Danny McCarthy / 09 Jan 2012 08:43

Hi Mike,
Here are some pictures of my young ones out with the droppers walking around
the yard. The light coloured bird in the first picture is the one that I
lost a few days ago.

I have been very busy at work, plus have not been keeping too well. However
I have almost settled all the young ones I have left. I have lost 5 so far.
I had Rupert and his family visit us over the Christmas period. He and his
family stayed with us from the 26th and left back for Melbourne on the 30th
morning. It was great having him over, he played a big hand in the settling
of the young ones while here. The first two to get lost were a black badge
and a blue bar, they hit the pins never to be seen again. The badge had
flown in 39 degrees a few days earlier for approx 35 to 40 odd minutes and
dropped to the ground in front of the loft like clock work . Two days later
when released it took off with a blue bar young one and a Dunseith young
one. After an hour the Dunseith came back, but did not land on the loft,
instead it lands approx 40 or so buildings away from me. The badge and the
blue bar disappeared into thin air never to be seen again. The Dunseith
returned home the next evening and is homed now. A few days ago I had all
the young ones out on the ground in front of the loft when two Magpies
swooped down at them and scared the lot of them into the air, all 28 of
them. The sky was littered with young tipplers. I was able to drop all of
them except 3 of them. They were all Shannon's. One blue with white flights,
one Blue Bar and one of my light coloured ones. I was sorry to see them go
as they had not been in the air like the others. I thought they just might
find their way home due to the fact that I had had them walking around the
yard and flying to the loft roof and down every day for a couple of weeks.
No sign of them. I am still going easy on them as I want to make sure that
all of them know where home is before I start sending them up for training.
Things are looking good, and I should have a couple kits ready to go in a
few more days.

Cheers, Danny.

Submitted by Danny McCarthy on 1/9/2012 8:05:43 AM