HAVING FUN WITH ELLA, THE PIGEON, & THE PIGEON WHISPERER - PART II

 

“Ella Has a New Home.”

The woman who tried, in vain, to give Ella a new home happened to belong to a local chapter of the Audubon Society and started asking around in her group which led us to a dove & pigeon sanctuary only a few miles away.  It had a large screened open aviary with a nice warm shed attached with sleeping/nesting boxes and was in a beautiful area in the pines.

The birds in the sanctuary were there for two reasons: they were wild birds who were injured and could no longer live in the wild; or they were domestic birds who had either gotten loose, or were carried away and had no idea how to survive in the wild.  We hoped Ella could go there. There were 6 doves and four pigeons in the sanctuary and the gals who ran it said if Ella was cleared of having any ‘cooties’ by a local vet, she’d be welcome there.

So once more I had to catch her and put her in the carrier but this time she was wise to the towel trick, so I wound up leaning over and talking quietly to her as she sat on the plant stand – all the while deceptively moving my hands up alongside her until I could carefully catch her.  A little scary because I didn’t want to hold her too tightly, but she was surprisingly strong!  I got her into the carrier though and this time I kept her at my house until the next morning when it was time to take her to the vet and then hopefully on up to the sanctuary and luckily – I guess because she was familiar with me and my voice, she didn’t panic this time.

Ironically, that last night with us she finally got her wish to come inside the house – albeit in the carrier and straight on through to the laundry where she spent a quiet night.

Luckily, the next morning she passed muster at the vet’s and went straight to the sanctuary.  I felt like I was sending my child off to kindergarten hoping everyone would play nice, but I was assured a few days later she was getting along well with the other birds and doing fine.

She was distinguishable from the other pigeons in the sanctuary, by the way, because she was the only one without a band on her leg.

To give her time to get used to her new home and the other birds, I waited until Ella had been at the sanctuary for a week before I went to see her.  Fortunately the sanctuary was only a 15 minute drive from our home, so it was very handy.  I didn’t know what to expect, but pigeons are smart birds and are known to recognize one person from another, so I was delighted to have her come right to me when she saw me and cuddle up close.  I spent the rest of the day going around with a big smile on my face! J

During a subsequent visit she relaxed, standing on one leg as I murmured “sweet nothings” to her.  Not quite like having her sit on my knee or cuddle up next to me in my gazebo, but here she was safe and well cared for with company of her own kind which was healthy.

She used to do this in the gazebo with me – laying down either on my knee or cuddled next to me with eyes half closed, wings spread slightly, completely relaxed and totally trusting.  A little different with the aviary screening between us, but still special.

My husband came with me to visit Ella one time and took these pictures.  It was a lovely visit.  She’s just such a sweet responsive bird.


She loved to play finger tag.

It was always hard to say goodbye even though I knew I was coming back the next week.

The gals who ran the sanctuary, were looking for a mate for her, and that could be an interesting development? 

I continued my weekly treks to the sanctuary to see her.  The visits were great therapy for me and it was obvious, the way she flew right to me when she noticed I was there, she was happy to see me.  I had no idea if that would change when and if a mate was found for her?  I did know my visits would become a little less frequent with winter weather on the way.  At 4500 feet in elevation, the sanctuary would be getting snow at times in which case I wouldn’t be driving up there on those days and the aviary would be closed up to keep the birds warm anyway.  But the way she responded to me so strongly gave me hope things wouldn’t change too much between us.

Next week: Ella has an ‘oops’ adventure.

:->

La Nightingail

This was the end of my original story about Ella.  The next three installments will be the continuation of her story with the pigeon whisperer. J

Comments

  1. Monica T.February 11, 2024 at 2:57 AM

    Sweet story! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike BrubakerFebruary 11, 2024 at 12:24 PM

    Thanks for making me smile. Ella's obvious bond with you is remarkable behavior to find in a wild animal, I think. My wife and I are fans of several animal sanctuary and wildlife channels on YouTube. There is a pair of bald eagles near Big Bear Lake in southern California who have a nest cam that we watch daily. This past week the snow and cold has made it a miserable place but we keep rooting for Jackie and Shadow and their eggs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. La NightingailFebruary 11, 2024 at 8:22 PM

      I've been watching Jackie & Shadow for a year and a half now, I don't know why she lays her eggs in winter?? Last year the two she laid didn't hatch. I hope the 3 they're sitting on this year do, but it will be a real challenge feeding & caring for them in winter weather if they do. They are fun to watch. I wonder if you happened to be watching the other day when Shadow brought a stick to the nest and laid it in the snow in front of Jackie as she was sitting on the nest & she grabbed it and tossed it violently away? I burst out laughing, and I could just hear her muttering "Oh for crying out loud!" as she did it. :))

      Delete

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