PIGEON FLYING

Southland Times, Issue 19757, 3 February 1923, Page 5

PIGEON FLYING

A RECORD ESTABLISHED. EAST CAPE TO INVERCARGILL. A LOCAL FANCIER’S SUCCESS. The attempt made by two well know* local pigeon fanciers, Messrs D. and H. Strang, to establish a new record for longdistance flying has been signally successful. Last evening three of the binds from the coastal steamer Mako at T« Araroa, near the East Cape, North Island, on Thursday morning, arrived at Mr D. Strapg’s lofts. The air line is 820 milea, and the birds homed in 29} hours actual flying time, which represents an extraordinarily fine performance. The best time on record up till the present effort wu 84 days, and for Australia 11 days for one bird. The new record is all the more remarkable from the fact that the birds were anything bift well served by the weather conditions ruling at the time the fly wan attempted. Owing to the time necessary to transport them to the point of liberation being further increased by untoward weather conditions at sea, the birds were held [up for nine or ten days before they could be set free. On Thursday, Mr Strang received telegraphic advice to the effect tha his birds had been liberated at two minutes past five that morning from the Mako at the little coastal town of Te Araroa, and although he had been taking no chancaa since then of missing the arrival of. the feathered competitors, he was a surprised man when at 7.46 last evening three of the birds that had been sent forward swooped down on the lofts. The birds were a red checker cock and two blue checker hens, and when inspected by a Times reporter last evening were showing the effects of their strenuous experiences, although a good rest should see them fit and well again. The metal rings they wore disclosed that they were three-year-old birds, bearing the numbers 159, 157 and 315. The flight has been supervised by officials of the Invercargill Homing Club, and the official figures recorded for the actual flying time are 29} hours. Mr Strang has been, the recipient of numerous congratulations on the perform'ances of his birds, such being the interest taken in the flight that the good news had spread vridely last evening amongst fanciers and those interested in sporting records. Speaking to h Southland Times reporter, Mr A. Clark, who ranks with an older generation of fanciers, stated that he had seen the birds just bofore they were sent north, and they were in magnificent condition, a tribute to the painstaking cart that their young owner bestowed on his lofts. At that time he had specially picked out the red bird as being in exceptionally good condition. He had visited the lofts immediately he was told the birds had arrived home and was able to pick the trio that made the record-breaking flight from the others without the slightest difficulty. The performance of the birds would do a great deal to stimulate interest in the sport in Invercargill, and Mr Strang had reason to be proud of his birds.