Hawk solution to Wycombe's pigeon woes (From Bucks Free Press)
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Council backs hawk plan for High Wycombe pigeons
11:02am Wednesday 2nd September 2009 in News
Hawk solution to Wycombe's pigeon woes
PIGEONS are set to be banished from High Wycombe town centre with a hawk after years of council wrangling.
Councillors last night sent a plan for a dovecote back to the drawing board and instead agreed to bring in the bird of prey to frighten pigeons away.
They said putting a dovecote – a building for pigeons – in All Saints Church grounds was too expensive. It would cost £5,520 to install and £7,500 a year to maintain.
A Wycombe District Council meeting originally proposed to get officers to report back on alternatives.
But Cllr Roger Colomb said: “It is a little embarrassing. This has been going on for 13 years.
“How many pigeons have gone through their life cycle under that?”
The High Wycombe Town Committee then agreed to hire a hawk and look at the dovecote issue again. Maintenance costs were the main concern.
It was essential the birds are moved away “because we want to dive the café culture” Cllr Colomb said.
And he said he would use his own councillors’ allowance to bring in a hawk if no-one else would.
And Cllr Tony Green said: “£7,500 seems a lot of money a year for someone to put a ladder up this dovecote and replace the eggs and destroy the eggs that have been laid.”
He questioned whether the dovecote would only benefit the church but WDC officer Neil Stannett said it would attract birds from throughout the town.
And council leader Lesley Clarke said: “Quite frankly, I think the cost of this is ludicrous.
“Someone is going to get £120 a week to empty the eggs. Councillors on their allowances would be quite happy to go and do this.”
Cllr Clarke said the plan was not value for money as the council was trying to balance a tight budget. This saw Holywell Mead swimming pool closed this year.
The £3,000 dovecot has laid in storage for three years.
Cllr Clarke said it could be sold to another council and joked: “Surely there would be a Conservative MP who could buy it on expenses.”
Cllr Ray Farmer said: “Obviously the hawk is a good thing but what happened to the old fashioned man with a shotgun?”
There was only one sign in the town urging people not to feed pigeons, said Cllr Val Razzaq.
Cllr Jeanette Mann added: “When you try to tell them it is wrong they abuse you.”
Comments(17)
Slacker
says...
12:04pm Wed 2 Sep 09
Melanie1
says...
12:09pm Wed 2 Sep 09
Encouraging peregrine falcons to nest on the taller buildings in High Wycombe would be far more effective and could prove to be a tourist attraction.
SDJones
says...
12:18pm Wed 2 Sep 09
featheredfriend
says...
12:58pm Wed 2 Sep 09
yog
says...
1:00pm Wed 2 Sep 09
faisal mahmood
says...
1:38pm Wed 2 Sep 09
Bogart
says...
1:44pm Wed 2 Sep 09
The hawks don't actually catch and eat the pigeons, otherwise they won't work for the rest of the day, but simply scare the living daylights out of them.
Works for me.
featheredfriend
says...
2:39pm Wed 2 Sep 09
Steve Totteridge Hill
says...
4:23pm Wed 2 Sep 09
featheredfriend
says...
5:20pm Wed 2 Sep 09
A member of the local animal welfare group "checks the loft every day. She then replaces their eggs, free of charge, with china eggs without fear or harm to the pigeons."
So would WDC like to consult Surrey Heath Borough Council for advice?
ferrellcat
says...
6:52pm Wed 2 Sep 09
we could train it to scare away hoodies and graffiti writers and traffic wardens
towncryer
says...
12:20pm Fri 4 Sep 09
ferrellcat wrote:Could we train Hawk to chase away Cllr Clarke and Cllr Green!!
does this harris hawk thing work on other problems. I mean when the pidgeons are gone that is.We may as well get full value from the hawk. we could train it to scare away hoodies and graffiti writers and traffic wardens
I would pay good money for a solution to get rid of some of the WDC councillors
J B Blackett
says...
3:37pm Mon 7 Sep 09
featheredfriend wrote:Sounds like an Excellent Creative Idea , ff.
Did a quick internet search on the problem of pigeons in town centres and indeed a pigeon loft or dovecote does seem to be the most humane and effective answer. They provided a loft in Camberley Town Square. However "The programme provided in Camberley only cost a few HUNDRED pounds of public money and achieved what many of SHBC’s neighbouring councils have failed to achieve by spending vast sums of public money "
A member of the local animal welfare group "checks the loft every day. She then replaces their eggs, free of charge, with china eggs without fear or harm to the pigeons."
So would WDC like to consult Surrey Heath Borough Council for advice?
.
With nobody harmed as well (inc the deceived pigeons who suffer hurt feelings. But new potential council jobs in the offing - includes bird psychiatrist?)
J B Blackett
says...
3:45pm Mon 7 Sep 09
.
Thank you for that ferrelcat and towncryer
J B Blackett
says...
3:55pm Mon 7 Sep 09
faisal mahmood wrote:Did I see pigeons in crates a few years ago on the West Wycombe Road next to the car park behind the then closed down pub (Friend at Hand ? ) , which is now replaced with houses / flats.
i could do it for free if the council crate more jobs for the youngsters of high wycombe!
.
Perhaps the pigeons could be collected up , put in those kind of crates and shipped out to somebody who wants them , keeping an old tradition alive.
featheredfriend
says...
4:26pm Mon 7 Sep 09
J B Blackett wrote:Thanks JB! Or alternatively maybe they could be trained to dive bomb anyone who parks on a double yellow line ;)
featheredfriend wrote: Did a quick internet search on the problem of pigeons in town centres and indeed a pigeon loft or dovecote does seem to be the most humane and effective answer. They provided a loft in Camberley Town Square. However "The programme provided in Camberley only cost a few HUNDRED pounds of public money and achieved what many of SHBC’s neighbouring councils have failed to achieve by spending vast sums of public money " A member of the local animal welfare group "checks the loft every day. She then replaces their eggs, free of charge, with china eggs without fear or harm to the pigeons." So would WDC like to consult Surrey Heath Borough Council for advice?Sounds like an Excellent Creative Idea , ff. . With nobody harmed as well (inc the deceived pigeons who suffer hurt feelings. But new potential council jobs in the offing - includes bird psychiatrist?)
http://www.engadget.
com/2007/02/27/chine
se-scientists-contro
l-live-pigeon-flight
s-via-brain-electro/
wayneo says...
11:45am Wed 2 Sep 09
There you go, problem solved and from the horses mouth.