SIGNALMAN JOHN SILVER AND THE VERY MEAN BUNNY

Photo and bio of "Stumpy" John Silver courtesy of the U.S. Air Force Museum

When I was 10 I visited the Air Force Museum in Ohio, and I stood and looked at John Silver here for a very, very long time. While the famous Bon Ami was a UK registered Black Checked Cock, here was American as apple pie, John Silver. A regular everyday Red Pigeon, like any urban pigeon we see on the street, who had flown just as fast and as bravely, and perhaps even more cleverly, than had his famous counterpart.

How could it be that so many people had such an aversion to these brave gentle birds with their soft cooing voices when others, not noted for their compassion, after many decades still memorialized he and his brother pigeons for their valor and interspecies help every year without fail?

"STUMPY" JOHN SILVER

This homing pigeon was hatched in January of 1918 in a dugout just behind the lines in France. He received his early training in action and was carrying military messages before he was many months old. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, he was one of the most active pigeons in the Army, and his barrage dodging skill was apparent during many exciting flights from the front lines to the divisional pigeon lofts.

On 21 October 1918, at 2:35 P.M. he was released from a front line dugout at Grandpre, during the Meuse-Argonne drive, with an important message for headquarters at Rampont, a distance of 25 miles. The enemy had laid down a furious bombardment prior to an attack. Through this fire the pigeon circled, gained his bearings, and flew on a direct course for Rampont.

Men in the trenches saw a shell explode near the pigeon. The concussion tossed him upward and then plunged him downward. Struggling, he regained his altitude and continued on his course. Arriving at Rampont 25 minutes later, the bird was a terrible site. A machine gun bullet had pierced his breast, bits of shrapnel ripped his body, and his right leg was missing. The message tube, intact, was hanging by the ligaments of the torn leg.

Weeks of nursing restored his health but could not give back the leg lost on the battlefield. The pigeon became a war hero and earned the name "John Silver", after the one-legged pirate in the book Treasure Island.

He was retired from active service and in 1921 was assigned to the 11th Signal Company, U.S. Signal Corps, Schofield Barracks, Honolulu. John Silver died 6 December 1935 at the age of 17 years and 11 months.

Hereafter on each Organization Day of the 11th Signal Company, the name "John Silver" is added to the roll call. When his name is called, the senior NCO present responds: "Died of wounds received in battle in the service of his country."

Innumerable pigeons have been killed in the line of duty. "John Silver" symbolizes their long and honorable service to mankind.

And here today on my terrace, wisely and mildly ignoring the affront of the anti-pigeon coils the building management insists on, are two beauties of the same stock as John Silver, G.I. Joe, and Bon Ami. A species that is so reviled that many seek their elimination from the Earth no matter what service they have done for mankind or what joy they bring to others.

AND NOW A VERY BRAVE RABBIT, from long time blog contributor Diane D'Arcy...

Please ignore the vulgarity of the title, and perhaps the narration as I didn't listen to it. I screened the film while others slept in the room, but don't ignore the film itself. It's an amazing piece of footage of one very determined bunny.

Bad-assTexasrabbit.wmv (3799KB)

Pigeon Eradication and Kat's Mini Pale Male and Lola Update

Photograph courtesy of People for Pigeons
People for Pigeons is concerned with the protection and preservation of mankind's oldest domestic bird, the gentle and loyal pigeon.
http://www.peopleforpigeons.blogspot.com/

Anna Dove of the New York Bird Club thought we might be interested in the latest chapter of the continuing saga of New York City and its resident flocks of pigeons.

But first my two cents worth, to ill treat any bird makes it easier to ill treat them all and without question the feral domestic pigeon has an important place in the urban ecosystem.

Not only are they the only bird that many urban children ever see, giving them their first taste of wild nature in this friendly gentle creature, but also keep in mind that in many parts of the city, the percentage of pigeons in the larger urban raptor's diet is over 80%.

Fewer pigeons-fewer Red-tail eyasses will survive, particularly if rats take their place.

No pigeons? How many Red-tails will grace our skies? Take a look at today's post from the People for Pigeons blog--

"Safe Feeding Zones" for Pigeons
According to a recent article in the Columbia Spectator, the Humane Society of the US is negotiating with New York City lawyers to put into place pigeon "safe feeding zones" or restricted feeding areas.

Can this be nothing more than pigeon discrimination, or will safe feeding zones for other wildlife follow in the future. I hope this plan is not an attempt to reduce the numbers of pigeons in Manhattan as pigeon populations have been declining steadily over the past several years and there is no need for pigeon control.

"As for those who enjoy playing with the pigeons, I think it is my duty to suggest that we follow the Humane Society’s plan for the city, called “safe feeding zones.” In negotiations with Councilman Simcha Felder (44th District, Brooklyn), the HS is working with city lawyers to draw up a plan that will allow the feeding of pigeons in parks, on the grass, away from the heavily trafficked areas.

We can do the same thing at Columbia. We can feed the pigeons only on the grassy areas and abstain from inviting them to dine on the steps or any concrete places where people may sit. At least on the grass, their poop can actually function as fertilizer, and those of us who relax on the grass generally do so in our casual clothes, not our Sunday finest.


The Humane Society also advises that we feed only as much as the birds will consume in five to ten minutes, rather than feed with the clockwork regularity that conditions the birds to appear at the same place, same time, every day—and attract more and more of their compatriots over time."

Here are some examples of how other areas have dealt with pigeons in their cities.
(Source: PETA)

✔Basel, Switzerland: From 1988 to 1992, Basel halved its street pigeon population through an integrated management program. The city had previously tried trapping, shooting, and oral contraceptives, all of which failed to effectively reduce pigeon numbers. Identifying the limitation of food sources as the only solution, the world’s leading scientist in the field, Professor Daniel Haag Wackernagel of the University of Basel, recommended that the city mount a public education campaign emphasizing that public feeding was the root of the problem and explaining the ultimate harm to the pigeons. Basel built lofts in city buildings and established areas where feeding was permitted near the lofts. Eggs were removed from the lofts, and during the four-year period of Haag-Wackernagel’s oversight, the pigeon population was reduced by 50 percent.


✔Augsburg, Germany: Augsburg currently has seven pigeon lofts in the city and is close to completing an eighth. The number of lofts is expected to grow to 15 by the end of 2006. In 2002 alone, 12,000 eggs were removed from the new lofts. Augsburg has seen a marked reduction in damage to buildings because the pigeon droppings are collected largely in the lofts.


✔Aachen, Germany: After acknowledging that trapping and killing pigeons was not making “any noticeable change” to the pigeon numbers, Aachen has now installed seven pigeon lofts that are maintained by volunteer staff and activists. A spokesperson for the city said that the city wants to continue with the integrated program because the lofts are producing the desired results.


✔Paris, France: The city had tried conventional control methods but did not obtain satisfactory results, so in 2003, Paris put up its first pigeon loft. Paris has chosen to addle (shake) the eggs to prevent them from hatching. The program has the support of the French Society for the Protection of City Birds. A spokesperson for the city said that the new plan works to “improve relations between Parisians and these birds” and reduces the damage caused by droppings.


✔Nottingham City Hospital, U.K.: A good example of the effectiveness of the PiCAS method in a commercial setting, the 60-acre hospital started killing some of its 1,200-strong resident pigeon population in 1999 but stopped immediately because of a public outcry. The hospital then brought in PiCAS to devise a humane control program and reduced its pigeon population by 50 percent within a year. The population in 200 was further reduced to 360 birds, and a recent survey has counted only 62 resident birds on site.


This massive reduction was achieved exclusively by using nonlethal methods of control. The hospital won the 2003Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (UK)

Best Practice Award for its humane and effective program in association with PiCAS.The PiCAS Method in Action: Proven and Ongoing Successes Some examples of places where this method has worked and is working to reduce and manage pigeon populations in Europe include the following:As an example of construction and maintenance costs, the German city of Augsburg found it more expensive, according to the city’s finance officer, to employ lethal controls and constantly clean buildings than to introduce an integrated program.

Currently, the city spends about $2,000 on construction materials for each dovecote or $15,000 if it contracts to have the dovecote constructed. The dovecotes are cleaned and maintained two to three times a week, which takes approximately three hours for each visit. Augsburg also uses community volunteers to keep costs low, and PETA can work with communities to locate and organize volunteers to aid in running the PiCAS program.


If the more intricate and picturesque dovecotes such as those found in Augsburg are not desired, simpler features such as wall-mounted nesting boxes that can cost as little as $40 to $60 each or pigeon “lofts” that cost $400 to $600 can be constructed. All these options are effective and can simply be tailored to suit the available budget and the aesthetics of the designated site.


As long as the facility has been constructed with the needs and behaviors of the pigeons in mind and has been erected on an appropriate site, pigeons will begin to take up residence and can be managed from the site. Perhaps the biggest benefit for cities in adopting a PiCASprogram is the savings that PiCAS can arrange for commercial property owners in the city. As noted above, one of the key features of the PiCAS method is working with property owners to ensure that their buildings are adequately and properly pigeon-proofed in order to make that area as unattractive to pigeons as possible.

Pigeon-proofing can be achieved through a range of deterrents such as anti-roosting spikes, and PiCAS has extensive experience working with property owners to determine how best to address their individual concerns. PiCAS can offer the client sources for a wide range of control options and deterrents that will not only be completely effective in the long term but also can be obtained at a fraction of the cost that a commercial PCO would charge. For example, PiCAS has a noncommercial relationship with a U.K. producer of antiroosting devices that, having established a presence in Florida, can supply top-quality stainless-steel anti-roosting spikes to U.S. clients for less than even the wholesale price.


U.S. clients who confirm that they will solely use nonlethal controls to address pigeon issues can enjoy a further 15 percent discount on these products, making the humane pigeon control option even more cost-effective.It is also worthwhile to consider the possibility of offering a franchise to sell high-quality pigeon feed adjacent to the designated feeding area. This would ensure that the right food was offered to pigeons (rather than large quantities of processed food that not only would be damaging to their health, but might also attract rodents and seagulls), and it would create revenue for the city to offset the costs involved in cleaning and servicing the site.

From my counts, the pigeon population has already plummeted in most neighborhoods in the city during the last two years and the Red-tail parents are already feeding their young a higher percentage of rats which we know from the loss of the Riverside Park eyasses, and the fact that rat poison is a way of life for many residents of NYC is a very bad thing. In the last two seasons, a higher percentage of rat was fed at the Cathedral nest as well. It's only a matter of time.


DON'T FORGET THE FREE MATERIALS FOR URBAN KIDS --

PROJECT PIGEON WATCH from the Cornell Lab Of Ornithology
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pigeonwatch


For centuries domestic pigeons were revered, until the 1960's and 70's when there was a concerted effort and false campaign employed by the pest control industry so that they could be exterminated, thereby creating a billion dollar industry.


"People worry that pigeons carry disease, but the danger is an exaggeration created by pest control companies looking for business."- Guy Hodge Naturalist for the Humane Society of the United States.


Science now tells us that the pigeon has been found to be able to remember hundreds of faces and are equal to higher order animals, such as dolphins and porpoises in their cognitive abilities.

YouTube: Pigeon Genius



Pale Male sits on his railing atop Stovepipe

And here's a Central Park/Pale Male and Lola mini-update from long time blog contributor Katherine Herzog--

I've been taking walks to the Ramble to see some beautiful Warblers...yesterday at Azalea Pond I saw male & female Redstarts, a female Common Yellowthroat, and a Black-Throated Blue Warbler. Nice. And of course, Pale Male and Lola are seen along 5th Ave and on the West Side, too.

Kat

Blame It on Pale Male and Lola, plus Wildlife Rehabilitator Carol Vinzant's Report on her Baby Squirrel Crew

Rehabilitator Carol Vinzant seems always to have orphaned squirrels during the season for them and she gives them wonderful care. Here's her report on the current crew--

Mary Todd is opening her eyes today for the first time. She’s now a good eater and instead of just resting after she eats, she likes to explore the kitchen table.


She has a temporary little brother. Since he came after a squirrel someone brought to me who they had named Abraham Lincoln, I’m calling him Andrew Johnson. You can see how small he is compared to the other two.

Big sister Martina continues to be a grunter. She’s starting to eat hazelnuts in the cage.

(Now isn't this a sweet tableau? Count the tails. The only guaranteed way to figure out exactly how many babies are in a squirrel pile.

And be sure to check out Carol's tips on spots to find wildlife in the city, at her site, links below. D.B.)

animaltourism.blogspot.com
http://us.mc311.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=editor@animaltourism.com

PALE MALE AND LOLA BOOSTED CANADIAN GREEN CANDIDATE INTO THE TV DEBATES?

That's what the expert is saying anyway...

Green Leader Elizabeth May owes a tip of the hat to a pair of red-tailed hawks from NYC for the success of the online outrage that boosted her into the upcoming TV debates, according to political scientist Chanchal Bhattacharya.

http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/canada/article/111174

(Now isn't that fascinating? But let's not forget that it wasn't just the example of online outrage that tipped the point, it was the larger example, the little guys CAN win against the big guys--the example of banding together in a good cause whether online or on the street by the little guys actually can get the big guys to change their behavior. Remember the biggies don't win if the good guys hang together and keep speaking out for what's right until the other side is just too embarrassed by what they are doing to do it anymore. )

Donegal Browne