Any Eye Sign Specialists

[king]

The birds sent then were a lot better than now it seems and the bird age was

Now them races seem to just be a Kent club or 80 percent are from there it’s not really a national now

Why would that be king ? Obviously decline in the sport but was there more northern marking stations as transport links are better now
Them positions are decent where now you can be 2/3 days behind and get in the result
I once sent a old plodder to Barcelona my only time the race was won on the Sunday I had Monday off and nothing in the Tuesday after I got home from work he was there I didn’t bother to verify and found out he would have been about 30th to me he was 2 days behind but now you see people proud of these things it looks like in the 70’s they were much more competitive all over the uk
[/quote]

Decline in members is the reason without doubt. My old club held open races that attracted over a 1000 birds with over 70 members sending! around 30 miles of me I could name up to 10 fanciers that had clocked birds in the first 10 at Pau/Tarbes flying over 700 miles. A fancier some 20 mile away that had clocked from Rome of 1000 miles. 3 members with 20 miles of me that had won the Queens Cup from Lerwick. It's nothing like today a handful of fanciers all sending big teams clocking everything that drops. My local clubs send just to the coast now and they still have strange races more so with YBs.
Although I don't race now, I'm glad I did race when there was some real competition, not beating lots of birds but beating lots of members. One year 1989 my club had 18 different winners from 24 races.

[NeilA]

Do Scottish fancier still send to these 750 miles races with the bbc etc

[king]

Do Scottish fancier still send to these 750 miles races with the bbc etc

No they were popular in the 70s & 80s more so the 70s. A guy in Edinburgh had a go a couple of years ago but didn't clock. The fanciers that did send are long gone now.

[NeilA]

That’s a shame I think it’s the same everywhere , tarbes NFC seems popular here but the BICC international seems Kent thing

[Andy]

That’s a shame I think it’s the same everywhere , tarbes NFC seems popular here but the BICC international seems Kent thing

I think that now nearly all the channel races are nationals and classics and the real distance races are internationals and although members from over here in the South West do send there aren’t many and it certainly is mainly for those in the South East especially with the international birds flying up into Belgium & Holland.

[Andy]

Here's 4 eyes from some British birds from over 40 years ago. You won't find birds like them today. No birds alive today in the UK, Belgium or Holland have achieved what they have done. What's your views?

upload a photo
imghost

Top Left. Raced by Geroge Ogilvie & Sons Dundee.
3784 Blue Cheq hen bred in 1974.
Flew Palamos (1,043 miles) as a two year old in 1976 winning 17th Section E, 304th Open BBC and 6th in the Scottish 1000 mile club. In 1977 it was back to Palamos again, this time to win 2nd Scottish 1000 Mile Club, 6th Section E, 100th Open BBC. She also Won 1st club, 7th Fed Longtown, 1st club, 11th Fed Penrith, 1st club, 4th Fed Lancaster.
In all 3784 flew Palamos 3 times 1,043 miles, taking jumps of 790 miles & One of 830 miles when racing from Spain(she never ever raced from France)


Top Right. Raced by Bert Stewart, Carnoustie.
0014 Mealy Hen 'Betty's Delight' bred in 1970.
Flew Avranches 545 miles in 1972, Nantes 642 miles 1973, Pau 913 miles 1974. 4th Section E, 151st Open BBC Palamos 1,041 miles in 1975. 1st Scottish 1000 Mile Club, 4th Section E, 129th Open BBC Palamos. in 1976. Rested in 1977. 1st bird into Scotland, 1st Section E, Palamos in 1976. 3 x Palamos 1,041 miles.

Bottom Left. Raced by J Alexander of Monifieth.
3225 Mealy Cock. Bred in 1971. Flown Avranches 540 miles twice, Rennes 580 miles. Unraced in 1977 trained once at 60 miles four weeks before the race and jumped 983 miles into Palamos 1,043 miles. This was obviously adequate as 3225 went on to win 1st Scottish 1000 Mile Club, 1st Section E, 68th Open BBC Palamos flying 1,043 miles.

Bottom Right. Bred by D & S Smith of Dunning.
Blue Cheq Hen bred in 1973 'Dunning 40' At 16 weeks old this hen flew BBC Rennes YB Nat flying 572 miles. In 1974 Rennes as yearling 572 miles. 1975 Nantes 634 miles. In 1976 from Palamos 29th Scottish 1000 Mile Club, 43rd Section E, 375th Open BBC Palamos 1,039 miles.

If anybody is interested I've some others I can post.

Some very good pigeons there King. I think No 1 in particular would breed well as well as race.

[Andy]

I like her eye

A very nice eye Mike.

[Andy]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread - so thanks to every one that has contributed.
I knew nothing about the eyesign principle but its good to know what other people look for.
I dont think I will be using it but like most fanciers when handling birds, I always like to look into the eye.
There is one question I would ask of you Andy, which is -h- is there anything that you can see in the eye that relates to health issues, perhaps current or maybe historical....?

Hi Dave. The eyesign will deteriorate a bit with age and like any eye can develop cataracts casing a blurring of the eye. As far as health goes the eyesign itself won’t change but the colour can. In a healthy bird the colour will always look bright and sharp. The colour would be a lot duller in an unhealthy bird. The pupils themselves would also be less responsive to bright light in an unhealthy pigeon. Of course for you to detect the difference in your birds you would have to know what they look like when fit and healthy. There won’t be any change historically unless the eye had been damaged in some way. Years ago I had a pigeon that was attacked by a rat when sitting and the eye was badly damaged. The eye lost most of its colour and always appeared very dull and wishy washy. I had the same more recently with one that came back badly hawked.

[NeilA]

That’s a shame I think it’s the same everywhere , tarbes NFC seems popular here but the BICC international seems Kent thing

I think that now nearly all the channel races are nationals and classics and the real distance races are internationals and although members from over here in the South West do send there aren’t many and it certainly is mainly for those in the South East especially with the international birds flying up into Belgium & Holland.

Agree
It’s strange how the drag still buggers up a true result even from 700 miles

[Diamond Dave]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Andy - all very interesting.