Newsflash: Baby Pigeon Sighted

Where are all the baby pigeons? In my garden, for one.

About six weeks ago, pigeons built a nest on the balcony of the second floor of my building (that’s the first floor for European readers). Every day, they make an unholy mess of my basement-level deck and the nest sits precisely above a spot where I like to sit in the sun.

Today, the flying-rat-spawn (as Anita calls it) ventured from the nest. I found it cowering on our windowsill, frightened by every drop of rain that hit the ground. Eventually, Baby Pigeon couldn’t stand the way I was glowering at it, and it flew — with a great deal of effort and commotion — to the top of the wall that encloses our little garden.

Once there, it had no idea what to do. Momma Pigeon cooed the same way she has for weeks, that is, unremittingly, and Baby made pitiful squeaking noises. Some other grown-up flapped in, and Baby literally grabbed the elder with its wings and wouldn’t let go. After a minute or two, the older pigeon tired of the game and went away. The urchin looked around, dejected, and decided to settle in for a spell. I guess it wasn’t sure it could make the flight back to the nest, about twenty feet up.

That has a few hours ago. Just now, it started raining, hard. So I looked outside to see whether I remembered to bring my book indoors. Baby Pigeon is still sitting on that wall, wet and (presumably) miserable. Serves it right, for pooping all over my back yard. I wonder whether it will still be there in the morning.

On an unrelated note: Dave, you make an interesting point about the Olympic teams. I’ll find out. As you can tell, I’m going for low-hanging fruit tonight.

1 Comment to “Newsflash: Baby Pigeon Sighted”

  1. Dave said...
    12 August 2008

    Flying-rat-spawn… Very nice. Pigeons have feelings too, Anita… And if “Bob’s” theory on The Straight Dope is right, you’ll be sorry someday!