Saturday, September 25, 2010

the birds

From Schmidt & Weston blog

How do they never hit each other. Have any of you seen pigeons in a mid-air collision?


3 comments:

  1. Tom, you ponder the deep questions of life.

    I often wonder if pigeons take turns being in charge. We have been feeding the birds in our back yard for a year and a half now but pigeons have just discovered us and they are fascinating to watch. They will line up on the telephone wires outside my living room window and wait their turn, keeping their eyes on the seed and corn that falls to the ground then they'll all swoop down together when the coast is clear. While they're sitting on the wire, they all face the same way, either all south or all north. Our pigeons are all nice and plump. We're not sure what we'll do if word gets out to the downtown pigeons. They're quite scrawny and they keep pecking away at the bare ground, poor little fellows.

    I checked the Cornell University web site "All About Birds" but they didn't mention if pigeons in flight ever bump into each other. I think Nature gives them their own pigeon radar.

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  2. Thanks, Leslie, for doing the research and telling me I ponder deep questions.

    I've been watching them a lot lately. They fly an awful lot, and it seems unclear which of them is making all the decisions. I didn't bother to do any real research into the question as I'm only a amateur bird watcher. I don't even have a guide.

    Most people don't like pigeons, but I do. They always seem content with just eating and sitting on wires.

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  3. Yes and they seem to adopt a 'live and let live' attitude. I haven't seen them bullying other birds and they eat quite happily with the sparrows who are much smaller than they are.

    I'm enjoying your blogs. Now I have a letter to write to Carrie.

    Leslie

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Thank you for visiting. I live in Vancouver now, but I've lived in other places too. I take photos and make short films about things and people. Please comment and be argumentative. It amuses me.

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