Scotland alert -- Dud control programme

Apparently pigeons have become a major problem around the Parliament building in Scotland's capital.
So much so that they have signed up for a 3-year programme costing £13,000/year to hire hawks to scare 50 or 60 pigeons away! That's over £216/bird/year! Crikey, for that price they could pay a rehabber to keep them in gold cages!

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:Y2DR95XV8XsJ:news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8259244.stm

Here's some of the debate that led to that. Especially note independent MSP Margo MacDonald saying, on hearing that it would cost £250/bird to relocate them, "For £250, I will personally wring their necks myself!" Do the Scots know the kind of person they've elected to represent them? :For Shame:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/5388092.stm

Note also that the pigeon they chose to represent the problem is banded...

Teresa wrote:

Apparently pigeons have become a major problem around the Parliament building in Scotland's capital.
So much so that they have signed up for a 3-year programme costing £13,000/year to hire hawks to scare 50 or 60 pigeons away! That's over £216/bird/year! Crikey, for that price they could pay a rehabber to keep them in gold cages!

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:Y2DR95XV8XsJ:news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8259244.stm

Maybe one of us should volunteer.

Teresa wrote:

Here's some of the debate that led to that. Especially note independent MSP Margo MacDonald saying, on hearing that it would cost £250/bird to relocate them, "For £250, I will personally wring their necks myself!"
Do the Scots know the kind of person they've elected to represent them?

Note also that the pigeon they chose to represent the problem is banded...

That makes me sick.
I'm just about to walk out the door, but will read the articles a bit later.
for alerting us to this situation, Teresa.

Wow! And everybody says the Scots are stingy.
Obviously Scots have no other problems in the country when 50~60 pigeons are subject of parliament discussion. Or maybe some pigeon from the opposition pooped in a protest on the Mac Whatever’s car.
This is really good stuff we can make bucks here. For $ 20,747.00 a year we can all take turns. Holiday in Scotland with a short trip to Ireland (pigeon export/relocation program) they are pigeon friendly.
Maybe even we can save some money and buy a piece of land, build pigeon sanctuary (near the parliament)?