From their offices inside the Tryon Arts and Crafts building, Diana Jackson and Beth Romney watched the pigeon as, day after day, he huddled next to the roofline window near the rafters.

Diana, administrator of Tryon Arts and Crafts, and Beth, administrative assistant, both animal lovers, hated to see the lonely bird suffer during the cold days of November. Something needed to be done. Since they knew nothing about homing pigeons they knew they needed to find someone who did.

L.J. Meyers was recommended to them as a homing pigeon expert and enthusiast from Landrum. He is often seen at community functions and weddings with his white bird release event. In talking to L.J., they learned a bit about homing pigeons ‐ fascinating birds with quite a large following of racing clubs across the nation.

Through visual landmarks, scents and magnetic resonance, these birds are one more example of the incredible ability of some animals to find their way home. If you want to know more about these birds and their remarkable &dquo;homing&dquo; abilities search on spartanburgracingpigeonclub.com.

Meyers said he was happy to help. He and his son, Jack, arrived one evening at dusk as the pigeon was roosting for the night. The rescue was relatively easy, Meyers reported. Once up the ladder and near the bird, he placed his hat over a nearby spotlight and used a butterfly net to gently capture the male homing pigeon.

According to Meyers, the markings on the wings identified it as male and its coloring is of the Red Checkered variety. He brought the bird back to his own loft of homing pigeons in Landrum. There, he said the pigeon found an unclaimed roost and began to eat with the other birds; a good sign that the bird was in good health despite its ordeal.

Meyers was able to trace the bird&squo;s origins through the band numbers. These numbers identify the year the bird was hatched, the location, and the owner. He made a phone call and was able to make arrangements to return the bird to the Mt. Airy owner.

Beth and Diana were rewarded for their efforts by knowing they had played a part in helping a lost little bird that got to go home for the holidays.

‐ article submitted by

Diana Jackson