From the
Diary as of 4/20/ – 4/21/09
I had to change the breakfast routine! Instead of putting the flowerpot saucers on the balcony floor I am feeding now from hand. The point was that on some mornings I had more than 20 pigeons on the balcony coming for feeding. This was not my plan and this could not continue if I wanted to be a responsible pigeon lover. Besides leaving all that poop which got a bit too much to clean off, Pete got crazy because he had to chase off too many poachers. I had to stop feeding them all. So I decided, to only feed “our” pigeons, when they appeared, from my hand.
I also did not want to make them dependant on the balcony which would not have been natural. The weather had become better, the temperatures acceptable – so they had to fly to seek their own food. No good if wild birds become dependant on a single source.
What I am now doing is, opening the balcony door and lying on my belly with the seeds in my hand. Nearly without any hesitation Willy and Winnie, Jimi and Joey appeared right at the beginning and picked the seeds out of my hand directly – as if they had never done anything else. I cannot do much about having still the one or other little poacher (foreign pigeons) coming to steal some seeds from my hand but the quantity has reduced dramatically. Apparently they all understand now that the cockaigne is over. Sorry piggies but you are all eating the hair from my head. This is not going to work and I had to make a point.
I am not going to maroon “our” little pigeon family for you guys! Pete is going beserk otherwise and will end up in the loony bin. I cannot take responsibility for this!
Feeding from hand is such a lovely feeling while you can feel their soft feathers during cramming their little heads into my hand. They eat very fast and you can hear little grunting noises or even squeeking, snuffling, while they cannot breathe so easily eating so fast. It is very funny!
See how this is working:
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