Monday 10 September 2007

The day of the pigeons

The sun finally decided to show itself again around midday today, after the normal grey start and a light drizzly shower for an hour first thing. I had intended to do some stuff here but thought I'd make the most of some sunshine again, and I wanted to go and see if the Calor Gas stockist near Aberaeron had a particular type of heater I have been looking for to use in the living room when I haven't had the storage heaters on overnight. Anyhow, they hadn't got it of course, so I will probably end up ordering online. I was then only two miles from Aber, so took Emma down and parked up and walked her across the footbridge to the other side of the harbour, heading for the ice cream shop and the beach! (The Hive on the Quay does honey flavoured ice cream to die for, and they close for the winter next month, so may be the last time this year)

Emma had a great time in the pools, the tide was right out for a change but it meant there was some sand for her to run on which was good. Walked along the quay taking photos of pigeons mainly, funnily enough. Mass excitement, crowds forming to oggle at a film camera crew and the board said they were filming for a new tv show on S4C, the Welsh Channel. Have no idea if the actor/actress were famous or not.

So started to head back toward the footbridge across the river and back to the car park, and somehow fate intervened again, I walked a bit down the hard standing for some reason, looked down, and there was a pigeon in the rocks, looking extremely poorly. So poorly that it made no attempt to avoid me picking it up. It had diesel or oil all over its back, and no food in its crop, and was like a skeleton. I didn't know where or if there was a vet in the town, asked a couple of people who gave me vague directions. Then remembered I had the number of the Newquay Bird Hospital in my mobile phone (whatever did we do before they were invented?) I wasn't even sure if it was still in operation actually, as the poor lady's husband died 10 years ago and she said at the time that she didn't think she would be able to continue on her own. Anyhow I was on the point of hanging up and she answered, told me where the vet was, but that if it wasn't open to bring the bird to her. By the time I found it, it was 4.05. It shut at 4.0pm. Typical. So I set off with the poor birdy on the front seat wrapped in Emma's towel, looking quite content. I managed to get some water down its beak on my finger too, and it wanted to drink, so I thought it promising.

I got to the hospital around 4.45pm and Mrs Bryant was quite hopeful for her (I think it was a little hen) She would clean her up in a couple of days, but important to rehydrate her at present and get some food into her. She's going to ring me and let me know how she gets on. She has only got two other birds in care at present, another pigeon and a guillemot, and there was a large flock of pigeons feeding when I arrived. We ended up chatting for about half an hour, and I said if ever she needed any help to let me know, she said they were always wanting volunteers for the dolphin watch projects, so am quite excited about that. When her husband Alan was alive, they used to rescue seals there and you could go and see them, but she can't do that on her own now. I've been there over the past years with a nest of bullfinches that was in our hedge and a cat killed the mother, a buzzard we found sitting in the middle of the road, and a fox cub, also sitting in the middle of the road. She is a lovely, caring lady, one in a million. I knew if I took the bird to my vets, they would have just put it to sleep, and if she couldn't have had it, I would have brought it home, but better there where she has all the facilities and treatment stuff. Fingers crossed for her, oh and I had to give her a name so I said Smokie. How original!






Where's the sea?

Pigeons searching for food in the weed









Film crew doing tv show on the quayside

A Church for Pete

Beautiful flowers outside the B&B

Feral Pigeons

Who's a big boy then?




Has the ice cream really all gone?

3 comments:

oldcrow61 said...

Poor little bird. I'm so happy you found her. Hope she does okay.

The Quacks of Life said...

hope the pigeon is ok.

like the colourful buildings around church.

and of course madam looks gorgeous

Karen said...

Well done Jan, to the rescue again! You are a very caring person and I hope the pigeon recovers.
Btw, that honey ice cream sounds yummy!