A pigeon showed up under our feeders here in Madison this morning; somewhat unusual for our yard. He must have liked the place and decided to roost a while, which was when I noticed that he was banded. I tried to get the numbers using binoculars and my long camera lens, with no luck. Then I realized that a banded pigeon might be a homing or racing pigeon and thus tame, and sure enough I was able to get within a few feet of the bird to take photos of the band at close range with my iPhone! He is bird ‘AU 2021 MNC 861’ which means that he was banded this year and belongs to the Manchester Nutmeg Club here in CT. I found the information on the American Racing Pigeon Union website: https://www.pigeon.org/bandlist.php?year=2019&f=M# I called the Manchester club contact to report the bird, but I believe that he may have been part of a race and seems to have just taken a break at my place. Chuck Imbergamo Madison

Fascinating stuff, Chuck! You add a whole new category to birding, bird watching, bird-study, or whatever you want to call it! Tom Robben Glastonbury CT On Sun, Jul 25, 2021 at 8:05 PM Chuck Imbergamo <imbercj@comcast.net> wrote: > A pigeon showed up under our feeders here in Madison this morning; > somewhat unusual for our yard. He must have liked the place and decided to > roost a while, which was when I noticed that he was banded. I tried to > get the numbers using binoculars and my long camera lens, with no luck. > > Then I realized that a banded pigeon might be a homing or racing pigeon > and thus tame, and sure enough I was able to get within a few feet of the > bird to take photos of the band at close range with my iPhone! He is bird > ‘AU 2021 MNC 861’ which means that he was banded this year and belongs to > the Manchester Nutmeg Club here in CT. > > I found the information on the American Racing Pigeon Union website: > https://www.pigeon.org/bandlist.php?year=2019&f=M# > > I called the Manchester club contact to report the bird, but I believe > that he may have been part of a race and seems to have just taken a break > at my place. > > Chuck Imbergamo > Madison > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/

Yes indeed, Chuck thanks for sharing all this. Never thought that there might be clubs racing pigeons in CT. Very interesting stuff... Carolyn On Mon, Jul 26, 2021 at 12:15 AM Thomas Robben <robben99@gmail.com> wrote: > Fascinating stuff, Chuck! > You add a whole new category to birding, bird watching, bird-study, or > whatever you want to call it! > Tom Robben > Glastonbury CT > > On Sun, Jul 25, 2021 at 8:05 PM Chuck Imbergamo <imbercj@comcast.net> > wrote: > > > A pigeon showed up under our feeders here in Madison this morning; > > somewhat unusual for our yard. He must have liked the place and decided > to > > roost a while, which was when I noticed that he was banded. I tried to > > get the numbers using binoculars and my long camera lens, with no luck. > > > > Then I realized that a banded pigeon might be a homing or racing pigeon > > and thus tame, and sure enough I was able to get within a few feet of the > > bird to take photos of the band at close range with my iPhone! He is > bird > > ‘AU 2021 MNC 861’ which means that he was banded this year and belongs to > > the Manchester Nutmeg Club here in CT. > > > > I found the information on the American Racing Pigeon Union website: > > https://www.pigeon.org/bandlist.php?year=2019&f=M# > > > > I called the Manchester club contact to report the bird, but I believe > > that he may have been part of a race and seems to have just taken a break > > at my place. > > > > Chuck Imbergamo > > Madison > > > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > > list rules and subscription information visit: > > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/