The empty nest…

It was back two weeks ago now whilst I was sat indulging two of my favourite pastimes,, reading and drinking coffee, that my leisure time was rudely interrupted, by this loud consistent tapping sound, I got up checked about the flat, searching high and low for unexploded bombs, dripping water, or death watch Beatles trying to slowly invade the walls😁, but thank goodness, i couldn’t find anything of the sort, So slightly perturbed still, I went back to reading about swash buckling men racing hell for leather across craggy Cornish cliff tops, upon fiery black steeds, waving about their pistols, daggers and sabres….in other words Poldark by Graham Winston, yeah I know doesn’t sound half as exciting does it lol?, But it was a good read…

Five minutes on, and the sound began once more, only this time louder, more insistent, I tried ignoring it, for all of about a milisecond, before I became far too intrigued, (ok nosy😊. Reluctantly leaving captain Poldark to his own devices upon my bed😮, I got up once more, only this time the sound was more intense…I followed it’s source, walking slowly, stealthily upon tiptoe, hoping to creep up on whatever was causing the commotion. As I walked toward the living room window, the sound grew louder, not only the tapping, flapping sounds now, but this time intermingled with a high pitch peeping., I opened the front door with all haste,😁 great flourish even, tahdahhhhh type you know!?, There to find Goria ….. And Gloria is one of my semi feral pigeons, I say Semi feral as Muggins here has been roped into feeding them up to and over four times daily, Yes I know Pigeons are not always popular, hated even. And I get that, but my little band have quite literally eaten their way into my heart…they are quick, clever and extremely loyal to their extended family units….I can most definitely recognise each individual bird, via a wing pattern colouring etc, some are more brazen with asking for food than others, each and every one gets its own name, Some will come when called, like Walter, Gloria, Red, Nigel, or Alice, others wait in the wings no pun intended🙄😃.

Gloria is one of my favourites, her and her mate Walter will quite often follow me around outside while I’m gardening, if they see me coming back from a walk they run towards me,,like winged puppies, it’s so bloody cute honestly😁….But I digress somewhat, Gloria was outside my door flapping wildly at a young juvenile male, Ive named Gilbert…I thought at first he had crossed the line, trying to get fresh, yeah it happens…(pigeons will mate for life if given the opportunity) and her and Walter were tightly bonded…but as I watched them, the peeping sound grew almost fever pitched. I looked around me, there to my left, hidden behind a row of my plant containers, sat huddled, was a squab (baby pigeon), hunched against the cold, Gloria fending off all comers and very distressed….

it all too soon became obvious that although the little one was fully feathered, he was also still sporting a downy yellow ring of baby feathering about his neck, like a soft boa😊, what was not so good, for although he flapped, he couldn’t work up the momentum enough to take off, his little wings were not developed enough to support him….in all other ways he looked perfect, no injuries I could see. I left Gloria to it, hoping with all my heart he would take off with his parents, go back to their warm nest up in the eaves to be with his siblings….all that day I watched nervously over the little one, still hanging on for a minor/major miracle, I could just not abide the very idea of him getting attacked by Mincemeat aka cooking fat, (local feral cat who killed off many local birds). I was beset by many scenarios playing in my head, like a paranoid parent I hovered by the window pacing back and forth.

By 3:30 it had become all to clear,, To my distress he was still there hiding, dusk was falling, the evening chill beginning in earnest…now I had two choices neither ideal..Either I could leave well alone, and let him take his chances or bring him indoors, I left it as late as I possibly dared before finally going out into my shed and retrieving a small birds cage, it’s all I had to bed him down in…it took all of two minutes to scoop up the by now very cold baby bird, he was fast becoming depleted, eyes half closed, no fighting against me, my choice was the right one, Beaky😁, needed help, I suppose I was the unconvinced volunteer…at least inside he could get warm, I left on the heater, turned off all the lights and left him with food and water, now it was in the lap of the gods, I checked on my guest throughout that night,. That next morning Beaky was still with us…his beady black eyes wide open and shiny, restless now he moved around freely….now what?????

I went out and fed the pigeons their first breakfast of the day, yeah the have 3 normally 😁, two lunches, then supper before dusk 😁. . Normally once fed, the fly off until their next feed…but I noted that day Gloria and Walter stayed put,walking up and down right up by my door…..Beaky as if sensing their presence began peeping loudly, I took him out opened the cage door and watched uneasily as he was reunited with his parents, they circled about each other, until finally they fed the hungry youngster…not only did Gloria feed him, his father, older siblings also took a turns, pigeons really are a United family….

Once fed though, Beaky took refuge behind the flower pots once more, not ideal but better than nothing, he sat there in total silence instinct showing him not to give away his secret location, I left him there until nearly dark, before bringing back in my charge, where once more he slept in his cage, the following day his parents appeared again, It seemed we had unknowingly established our very own little routine between us….they knew where he was, he was safe thats the main thing…I estimated my intervention would last roughly around another week….And it Did…..

Over the next week later Beaky attempts take off….

Several times Beaky quite ungainly at first, took to the air, only to land with a spectacular splat in my neighbours shrubbery,😊 over a garden wall, into a fence, it lead to some very odd looks when I had to knock on a bewildered neighbours, asking could I possibly have my pigeon back please?😁, After a few disastrous starts, one week and two days later, he finally took to the skies, no looking back, just off into the wild blue yonder…my days as a co parent were at an end, finished as swiftly as they started, I stood looking up into the sky, watching him disappear, just praying he would be ok, it was very like taking my children to school that first day…lump in throat I walk away, it’s the perfect outcome, as it should be, my baby had flown the nest…although Beaky was in fact on the most part silent, walking back into the flat felt alien, unnatural, ….One week on I’m still missing my wee lodger, I don’t miss his mess mind😁, but I confess I had got used to having him about….I still chuckle to myself, thinking back to when I heard a noise at my door, on opening it, there stood Beaky,…. He just waddled inside like it was the most natural thing in the world, and to us, at that time i guess it was 😁😁😁😁😁..I’ve seen him with his parents upon the roof so I know his fine, happy landings Beaky…😁😁😁💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦