Pigeon

Its not normal. Mice we are used to, busy little creatures speeding across the floor under the tracks, occassionally across the platform (saw one last week trapped on the platform of the Jubilee line - unable to get back down until the platform doors opened). But this morning as I stood waiting for the next Northern Line train to arrive at Moorgate (it had been announced, but took about 5 minutes to actually appear) a pigeon nonchalantly sauntered along the platform edge, wary but not too frightened of the people waiting behind the yellow line. Every once in while he would inch towards what he thought were crumbs, so long as the passengers didn't move their feet. Eventually it became too much and he flew up to the station roof looking for a perch, coming to rest on the train indicator board.

The Northern Line is one of the deepest, and at Moorgate has been underground for some time. Where he came from I can't imagine. Did he ride a tube train and hop out here (its unusual but not unheard of - on my train to work a couple of weeks ago a pigeon got trapped in a train to Beckenham Junction, but felt quite at home sitting on the handlebar of the luggage rack). But I would be suprised if he managed to do that in the morning rush hour - there aren't many commuters who would be happy to share a carriage with a grubby london pigeon, particularly as they are uncomfortable sharing with so many other humans. Or perhaps he flew down the tunnels. But there isn't much space between the trains and the walls and I would be suprised if he had managed to come so far without being crushed. Or maybe he took the escalator down from upstairs.

I wonder when the station staff will notice, and who they will get to catch him and bring him back to surface.