# Pigeon Hotel 2012



## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, for those that have been following the previous Pigeon Hotel, I decided to sart a new thread for this year.
Charlie & Tiny are still here, both being as mischevious as ever.
Charlie has now grown more agressive to my hand and has developed a fierce grip on my finger at times lol. (except when he wants a lift lol).
Tiny is proving to be every bit mischevious as Cheeky was, and has some amazing flying acrobatics. Think hes also had training in stealth operations as sometimes you cant even hear him flying, he just appears from nowhere lol.

At the beginning of the year a massive construction project has been going on around the bridge where most of my rescues are found.
Work building Edinburghs New Tramway has begun on part of the double bridge, Its not really affecting the birds nesting areas, although I'm sure the noise has affected their breeding regime as numbers under the bridge have definately decreased.
Its been pretty quiet between October & now, and untill today, have not seen very many young ones at all. Last year around this time there was loads of poop & feathers around, but its still very "clean" at the mo.
I'm hoping that the reduced numbers will result in less rescues, also, because of the work going on, it makes it even harder to actually get to them because of increased traffic, having said that, I got the frst 2012 rescue today 
At first I spotted a little guy huddled in at the edge of the raised kerb (on the actual road) when I passed under the bridge. I managed to get stopped and parked about 300 yds further on. I walked back, but due to traffic there was no way to get near him at that point. (being no footpath, even If i had got close to him, it would probably have panicked him further into the path of the passing cars).
I waited at the entrance to the bridge at the edge of the road, sort of forcing cars to take a wider berth of the kerb area so they would hopefully miss the bird.
Just as the traffic eased in one direction he decided to try and make his escape & attempted to fly upward, straight into the path of a car coming the other way. He bounced off the front ofte car and rolled about 10 yards in the gutter.
I feared the worst & when I got to him, he was still alive, although his right eye was covered in blood & more blood coming out of his beak.
I scooped him up, wrapped him in a towel & took him home.
He was pretty well out of it and really didnt expect him to last till I got home, 
but he did.
Ive sponged all the blood off, no visible external injuries so to speak, athough at first both his legs were totally limp but now has a little grip in one.
Cant feel any breaks in them, think it may just be from concussion.
His right eye is still closed although he does open it occasionaly.
Hes been lying on a towel in a sponge donut and has been quite alert for the past 6 hrs, not in the least bit sleepy, but content. 
Have got a heat pad near him which he can move on to if he wants, although didnt want to put him on it directly due to the head injury.
About an hour ago he decided to try to get up and move about. Still not got full power to legs, but fiesty enough to use his wings to manoever and is opening his right eye more. 
Also heard the first peeps from him when Charlie & Tiny started cooing in background lol.
Hes had a little water (usual sugar/salt/bicarb solution) via bottle method since he wasnt having any from a dish lol, and popped about 20 warmed peas/corn pieces.
Hes now settled down for the night, back in his towel nest, no panting and breathing very steady and relaxed.
Hes made it this far so hopefully he'll make it through the night.








When first cleaned up









Just after food & water (from his good side)









Settled down for the nigt - Right eye opened more.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Good luck with your new friend. I also like your thread. Thanks for sharing.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh the poor little guy. I'm glad you were able to get him. Hope he makes it.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Oh poor thing!! I hope and pray he will recover! 

Thank you for always rescuing these innocent little creatures... poor thing must've been traumatized. He must be hurting too.. I will send healing thoughts your way.

Please do update us on his condition. Does he have a name yet?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How's he doing now?


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

I'm so glad you've started a new Hotel Update. I've been watching for them.

How lucky is this little chap. Doesn't bear thinking about what would have happened if you hadn't been there watching.
Mind you I would have freaked seeing him fly into the car!

Lovely that he's settled and warm and holding his own so far.

Good luck with him

Janet


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, good news so far, Hes survived the night.
He settled in well and only moved about a few times, think he was really tired & exhausted after all the trauma.
Hes opening his eye much more now athough always prefers to turn to look out his good side. Have checked eye with light, his Left eye seems ok & responds, but cant see the pupil in the Right one as it still looks like a film of blood over it. He does close the eyelid when shining light so hoping it will clear up eventually. 
Offered him some water this morning and surprisingly drunk himself without even having to coax him. Still wont eat on his own though, and doesnt like being force fed. Hes got amazing force in his wings for one whos been through so much, and even wrapping him in a towel he fights against it lol.
Trying to be as gentle as I can with him as dont want to cause any more damage to head or neck area.
Hes quite happy just to sit there in the palm of my hand, or wherever hes put.
no sign of being scared or frightened, even when I move towards him.
Hes only done two poops since hes been fed, both were huuuuge and very runny (Im figuring that since hes more comfortable sitting in the one place, and still has problems moving about, he only poops when he feels he has to lol). Neither were really photographable as they soaked into his towel very quickly. 
His Right leg now has a bit more movement and strength & he uses it to try to change position. No change in left leg at moment although when I put my finger under the foot, he does curl toes slightly so hoping it will regain strength and return to normal eventually.
Certainly neither has got enough strength to support his weight fully yet.
He was lying preening himself for a little while earlier, which is agood sign.
Just about to try and give him some more peas & corn.
Still havent figured out a name for him yet.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

How about naming him Lucky.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

almondman said:


> How about naming him Lucky.


I always try & think of unique names for them that suit their circumstances, personality or looks. Lucky would be ok, but one of my earlier rescues was called lucky so need something different lol.
Previous rescue names have been

Snoopy
Blackie
Snowy
Sue-T 
Cheeky
Lucky
Junior
Baby
Jet
Charlie
Monkey
Titch
Chalkie


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

How did Monkey and Titch get their names? Some very unique names.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

almondman said:


> How did Monkey and Titch get their names? Some very unique names.


Snoopy - coz he was absolutely mad about peanuts
Blackie - colour
Snowy - colour 
Sue-T - colour (sooty but thats male lol)
Cheeky - because of antics
Lucky - for lack of better name lol 
Junior - young & tried copying everything cheeky did
Baby - looked very young
Jet - colour & black legs & toenails
Charlie - with injured wing, he walks a bit like charlie chaplin lol
Monkey - when found, was trying to climb wall with beak & feet to escape traffic
Titch - was smaller than normal
Chalkie - colour
Tiny - very small (even smalller than titch) & lightweight (but healthy)


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

How about _Rebound_ ?

Sounds like he is gonna pull through...am hoping that he can get some more leg use back over time. The bad eye might be gone....but who knows ? It is good that it is least still intact and didn't rupture....

OK, I was being a bit of a wiseguy with the name, but.... Man, I feel you.....always, always soooooo hard make an attempt like that in a busy area. You really need the Pidge to just clue into you being there to help ("hey pal, don't flee, I am gonna help you"). Darn it, why don't they just listen ? 

No doubt he would'a been a goner, for sure. So...nice save. Way to stick with it, too. Like you, I also have no qualms about putting myself in a predicament if it can save a downed Pigeon. Heck, member Ivor has even been known to stop on freeways (with no road shoulder) to retrieve 'em...

Keep it up...and I am sure his two new buddies will tell him the Hotel is in fact a pretty sweet place to hang out !


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Quazar said:


> Snoopy - coz he was absolutely mad about peanuts
> Blackie - colour
> Snowy - colour
> Sue-T - colour (sooty but thats male lol)
> ...



Thanks for responding! Very cool.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well, I think you're going to have to get to know him a bit better, and the name will just come to you. I like the other names as well, and the reasons for using them. You will come up with one the suits this little one.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jaye said:


> How about _Rebound_ ?
> 
> Sounds like he is gonna pull through...am hoping that he can get some more leg use back over time. The bad eye might be gone....but who knows ? It is good that it is least still intact and didn't rupture....
> 
> ...


The annoying thing is the road isnt that busy all day, normally just 7.30 - 10am then from about 3-6.30pm but thats when the birds all seem to be on the road, hardly ever see any at quiet times - sods law lol.

His eye is def more responsive, although still dark red tinged. 
I dabbed it earlier with some diluted eyedrops (chloramphenicol 5%) and it seems to have helped him keep it open more. Hes sitting on top of the laptop at the moment, following the mouse cursor around the screen. 
Left leg is still the same but hes now pushing himself up using his right one and left wing. Def no problems with wings lol. hes been a bit more active today and moves about like a swimmer doing the crawl.
Charlie & tiny have been watching him closely, (think they are jealous of the attention hes getting) but he doesnt really take an interest in them at the moment, hes too busy watching me. 
Very quiet, only peeps when Charlie & Tiny coo to each other.
Just need to try and get him to eat on his own coz he does not like bottle and likes hand popping even less lol.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Glad he's still with us. Are you giving him anything for pain?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Glad he's still with us. Are you giving him anything for pain?


Yeah, hes getting metacalm.
My vet friend gave me some a while back when I first found Charlie with the injured wing. (its veterinary oral liquid at 0.1mg/kg)

Day 3
No more improvement of the eye so far. His Right leg is getting stronger all the time, now gripping my finger tightly, but still cant put full weight on it. (well maybe he could, but prefers to sit so not using Left leg)
Have re-checked left leg & it definately feels ok, no swelling, both legs & feet are warm and he does move his left toes more, and althoug curls them round my finger, theres no real grip yet.
Have been trying to coax him to peck some seeds, peas and corn, but he just looks at me as if i'm daft lol. Hes really hard to hand feed (even wrapped in towel) as I dont want to put any pressure on his 
He's drinking on his own - but only if I actually offer him the dish,
Been a bit more mobile, "crawling about" using his wing, but just to get in a more comfy position, but also looking round him very explorative.
Have made him a little "boat" shaped bed, to spport him a bit more than the donut, as times when he moved on the donut he sorta rolled over and sat with his Left wing outstretched to stop him rolling right over & looked really uncomfortable. - will post a pic later.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

As promised - in his "sick bed"










And Just in case anyone wants to see how its simply done








A couple of sticky velcro fasteners on the bottom of the bottle holds it in place
& stops it toppling over if bird moves


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You are amazing. LOL. How on earth did you ever think of that?


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Quazar said:


> As promised - in his "sick bed"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very, very creative. Good mind, good person!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

He found that his emptied bottles of scotch kept tipping over, is all....

But seriously...a little improvement every day...good sign. And for sure the Metacam is certainly making him feel quite fine !


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> You are amazing. LOL. How on earth did you ever think of that?


Watched a lot of "Blue Peter" when I was a kid LOL (for non uk members, "Blue Peter" was a kids magazine program & every week they made toys & stuff from Squeezy bottles, cardboard & sticky backed plastic lol)



Jaye said:


> He found that his emptied bottles of scotch kept tipping over, is all....
> 
> But seriously...a little improvement every day...good sign. And for sure the Metacam is certainly making him feel quite fine !


LOL actually it was the coffee jars, not a great fan of alchohol, but caffiene ...... even got a home made coffee machine in the car.

Hes actually "standing" on the better leg now, not totally independantly, but resting his left wing on the side of his new bed to keep his balance.
His Left foot also has slightly more grip of my finger so keeping fingers crossed its getting better.
Hes also been preening a lot more, & stretching & exercising his wings, again using the narrowness of the bottle to keep him upright.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Sounds like that bottle bed is working great for him. I'm really glad he's doing better. Thanks for the update on him.


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## pirab buk (Sep 8, 2011)

Brilliant and cute!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Just wondering Quazar...maybe a tad of physical therapy on the weak leg might help ? Just some palpating, maybe gentle movements back and forth for a few minutes a day ?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jaye said:


> Just wondering Quazar...maybe a tad of physical therapy on the weak leg might help ? Just some palpating, maybe gentle movements back and forth for a few minutes a day ?


Was actually thinking about that last night, however ......

Firstly, ive decided on a name for him - Bouncer, Partialy inspired by Jayes "Rebound" but also because of things today - read on lol.

When I went to bed last nite, he was setted down nicely in his bed, on a shelf on my bedside cabinate which the only open side faced my bed.
At about 3am I woke up with him trying to climb my face !!
At first I thougt he'd fell out his bed & just overbalanced on top of me.
So, put him back all snug and kept an eye on him for a little while.
About 15 mins later he used his wings to climb out, then flapped down onto my bed (about 9 inches), and "bounced" his way using his good leg, on to my pillow.
I put him back in his own bed & 5 mins later he did the same again.
Ended up having to put a grid over the front of the cabinet to keep him in lol.
As soon as I took grid off this morning when I woke up, he did the same thing, and settled down resting his Right wing against the pillow to keep his balance.
After giving him breakfast (still not interested in self feeding yet)
he started preening & stretching his wings out (still in a lying position), then out of the blue stood up & shook himself, standing on BOTH legs.
Hes still pretty shakey, and doesnt quite balance properly when trying to move, but has def got enough power back in Left leg to be able to walk a little bit.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That looks really good...Bouncer has been on an upward trajectory since he checked into the Hotel !


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Quazar said:


> Was actually thinking about that last night, however ......
> 
> Firstly, ive decided on a name for him - Bouncer, Partialy inspired by Jayes "Rebound" but also because of things today - read on lol.
> 
> ...


Congrats! Exciting news. It just keeps getting better for Bouncer.(great name)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What a cute story. And a great name. He kinda looks like Bouncer. Think it suits him. LOL. And that's great news about him standing. Great job!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> What a cute story. And a great name. He kinda looks like Bouncer. Think it suits him. LOL. And that's great news about him standing. Great job!


I Just had to laugh at him 5 mins ago.
He was standing on the laptop, watching the cursor move as i'm typing, and decided he needed to scratch his head.
So he lifted his good leg to scratch ..... and fell over coz the other leg wont support him totally yet. 
He just rolled over and sat there with a wierd confused look on his face lol


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Aww that is the cutest thing!

The story about him climbing your face is too cute! He must've known by now what an awesome soul you are, and that you're trying very hard to save him. Maybe it's his way of saying thank you, or a sign he is getting attached to you already! That is sooo sweet!

He is a fighter. Please keep him! He is improving everyday! Well done!

I'll be sending healing thoughts your way! Keep updating us! More pics please!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Miss-Sassypants said:


> Aww that is the cutest thing!
> 
> The story about him climbing your face is too cute! He must've known by now what an awesome soul you are, and that you're trying very hard to save him. Maybe it's his way of saying thank you, or a sign he is getting attached to you already! That is sooo sweet!
> 
> ...


Think it was more of him just tryin to get a grip when he landed lol

Must be working, hes still a bit shakey walking, but much more grip in BOTH feet, also is standing on bad leg more (and scratching with it).
He flew out of his box this morning, right on to my shoulder, then back on to laptop. Landing wasnt too good as he overbalanced but hes def improving very fast every day.
As regards his eye, things are looking better on that side too.
Its still discoloured slightly, but can now just see the orange ring starting to show through the discolouration although there is a sort of grey shaded patch over the front of it. Have been trying to get some pics of it but... 
1 - he wont keep his head still and 
2 - he shuts it on flash, and without flash it wont show properly. Have tried just using a light but doesnt reflect enough back to show properly. 
Little bugger still wont eat on his own, looks at my finger pecking, then looks at me as much as to say "youre daft" then tries to eat my finger lol.
Although he does let me pop peas (when he gets them in his mouth he wolfs them down), he really struggles to avoid his beak opening.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Sounds like the bird is quite taken with you!!!!! continued success


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Sounds good. You're doing a great job with him. He sounds cute. Hope that eye gets better as well.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, what a day !!
Bouncer no longer likes his snug bed.
Prefers to lie on a soft towel either on my bed, or on laptop, and when not lying down hes exploring. His power of flight is increasing athough still has a lot to learn about landing. His leg power is getting stronger, but still not 100% yet. 
His eye also seems to be gettng much clearer, not a lot of discolouration and can now def see the pupil and some colour round the outside, although the actual eye itself still seems swollen. (hard to describe, but imagine looking at it through a drop of water on its surface) He does def recognise movement so hopefully through time it will be ok. (may be this thats affecting his landing too). 
Still will NOT eat on his own, although he has been pecking at seeds on his towel. Tried to give him some in a small "cough measure" - he looked, got his beak on the edge of the measure, pulled it out of my fingers & tossed the whole thing, so seeds went everywhere lol.
Later on, he decided to explore & flew over to were Charlie & Tiny were sitting.
Landed close to them & started peeping & twitching his wings.
Charlie immediately lunged towards him & started to attack, so grabbed him very quickly. Tiny looked confused & flew off to were he normally sleeps.
5 mins later, Bouncer tried it again & again Charlie was again in fighting mode so hes been confined to a "sin bin" (much to his vocal dislike) while Bouncer is out.
No problem with Tiny, hes not interested & just moves away, which is strange, coz when I fill up their seed dishes Tiny always has to be first to eat and he chases Charlie away till hes had first choice lol.
So when ive got to go out, looks like I'll have to lock them in separate places.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh poor baby, just trying to be friendly, and Charlie goes after him. I always feel bad for mine when that happens. Must be confusing to him. Maybe after a while Charlie will get used to him being around. I'm glad he's doing better. It's probably a combination of the weak leg and the bad eye that is causing less than perfect landings. That'll probably get better also. Thanks for the update. Good wishes flying his way.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Sounds like he's growing up. No longer wants his"crib". Now he wants his "big boy bed"


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Soo cute! He wants to make friends!! Charlie must think he's the annoying little brother who's getting all the attention from daddy (you) 

I'm so glad he's making remarkable progress! Hopefully the eye will heal soon and he can regain his vision again. And the leg too! His confidence in flying and exploring shows how much he has improved. Well done!! You've been an awesome Nurse! 

More pics please! Please keep the updates rolling!! Bouncer is such a cutie! (ok... Charlie and Tiny too  )


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Oh poor baby, just trying to be friendly, and Charlie goes after him. I always feel bad for mine when that happens. Must be confusing to him. Maybe after a while Charlie will get used to him being around. I'm glad he's doing better. *It's probably a combination of the weak leg and the bad eye that is causing less than perfect landings*. That'll probably get better also. Thanks for the update. Good wishes flying his way.


Well the leg is getting stronger, hes standing on both more now, and walking on them with a bit of a limp on the left one, and when roosing prefers the good leg. I'm more convinced the landing is more to do with eyesight. His flying is good, but sort of slow motion as if he cant judge distance properly. Hes ok on small hops or jumps and lands fine, but anything further and thats when he has problems landing. Also he flew into the wall today, not directly and not hard, but he tried to land on the shadow of the door.
Hes been extremely clingy today, Charlie went for him again so hes been in his "sin bin" cage all day. Tiny's still not sure about him, watches him but as soon as Bouncer approaches him with wings twitching, Tiny moves away lol.
Hes been following me all over today, and trying to sit on my hand every time I try to do anything. (Its damn hard trying to type with a bird on your hand lol)
Hand fed him breakfast this morning, which he accepted better than normal.
At lunch time, he wouldnt eat anything.
I made my lunch, then someone came to the door. When I came back, there was Bouncer, sitting in the middle of my plate of vegetable soup, politely picking out all the peas & bits of carrot & stuff & gobbling them down like there was no tomorrow, with Tiny standing watching him & I swear he was laughing.
When I went to have tea tonight, he flew over & sat at the side of the plate looking just like a litte dog begging for scraps lol.
Eventually put some seeds on a plate & he ate them without me even having to pretend peck, then Tiny decided to eat some of his seeds from his bowl & Bouncer flew over & copied him, so after a week, he is finally eating on his own.
After he'd had enough, he wandered over to the bath tray, jumped in, had a drink and....sat down in it and slept for about an hour, no bating, no splashing, just slept lol, hes a wierd one.
Hes now sleeping on top of the laptop, right in front of me as I'm trying to type this.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Definitely marches to his own beat, I'd say ! That's great that he started eating on his own...maybe he just was waiting for some soup !!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh, how cute is he? I think I like him. He's different. At least now you know he likes veggies. LOL.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

He looks so sleepy in the pictures. He's getting _very_ attached to you! How sweet!

Thanks for the update! So happy to see he's improving and doing so well, and being so cheeky! Good that he's eating on his own now! And big brothers are helpful indeed!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, another day in the "sin-bin" for Charlie.
He just wont leave Bouncer alone, and Bouncer makes it worse coz he keeps flying over to him.
Tiny & Bouncer are getting on better, and Tiny tolerates him well. Both are eating together but if 
Bouncer annoys him too much Tiny just flies over to his own perch & turns his back on him.
Hardly any trace of a limp when Bouncer walks now, and his landings are def getting better, 
Last night he landed on top of the monitor without over balancing or missing it.










Decided not to leave them all caged today when I had to go out, but because of the hostility 
between Charlie & Bouncer, I took Bouncer with me.
He seemed to enjoy his trip out, Adapted a plastic box with a wire lid that opens out so he could 
stand & look out window.










Needless to say, he wanted to explore everywhere in the car lol.










At one point when I returned to the car, there was no obvious sign of him,
he was standing in the cowling behind the steering wheel trying to peck the speedo.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Just brilliant. Love the pictures.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

What terrific pictures. Thanks for sharing. Did you name Charlie after Charlie Sheen, another "bad boy"?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

almondman said:


> What terrific pictures. Thanks for sharing. Did you name Charlie after Charlie Sheen, another "bad boy"?


Lol, no, named after Charlie Chaplin coz he waddles like a penguin, but Pingu didnt really sound that good a pigeon name, or maybe I was just psycic lol


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Charlie Chaplin is a _great_ role model too. Very creative.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

How cute are those photos!! It's good to see him so comfortable in a car - the very thing that hurt him in the first place  Glad he's not traumatised by the event - he must be healing - physically and emotionally!

He looks sooo adorable, look at the little legs! Lol! Keep the photos coming! Totally loving them!!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That bad eye looks much better !


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## November-X-Scourge (May 12, 2011)

Lucky little guy to have you!!!! He's so cute(!!!), and I LOOOVVEEE the little bed thing you came up with!!!!!!!!!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jaye said:


> That bad eye looks much better !


It looks a lot better, although still swollen, the colour round the eye is showing a bit more, although most of it remains hidden by the eyelid, but it does seem to be improving.


Well i'm out of Ideas for taming Chalie down.
Hes very violent towards Bouncer and tries to chase him away from everything. Hes also attacking me every time he can now.
Bouncer wont learn and just wants to be friendly.
Even when in his "sin-bin" hes being very vocal, Bouncer flys over and Charlie tries to attack him through the cage (which he cant) but Bouncer just sits there and shakes.
Left Charlie on his own in his sin bin yesterday, and took Tiny & Bouincer out for a run.

Both seemed to enjoy it









Although Tiny wanted a better view









Bouncer wasnt happy with Tiny seeing more than him









So they both settled for a better view


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Sooo cute! They are so adorable!!

About Charlie... hmm, though he seems aggressive, please try not to alienate him. Pigeons have feelings and I am sure his reaction is probably jealousy that Bouncer gets so much attention from you, and he probably misses you 

I hope you can divide your attention equally to all three of them. They are probably fighting for your attention thus the whole ruckus. Who knows...

I feel kinda sorry for Charlie, would love to give him a cuddle and let him know he's not unloved!!

Those pictures are cute. Gosh, Tiny isn't tiny anymore! Look at him! They are gorgeous! You take such good care of them


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Charlie still gets attention, but doesnt even want "lifts" now, 
Attacks my hand all the time lol.

Couldnt resist taking these pics of Bouncer earlier -



















He sat there and bathed for about an hour, & was well and was truly soaked by the end of it, so much so that he was confused that he couldnt fly lol.
So ended up having to dry him off.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Eeeek


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

almondman said:


> Eeeek


Bouncer says its the latest style - Pigeon moh-eeek-can


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

You're really good! And Bouncer carries the style well.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

How innocent does he look! Cute blue towel, lol! So happy he's doing so well! 

By the way, I really like the car photos. It shows their little personalities! Especially the one where Bouncer looks down curiously. You always take such good shots!

The best is still Snoopy and the Squirrel!! That was super classic!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well no change in temprament with Charlie, hes still trying to bully Bouncer,
and also goes for Tiny if Tiny is playing with Bouncer.
I'm now keeping Charlie permanently in his "sin-bin". Only time he gets out is when Bouncer is in his box & I can keep them separate.
Heres a few pics of him today

Relaxing in his bath









Just out bath & drying himself off









All clean & Dry and posing









Trying to prove hes the big guy


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

He is becoming quite the handsome fellow. He seems to like the camera too.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

almondman said:


> He is becoming quite the handsome fellow. He seems to like the camera too.


erm, sorry, just in case you thought that was Bouncer, its Charlie, and yes he is a poser lol


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Whoops! Call me embarrassed. Time for stronger glasses. lol


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Miss-Sassypants said:


> How innocent does he look! Cute blue towel, lol! So happy he's doing so well!
> 
> By the way, I really like the car photos. It shows their little personalities! Especially the one where Bouncer looks down curiously. You always take such good shots!
> 
> The best is still Snoopy and the Squirrel!! That was super classic!


Heres another couple from the car

hmm, "watch the birdie"









"who you looking at"









He was up to his usual mischief today, exploring everywhere and found a basket of old electrical stuff, and
would not leave a string of LED garden lights alone. 

Having a rummage about









Found something









Dont know what he was intending doing with them, but 10 secs later he took off with them in his beak, stringing them to the other side of the room. lol


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

'Hey let's brighten up this place, time for a party'.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well Charlies still trying to be the boss although hes not attacking as much & bouncer has learned to keep his distance from him although he still tries to wind Charlie up.
Today Bouncer sat and tried to have a bath in Charlies water dish. Charlie wasnt amused but when he went to chase him off Bouncer just started flapping & drove Charlie away.
When Charlie went to have a bath in the proper bath dish, Bouncer took off & landed smack bang in the middle of it & started soaking Charlie.
Later Bouncer started chasing Tiny around trying to court hm (well maybe her) which annoyed Charlie even more although Tiny was having none of it.
Tiny's been a bit off today. Not his usual explorative self, just sitting about & sleeping and he keeps flying over to me & nuzzling on to my lap or into the corner of my arm.
Dont know if hes just wanting to stay out of Bouncers way, hes still very alert when he is moving about, just not moving as much as usual
Have checked hm over & throat is the usual pinky colour, no signs of anything, hes also eating just as normal and his poops are no different from normal but Keeping a close eye on him just in case.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Looking good, Bouncer is. Maybe Tiny is just trying to adjust now that Bouncer is asserting himself more....

Jumper cables ? It seems Bouncer may have a (dangerous) affinity for the auto....


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

You have to admit, you never have a dull moment with those pijjies


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Aww...look how round Charlie is in the photos! From your post, I'm beginning to suspect Tiny might be a _she_! It's a love triangle...

Charlie has a crush on Tiny for a while and Bouncer came into the picture and started to hang out with Tiny - so he's not amused so he's trying to bully Bouncer. Then gaining some confidence, Bouncer becomes more assertive and is now trying to impress Tiny.

In the meanwhile, Tiny isn't interested. She wants the human! So she's trying to make a point by cuddling and nuzzling with Mr Human. It's not that she's unwell, she just wants your attention! It's a pigeon/human love triangle! LOL!

Tune in to the next episode of.... The Pigeon Hotel 2012.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

You should be a writer. You have a flair with words and ideas.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

aww thanks! ...would you buy my book? ...hehe..


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Well, yes I would! I think, at some point, Quazar should put something together too. "The Bouncer Diarys" would be a good title.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Miss-Sassypants said:


> Aww...look how round Charlie is in the photos! From your post, I'm beginning to suspect Tiny might be a _she_! It's a love triangle...
> 
> Charlie has a crush on Tiny for a while and Bouncer came into the picture and started to hang out with Tiny - so he's not amused so he's trying to bully Bouncer. Then gaining some confidence, Bouncer becomes more assertive and is now trying to impress Tiny.
> 
> ...


At first I thought you may be right. I really do think the fighting was to do with Tiny and also Charlie being VERY territorial against Bouncer.
On Thursday night, Charlie & Bouncer were settled in their own boxes for the night but Tiny would not stay in his box. kept coming over & huddling in. 
On Friday tiny was following me absolutely everywhere.
Took all 3 out in the car to avoid any fighting if I left them.
Appart from his bout of affection, he was his usual lively explorative self, just avoiding Charlie & Bouncer.
Last night, when I went to bed he kept coming out of his box, flying over to my bed & trying to nuzzle under my neck.
Every time I put him back, he would sit for 5 mins then do the same again.
I eventually had to put a mesh over the front of his box to keep him in.
(wasnt wanting him to nuzzle in & me roll on top of him)
When I woke this morning, he was lying sleeping in his nest which was unusual. (normally he roosts on a block of wood in his box)
I filled up Charlie & Bouncers water & food dishes and when I went back to check on Tiny he was stone cold. He had passed away during the night.
Ive no idea what caused it, appart from his brief "off day" the other day & his latest affection craze, hes been fine. Poops have been ok, no sign of any canker or fungus in his mouth or throat, eating & drinking as per normal, its really mystifying and sudden.
I called my vet mate, he cant give any explanation without actually examining, and unfortunately, being schools are already on the easter hols, he is away with his family for a couple of weeks.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Sorry for your loss. It is obvious you are very close to your birds?


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Oh I'm so sorry to read that Tiny has died. That must have been such a shock to have found him like that.
He sounded like such a sweet heart.
RIP little Tiny.

Janet x


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow...I am so, so sad to hear this. What a shock ! What a sudden loss of a good friend....

I am wondering, just for the sake of a possible answer...can you possibly refrigerate Tiny's body and have a postmortem done when the vet returns ? I understand sometimes emotionally this is too difficult a proposition...but just a thought....

Remember, Bob...you gave Tiny a great gift, and he had an incredibly rich and enjoyable life thanks to you. And even though the Hotel was a first-class accommodation....do also know that he is in a better place now.....


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

I'm still trying to get my head round it.
looking back over the last few days trying to think of anything, but nothing obvious comes to mind.
Tiny was kinda down the other day, but did keep an eye on him & no other symptoms of anything were evident, and he was acting & behaving normally in every way. As I said, only thing out of the ordinary was his sudden affection & wanting to nuzzle up. 


Jaye said:


> I am wondering, just for the sake of a possible answer...can you possibly refrigerate Tiny's body and have a postmortem done when the vet returns ? I understand sometimes emotionally this is too difficult a proposition...but just a thought....


Jaye, had actually thought along those lines, but my mate does most of the things for me "unofficially" and dont know how much he could stretch things in that respect. 
He is actually part of Edinburgh University Royal Dick School of Vetinary Studies, which although is acclaimed for its practices, & success (including being responsible for the health & care of all the animals in Edinburgh Zoo including the Chinese Pandas), He is involved mainly in the teaching facility. From talks with him in the past, he has totally diff views on a lot of aspects of his collegues & superiors so really cant push him too far and dont want to jeopardise his position with regards to that, or any other possible help in the future.

Charlie & Bouncer have been behaving a bit better, although Charlie still doesnt like Bouncer coming too close to "his territory" & chases him when he tries to pinch his food lol. 
Charlies been cooing a lot and looking all over for Tiny. 
I really felt sorry for him earlier, he wandered over & sat beside Tinys box and
just cooed very low & quietly for about about half an hour. They really were inseparable at times & whenever Charlie cooed Tiny would fly over to him, so he is obviously missing his companion.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

This is so sad. It is very evident how close a bond Tiny had with Charlie, and with you.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Well...as you well know, Charlie will have his mourning period for a bit, but he will emotionally recover. And again....after a tough start, Tiny had the best possible life any animal could ever dream of.....


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Oh my goodness.. my sincerest condolences. This is really sad 

Especially that Tiny knew his time was up and he wanted to share his last moments with you. He loved you above all things and wanted you to know that. I will truly miss stories and pictures of Tiny 

And Charlie looking for him... my goodness, that's another heartbreaker! I hope Charlie and Bouncer will resolve their differences now that they only have each other.

I hope the best for all. I don't think Tiny was ill, he seemed perfectly healthy and was cared for in the best possible way - sometimes, when our time is up, it's up. Even with no reason. 

But do take care. Hugs!


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

Thanks for the lump in my throat Bob.

Fly high, fly with love Tiny.......


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your coments. Still missing Tiny (and Cheeky).
they were very much alike in some ways, but each with their own characters.

Charlie & Bouncer are now learning to live together better. 
Not so much fighting, athough whoever eats first chases the other away. 
well heres a rare sight from the other day








Bouncer (left) and Charlie sitting beside each other and NOT fighting lol.

And Charlie getting some Fresh Air (You can just see Bouncer Inside the car looking very jealous lol.











Hope you all had a happy Easter, no surprise eggs on Easter sunday,

but say a big Hello to........
















FRECKLE
Found him /her last night at 11pm uninjured sitting at the side of the road at the usual bridge.
He can flutter, but not fly, so obviously just fell out a nest above.
Fortunately, being a holiday weekend, there was very little traffic about.
Amazingly, he just sat there & let me pick him up with no attempt to escape. (maybe coz it was so dark or he was asleep lol).
Have checked him over, nice pink throat, no injuries, very alert this morning & looking all around, but happy just to lounge around.
He has had a drink, but will not eat at the mo, and is very skillfull at keeping his beak firmly shut.
Not wanting to stress him too much so will try some peas & corn in a little while.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Wow! Business is booming at the Hotel! Well done for another rescue! Lucky fella!
Freckle is so round! He still has down feathers on his head yet he look so big in the photos!

And look at Charlie and Bouncer getting along! Too cute!


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Welcome to Freckle. Knew where to wait for a 'pick up' when you next passed by!!

Hope it's all good for him/her.

Janet


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well Freckle's been very relaxed today. Had a wander about on top of the laptop, looking around everywhere & taking everything in.
Also didnt have to force feed, offered him a dish of seeds & he was in eating them like a gannet.

















Not 100% sure about his beak, sometimes looking at him sideways it looks like there is a gap although the tip looks closed. Certainly doesnt stop him eating though.








Difficult to get a good pic because of the white bit on the end of his beak.
At some points it also looks a bit squint, but hard to tell with the pattern of his "freckles" as they make the whole head look squint at times lol.
Looking at him from above it looks like another bird has pooped on his head lol.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Couldnt resist posting these 2 pics


















You think he likes looking at himself lol


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

He is sooo cute! Keep the updates and pictures coming!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

What a striking fellow/gal !

So...Charlie can go outside and he won't fly away ???


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

Handsome devil......no wait, not you Bob!!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jaye said:


> What a striking fellow/gal !
> 
> So...Charlie can go outside and he won't fly away ???


Yep, being the fact he cant fly lol.
When I found him, his wing was injured at the shoulder joint. 
He was strapped up several times, and although he kept it on during the day,
every night he managed to get it off.
Even tried a stretchy sock over it (with holes for his legs) but he still managed to get it off.
Eventually, the soulder joint did heal, and he can move it fine (and give a hefty wing slap) but he cant open the wing fully to give him any lift.
Even if I try to gently open his wing, its like its fused & wont open fully.
Not sure technically whether its the elbow or the hand joint, but its the joint at the front edge of his wing.
Although he can do wing assisted hops, if he tries to hop too far he always lands on the bad wing & hes so determined to get some places.
You can sometimes see in some of his pics a red tinge or mark where he injures it regularly. Doesnt stop him doing it again tho lol


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Tashy/Rob said:


> Handsome devil......no wait, not you Bob!!


Haha Rob, you are funny! 
_'Rob & Bob_' - you two can make a cartoon series - it rhymes! Very cute! 

Bouncer is a big boy and Freckle is the new baby now... How's Charlie's response to Frekkie? Does he play nice?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Tashy/Rob said:


> Handsome devil......no wait, not you Bob!!


lol 



Miss-Sassypants said:


> Haha Rob, you are funny!
> _'Rob & Bob_' - you two can make a cartoon series - it rhymes! Very cute!
> 
> Bouncer is a big boy and Freckle is the new baby now... How's Charlie's response to Frekkie? Does he play nice?


Dont give him ideas lol

Actually, Both Charlie & Bouncer have been behaving well, but I can see problems starting.
Freckle slept on top of the laptop last night, no problems there, but this morning Bouncer flew over to say hello & Charlie didnt look amused.
Later on Bouncer started preening Freckle (well actually was more interested in his white bits lol) but when he went back over to Charlie, Charlie went mad at him lol, now Bouncer doesnt know what to do lol

As regards Freckles beak, (been trying to get a good close up pic but he wont stand still to get focused properly) it does look slightly skewed on one side, but ok from the other.
He doesnt seem to have any prob eating, but when drinking, dips his beak in quickly several times before putting his head at a slight sideways angle to drink. There is a slight gap between upper & lower beak on his left side, & think hes tilting head so that water covers the gap to stop him sucking air.
Hes also flown today, only from laptop to top of monitor, but it was upwards lol.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Oh no! I hope Charlie doesn't get back to being Mr Bully! It's cute of Bouncer to greet and acknowledge Freckle though! He's being a good big brother! Aww...


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

OK, update time (although not much to update)
Charlie, Bouncer & Freckle are now being more tolerant of each other.
Well sort of lol.
Charlie still chases Freckle away, But since Bouncer & Freckle are now following each other about, Bouncer chases Charlie with a vengeance when he goes for Freckle.
Was funny the other day, Charlie was eating & Freckle was taking a bath.
Freckle went over towards the food & Charlie chased her big time. Freckle was squeaking away like mad, then from nowhere Bouncer landed on top of Charlie & knocked him down onto the floor. Dont know if it was totally intentional, or just one of Bouncers misjudged landings, but Charlie looked totally confused. I think his pride was hurt coz he stays well away from Bouncer now lol. 
As long as Freckle stays away from Charlie, everythings fine.

Some pics to keep everyone happy




























And not forgetting Charlie


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Bouncer may just be living up to his name. Not sure what you call them in your area, but here in the states, we call the person that checks ID's and controls the crowd in our bars and taverns bouncers, because if someone gets out of line, starts trouble, etc, they bounce the perpetrator out the door. Sounds like that may be your pijjies new job now that it's asserting itself more. more great pictures


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Yep, we call them the same here, lol, Didnt think about it, but he did just "Bounce" Charlie away lol


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Just in case you didn't know, we really enjoy each installment of Pigeon Hotel For those of us that currently do not have birds, it gives us a chance to enjoy pijjies through your stories and pictures. Thank you!


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Yay pictures! They are tooo cute!! Keep the update and pictures coming!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

almondman said:


> Just in case you didn't know, we really enjoy each installment of Pigeon Hotel For those of us that currently do not have birds, it gives us a chance to enjoy pijjies through your stories and pictures. Thank you!





Miss-Sassypants said:


> Yay pictures! They are tooo cute!! Keep the update and pictures coming!


More pics soon, havent transfered latest ones from camera yet.

All three seem to be gettng on better, no major fights recently lol

Was lying in bed last nite watching a film on the tv with just a small table lamp on.
Charlie was in his box, which overlooks the monitor, and Bouncer & Freckle were perching in their usual place on top of my dvd rack.
Charlie started roo cooing & low growling, like he does when hes annoyed at something. Bouncer flew down to Charlies box & Freckle started peeping like mad. 
At this point I expected Charlie to start fighting with Bouncer, but they just roo cooed a lot, then Bouncer flew over to laptop, made a lot of noise & danced around, then calm as you like walked over & pecked at the buttons of remote control switching the tv off, then flew back up to his perch.
The remote wasnt the actual tv remote, but a power remote programed to various power sockets to switch on/off certain appliances.
Now, strangely enough, the other day I went out to the car to get something & when I came back, the light was off, but I was sure I had left it on.
So last nite, I switched the tv back on again & the cooing started again, and Bouncer again flew down, pecked at the remote & switched off the tv again, looked round at me, then pecked it again (different button) & switched off the light, then (in the dark) he flew up to his perch again.
As soon as I switched the light on again, the cooing started, he flew down again, and started really cooing & dancing about coz I had the remote in my hand. As soon as I switched the light off, he stopped & again flew back up to his perch in the dark. Never did see the end of the film, and now having to hide the remote lol.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Wow.... what clever birds you have there. So do you reckon they are actually aware of what they're doing with the remote?

If so I think you're starting to be put very much in your place in the 'pecking order'!!!!

Janet


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

I think the longer a pigeon spend in the company of humans, the more intelligent they become (in human terms). Charlie and Bouncer have probably sussed out your everyday activities and probably imitate you when you're not in the room! Krikky does that too, one moment I am putting clothes into the washing machine, and he's on my shoulder watching, the next minute, when I'm in my room, I'll see him perching on the machine and trying to operate the damn thing!

Charlie and Bouncer are so intelligent and lovable. Freckle will join the ranks soon! Keep the updates coming - LOVE reading their antics! Looking forward to more pictures!


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That's pretty darn funny.

Maybe you can teach 'em to start up the blender and make some Frozen Daquiris...or the Coffee Maker so you'd have a fresh pot in the morning when you wake up !!!!!


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

We have articles in our local newspaper about our city feral pigeons. They have learned how to sit on the bars on water fountains that release the water, so other pigeons can drink. They have photos of them taking turns! They are SO smart.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

amyable said:


> Wow.... what clever birds you have there. So do you reckon they are actually aware of what they're doing with the remote?
> If so I think you're starting to be put very much in your place in the 'pecking order'!!!!Janet


To be honest, I'm not quite sure. They sit and watch me with the keyboard, but dont peck at that very often. Bouncer has on several occasions pecked at my mobile phone when Ive put it down. Strange thing is he will sit during the day on top of the laptop & doesnt bother about the remote, but there again I hardly use it during the day. Whether they associate it directly with the tv/light or what, I doubt it, but I really think they have worked out it controls the sound. He did the same thing last night, but took several attemts at wrong buttons, but as soon as sound went off he stopped & flew back to his perch. Tonight he just flew over and looked really confused - I left a larger different remote where the other one normally is and he didnt touch it lol. As soon as I put the usual one back he ignored the new one & pecked the usual one till tv went off again, so he def knows what hes doing. 



Miss-Sassypants said:


> I think the longer a pigeon spend in the company of humans, the more intelligent they become (in human terms). Charlie and Bouncer have probably sussed out your everyday activities and probably imitate you when you're not in the room! Krikky does that too, one moment I am putting clothes into the washing machine, and he's on my shoulder watching, the next minute, when I'm in my room, I'll see him perching on the machine and trying to operate the damn thing!


Lol, I think its probably because when they are so young, we teach them to eat on their own by "finger pecking" so they start to watch finger movements closely & just try to copy. 



Jaye said:


> That's pretty darn funny.
> Maybe you can teach 'em to start up the blender and make some Frozen Daquiris...or the Coffee Maker so you'd have a fresh pot in the morning when you wake up !!!!!


LOL, I wish I could teach them to clear up their poops, it would be more practical 

Anyway, a few more pics to keep everyone happy .......

I'm sure theyre planning something !!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

And a couple of Charlie


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi guys, it's Rob here, I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have to tell you, or warn you. We feed maybe 20-30 ferals in our garden, we started noticing less and less of them, then yesterday, they didn't show at all.

I was a little disturbed, so I watched some tv, the local news came on and to my utter horror, the police had warned us that there is 2 cannibal pigeons in our area, estimated at 40ft high. I thought it was a joke until I heard our 2 Pidgies Pippa and Poppy going crazy in the conservatory. I ran to them, they were looking out to the garden, fear clearly in their little eyes..............so I went outside, I looked up and.....
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I managed to get a quick iPhone pic, then grabbed our Pidgies and fled....


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Don't we just _looove_ pictures! 

My favourite is the three of them together. You can tell their cheeky personalities from the way they look at the camera! My goodness they are so cute. I would kiss that face!! (the middle pigeon in the first pic!! Totally adorable! Is that Bouncer?) and again, in the third picture, cheeky little fella! 

Keep the pictures coming! They do have lots of car trips don't they, lol!

...and Rob, wow, look at those gangster giants! Glad you made it out alive with Pip-Pop! I would imagine the gigantic poop in your garden after the mayhem


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Miss-Sassypants said:


> Don't we just _looove_ pictures!
> 
> My favourite is the three of them together. You can tell their cheeky personalities from the way they look at the camera! My goodness they are so cute. I would kiss that face!! (the middle pigeon in the first pic!! Totally adorable! Is that Bouncer?) and again, in the third picture, cheeky little fella!
> 
> ...


Yep thats Bouncer lol.
Although they are a bit more peaceful together, they still try and have some pretty bad fights (Bouncer & Charlie), and both are as bad as each other for starting them. Bouncer knows that Charlie cant fly & when he attacks him, he tries to push (or bounce) him over the edge of wherever Charlie is. 
Although Charlie can do some pretty daring wing assisted Jumps, He cant even flutter down safely, so if I have to go out for any length of time for Charlies safety its either lock them up or they get a run in the car.
It works well, as because it is "neutral" territory, they dont fight, also when they get back they seem to settle down longer with no fighting.

Freckle & Bouncer are getting more & more inseperable, both following each other about everywhere, and both doing amazing acrobatics with flying.
They both seem to take "mad turns" where one will just take off, fly around, stop in mid air, turn, drop, back up again, reverse, you name it lol, then the other just seems to copy. Bouncer has even perfected the art of hovering in mid air (like when you see a hawk hovering over a field before diving to its prey on the ground). 
Freckle is in the process of losing her "squeak" and now sounds completely hillarious. Bouncer coos for her & she now "quacks" back lol.

I noticed in one of Michy's posts that she mentioned her birds tucking their head under the other one - Bouncer does this all the time with Freckle now.









Heres another pick of them in the box I use to take them out to the car, I think they are now taking this box as their "nest" lol.
Both are actually lying down but note Bouncer has his head tucked under one of the soft cloths in the box, not like him to be camera shy lol


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

I wonder what an animal psycologist would make of all the odd, funny, and just plain outrageous behavior of the pigeon stories that we have read about here. If people could look at pigeons through theses stories, I bet there would be a significant change in attitude towards them. Please, all, keep these coming!


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Aww!! Freckle and Bouncer have fallen in love!! That blue 'nest' picture is so sweet! I hope Charlie doesn't feel left out... I get the feeling you may just _'find' _another one soon...? hehe... for Charlie's sake! 

Bouncer is such a character, the cheeky little fella. You have done so well with his recovery! Truly blessed! Keep the updates coming, we're all fans!


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Tashy/Rob said:


> I was a little disturbed, so I watched some tv, the local news came on and to my utter horror, the police had warned us that there is 2 cannibal pigeons in our area, estimated at 40ft high. I thought it was a joke until I heard our 2 Pidgies Pippa and Poppy going crazy in the conservatory. I ran to them, they were looking out to the garden, fear clearly in their little eyes..............so I went outside, I looked up and.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh ROFL! Thats so awesome you got the pic and somehow escaped with your life. I heard those giant cannibal pigeons come from Scotland, I wonder if Bob knows any?

Bob, thanks for the pics and the awesome thread I appreciate you and your pigeon love SO much


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Bella_F said:


> ....... I heard those giant cannibal pigeons come from Scotland, I wonder if Bob knows any?...


Not seen or heard of any, the only Giant Bird Brains we have are Politicians.
A Penguin recently won a local council election - 
CLICK PIC FOR STORY



mind you, Penguins EAT fish so since we have Alex SALMONd & Nicola STURGEON as MP's maybe that could be a good thing lol


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Pretty funny....well, they say that fish is brain food, so....

(interesting pie charts in that article too..not like anything we'd ever see over here...)


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Jaye said:


> (interesting pie charts in that article too..not like anything we'd ever see over here...)


Being local elections (but also locally all over scotland), most folk voted not just against those who have "not served well locally" but also against the National government. Since very few Scots like the conservatives, & couple that with what we call the Edinburgh Tram Fiasco and the outcome is entirely logical.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

*Update Time....again lol*

Well, been aaages since last update, but to be honest, not a lot been happening.
Bouncer has taken over as boss & i'm now having to keep everyone caged & let them out for flying time (or in Charlies case exploration time) separately.
Bouncer is claiming every bit of territory he can & keeps calling to freckle to follow him. 
Both he & freckle are definately together (constantly kissing & mating) although I think Freckles still too young for eggs yet.
(Just had a quick look at my rescue database - 
Charlies been here for 305 days now, Bouncer 93 and Freckle 58)
I have however had to buy myself a new mouse for the PC. my old mouse is a "trackball" type and when bouncer & freckle are out, 
they both head straight for it and try to "sit" on it. 
Ive since taken the ball out & placed it in their box and they are definately trying to hatch it. 
(wierd as the ball is about the size of a golf ball, but dark red with black spots all over it, looks nothing like an egg at all lol)




Tonight sees a new addition to the hotel, although havent named him yet.
Have resurected Bouncers "sick bed" and hes lying in it very comfortably.








Found him about 8pm tonight under the usual bridge, huddled in at the wall & didnt even try to move when I got close.
When I picked him up, his back had a bare strip and nearly all the soft downy feathers around his tail literally just fell out, 
and his other tail feathers were lying closeby, run into the ground as if a car or lorry has run over his tail as he was trying 
to get to safety, so looks like hes had a VERY close shave.
Hes fully feathered under the wings but not one single proper tail feather left.
Ive picked all the surrounding feathers out of the tender area and washed it with a warm saline solution 
although it doesnt look that bad, just mainly grazed.
The darker red area looks more tender where his tail feathers have obviously been ripped out by the car. 


















Hes also had some metacalm, have hydrated him & fed a few warmed peas & hes now resting. 
He seems totally exhausted and his head is resting to one side & trying to sleep 
(although he does hold it normallly & is very alert when talking to him)


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## Luftty (May 19, 2012)

Now That was a close call!! 
Hopefully the little guy can grow his tail feathers! 
Thanks goodnes they are in excellent hands


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Oh bless! That picture of him snuggled with his eyes closed is cute. He really did have a close shave, that looks like a very sore bottom!
Glad as always he's got you on his side now. Hope for a good recovery 'little no name'. 

Janet


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Was trying to decide a name, & came up with Elwood or Jake
(wonder who can work out why lol)
Have finally decided to call him Jake, (if he turns out female can be Jackie).
Well hes had a restful night, slept well, moved a couple of times to poop & they were surprisingly solid (and huge).
Hes had some more peas for breakfast although doesnt like the hand feeding.
Waterwise, I topped up the small med dish in his sickbed (with water/sugar/salt) & he drank the lot on his own without any prompting, so hes a fast learner.
Changed lining in his bed, put him back in, he stood up & politely pooped over the side, so he obviously appreciated a clean bed lol.
He also exersised his wings a bit, but no attempt to try & fly.
Hes sat in his bed most of the morning but stretching his neck & having a good look around to see whats going on.
Bouncer Freckle & Charlie are closed in their own boxes so no fighting today to scare Jake, athough some soft cooing from Bouncer & Freckles box as they incubate their mouseball lol.


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

Jake Blues!!

"ahhhhhh twist it....shake it shake it shake it shake it baby

Here we go loop da loop, shake it on baby.....here go loop de la................A BEND OVER LET ME SEEYA SHAKE YA TAIL FEATHER"

Would I be right?

Rob


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

*Quick update*



Tashy/Rob said:


> Jake Blues!!
> "ahhhhhh twist it....shake it shake it shake it shake it baby
> Here we go loop da loop, shake it on baby.....here go loop de la................A BEND OVER LET ME SEEYA SHAKE YA TAIL FEATHER"
> Would I be right?
> Rob


LOL, you got it in one Rob....

Jakes had a lazy day today, Have washed his back & bum again & things look not bad in daylight, 
definately a bit of grazing but no serious damage, and hes still got a few small tail feathers left on one side..









He ventured out of his sick bed & perched on the edge of his box this afternoon & did a bit of preening, 
then hopped over onto the laptop to explore.
Gave him a small dish of seeds & pecked twice with my finger & started 
to copy me instantly. Did a third peck & he attacked my finger, then went for the 
seeds quickly devouring almost half of them then settled down for a snooze.









Hes been sitting on laptop all day, but actively looking all around and taking 
everything in, (even tilting his head & looking at me when I talk to him so all 
in all things are looking good so far.


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## Tashy/Rob (Jan 18, 2012)

Quazar said:


> LOL, you got it in one Rob....


Damn I'm good!!


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Hey Bob, Does putting salt solution on a wound cause pain do you think?


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

I'm pretty sure it will cause some pain. IMO


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Bella_F said:


> Hey Bob, Does putting salt solution on a wound cause pain do you think?


I imagine it would if it were very strong dose (if you know the saying about pouring salt on an open wound, which was also used as a torture during both ww1 & ww2), but its also very good for killing bacteria.
A weak saline solution washes the wound & leaves a trace of salt which doesnt really hurt the bird, but helps keep any bacteria at bay leaving the affected area semi sterile.
As I wasnt sure how badly injured he was, When I cleaned Jake I only used a teaspoon of salt in a pint of boiled & cooled warm water, & gently sat him in the bowl to let him soak for a bit,
then wiped him down with a soft lint free cloth to help remove any dried blood & feather bits. (Anything containing fine fibres of lint tends to stick to the wound which can stop it healing quickly) & rinsed him again with fresh solution.
He was quite happy to let me do it, and didnt struggle or flinch so dont really think it caused any pain, and actualy when I did it again today, he jumped out of my hand straight into the bowl (soaking me lol) & just sat there, so think it was also maybe soothing for him.

In actual fact, the correct way to make a saline solution is to use boiled *distilled* water, add *sea salt crystals* slowly (sea salt is better as it contains less impurities) & stir till the salt no longer disolves then let it settle. Pour liquid into another jar being careful not to transfer the undisolved crystals.
This is 100% saline solution. to make a 5% solution, use one part of the 100% solution & mix with 19 parts distilled water.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Thanks heaps for the info Bob. If there was pain, you'd have noticed I would think. 

I wanted to find out if 1 teaspoon per gallon is strong enough a solution for antiseptic purposes, but every web site has a different opinion. The most common concentration recommended was 1 teaspoon per cup of sterile water (5 % saline). 

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pe...health/wounds-care-of-open-wounds-in-dogs/950

Then I read on a Vet website that the solution needs to be 9% (like the saline solution for contact lenses). 

To me, it seems like a good safe disinfectant for animals, who are prone to ingesting topical creams/medicines etc.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Bella_F said:


> ......I wanted to find out if 1 teaspoon per gallon is strong enough a solution for antiseptic purposes, but every web site has a different opinion. The most common concentration recommended was 1 teaspoon per cup of sterile water (5 % saline).....


Part of the variances will be that there is no common correct exact formula as in measurement.

There are a number of varying factors which define the 100% saturation level which one should ideally start from, then dilute back down to what % is required.

Factors include
The origin of the water. 
Even sterile or distilled water can contain minerals which can greatly affect the absorbtion of the salt.

What kind of salt & what impurities it itself contains 

The temperature of the water while mixing the 100% solution.
(Its possible to get 100% saturation at one temp but then more heat will dissolve more salt)


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

That makes sense, thanks Bob . I suppose the main thing is not to concentrate it to the point where it causes pain to the bird; it must hurt like crazy in the wrong concentration. 

Is there anything else you have used for wounds that you'd consider safe if the bird accidently ingests some of it?


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, Jake seems to be coming on not too bad. 
A few feathers starting to show through on his back although still a long way to go yet.
Hes livened up a bit & had the odd squeak out of him, and is now quite content in his box, 
giving me the odd peck & wingslap if I annoy him.
Hes also flying, although not much as without any tail feathers he cant really control his direction,
and is more content just to hop from his box to the laptop.
Hes got a strange way of sleeping (aways rests his head on his wing).
When he settles on the laptop for a snooze its funny to watch, like someone nodding off then suddenly wakening again.








At night in his box when he goes to bed, he actually sits down, gets comfy then tucks his head on his wing & shuts his eyes. 

He aso does some wierd neck twisting to look all around, sort of pmv like, but only when he cant directly see, like hes just 
being lazy & rather than turn around to look he twists it.
Maybe possibly injured it when he was hit, but def dont think its illness related as hes alert, explorative, preening etc in every way.








Whats up there ?

Had Bouncer & Freckle out for a fly around & Bouncer did his usual, straight over to Charlies box to try and harass him.
After a stern talking to, he flew over to Jakes box to be inquisative, and Jake immediately gave him a peck & a wingslap lol
was funny to see his reaction as I dont think he was expecting it, and he didnt try to retaliate or even hint of showing his bossiness, just hopped on top of Jakes Box & preened himself.








Oh its just you

Bouncer & Freckle are still "egg sitting". Both have now raided my shredder and used the bits to line their nest.
Bouncer sits on top of my monitor & coos, I can offer him a piece of paper & he takes it straight back to the nest and comes back for more.
Freckles a bit more wary, and waits till I put it down in front of her then doesthe same.
No sign of any eggs yet, but both are still very protective of the "mouseball" theyve adopted.

Charlie is just quite happy to sit & watch me doing anything. Think hes happier that B&F are not out as much as he gets more peace.
He keeps an eye on Jakes box, but hasnt even made any attempt to go near it.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, I was a bit concerned yesterday with Jakes neck twisting to look in certain places. I also noticed that when hes just standing still, his head is tilted very slightly to the left (his right), and its always his right wing he rests his head on when sleeping.
I called my vet friend & he popped over on his way home to have a quick unnofficial look at him.
He doesnt reckon its PMV as appart from the tlting, Jake looks & acts normal,
and eats & drinks well with no problem picking up seeds, and his poops look relatively healthy, but cant be 100% sure without a fecal check & official tests. Hes gonna try and swing things at work, but cant promise anything as apparently there are a lot of changes going on in his dept and he cant afford to step out of line.
He observed Jake preening, & noticed that he preens the top of his left wing & back by twisting his neck all the way round from the right, although he can preen the lower left normally. He couldnt find any abnormalities with the neck
but reckons that because the twisting is not actually sporadic and always in the same direction it is probably due to the injury, and he says Jake may well return to normal once fully recovered. 
He also had a quick look at Bouncer's eye & although the pupil is damaged he 
says it looks good and although his peripheral vision isnt 100% he still seems to see quite a bit. Bouncer then thanked him by pooping right down his shirt lol.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

That's quite an update.
Very interesting about Jake's head position. Lucky you've had an expert once over as otherwise you'd have to keep him separate just in case at least for a while.
Good he's bright and perky apart from this problem. Hope it's something that will sort itself out with time.
At least he know how to look after himself as far as nosey neighbours go! 

Janet


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Welcome to the hotel, Jake! Sorry I haven't been on for a while... but aww look at him. Sore bottom  Poor thing.

I hope he recovers soon. He looks comfortable and happy in the photos. The neck twisting is cute but scary at the same time - like pigeon exorcist-thingy... I hope his neck isn't damaged. Poor thing - I wonder what happened to leave him in such a state 

Thank you for caring for them. Hope all goes well. Do update!


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## pirab buk (Sep 8, 2011)

Looks to me like he has some virus which is indicative of head twisting. Para....something.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Bella_F said:


> Is there anything else you have used for wounds that you'd consider safe if the bird accidently ingests some of it?


The only other thing ive used is TCP Antiseptic Cream (Which seems to be harder to get these days as theyve changed it to a liquid formula). I use it on Charlies wing. Because hes a daredevil jumper, he continually knocks & grazes the edge of his less mobile one when he lands awkwardly on things. I only use a little just to make sure it doesnt get infected. 



amyable said:


> That's quite an update.
> Very interesting about Jake's head position. Lucky you've had an expert once over as otherwise you'd have to keep him separate just in case at least for a while.
> Good he's bright and perky apart from this problem. Hope it's something that will sort itself out with time.
> At least he know how to look after himself as far as nosey neighbours go!
> Janet


Had confirmation back from vet friend that its def injury related, no illness or sickness so hopefully time will heal. Hes definately capable of looking after himself as far as bouncer goes lol. Bouncer watches him but wont go too close. Jake also gives me a very hard peck when I go to change bedding etc. 



Miss-Sassypants said:


> Welcome to the hotel, Jake! Sorry I haven't been on for a while... but aww look at him. Sore bottom  Poor thing.
> I hope he recovers soon. He looks comfortable and happy in the photos. The neck twisting is cute but scary at the same time - like pigeon exorcist-thingy... I hope his neck isn't damaged. Poor thing - I wonder what happened to leave him in such a state
> Thank you for caring for them. Hope all goes well. Do update!


From where I found him and the feathers in the area it looked like something had run over his tail. 
Heres a pic of the bridge from earlier in the year.








Theres a lot of heavy works going on at these bridges at the mo (one bridge has actually been removed and a new wider one going up for the trams) so some very big industrial vehicles in a very narrow area with very little clearance at the sides. Half of the Bridge nearest is the one now removed, new bridge supposed to be going up 2day so road is closed.



pirab buk said:


> Looks to me like he has some virus which is indicative of head twisting. Para....something.


Thats why my vet friend has already checked him out & took samples earlier etc.
The visual symptoms are actually caused by nerve damage which can be caused by many things including injuries. 
Sadly too many people automatically assume Paramoxivirus (PMV) from those same symptoms.
PMV does attack the nervous system, hence caution has to be taken. But more often than not. its often other things.

More pics of Jake coming up.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Preening some of his new feathers coming in. 









The bare bit on his back is filling in nicely, and his tail feathers are starting to "sprout" at an alarming rate









Resting in a nice clean box









Not for long, just pooped lol


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Aww the sore bottom looks so much better now. You take such good care of them, Bob!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

*Update Time*

But first 








All four on a day out - Bouncer Freckle Charlie & Jake

Couldnt Resist this pic








Bouncer & Freckle with a cheeky Jake in the rear view mirror, 
But wheres Charlie ?








Sitting on my shoulder lol.


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

And who recognises this little guy
















Yep its Jake (SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER), bit different from when found. - 
His Tail feathers are growing in nicely (not many to go now),
All the feathers on his back have also filled in nicely.
Theres still a "bump" on his back just above where his Right Leg joint is, no outward signs of injury, but think this is possibly where the original nerve damage originated although it doesnt seem to bother him now and hes had no neck twisting for the last week, and also now sleeps in a normal position.
Bouncer keeps chasing him(her) away from Freckle, Charlie really doesnt seem that bothered, but doesnt like Jake invading his space (Charlie doesnt like anyone invading his space lol).


Speaking of Bouncer & Freckle -
*** WARNING TO THOSE WHO MAY BE OFFENDED - THE NEXT IMAGE IS XXX RATED *** 
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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Not had an update for a while so here we go.
Not much to update with Charlie, Bouncer & Freckle, 
They're still doing their "whos the boss routine".
Doesnt matter where Charlie is, Bouncer wants his space, but Charlie is just as bad.
He keeps waiting till Bouncer is busy exploring, then calls to Freckle, 
as soon as Freckle even looks over, Bouncer is back and chasing Freckle back to their Box lol.

Now, who recognises this guy ?








Yep, its Jake, now definately shakin his tail feathers lol.
No sign of any residual head or neck twisting either, and I think hes learned something from his brush with the car,
Ive never seen a pigeon move so fast, either on foot or in the air lol. Hes like a dart.
Gonna start him on a soft release regimen next week as he seems ready for it, also I really need the space......

Say hello to ...........








"Vogue"
Found him last Sat (22nd) under the usual Bridge on the edge of the 6" wide kerb, but took over 6 hrs to rescue.
First spotted him at 11am but was impossible to get anywhere near him because of the amount of traffic.
The road is busy at the best of times, but its also one of the main routes to Murrayfiled Stadium, 
and since there was a big international superstar playing there that night, (one of only 4 UK venues on her world tour) 
it was wall to wall traffic with no place nearby to stop or park.
Eventually aout 2pm went back home & walked back but even if I had tried to walk through to get him, 
I was sure he would have run off under someones wheels so really wasnt prepared to risk it.
After a nice little chat with a motorcycle cop, who informed me that he couldnt do anything at that point, but traffic was due to be diverted 
at 5pm anyway to allow safer pedestrian access, so we could only just watch & wait.
Meanwhile, Vogue just sat there watching all the cars go by !!.
By 5pm, when they closed the road there was a steady flow of hundreds of pedestrians who up until then had been using the tunnel 
but the cop was good enough to hold them up long enough for me to grab him.
When I approached him, he didnt even flinch, just calmly let me pick him up without a sound lol.
Got him home and he wouldnt eat or drink. Even having him wrapped in a towel he managed to squirm inside and wouldnt let me get near his beak.
He wasnt scared or tried to get away from me anything, just point blank refused to eat, even from my trusty feeding bottle. 
Ive never had a bird as difficult lol. 
Eventually after a couple of hours i managed to get some peas into him (with nearly twice as many on the floor) and had a brief look in his mouth & all looks well.
Eventually put him in a warm nest & box for the night & he settled down like it was home.
Sunday morning, he was awake & alert, eyeing around his new abode, let me pick him up without a problem, offered him some water in a little 
medical measure which he gulped down like nothing else on earth, but still wouldnt eat.
After another very difficult force feeding he settled down for a sleep.
Later in the day, he sat and watched jake eating and started peeping like mad, first sound heard from him, so I put some seeds & peas in front 
of him and started pretend pecking. After a few mins he joined in, but just playing with them, 
so put some in my hand and offered him them & he started eating as if he'd been doing it for years lol.
Problem now is, he still wont drink unless I physically offer him water in the small med measure, 
and he wont eat unless the seeds are in the palm of my hand.
He doesnt mind me handling him, but if I go near his beak he "burrows in" so still not managed to check his mouth & throat out properly yet.
Hes making some small fluttering flights around the room exploring and seems perfectly healthy so we'll see how things progress.


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Great to get an update.
Goos luck to Jake on his soft release programme. Looking forward to hearing how that goes.

As for Vogue, another sweetie by the looks of it.
I just had one fractionally younger but also found under a railway bridge here by a lovely lady who keeps an good eye out for any fallen youngsters and now brings them to me.
This one was also at that inbetween stage where he wanted to be fed by an adult still but was too far gone down the pigeon route to take to the seed bottle or whatever I tried. I did start by tune feeding some formula every morning and popping some seeds in the evening to keep his weight from dropping.
Then like Vogue, one day he decided he could pick up the peas himself and was away! Now he's very possessive with the seed dish and the slightly older youngster I already had finds it hard to get a look in until the little'un's finished.
i never really saw him drink on his own but I think, judging by all the water splashes around the dish, I reckon he did manage it when I wasn't looking. I just dipped his beak into a dish of water every so often so he knew it was there.

I have to say I'm impressed at your perseverance at catching this latest rescue Bob. You might as well have gone to the concert while you were waiting! Nice traffic cops you have there by the sounds of it. 

Janet


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

amyable said:


> Great to get an update.
> Goos luck to Jake on his soft release programme. Looking forward to hearing how that goes.
> 
> As for Vogue, another sweetie by the looks of it.
> ...


Tried the usual dip beaking in a ramekin dish but he wont have it, but as soon as I offer it in the small med measure, he sticks his head in and drinks it all fine.
Same with the seeds, plays with them on the ground or in a dish, but gobbles them from my hand & even takes them individually from my fingers.

















As far as the concert went, I wouldnt pay the kind of money they were asking for tickets, besides not that keen on Madonna, now had it been Queen....... Vougue wouldve had a different name & prob still been waiting LOL 
I think the traffic cop was just glad to have someone to talk to, he looked bored stiff just sitting on his bike doin nothing


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, for the past week, Vogue has point blank refused to drink or eat unless I specifically offer
him from my hand, at which point he twitches his wings & eats & drinks like crazy.
So, yesterday Jake was getting inquisitive as to Vogue getting preferential treatment, and tried 
to come over to see what was happening. At this point, Vogue turned round & viciously chased 
Jake away like a protective parent in defence of his nest. 
Was funny to see the look of surprise on Jakes face.
Dont think ive ever seen a squeaker act like that lol.
This morning, went through to make my own breakfast, and when I returned, Theres Jake eating his, 
with Vogue trying to get his beak in at the other side of the dish. 
Eventually, Jake let him in & now Vougue has finally Started eating & drinking properly....Hurrah lol.

Now, on to Bouncer & Freckle, they have been inseperable for a few months now, and continually 
exploring places theyve never bothered with before. Its been like a constant game of Hide & seek 
with them. 
Yesterday, They were hiding under my bed, then I noticed Bouncer tearing sheets off a small 
"post it" block on my desk, and watched him carefully hop down & drag it under the bed !!!
On further investigation....yep, they were trying to build a nest. Not happy with their original 
box they had obviously lol.
Now under the bed is a def no no as it gets moved regularly for cleaning, and where they were 
making it, it would have been destroyed by the bed leg on movement so I Had no choice but 
to discourage them.
This morning, decided to make a new cage for them, slightly bigger than their current box, 
but when I finished it, there was no sign of them anywhere, & no sound from any of them.
Had a look under bed but not there. Searched every nook & cranny (theres really not that 
many) & even checked some empty computer cases they love to play in, but nothing !! 
Then out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the towel moving over the "recovery 
box" that I keep for rescues, gently pulled it back & both are sitting there smug as can be. 
Never thought for a moment they could even get in there without pulling the towel off.
Now, normally when I find them hiding, they both take off back to their own box, or sit 
on top of the monitor, but they sat there for a while and just cooed & preened each other.
Eventually Bouncer flew over to get some seeds, then Freckle joined him, and when I went to 
cover up the box again, found This.








So what was to be their new cage, has now become a new recovery cage & no doubt I'll find another egg tomorrow


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I really enjoyed reading your update Bob, thank you! Vogue is such a sweety- amazing how much trust he has in you to have let you just pick him up!

And cute story about the sneaky nesting sites they chose, lol And post-its as nesting material, that is SO funny!

Keep up the good work


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

SO enjoyed reading that. Like a good book, waiting to hear the final outcome!!

They are so cute when finding neating places.

I have a couple that always try and start a nest on the black bag with rubbish in on the floor. When I moved them off there last time I too couldn't find them. I have a small cabinet under a work top and I keep all the cleaning materials, newspapers and scrapers in a tray on the top. There's only about six inches space at most but when I went to get the scraper out my hand grabbed a pigeon instead and found them snuggly crammed in the tray!
Sadly couldn't let them stay there either but they're now safely installed in a proper nesting box at last.

Janet


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Well, Freckle was out and about collecting more shredded paper this morning









While Proud Dad guarded the nest









Later, Freckle was being very protective









And the reason....


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Also got the webcam setup so I can keep an eye on them without too much interference lol.








Freckles taken over & just re-arranging things lol.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Oh my goodness!! You're going to be a grandparent soon!! Teehee!! Congrats Bouncer & Freckle! They've come a loooong way!! Such a delight!

Welcome to Vogue! Cute name, lol. She is ADORABLE, eating out of your hands like that.... I bet she's going to be a super pampered rescue this one!

Aww, glad to hear that Jake's graduating.. I hope the wilderness treats him well. I pray he will be ok and will live a good pigeon life out there.

The photos are FANTASTIC, please keep 'em coming!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Had Jake out a couple of days on soft release training, but hes not really that interested. 
Just sits in the corner of the cage and watches the other birds, with no attempt to interact. 
He actually interacts more with Charlie Vogue Bouncer & Freckle while hes in the cage at home, 
so looks like this may be a long one lol.
Jake in car on his way to first soft release trial









Vogues started a new trend !!! all that pampered handfeeding and now Bouncer & Freckle are at it.
















When theyre not on the nest, Both of them now sit on the monitor & coo away till they get treats.
Both are being very good parents so far, although arguing with each other when one goes to change 
over sitting duties - neither wants to leave the nest lol.
It is amusing to watch them, they both still gather bits of paper to add to the nest, but 
Freckle doesnt like some of it and leaves it at side of nest.
When Bouncer takes over he tucks it underneath him, and when Freckle takes over, she pulls it out again lol
Misplaced my lottery ticket last week, guess where it turned up, lucky it wasnt a winning ticket lol.

Charlie seems to have calmed down a bit since B & F are on nest duties and not annoying him so much.
Hard to believe, but Charlies been here just over a year now !!

More updates soon, eggs due to hatch on Thursday


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

They are SO VERY cute! Charlie should get a long-service award! I think Jake is much happier with you and the gang than the rest of the ferals. I would too, if I were him! You take such good care of them!

Keep the photos coming! They truly make my entire week!


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## pirab buk (Sep 8, 2011)

Thank you thank you for sharing your photos! They are happy pics.
It is a nice change from all the sad stories


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Update time again, although not really much to update.
Bouncer & Freckle eventuallly gave up on their eggs after 26 days, but are now going through the mating ritual & nest building again.
Dont know whether they're being daft or just trying to confuse me, but theyre building in 4 different places at the same time !!. No more eggs as yet though.
Edit - Little buggers are just tryin to confuse me - 1st egg of second clutch appeared this morning - in old nest that they've not even been near lol

Last Saturday I released Vogue & Jake. Both releases went well, also spotted Jet & Titch still hanging about with the flock, theyve been around almost a year now, so things looking good there.
When Jake took off, he flew straight up like a rocket, it was hard to believe about 10 weeks ago he had no back feathers or tail.
Been back a couple of times and Vogue is still hanging around with them.
Now for anyone that says ferals dont have much homing ability, explain this...
On Tuesday morning Jake was sitting on my front windowsill trying to get in !!!
The release point (at the back of an industrial estate) is about 5 miles away.
All my rescues are kept in a room which looks out to the BACK of the house.
The only time any bird has seen the front is when Ive taken them out to the car, and thats only ever been for a few seconds at a time while putting cage in the car. !!!
Will try another release later on in the week, needless to say Jakes back at the moment.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Don't know who is luckier, you or your birds. I am amazed at the total trust you and your birds have developed. It is inspiring to see what can happen when someone truly loves what they are doing. Thanks again for sharing your ongoing exploits with your friends.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Incredible!!! Jake truly loves you! I'm sure he came back because he really misses you. That is SO heartwarming! I think he'd love to be able to come and go, if you let him. This update is incredible. Maybe he prefers to stay with you...? Can he.. please??

Thanks for making my entire week with the update. There are tears in my eyes now!!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

*Update*

Well, for those that havent noticed the new thread Bouncer& Freckle hatced their eggs on 12th sept. All are doing well & further updates on them will be posted in the new topic HERE
I'll continue to update here on any news about current and new rescues.
So.....
Not much else happening at the mo, Charlie & Jake are both moulting at the mo, Charlie not as bad as Jake, Poor jake looks all disheveled lol. 

Charlie









And Jake

















And Jake taking a treat 








Having just left one for me on the dashboard :-(


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