Bentley's Story and Sausage's Story

21st Nov 14

This blog is mainly two recent birds stories - both with happy endings!

9^th November ’14 – Remembrance Sunday - Members of the National Pigeon War Service Association marched past the Cenotaph today. I found online that they were allocated 30 tickets last year - I don't know how many it was this year but that’s how important pigeons are – so point it out to any of the ‘rats with wings’ brigade. Pigeons were an important part of the War Effort, enabling us to live the privileged lives we do today. Cissie poses with my new tea-towel - she is becoming much tamer.

Cissie remembers the war-time pigeons

Bentley’s story – Bentley was mentioned in the last blog. Around the 4^th Oct ’14, I had picked him up as unable to fly, and ringed him with an orange ring. Here he is with Sheridan in Oct.

He didn’t like being confined in the run with Cissie, and first set up home in the coal hole – and was cowering in there when the hawk got poor sweet little Sheridan. So then he decided it would be safer living under the cupboards in what I call the back kitchen, or the shed kitchen. (This is a separate building to the main cottage – the old privy – converted to a kitchen with shower room attached). This was a period of time when I had other pigeons in need of attention (Petronella, Sheridan – both now dead) so I let wilful Bentley have his way as it was more convenient for me than having another homie or poorly one. It was also a time when hubbie was working away so he didn’t know that a pidgie was living in the back kitchen – and fouling under the cupboards!!! So, Bentley stayed most of the day under a certain cupboard and only came out to eat when he could hear the other pigeons in the garden. I started to accommodate him – first I put paper under the cupboards to make cleaning easier, then I put a little pot of grains so I could be sure he was getting enough and when I saw him drinking out of a flower pot, I put a little dish near the pot with fresh water. He was pretty clever about diving back into the shed kitchen when the other birds flew away as he knew he would be more vulnerable alone.

I did worry about him at night, under the cupboards – as the back kitchen is left open so our adopted cat can come in to eat – and once we had a fox in there. I usually pushed a few things like paint pots and boxes in front of the cupboards at night but they wouldn’t have deterred a serious predator.

Gradually whatever was wrong with Bentley healed and he started to be able to fly to the roof – this is the 24th Oct, approx 20 days after I first picked him up.

But he still came down and hid under the cupboard again at night. Then one night he didn’t come back, and was gone for two days..... I assumed he hadn’t made it. But then he came back again – sometimes staying under the cupboard, and sometimes not. Below 29th Oct - Bentley and friend

Now, as I type, it is 21st November and Bentley – recognisable by his orange ring – is perfectly well again, and treated to peanuts when I see him every day with the rest of the flock.

Sausage’s story –

Sausage is actually Sausage2. The first Sausage was picked up, unable to fly, from the yard beyond the garden. You poor little Sausage I said - and the name stuck. He was brought in for the night, but was dead by morning. So when I found another very similar looking grey pigeon, having difficulty in flying, the next day, she became Sausage too. I can’t remember exactly what happened but she was ringed, spent some time in the run with Cissie, and then at the next afternoon playtime, was allowed out.... and disappeared. But the next day, I found her back in the run again – she must’ve put herself back in there at some point! Funny little Sausage!

A day or so later, she’d disappeared again and I didn’t see her, so imagined she had perished. But then two days later she appeared on the garden table when I was feeding the flock in the morning. I literally pounced and picked her up – to be given a top up feed, though I released her again afterwards, as she could fly. By the late afternoon, she had put herself into the coal bunker for the night – obviously too tired to fly again, and I felt I would leave her there, as it is reasonably safe, and just barricade her in.... but when I went out later, after the main flock had gone, I found that the hawk had made a kill – in fact was still eating it, and flew off with it when I opened the door. The usual mess and sinking of my stomach. 

I supposed the victim was a poor little pidgie with PMV that I had been trying to catch earlier. One thing I was thankful for – it’s face was left on the patio.....and by that I knew it’s suffering was over, and also that it wasn’t Sausage, who I found cowering near the entrance to the coal hole. Awkward though it was I delved into the bunker and brought her out.

 I knew she was a female as a male had been making up to her earlier. 

For the next two days, Sausage stayed with me and I gave her no opportunity to get away. Her body felt so fragile, so light that I weighed her and she only weighed 197g which is dangerously underweight. The other homies weighed:  Cloud – 354g  Cissie – 327g  Chino – 275g. During the day Sausage was in the run with Cissie, then in the late afternoons she was in the box in Cissie’s crate before spending the night in a box in the spare room. I didn’t want to leave her in the conservatory overnight as it gets so very cold in there. At dovie bedtime, currently even before 5pm, she went in the box with a covered hot water bottle, and then at my bedtime, I  removed that and put in a hard round microwave bottle which stays hotter longer, for the night. The first night, I expected her to be dead in the morning, but she wasn’t – then the second night, I thought surely she can’t last much longer, she is so delicate and underweight....but she did.

On the third day, I planned to take Sausage out of the hutch where she currently was, give her a little top up, and then back to the conservatory for the rest of the afternoon, before bedtime in the spare room... but Sausage had other ideas....she struggled past my clumsy hands, and flew out of the hutch! Oh dear.... silly Sausage, you are so fragile and underweight and yet you think you know best..... This was about 3pm; the November afternoon was already getting gloomy and Cloud, Cissie and Chino were already in the conservatory. There were a few pigeons still hanging around and Sausage joined them on the roof. I kept popping out, and when I threw some grain down, she came down – ate two or three tiny little grains, while the others gobbled up the rest. And soon they’d all gone, leaving Sausage on the porch roof....

and then she went away into the rainy night. She could’ve been in the spare room with her hot water bottle – but she preferred to be free.

That was the 11^th November, and I was pleased to see Sausage back in the garden on the morning of the  12^th  Here she is on the roof – it looks like night but was in fact about 9am.

She also came back in the afternoon, and I tried to make sure she got the kind of grains and small peas that she obviously likes to eat. I am amazed at her resilience.

13^th Nov – Saw my little blue-ringed Sausage at the morning feed, but not the afternoon which was a shame.  Saw both Tommy and Mercy today, as I always do and hope I always will do -  they are Snow White and Charm’s last babies of the season and are now approx 3 months old, and having a moult. Both of them will eat from my hand, as I had so much to do with them when they were growing up in the cote, that they are quite tame – and the last day or so, Mercy has started flying to my hand for her peanuts. They don’t usually come at the same time – Tommy is there in the morning and Mercy in the afternoons. I assume they belong to different smaller flocks or groups.

 Above, Sausage is in the middle

and below a white male makes up to her

 Poor adorable little Sausage

 Feeling a bit brighter

Fri 14^th Nov – Sausage had appeared by mid morning, and as the pigeons clustered down to the grain I had thrown in one spot only (my usual ploy for catching a single one) I was able to just pick her up. She felt damp which was not surprising as it was an extremely rainy morning, but there was a bit of warmth to her. I took her into the kitchen to hand-feed her peanuts and corn, which are the larger pieces of food that she doesn’t seem to be able to pick up herself. I was very tempted to keep her, but as she is not injured and can fly, I didn’t as I don’t feel I have the right to do so. She ate a bit more that she chose herself then flew away. I think this is her by the chimney stack, you can just about see her - looking a bit hunched and poorly.

Considering I expected her to die about five days ago when I had her in, she is doing pretty well! I just hope she can find a hidey-hole roost for the night, away from the weather, and the hawk flying over early morning. As I type this the day has brightened up a bit, so the pidgies can all dry off.

Sat 15^th Nov – Sausage again didn’t come til mid-morning, but after the early feed I popped out every half hour or so to see if she had turned up. She was waiting on top of the flat bit of the run – where I have left a bowl of water for her. I was glad she’d come as I was going out all afternoon and early evening so this was her chance to get fed, and I hovered protectively over her to trickle down the little blue peas she likes, which I picked out of the main mix. She seems pretty ok to tell you the truth, which is great. Afterwards, she sat on the run again, but by the time I’d got my camera she’d flown to the roof and was climbing up....

– and here she is at the end of the line.

I don’t know why I was able to catch and ring her when I did – I mean I don’t know why she had difficulty in flying before – maybe she was just a bit poorly or had arrived after a long journey and was weak from lack of food - that was probably it. Now she is ringed she will always be spotted and targeted for food. I didn’t attempt to catch her today as I didn’t want to scare her and there was no real need, though I would’ve liked to feed her a few peanuts. She seems unable to pick them up herself, but can swallow them when I hand –feed her.

Sun 16-Fri 21st – Seen Sausage every day and hand fed her peanuts only once. She now pushes in with the others, has lost her poorly look and can now be counted just ‘one of the flock’ – so that’s the end of her story for now.

18th November - 

 Above, some of the birds this morning

Below, a blurred Blackie - not ringed by me but a regular part of the flock

 Below, green ringed Dusty - hatched in my cote in June 14  so about 5 months old now

- sibling to Daisy, no longer seen

 Dusty, as a nestling, with Daisy

My birds!

To be cont.... and I will certainly do a blog before Christmas. Thanks for reading.

Hawk attack! Eggs abandoned!

Tuesday 19th February 2013

(WARNING - blog contains distressing pictures)

My last blog was a quiet one. Things change in a blink of the eye. Santa was reluctant to leave my arm when I opened the door to the garden this morning, and none of the doves or pigeons were on the ground, which was odd. Suddenly, the flock on the roof flew off in a panic and Santa jumped off my arm, and flew to join them. Was it my 'early morning eyes' or was that a hawk? Oh my god, Santa is flying straight into the path of a hawk!

The flock wheeled round in the sky for many minutes before they eventually settled on the roof, and it was much longer before they came down for a feed. I couldnt see Santa but hoped she was on the roof .... or at least safe.



I hadn't actually seen a hawk I convinced myself, so maybe it wasn't.... but when I came back from shopping I found a pigeon lying on her back in her own feathers and blood. And then I saw she was still alive! The eye I could see was open and watchful, and she was breathing heavily. Dropping my bags on the path, I carried her in for examination, and it wasn't looking good.

Pigeon, still alive after hawk attack



It also wasn't good timing as my husband was bringing the land agent's man in for a meeting/rent review in one hour's time! There had been blood on the gravel, and there was blood over the pigeon's eyes, face and beak. One large area of feathers had been plucked away and there was some grazing. Another area was a bloody wound...... I gently wiped her face with a clean piece of old pillow-case dipped in tepid water. She felt cold to the touch and was obviously in shock, so I settled her carefully in a padded box which I put on top of the aga for warmth while I had a look at this page of Pigeon Rescue for advice http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/predatedorshot.htm

Pigeon, in shock after hawk attack, on top of aga for warmth

 

I had not got a sterile saline solution and not knowing whether it was the best thing to do or not I cleaned the wound with a tepid weak salt water solution. Then, knowing I couldn't have bowls of water and bloodied rags around and not being able to do anything more for the present, I tidied up and moved the boxed pigeon right at the last moment to the quiet of the spare room. As soon as the meeting was over, I went to see if Patience, as I call her (ot him!) was still alive. Thankfully she was and I brought her back to the kitchen again, and mixed up a rehydrating solution (I have got sachets of that). I dipped her beak a few times, and wasn't sure if she actually sipped or not. All this time, she had been lying on her back, with her feet up, and her head to one side. I had arranged her so that she was on a slope, to raise her head slightly. Suddenly, she perked up, struggling, and turned herself over so that she was standing - hopefully this is a good sign. I decided to offer the rehydration solution every half an hour and keep her in the quiet under the table between times.

 

Feral pigeon offered rehydrating solution after hawk attack





The dark patch above her beak that you can see in the photos turned out to be a bit of leaf, stuck on with blood.... the vet removed it.

I don't usually take pigeons to the vet, as I am not in the postion to be able to afford treatment for feral birds, but I have taken a few, and they know me there as that's where I used to take my little dog, and the vet himself is a wonderful man. They were in theatre all afternoon and the first appointment they could give me was 4pm! So now the only thing I can do is wait.... and blog! My only other alternative would be to take Patience to  http://www.wildlifeaid.org.uk/ - this is local but I felt they would probably just euthanize her as not a single pigeon I have taken there has been returned to me. I'm not saying it's not a marvellous place because it is, but I don't think they would've given her a chance.

About an hour after I discovered poor Patience, and just before the men turned up, I had another horrible shock! The dovecote was empty! Had Sky heard or seen the hawk attack and abandoned the eggs? Was he off them when I came home? When had he left them?  Oh no, this is really too awful - they were due to hatch on Friday! I felt them and they seemed to me to be cold....... Oh Sky, surely if you had just hunkered down and kept quiet in the nest, the hawk wouldn't have even seen you!  There was nothing I could do, but keep the one little hope that Sky or Summer would come back, and maybe, just maybe, the eggs would be ok. Sky and Summer have both left these eggs, and other eggs, for a very short time, while they have a quick drink, or feed, but I have no idea if it is possible for cold eggs to be warmed up, and the chicks inside still be ok. I am so sad about this......

The birds are always spooked after an attack, and it takes them a while to get back to normal. I couldn't see Santa anywhere....... I hoped she was safe, my poor tender little bird. I don't think my readers will think I was selfish in being thankful that the hawk's victim was not Santa. I don't think she would've survived an attack like that.

A while later, possibly as long as an hour, but I don't know as we were having the meeting, I saw Sky come back and enter the nestbox. He settled down on the eggs, but again, I don't know if he would know if he'd left them too long......I pray those poor little chicks inside the eggs will survive.

Later - I took Patience to the vet as planned and had to say that she was just a feral pigeon and I was hoping he would do what he could for her today, but I wouldn't be making return visits. He is a very understanding vet and he didn't even suggest that he should just put her down. The damage seemed to me to be worse that when I had looked earlier but he didn't think it was beyond healing.  Patience struggled a bit, and when he weighed her (so he knew how much antiobiotic to give her) she walked off the scales, so she has some spirit and zest for life left. The vet gave her some oral antiobiotics and the rest for me to administer for up to 10 days, twice a day, and some gel to put on her wound. He applied the first lot to show me how. This deluxe treatment cost me over £49 and I was glad hubbie didn't ask how much when I got home. Should I really spend more on one ordinary pigeon than it costs to feed the whole flock for more than a week? I don't know.... but I did. The universe will repay me somehow!

At home, there were still a few white doves and pigeons left on the roof. I couldn't tell if Santa was among them as now she is getting bigger and less easily picked out among others. Hubbie, very kindly indeed, had left the back door open for her to come in, and he said she HAD been down with the others when he threw some grain down. Thank goodness! - it would've been a bad day today indeed if I'd lost my Santa baby too.

During the afternoon, at some point, Sky and Summer must've changed over. Summer obviously doesn't feel anything is wrong, and it would be easy for me to think that too as it looks so normal, but my fear now is that she is sitting on eggs that are never going to hatch. Well, said Hubbie, for all you know they were duds in the first place......I'd rather they were duds than those poor little things died in the eggs.

I offered Patience more of the rehydrating mix and this time she had quite a few sips.... more than that, a little drink, so I felt pleased and more positive about her chances of survival.

Soon, Santa came in and I was able to give her some peanuts, and when I snapped the door shut on her box knowing she was safe for one more night then I was relieved.  But will Patience survive the night? The pigeon rescue site recommend leaving the pigeon til the next day before trying to get it to eat. My vet suggested seeing if she can eat on her own before hand-feeding her.

My relief at having Santa in only lasted til I started to worry about tomorrow. I have to be out.....so do I keep her in for most of the day, or do I let her be free? Obviously one day in doesn't hurt her, but I do feel very strongly that these birds were born free and I shouldn't really be keeping a healthy bird in. I know that hawk strikes and other things can happen even if I am around...... Jose was caught by the dog when I was in the house; Glory was killed by the hawk when I'd gone back to bed for 40 winks..... I can't be watching the garden all the time, even when I am at home. Though some of my fantasies involve having someone sit in the garden all day keeping guard of my precious birds!!!!

Wed.20th Feb. 13 -  I went in to the spare room to Patience first thing - it was still semi-dark and I like the birds to have natural light so I didn't put the lights on. I could smell her.....not a sweet smell like Santa, but not unpleasant.....but in the gloom I couldn't tell if she was alive or dead. When my eyes adjusted, I was pleased to see she was alive. So Patience had survived the attack AND survived the night - amazing! I fetched her a drink in the little glass, and though I don't like handling her as I fear hurting her, I gently wrapped her in a cloth and she drank thirstily. I imagine she would be thirsty after losing blood and bodily fluids. The morning was very murky and misty, so it was an easy decision to keep Santa in. So Cloud was in her crate, shut in, and Santa was in her box but free to fly around in the conservatory - and Patience was staying in her box in the spare room, as I feel the conservatory is too cold, and I wanted her to have peace and quiet. I decided to follow the pigeon rescue advice of hand feeding defrosted warm peas, and not waiting to see if she ate on her own. I thought she was in need of a bit of a boost rather than wait and see! The hand-feeding went well, and hubbie helped me do the meds. So Patience was left alone, with food and water, for the morning.

 

Pigeon survives the night -  the morning after a hawk attack

 

 

I came back specially at lunchtime to see Patience, and gave her another drink and another small feed of defrosted peas.

 

Now, I must tell you this.... and I assure you it's true, and I know my RL friend, blog-reader Hari, won't be surprised as it is the sort of thing we believe in, but when I came home at lunchtime the post was waiting for me on the mat, and there were two envelopes with a Glasgow address on the back - and I know what that means! Ernie has remembered me! 2 x £25, so £50 from the Premium Bonds and pretty well the exact amount I spent yesterday on Patience's vet bill! Thank you Universe, I wasn't expecting to be repaid so very quickly!

 

 



After my brief visit at lunchtime, I had to go out again, but came back before 3pm and it was sunny, so I let Santa out to get some fresh air. Patience was given another hand-feed of defrosted peas and this time I added some of the smaller-sized peas picked out of the usual grain. Hubbie was out and I wanted to give her her meds on time so I managed to do it myself, but 'juggling' a wounded but feisty pigeon and filling a little syringe etc is not very easy, and in the morning I'll get him to hold her again for me.

I feel Patience's next milestone will be if she gets through day and night 3. Other ill birds I've had often seem to get through the first two days/nights and then die on day or night 3. Fingers crossed for Patience - I wish you could see her ' bloody but unbowed' - she's wonderful!

Thurs 21st Feb 13 - Patience was still alive - actually I didn't expect her not to be. At night I cover the box with a blanket - with just a little gap for air - but now I uncovered her and moved her to the side of the room near the window so she has daylight. She drank thirstily again, hubbie helped by holding her while I did her anti-bios with the syringe and then I hand-fed her with defrosted warm peas, a few hard peas and just a peanut or two.

 

Patience - second morning after hawk attack

Before I put her back in her box I have to do the gel on her wound. I wanted to take a photo beforehand but this is not easy as she doesn't want to lie down in the vulnerable position she was in with the hawk - but I managed it. Then I put the gel on, and left her alone, with food and water, to rest in peace and quiet.

 

 



 

 



I know Patience is digesting her food as she has pooped in her box - I put some on clean paper to examine and show. I don't think they are quite as moist as they should be, but not bad.

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, Cloud - who has paramyxovirus - has horrible messy unformed green poops - I thought I took a photo but I can't find it.and Santa who I assume is a reasonably healthy young bird has very neat little poops, almost likes she arranges them on the edge of the paper!

 

 



 

Later - My three 'home birds' - Cloud, Santa and Patience - are taking up a lot of my time! I just gave Patience her afternoon water, antiobios, feed and gel, plus a bit of cleaning up and that alone took 15 mins. I don't grudge any of it but it's hard to get everything done in a day. Really two home birds is as much as I can do - three max!. I found a brick in the garden and cleaned it up for Patience so that she can have a proper perch - pigeons like a brick in their box. I read somewhere 'if you save a pigeon's life, it will pray for you' - well Patience I hope you will pray for me if you live, I am certainly praying for you! Cloud should pray for me, but I'm sure doesn't, she isn't terribly grateful!

 

Santa usually comes in about 4.30pm. Here she is up on the roof with the last of the birds - there are two pigeons on the left, then a gap, and the next one is Santa.

 



 

You may not be able to see from the above but the last pigeon on the right has a stick in it's beak - it's half past four, not the right time of day for nest building!

 



 

 

 

And now they have all gone except that little speck which is Santa! - come in darling it's so cold!

 

 



 

As far as I am aware Sky and Summer have not left the nest unnecessarily since the hawk strike, and it's hatching day tomorrow! And day 3 for Patience. Que sera sera....

 

To be cont...