MARCH 19, 2009: pigeon

Brussels — A star racing pigeon named Armando has fetched a record 1.25 million euros (about $1.4 million) in an online auction, Belgian media reported Sunday. The prized bird — Belgian’s best long-distance racer of all time according to those in the know — was snapped up by a Chinese buyer for the princely sum that caused a flutter of excitement among fanciers.

Armando had been expected to break the previous record of 376,000 euros ($425,000) paid for a pigeon called Nadine — but not by such a wide margin.

“Earlier this week it became clear that Armando would be the most expensive pigeon ever sold in an online auction,” wrote the specialist website Pigeon Paradise (Pipa.be).

“However, no one expected that the magical cap of a million euros would be pulverised,” it added. The final amount was 1,252,000 euros.

Pigeon Paradise did not say who had bought the pigeon, but according to the Belgian news agency Belga it was a Chinese buyer who will no doubt use his new acquisition to breed other champions.

 

BYE, BYE, BIRDIE

When the swallows come back to Capistrano/ That’s the day I pray that you’ll come back  to me.

And the day is today, St. Josephs Day, although St. Joseph has nothing to do with swallows. Like feathered clockwork, cliff swallows year after year migrated from Goya, Argentina, to the Mission San Juan Capistrano in southern California. Every year the good townsfolk of San Juan Capistrano welcomed them back with an annual Swallows’ Day Parade with balloons and food trucks, politicians kissing babiesand other festive events. And flocks of tourists would come and everybody was happy.

Was happy. For in 2009, the fabled swallows were no shows. A swallowless decade followed, during which folks at the mission tried unsucessfully to lure their fickle feathered friends  back.

In 2016, swallow experts created faux nests attached to a large temporary wall in hopes that the birds would move in and eventually spill over and start using the actual mission structures. A couple of years ago, two real nests were discovered at the mission and several swallows were spotted in flight.  Swallow lovers hopes were riding high.

Hold your breath no longer.  They’re back!  And the villagers were happy once again, dancing round and round and singing “When the swallows come back to Capistrano

And we can sing once more.  “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano” was written by Leon René and first recorded by The Ink Spots in 1940, reaching #4 on the charts.  It has been recorded by Glenn Miller, Xavier Cugat, Gene Krupa, Fred Waring, Guy Lombardo, Billy May, the Five Satins, Elvis Presley, and Pat Boone.