Bill to start with I certainly found the thread humorous - there's not enough humour about at the moment. The question of exploitation of animals will go on and on. The argument that in some cases the animal in question would not perfom if it did not enjoy what it has been trained to do will also be put forward e.g. horses that loose their jockeys in races would not continue running and jumping if they did not want to is an old chestnut. It could be argued by some that training birds to perform tricks e.g. falconry displays, enables joe public to see what we see when we go birding that and the birds are well fed blah, blah, blah is put forward as a justification in a topic that will rumble on and on - so it will be interesting to see what others think.

P.S. what about the exploitation of emoticons in your posts - I can't get my simple ones to perform never mind your exotic species!!!!!!!!

Sid

-- Edited by sid ashton at 08:42, 2009-03-06

maybe they are secret birders and are getting their cheshire lists off to a flying start!!!

Whatever happened to the good old days when footballers weddings were so much more run of the mill events? I am sure that you can all recall one particularly low-key occasion?... matching his and hers golden thrones,... a dress designed by Vera Wang - and that was just for David!... Sir Elton John tinkling on the ivories (this type of embarrassing incident does unfortunately sometimes happen on the big day, particularly when the elderley are invited! ) Didn't weddings seem so much plainer and cheaper in those days!!

Now if footballers really want to be different and involve birds in their wedding ceremonies, why not be unconventional and dispense with the vicar and have the service conducted by a voice-trained parrot - but one which occasionally and regrettably keeps forgetting its lines and reverting to type! ".... and do you Rio Carnival Ferdinand...' who's a pretty boy then, who's a pretty boy then'... take Rebecca Ellison.... 'pretty polly, pretty polly'.... to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Would give footballers even more opportunities to use their well-worn "sick as a parrot" footballing cliche!

Cheers,

Bill.

Obviously it's the trendy new thing I saw a mention of this about a month ago, NorthWest tonight, I think. I suppose it makes a change from dying doves pink and all the other nonsense (Can't find an emoticon for 'Bah, Humbug!)

-- Edited by Mike Chorley at 23:40, 2009-03-02

No easy ticks for GM birders though as both events are out- of- county

Even better, in the MEN today, Manchester United's Wes Brown and his wife- to- be will have an Eagle (unspecified) "trained by a falconer" to deliver their rings at their Cheshire wedding in June!!!!

-- Edited by sid ashton at 20:18, 2009-03-02