Last updated 19:43, Thursday, 17 July 2008

DERWENT Valley Federation transporter John Ellwood saw at first hand on Saturday the damage being inflicted by hawks on his pigeon charges.

TWO BIRDS: George Weaver with Fed winning birds - the Fareham Old Bird on the left, Messac Old Bird on the right

Ellwood had liberated at Flookburgh in the first young bird race of the season when disaster struck.

He said: “The majority of the birds split into two big flocks and got away but a small batch of about 25 just flew low on their own. Then all of a sudden a peregrine was among them and I saw it take one. All the time there were two others circling overhead.

“The hawk carried the pigeon to a field near the liberation point and I rushed across. I was about ten yards away when it took off, dropping the pigeon as it went.

“It was in a dreadful state with its head almost pulled off its body. It turned out to be from the Workington loft of John Walters, and typically it appears it was his fancied pigeon in the race.”

The birds were up in a north west wind and times were slow with returns patchy to start with, although the majority of lofts appear to have got most of their birds though there were some notable exceptions.

The Derwent Valley Federation will be back at Flookburgh this weekend.

Harrington Central (9 sent 281): 1, 2, N and G Wordsworth 1070, 1067; 3, Carter and sons 1048.

Workington Victoria (12 sent 350): 1, 2, G Best 904, 899; 3,Walsh and son 898.;

Flimby (8 sent 159): 1, Tinnion bros and Aitken 871; 2, E Pape 817; 3, G Weaver 811.

Dearham (4 sent 131): 1, P Pearson and partner 945; 2, E and D Turner 940; 3, Harker and Berwick 922.

Workington Social (8 sent 180): 1, G Best 799; 2, Walker and son 732; 3, Hucknall bros 729.

Maryport (5 sent 126): 1, Todhunter and Ismay 905; 2, 3, M and E Burgess 847, 824.

Distington from Carnforth: 1, 4, R McAvoy and son 1114, 1136; 2, J Harris 1142; 3, Holliday and Dixon 1141.

Workington and District IFC Carnforth YB (4 sent 78): 1, Brash and Semple 1117.38; 2 R, Harrison 1117.12; 3, K Carr 1081.

Derwent Vally Federation from Messac (68 birds): 1, G Weaver (Flimby HS) 1725; 2, K Harper (Workington Victoria) 1700; 3, 4, K Rafferty (Netherton) 1682, 1681; 5, E Hodgson and son (Flimby HS) 1677; 6, K Graham and daughters (Netherton) 1671.

Harrington Central (2 sent 5): 1, L Turner 1248; 2, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 1126.

Flimby West Coast (1 sent 2): 1, 2, J and D Hine and grandson 1438, 900.

Flimby HS (3 sent 19): 1, G Weaver 1728; 2, 4, 5, 6, E Hodgson and son 1677, 1507, 1190, 596; 3, A Bromley and co 1521.

Netherton (4 sent 14): 1, 2, K Rafferty 1685, 1683; 3, 4, 6, K Graham and daughters 1674.4, 1674.2, 1567; 5, R Fisher 1611.