Lost Pigeon

[Khandro]

After a weekend storm I found a ringed homing-pigeon in the garden on Monday morning scoffing the dropped bird food and s/he has been here all week. Unafraid, but won't come quite to my hands. Tonight I found the phone number of a local pigeon fancier and he told me not to be concerned, s/he will stay there where the food is until the sun shines (it has been overcast all week) then s/he will get bearings and fly home. Fascinating! we shall see. Aren't birds amazing creatures?

[jomifl]

When we lived in the UK a rather handsome but totally knackered racing pigeon adopted our garden. It wouldn't eat any bird seed that we put out so I caught it and put it in makeshift aviary where it did eat a little. I phoned the owner (phone number printed on primary feathers) who lived about 200 miles away and he arranged for it to be collected. It was worth about £1,500. Now I know why my grand dad who lived in Leyton used to catch them.

[Tilly2]

Yes, they are Khandro. Good luck to the pige.

[Psybbo]

Yes we had one as well. It stopped off and had the longest drink I've ever seen a bird have from water we had put out for all the small birds in this hot weather

[jomifl]

Scrivens, that's a tad cynical.Why pay to have a bird couriered home 200 miles if they are going to wring it's neck? Many racing pigeons cannot survive in the wild as they don't know any other way of feeding than from a dish of seed in an aviary.

[Sparkles62]

Khandro, if you do manage to get hold of the bird, gently spread its wing out, it should have the phone no of its owner printed on its feathers, you could always ring them to let them know it is ok and being fed before setting off home. X

[jomifl]

Scrivens, they don't fly home because they are wearing a ring.(unlike some humans)

[Robinia]

Over the years I've always had feral pigeons come to my garden and every now and then a ringed one will arrive and very quickly settle with the flock and survive for years. I've had a lovely one for two years, he's all white except for one grey wing and has a ring on each leg.
Scrivens is right, I asked a local pigeon breeder about lost ones and he said most will wring their necks rather than spend time and money on one that doesn't return home straight away.

[Khandro]

UPDATE; The sun is shining today, s/he sat, first thing, basking on the roof of a lean-to shed very still. I am sure the astonishing little brain was working out calculations of time and space for which we humans would need computers, and maybe more. S/he has departed, and is no doubt homeward bound.
The idea that any owner would want to "wring it's neck" is quite ludicrous. It was blown off it's course in an extremely violent storm that no bird would wish to fly in. If it now finds home again it will have demonstrated what a even better bird it is for its initiative. I feel humbled to have played a minor part it this 4-day adventure. :0)

[Tilly2]

What a nice ending. Thank you Khandro.

[Robinia]

I hope there's a good person waiting for your pigeon to return Khandro. I'm glad this one stuck around because he's far too handsome to neck and he's considerably bigger than the regular pigeons. (I know it's a male male cos he spends a lot of time puffing out his chest and harrassing the ladies, tut)

http://i58.tinypic.com/23i9pfl.jpg

[paddywak]

Pigeon racing has always been big in mining areas Khandro, and sadly as scrivens says it's common practice to neck the "duds"