I do have a few more egg cups to show you, but I had a lovely little encounter yesterday that I want to share with you.
I was upstairs sometime during the middle of the afternoon and happened to look out our bedroom window. There was a large bird over by the shed, pecking away, searching for food. It was not a bird that I ever see around here. I went downstairs and looked more closely. I grabbed my long range lens and went outside, took lots of photos. The bird did not seem at all disturbed by my presence and when I walked even closer, it was unfazed. At this point, Don was watching from the kitchen door and the bird was changing direction and headed my way. I said ‘Come’ and it kept walking toward me.
I was standing by the funky patio and it walked in my direction, sort of like a pet bird or chicken would. It explored the patio, then headed toward the porch. (I was a wee bit worried that its wings might be injured.) It stopped at the edge of the porch, hopped up onto the porch and I followed. We walked around the porch, with me talking quietly. He/she was actually listening. When he got closer to the glider, he stopped, looked up at the seat cushion, flew up (wings not injured!) stood there a minute, then flew up to the railing, long enough for me to take a picture, and then flew off.
Of course, it was a pigeon, the kind of pigeon I see in the city all of the time, but never see here. Actually, it’s a Rock Dove. It wasn’t until I uploaded this photo that I noticed the red band around his leg. Another photo showed an orange and blue band around the other leg with the number 9 and “New.” Most likely New York.
A little blurry, but you can see the other band and the number 9.
I looked up information about banding. An owner might band a homing pigeon, or a racing pigeon. Ornithologists sometimes band birds to track their patterns.
But this little one was so gentle, so sweet, that I think it has an owner – it’s not at all afraid of human beings, whereas a city pigeon would have flown away as soon as I got close to it.
Right before it took off.
I worried that it might be lost, so I posted something on our town’s Facebook page, and one woman said the same bird had visited her yard yesterday and that it was very sweet and not afraid of them at all.
It looks as if the Rock Dove was having some adventures yesterday! It didn’t seem panicked. More like a tourist.
It was so lovely. We were really communicating. To have an encounter with a sweet bird, an unhurried encounter, well, that is a blessing and I have carried that feeling into today. Don and I feel very lucky that this beauty decided to visit our property.
I needed that.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
