Distance Birds

[Diamond Dave]

No question about that Mike. The best apples dont fall far from the tree!

[goose1]

Wouldn’t think you could get much better really

Well I think Hugo x History is Mark Gilbert's most selective mating now

Ouch that will have hurt the bank balance Can't get any better. Wish him the best of luck with them.

[Buster121]

Great buy wishing him the best of luck with them

[goose1]

Well he's the sort of lad who won't tolerate 2nd best, he has to have what he considers as "the best" - and if that comes at a price well so be it

Out of "Hugo" they are £3,000 each - but not when mated to "History" - they're significantly more, and they are in very short supply too

I "think" Mark was only allowing 4 to leave his lofts in 2025 direct from "History"and they're all spoken for

Totally agree Mike. I've spent a hell of a lot on distance pigeons myself trying to get what I wanted, i admire anyone willing to put their hand in their pocket chasing their goal. I nearly had a go at a couple of Ad Fortuins during the winter but talked myself out of it. The next time I go looking to buy a quality pigeon that will be my port of call.

[goose1]

And this hen is bloody brilliant (my mate ordered one off her too)

A G.Daughter of 3 x 1st National Barcelona winners

She herself was 1st International Hens, 2nd National, 3rd International Perpignan

All top pigeons Mike. We've a hen there from Batenburg from Luna May she was 5th International in a real tough Barcelona when she was paired to a cock out of a pair who had won 1st (Sumerian Fighter) and 4th (saar) International , her first children are just at the yearling stage so be a year or two before we can make a judgement on her

[goose1]

Are the 600- 700 mile pigeons the same no matter where due to time on the wing
Or would say a 600 mile pigeon into Scotland that’s flying the flat part of France and the channel a little earlier in the day be a little different from a Barcelona pigeon to England with all the mountains or routes it’s forced to take be another kind of distance pigeon as then they have the water to face after doing 600 miles and more than likely had more extreme heat
I remember mark telling me once some years back he has his fast 500 mile pigeons and his slower but there be there 500 mile pigeons
Obviously Marks focus isn’t Barcelona but his tarbes / Lerwick record is excellent and he had two lines depending on the day

The first part of that would be difficult to answer Neil and something I've never really thought about, i suppose it depends on whether you buy into the theory that certain families fly better to certain areas or need time to acclimatise, which some people argue in favour of regardless of distances. I personally don't believe that.

[king]

I see so it’s more conditions than actual distance

Well it's NOT the actual distance. Past races have proven this. The SNFC has I believe only TWO 700 mile DAY birds. The NFC has had lot's of 700 mile DAY birds. Barcelona has produced just ONE DAY bird EVER at any distance into the UK. That was Mark Gilbert flying 697 miles.

And as for conditions, they can change in different races on the same day but are the mainly the same in the same race. Many in the NFC like early libs. But the NFC liberate late sometimes due to the weather forcing a night out. Fanciers in the South believe this somehow gives the longer fliers an advantage? But the results show this makes no difference. The same fanciers do well in either lib times.

Barcelona has been flown many times and it has always been a poor race overall for the UK. The International birds get as far as Calais in Northern France and then No further. With the exception of Marks Record breaking bird the Winner is clocked 2nd day, and then less than a handful get clocked. Some years it's 3rd day! which leaves 95% of the rest just homing in the following days.
There has been some remarkable performances over the years into the UK flying over 800 miles into the UK the best being Brian Reilly from Wakefield flying 863 miles in a NW wind who was 2nd BICC Barcelona when over 33,000 birds were in the International. Brian beat nearly 32,000 of them!
Many say racing from Spain is more difficult but the UK has had much better races when racing from Palamos.

[king]

Well here's another question

Say the NFC go mid-afternoon from Tarbes

The birds do 325 miles on Day 1 and a further 325 miles on Day 2

Is that the same as being exposed to 650 miles in one lump on Day 1 ?

See, to me, I've more admiration for the 650 miles in one lump on Day 1

Well there supposed to lib so no birds reach the French coast before dark. So it wouldn't be in your example half the race first day and half the 2nd day. As many of the shorter flying birds may actually fly most of the race on the first day.
I recall Mark gilbert having the only bird on the day from Tarbes at 568 miles, but was beaten by 'Pennine Heights' flying 740 miles. It was clear from the result that Pennine Heights may have had flown further on the day than Marks bird as it had another 172 miles further to fly.
I agree Mike 'on the day' is impressive at 600 miles but many flying further may have actually flown further on the day but didn't have time to reach home? So this 'only bird on the day' should be really 'only bird clocked on the day'

[king]

Is that where the hours of darkness come into it
Some could be flying after the race closes so possible have made 40 miles more than a bird clicked just as the race closes for the day

This is where the variables come into play so much you see

So, let's randomly say the race "opens" on Day 2 at say 04:40

It might be a glorious morning on Day 2 where the birds are up and at it early

On t'other hand it might be fogged in and no birds moving until (randomly say) 10am

The clock don't stop ticking once the race is open again

or as happen to me in one NFC YB race the race closed on the day at 8pm. But it was dark in York at 7.30pm.

[goose1]

All top pigeons Mike. We've a hen there from Batenburg from Luna May she was 5th International in a real tough Barcelona when she was paired to a cock out of a pair who had won 1st (Sumerian Fighter) and 4th (saar) International , her first children are just at the yearling stage so be a year or two before we can make a judgement on her

That's a hen with a lot in her locker there Gavin

Have you had her mated to shall we say a "continental" type cock or the English distance lines that you have?

Last year ,her first year, we had her paired to a son of Verweij-de Haans Miss Milos, really just to work on the Milos line, as you probably know Mike, Luna May was herself bred from a nest pair of grandchildren of Milos.

This year she's paired to a son of Wingdown, when Wingdown was paired to a daughter of Forrest Junior.