and put things off a bit given that it's winter.

Thinking about having a dove release for your wedding or special event this summer? There's a good chance Tailor-made will be part of your special day!

Contact me for availability.

Santa's arrival... Maritime-style!

Mike Long — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:07:48 +0000

Well it's December 23rd and a light snow is falling. I have gotten well behind in compared to the goal that I'd set myself at the beginning of the month. As we put up the tree, I'd thought to share roughly 25 of the favorite ornaments that hang on our tree, but today's only brings us up to 13. I guess that comes along with the business of the season.

Last night I helped some friends from church put on a supper for some friends in the north end. These friends have been holding services there for roughly 2 months now so it was their Christmas Dinner for church members & friends. Great Time!

This morning, I wake up to a light, light, light snow falling (the best kind :), so as I sit down in front of the lit tree, it feels particularly Christmasy.
*Love that feeling*

Today's ornaments are a couple that I picked up in the Town of St. Andrews, along New Brunswick's southern coast, roughly 30min from the USA border. I like them because they're a departure from the typical depiction of Santa in a sleigh, and appropriate because St. Andrews is a beautiful little seaside resort. In it's golden era, summer-seekers came to spend a month or two at the Algonquin Hotel, a BEAUTIFUL old Tudor style building only a stroll away from the seaside. Looking at the wharf is remeniscent of fishing outports all throughout the Maritime Coast, and one could easily picture Santa arriving by boat. It's perhaps a little less magical, but certainly very 'Maritime'.... and that is its own type of magic!

Merry (almost) Christmas!

Growing up: Healthy Parents, Healthy Babies.

Mike Long — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:00:39 +0000

In my previous post The Difference a Day Makes, you saw 9, 10-day old hatchlings. Today I wanted to show you a pair of 10 & 11-day old hatchlings in order to draw out another point, one that's well-known in the racing-pigeon world: Healthy parents make healthy babies.

Take a look at the two birds in picture one and try to get a sense of what their size is in relation to the nestbowl (I know it's a bit tough given the cropping). Now look at the birds, from the last post, in the bottom picture and do the same, get a sense of their size in relation to the nestbowl.

In theory the two 10-day birds should be roughly the same size, however the birds in photo #2 are markedly smaller. There is a subtle difference in their pinfeather length and it's really easy to see the difference in the amount of food in the crops of the two pairs of babies.

The babies in photo #2 are from my two 2011 Nova Scotia Whites, whereas the birds in the top photo are from Mr & Mrs Bigeye, two of my strongest, more mature and more experienced breeders (Mr. Bigeye is 9yrs old and Mrs. Bigeye is 4). The older pair has raised numerous young, whereas these are the first babies for the young pair from N.S.

While instinct has obviously kicked in and the young pair were able to breed and rear young, the maturity of the more established pair has produced a more healthy pair of hatchlings: Healthy parents make for healthy babies.

I don't think that it's a real stretch to say that the same is true of the human species as well. Brides & Grooms, one of the best gifts you can give your kids is to continually work on the health of your marriage. A strong, healthy, mature relationship in the home sets the stage for healthy, well adjusted, confident children.

Aw, there I go 'meddlin' again. :)
Anyway, thanks for stopping by again today. Just think, these are the birds that could be flying at your wedding or special event this summer! Are you getting married or do you know someone who is? Why not suggest they check out MyWhiteDoves and consider including us in their event.

Growing up: The Difference a Day Makes!

Mike Long — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:15:59 +0000

There've been a few things going on in my blog of late and the bulk of it has not been 'dove-centric'. Those of you who are coming here out of interest in the doves have patiently indulged my walk down nostalgia lane as I've chronicled some of the favorite things that adorn our Christmas tree (there's still a bit more to come). Thanks for indulging my non-dove side!

One of the things that you will have picked up on, between the blog and my Facebook page is that this fall's incredibly mild weather did a job on my doves. It's like they all thought it was Springtime, and are now caring for babies (unheard of in December).

Today I wanted to start a short series of posts entitled Growing up, looking at the growth of hatchlings - 'early childhood development' if you will.

For example, Did you know? You can visibly see the difference between two hatchlings that are only a day apart. Take the two birds in this photo for example, their pinfeathers are coming in nicely and are most visible under their beaks, on their wings and along their backs.

It's difficult to compare wings because the wing of the 10-day bird is hidden behing its younger nestmate. If you look just below their beaks, however, you can easily see that breast of the 10-day bird seems 'whiter'. If you look closely, you can see that the pinfeathers are longer on the older bird than on the younger. This is the difference that a day makes. Isn't it incredible? Who would think that a single 24hr period could render such a visible difference, but it does. You can also see a difference in the pinfeather length along the back of the two birds as well.

I want to share a little something more about this pair. If you've been following my blog, you will have seen a post back on December 11 where I mentioned having bought 2 pair of birds from fellow CRPU member Laslo Toth of Truro, Nova Scotia. One was a pair of older birds (banded 2009 - they recently gave me CU 11 13751 a.k.a. Tailor-made), and the other was a young pair, from this year (2011). It is this young pair that bore me these two hatchlings, so interestingly, both the parents AND their first chicks will all bear 2011 bands, meaning that... in terms of years, these two birds will be the same age as their parents.

Check back in a couple of days to get a second glance at the process of Growing up.

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Another Favorite Thing

Mike Long — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:32:07 +0000

Back in the game for another of my favorite things (finally). This time it's purely a question of a mom & dad's unquestionably biased love for their kids.

I'm not sure when we picked up these tiny picture frame ornaments, but it had to have been sometime since 2005 which is when our last little one was born.

They're not the most strikingly beautiful ornaments in and of themselves, but what makes them absolutely near & dear to our heart is the memories evoked by the photos. Each ornament has a photo of each of our 3 kids, Sophie, Dominic & Timothy, at their very tiny stages - in fact I think that they were all under 6-months when these pictures were taken.

The kids get a particular charge of each hanging their own ornament on the tree and seeing how tiny they were, since they really have no recollection of EVER being that small.

Three of the best gifts we ever received... Christmas or not!

Favorite Thing #11

Mike Long — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:59:40 +0000

For those who have been following this 'Favorite Things' series, you'll know that the impetus was to share things that have great memories attached to them, and with the exception of yesterday, those memories revolved around Christmas.

Today I'm technically going to once again deviate from the pattern in that my favorite things have sent me to the past, and today's is about a future memory. What do I mean by 'future memory'? I mean it's a definitely a Christmas memory, but in 5, 10 or 40 years, we'll look back on it with just as much laughter as we had while it was being made this past Saturday.

We were sitting around the living room with Christmas music playing (the Go Fish Guys christmas album Snow) and Timo was dancing in front of the window, not to any audience, no one was watching him from outside and he wasn't particularly doing it because we were watching... he was just enjoying life. He didn't even realize that I'd gotten the FlipVideo camera and was recording him. It wasn't until the song was over and he turned to look at us, and saw us all grinning like cheshire cats, that he realized what we'd been up to... The attached video is the result.

Reminds me of the quote by William W. Purkey:

You've got to dance like no one's watching.

May your Christmas be as carefree as Timo's!
Enjoy!

Favorite Thing #10

Mike Long — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:45:02 +0000

I started this series - A Few of my Favorite Things - based on ornaments from the tree, the various stories behind them as well as the memories that they evoked. Today however, we're breaking from the Christmas tree for my tenth favorite thing. Today was a 'banding day'.

If you'll recall, a little bit ago I mentioned that the unusually warm fall had the rather surprising effect on my loft... It got the gang breeding again. This chick is 7 days old and typically, day-7 is banding day.

It is the day that it went from being a nameless hatchling, to becoming CU 11 13751, a nationally recognizable / traceable member of my loft, through the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union. This band number (band is on the other leg and therefore not visible) allows the bird to be tracked back to me in case it gets lost and/or found as well as allowing me to trace the bird's lineage.

This baby is from a pair of whites that I purchase from Laszlo Toth of Truro, NS back in October. Laszlo is a member of the Central Nova Racing Pigeon Club, an extremely conscientious hobbyist and an incredible Tailor. In order to 'tip my hat' to Laszlo, I've decided to also name this bird 'Tailor-Made'.

Day 7 is important because the bird has to be young enough for you to be able to place the band over his toes, but old enough (and big enough) that the band won't just slip back off. They're pretty recognizable at this stage because the yellow down is still present, but the pinfeathers are already breaking through and are very visible.

I love banding day because it means one more bird in the loft that I can look forward to training. Fortunately for me, there are 6 other babies in the loft, so I will have a few more banding days in the near future (and likely won't have any more until March or April).

That's the latest window on my 'world of favorite things'.
Thanks for stopping by!

Favorite Thing #9

Mike Long — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:00:57 +0000

So why the two virtually identical pics of the same ornament? Because one was taken using the flash (bottom right) and the other was taken without (top left).

Personally I prefer the pic without the flash, because you get to get a 'feel' for the ornament on the tree... there's a much warmer quality. The 'with-flash' pic however is useful to see a bit more detail.

As I mentioned yesterday, this is the last of the ornaments on our tree that come from Monschau, Germany (ornaments 4 and 7 are the others). It is a pewter rocking horse.

On one hand, I think that even without knowing the origin, the shades of red, yellow and green that have been used give a good hint to it's German origin. Not sure exactly why I have that impression, but it's there... I think they're colours that I've seen repeatedly in styles of dress, knits, etc. in Germany. Anyway, there you have it... my blatently stereotypical summation.

I find it interesting that there are no marks on it to indicate the manufacturer (eg. our local pewter ornaments are all stamped with the Aitkens Pewter logo), in fact the reverse side is identical - same relièf, same painting. It's rather nameless, yet it is the only one of it's kind on our tree... it's special.

I like this type of ornament because, again, it's made of what I'll call a primary element ... metal and therefore I really don't have to worry too much about breaking it. Unlike the glass balls, ceramic or plastic ornaments, it would take a much more intentional effort to break this, therefore, there is a much greater chance that one of my children will be looking at this ornament on their tree years from now, if the Lord tarries.

Don't forget that you can check out Monschau's Christmas Market via webcam tonight.
(note: it's an indoor webcam looking through a window so you'll actually see better if you catch it before nightfall - they are 5 hours ahead of us here in the Atlantic Time Zone).