Save the Pigeon

Having spotted him some weeks ago in next doors garden dragging his broken wing, he finally turned up on our backdoor threshold in a stance that I figured was demanding food (pops has begun a bird food fast with the aim of stopping the pigeon invasion). I was amazed he had survived this long in a fox-heavy neighbourhood. A wily pigeon, he must have hidden well.

So I gave him some seed and then started fretting about the fox. Fox vs pigeon doesn't end well for the pigeon. Generally nothing left but a few feathers.

He seemed to be wanting to get up high (kept trying to hop up but failing miserably). Plucking up much courage and overcoming the fear of manky London pigeons I crept in and grabbed him with both hands and put him on the wall mounted bird table, provided more seed, and decided I'd call animal welfare to see what could be done with him in the morning if he was still alive. Thoughts of him throwing himself off, then being at the mercy of Mr Fox.

In the morning he was no longer on his shelf. There was no trace of his remains. I found him standing on a drain hidden by an overhanging fern frond.

It was with a suprising sense of relief that I went to find a box, put him in it and delivered him to animal welfare. They took him in lovingly but were unsure whether the vet would be able to fix him (not a fresh break) or would condemn him. And there I left him.