[Leica] IMG: Birdman of Inveresk

[Jim Nichols]

Nice documentary, Douglas.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

On 9/30/2017 6:03 PM, Douglas Barry wrote:
> I was driving along my driveway on Thursday when I noticed a pigeon 
> wandering in a hesitant manner - not that I'm really au fait with the 
> hesitant manners of pigeons, I might add. I rolled up to the bird, but 
> it refused to shift despite the front of the car being over it. I 
> reversed a metre or so, and got out to it. However, it seemed 
> remarkably placid considering there was a giant human beside it, and 
> just looked up and stared at me. I stared back and we sort of reached 
> a Mexican standoff.
>
> I was reluctant to get back into the car to drive on up to the house, 
> as crushed pigeon would make a mess on the gravel, so ushered it along 
> until I eventually got it well away from the car. Parking the car, I 
> saw the pigeon had walked up behind it to the garage, and didn't seem 
> in the least bit keen to take off into the wide blue yonder. As the 
> cat was sleeping in the house after a heavy night on the tiles, I 
> encouraged the bird to go around the back of the house where the lawn 
> is bigger, there is take off space a plenty, and went inside.
>
> An hour later, I came out and found the bird was still there, and then 
> noticed there was a ring on its leg. Knowing nothing about pigeons or 
> birds, bar a briefly lived budgie, I consulted the internet. Armed 
> with the knowledge gleaned, I put it in a basket in the garage with 
> food (it apparently likes pinhead porridge just like me) and water to 
> let it rest and recover. The bird had probably been in a race from 
> France to Ireland, was knackered, and my house is close to first 
> landfall after crossing the Irish Sea, but the enigmatic pigeon stayed 
> schtum, and didn't confirm this. I went in again to it after a couple 
> of hours and the food and water were gone, so I refilled everything 
> and let it alone for the evening to dwell on its thoughts.
>
> In the morning, the cat shot through the open bedroom window and 
> noisily let me know something was up. Fearing a massacre, I wandered 
> out to the garage, but the defenses hadn't been breached, and the 
> pigeon was looking extremely perky with both food and water gone. I 
> gave it more and left it to finish its 24 hour recommended rest while 
> the cat prowled excitedly around the outside of the garage, no doubt 
> listening to the strange thumping of the little heart inside. Another 
> consultation of the web revealed that there was a tracing service for 
> lost pigeons, so I left its details, and mine, and waited for a response.
>
> In the afternoon, the bird was even more perkier, so I confined the 
> cat, and decided to see if it could fly. I carried the basket, with 
> bird, out ceremoniously to the back garden in front of my assembled 
> family and placed it on the patio table. The bird looked around 
> interestedly, observing all and sundry, the drift of the wind from the 
> Dublin mountains, the leaves dropping from the hedge, and decided to 
> stay put. Eventually, I gave up waiting, picked it up, threw it into 
> the air and it flew to the wall at the bottom of the garden. After 
> five minutes or so of strutting, it took off and disappeared. It's 
> funny, but I miss its beady little eyes.
>
> However, my wife took this picture with her Samsung phone. 
> http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/NHLFs/Birdman+of+Inveresk.jpg.html
>
> This morning I got a phone call from the pigeon tracing service who 
> gave me the owner's name and number. I rang him to see if the bird 
> made it home. The owner was a nice chatty chappie, and told me he has 
> over 200 pigeons and more or less lets them all race at the same time, 
> so wasn't aware whether the bird was back or not, but cautioned me 
> that the attrition rate is high with ten or more birds going missing 
> each race. Sounds like the anxious experience that Battle of Britain 
> airfield personnel went through during WW2. "Looks like poor Jimmy's 
> bought it, damn Jerries!"
>
> So you learn something every day. He says he'll update me, and maybe 
> show me the pigeon keeping ropes, but pigeon racing has lost its 
> appeal, as my heart couldn't stand the losses.... :)
>
> Douglas
>
>
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