Ungrateful Pigeon

[Potstubsdustbins]

Found a ringed racing pigeon in the garden yesterday, fed it corn and watered it and off it flew. Back it came today and took more corn from my hand. As it was very wet I picked it up, put into the lean to fed it more corn, bowl of water etc. Loads of cooing stroking chest etc. (the pigeons chest VC).

Went on the interweb for advice, 'check the flight feathers for owners name and number'. Gave it an hour to settle goes back to the lean to the have a look. Its obviously feeling better, strutting round the potting bench and quite verbal.

Go to pick it up and this thing as turned into Godzilla, it charges across the bench and pecks at me everytime I try to pick it up. When I speak to the owner he asks if it was friendly. After listening to my explanation he says "Yes its a young cock and he can be aggressive." Thank goodness he is coming to pick it up tomorrow otherwise this could be pigeon pie.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

You old softy, Potty! As if I would misunderstand you.....

[Potstubsdustbins]

I nearly posted this one on the 'season to taste' part of the forum. Still it gave SWMBO a good laugh.

Colin

[lottie dolly]

what a nice thing to do,but won't the owner just wring it little neck,you maybe could have saved yourself the bother,plus a free snack

[veggiechicken]

Rule the roost maybe?

[Potstubsdustbins]

No, he was quite desperate to get him back. Apparently this was his first race and he got lost somewhere between Cheltenham and Stoke on Trent. Probably those solar flares interfering with his satnav, like the upside down roots.

Colin

[Aberdeenplotter]

what a nice thing to do,but won't the owner just wring it little neck,you maybe could have saved yourself the bother,plus a free snack

A homing pigeon that doesn't go home is no use to its owner. I fear for its long term survival.

[Potstubsdustbins]

AP thats what I thought but I asked if I should just let him go when he had recovered and was told no he'll not find his way home. The owner said he would need more training and he would have him picked up. Either he or a friend are coming quite a distance to collect the chap so I think he is safe for the moment.

Anyway off to check on my guest before I shower.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

Give him a goodnight peck on the cheek from me!

[julesapple]

We've had racing pigeons twice in ten years - off-course ones I mean. They both turned out to be worth a horrendous amount of money. The owner of the first one sent a courier for it the next day.

We expected something similar for the second one a couple of years later, but ended up giving this bird a home for about three weeks. DD went out and bought pigeon corn and, before we caught the bird, threw corn down on our two flat roofs - this blew off and seeded itself everywhere, hanging baskets, soft fruit bed, everywhere.

We spent ages tracking down the owner, phoning his mobile number (only one provided) and then when it seemed apparent he didn't want it, despite saying he was desperate to get it back as it cost hundreds of pounds, we had it collected by a racing pigeon rehoming chap in Bristol. He said something like the owner has 28 days to collect it/arrange collection from the day it was found before ownership was forfeit...I think I've remembered that right.

BoP owners can be worse. We've had all sorts here temporarily when we used to have an outside aviary. Beautiful, amazing birds, and the owners never collect them, so we've had to find BoP centres that will take them in. Usually they've escaped through the owners' lack of care or training, although sometimes they've just caught a strong wind and been blown away, and they have no idea how to hunt for themselves. And it's not pigeon food they need either, so it would cost us a fair amount to feed them for weeks on end.

You were lucky there, Colin.

[Florence Fennel]

We have friends who are pigeon fanciers and their wives say they love their pigeons more than, well, anything! Well done Colin, it's good of you to care for it. Sounds like it's certainly biting the hand that feeds it!

Jules what on earth are you doing up at that unearthly hour, or is it usual for you?

[Aberdeenplotter]

Pigeons apparently can become disorientated by weather conditions and/or attack by peregrines and other raptors. The git who had the plot next to mine had pigeons and he had no compunction. A bird that was late back or didn't come back under its own volition had its neck drawn and was then disposed of into a rubbish bag. Horrible man. He's vacated his plot now thank goodness.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Well all's well that ends well. The pigeon survived the night in my shed, bladdy pecked me when I fed it this morning. So I was glad when a few minutes ago a man arrived with pigeon box to pick it up and return it home.

Thats one less responsibility all I have to do now it clean up.

Colin

[Mikey]

I'm sure I watched something the other day about pigeons and their homing capabilities and how they are trained, small distances, then larger ones then very large ones, so that they get to learn the route.

I'm guessing he took a wrong turn off the motorway, or was being chased by a bird of prey.

[veggiechicken]

... or he/she took a fancy to Potty and decided to drop in. Whatever, its a good ending, Well done Pots