council netting- advice needed

[Feefo]

You are not doing anything illegal, so this will not affect your visa, but it would be great if you had someone else there.

Can you let us know where the bridge is? Maybe we can find someone in the area to be there as well.

I have been asking for a bit more information about resources in London and this is what I got told:

I assume that these people know they must never let the RSPCA take away injured or baby pigeons as they will automatically put them to sleep. They may say differently but that is what will happen. However, I once had to rescue some babies under a bridge and a lovely RSPCA inspector came out and got the fire brigade to get there as well. However, had he taken them back to base I am sure they would have been put to sleep.

This is what we hear over and over again.

I honestly think you have done the right thing and that you have been very effective. If you had let things remain as they are and then seen a pigeon dying in the netting you would have felt terrible.

Cynthia

[amyable]

Hi Clawsywp,

I agree totally with Cynthia, you mustn't think you have done the wrong thing by getting involved, absolutely not. Things were never going to get any better there for the birds and at least there's a chance now that the ones there will be freed. I've been reading your thread with great interest and have really admired what you have done so far and the effort you have made to help these pigeons.
It's very frustrating when you want to do something yourself to help and it gets thwarted by others who are actually able to do it but can't be bothered, it's always someones elses job.

I'm sorry I'm not near enough to help you, but wish you the best of luck and thanks for your efforts to date.

Janet

[clawsywp]

HI thank you very much for all the encouragement! i would not be able to try & help them without u guys helping.

The bridge is on Tower Bridge Road, its an overpass archway thing that goes over Tower Bridge Road. You can see the Tower Bridge from it. The corner of Druid Street and Tower Bridge road is where it is. If you google Druid Street it shows up.
Its in SE1 London, in Southwark.

the TfL phone number where ive been ringing: 0207 960 4050

it might help if someone else rang to tell them to check for nests?

Im gonna try go there tommorrow and try see if those TfL people turn up. I guess it would be probably be in the am if they show, not sure. I did take a video today trying to hear any squeaking i am pretty sure there is a squeaking sound on it.
am asking upstairs for some luck.

thank you for all the encouragement!

yes would be a heck lot easier if i could just get a ladder and get inside the bridge myself, rather than trying to get others to do it. It imagine finding nests wouldnt be that hard. the nets have big zippers on them and youd just need a ladder to get there.

[amyable]

I can just feel the frustration you're going through. I'll make a call to them pretending I've just seen some trapped and dead birds also and mention the nests.

I have a similar but smaller operation on the go at the moment where I can see the door to the building, and like you, feel I just need a ladder and I could sort it out myself, but for the sake of the birds, do have to bite my tongue while there is still a chance it can be carried out with co-operation of the 'powers that be'.

(You've already got a shove from above I think, it put you where you were when you saw this problem, I'm sure you're helping.)

Janet

[amyable]

Hi,
I've just spoken to a lady at Tfl. She confirmed that they had been made aware of the situation and she was actually logging any calls to show that there had been a lot of interest in this matter.

The delay at present seems to be with getting a cherry picker to allow them to get up high enough. As you said they are on a 7 day notice but as they only deal with accident and emergencies there, it might be that they will only get the trapped birds freed. The matter of nests and future problems might not get dealt with as a priority, and she really couldn't give me a definite answer about how they would deal with the nests. I noted that unless they did deal with the whole problem that it would only arise again as any birds raised inside the nets would then be trapped.

In case anyone else does phone, she did ask how I knew their number as they only normally get calls from the companies they deal with and not the general public, I had to bluff my way through that one saying I had found it on a website and that I had also spoken to the RSPCA who had passed it on to me.

She was quite informative and it does seem that they are going to do something about it but to what extent is another matter.

Janet

[Feefo]

Jayne is also telephoning people that might be able to be there to help on the spot.

Cynthia

[Feefo]

I telephoned and expressed Pigeon Aid's concern over the fate of any squabs, I was told that they are trying to hire a cherry picker and that they have "her" number to call, presumably they mean clawsywp.

Cynthia

[clawsywp]

HI
thank you so much for the encouragement.
I near in peices and need to go calm down

I went down there today. they did not get the birds out.

the birds, about 8-12 are still behind the nets. The tfl contractor people fixd all the netting and removed teh dead bodies.
they fixed the netting so now the birds cant get in or out except out the top thru a bit of a dangerous netting.

So now they are stuck behind there, even worse then before!!!! but according to teh tfl contractor people they are not stuck as they will use those exit cones to get out.........

i dont beleive this and the supervisor told me oh yes they do use them she hasnt seen them do it first hand but apparently they do......

personally i think the exit cones are the biggest crock of **** excuse my frence. Like some invention to placate the worrying public.

I was there from 10-10.30 and left after the tfl left at 3.15pm. i was watching these exit cones and didnt see one pigeon use them.

I ran out of battery on my camera but i have film of them ignoring the exit cones.
but the most telling was jsut before i left, i put brad on the ground ourside one of the cones and the trapped pigeons tried to get it. there was about 6 there all squirming around a small space trying to get out thur the netting but not one got even close to the exit cone.
I think it is total BS and the 2 tfl people said it works but they have not seen it work themselves! SO how they KNOW it works?

Im jsut very upset but will go there tommorrow and try get this on film. the pigeons crowding around but not nering the exit cone.

when i warm up i will post more.

oh and also a tfl man drove up to see what was happening as they were getting many phone calls about trapped pigeons. He was told by the contractors that they have exit cones for them to get out... so he went away satisfied. SO everyones phone calls got him out there no doubt! He said hes going to write a report about it.
So the phone calls are having a good effect.

i hope i am wrong and they do use those cones but i dont think so...... i will wait but so far they dont use them AT ALL.

ALso regarding squabs the squeaking i heard i think was the pigeons courting as i saw some where the sound was and it was the same squeak and it came and went on and off all day.
the contractor guys did check the ledges as far as they could see to check for babies and i hung around in case they saw some. He said he saw none at all. He seemed like a nice guy trying to be nice to the pigeons.

I jsut am worried about those exit cones and that they do not work!

excuse ym spelling and grammer my fingers and brain are frozen
bbl

I really think next time i hope for more netting holes! rather than ring anyone!

[Feefo]

Pigeons don't squeak when they are courting, and "squeakers" can look like adult birds when they are still too young to leave the nest and look after themselves.

If the parents manage to get through the cones, they would be leaving the babies to starve. It is unacceptable that they have sealed any pigeons in.

Did you telephone the wildlife crime unit?

We will have to put more pressure on TFL. There was a case in Paris where pigeons were sealed in somewhere and there was such an outcry that they had to let them out. Same thing somewhere in England.

Cynthia

[spirit wings]

how many dead pijins do they need to see that the exit cones are not being able to be used! I admire you trying to help this situation, Stay strong

[clawsywp]

no ive not rung the wild life crime unit yet. i am gonna be really busy with work from tommorrow until wednesday i am worried i will not much time to do as much as is needed.

I didnt know how old the squeakers look....... i dont know what to do now? he said he saw no babies, but he wasnt looking for older looking birds...

i am praying some safe holes appear in the netting...cause otherwise those squeakers might die?... how long could they live for??? i cant get up there to see 4 myself or make an exit.

next time do not ring authorities

[Charis]

We have a member that had a similar situation. The member I am referring to, gathered other members from the area, got a ladder, opened up the screened in area and rescued the babies. They did this at night with one of them directing the traffic. It was not an easy task but together they pulled it off. Maybe you could put something together with the assistance of other members.
I think you need to act quickly with what ever action you decide to take.

[Feefo]

I telephoned Tfl and told them what had happened, I have warned them that if any pigeons die now as a result of their actions it will amount to a wildlife crime.

clawsywp, I will PM you my telephone number, if you could just keep me updated on what you see or hear then I will make the telephone calls required.

Charis, I will try to find out who there is in London that would be willing and able to go up and rescue the birds, but I think it might need a cherry picker rather than a ladder. But will do what I can.

Cynthia

[Feefo]

Can you let me have the RSPCA number and the name of the person that you spoke to?

Thanks

Cynthia

[Charis]

Originally Posted by cyro51

I telephoned Tfl and told them what had happened, I have warned them that if any pigeons die now as a result of their actions it will amount to a wildlife crime.

clawsywp, I will PM you my telephone number, if you could just keep me updated on what you see or hear then I will make the telephone calls required.

Charis, I will try to find out who there is in London that would be willing and able to go up and rescue the birds, but I think it might need a cherry picker rather than a ladder. But will do what I can.

Cynthia

I'm praying that a kind soul, with a cherry picker and willing attitide, can be found. I know you're on it.