Piggi and Tipsey journal

[Feefo]

Hi Cristina,

I wouldn't let Norman fly free while the hawk is around.

If it keeps visiting your garden then maybe you could consider what Lesley in Salford did (although other members don't like this, they think it might attract the hawk back!). After a hawk caught a pigeon in her garden she bought some frozen chicken drumsticks, defrosted one and offered it to the hawk..he took it and comes back for more drumsticks but has never taken another bird. Worth a try, anyway. My view is that if the drumstick attaracts the hawk back, he will choose the drumstick over the 1 in 10 chance of catching a pigeon. Maybe it is wrong to encourage a wild bird of prey to abandon the hunt in favour of easy pickings, but I see it as being of mutual benefit to the hawk and the pigeons in this case.

You might also consider giving the pigeons cover to eat under so that the hawk cannot see them from above.

Sparrowhawks miss their prey nine times out of ten, but when going for pigeons they will target the bird that stands out, by colour or by behaviour. If Norman shows any abnormality in his escape or flight the hawk will recognise him as a wounded bird and focus on him.

Cynthia

[chriss80]

Hi Cynthia, “Sparrowhawks miss their prey nine times out of ten” Bloody hell! I think Norman was the colour that stood out. There wore some red pigeons present at the time but they must mix so well with the red stone on the floor and poor Norman he is kind of grey looking. I hope the hawk does not have a very good memory and remembers it attacked Specky and Norman, I don’t want him to focus on them because they had an incident going before. I am not planning to let go to Norman or Specky any time soon while that hawk is around. I hope he goes away! Is so hard to tell as he is such a smooth operator. I know Norman hangs around at the lake with the other pigeons usually but lately not many people went there to feed the birds so Norman must of decided to pay me more often visits. Not a very hawk friendly place there with all those trees around.
I will introduce at a point Specky to Norman for company, maybe they will hang around together at the lake in the future. Actually I might also decide to keep Norman, you never know, see haw it goes.

Hi Janet, what a nerve this small hawks have going for birds almost their size!
I am quite sure Piggi sat there in the cold over nigh starving, thirsty, scarred feeling really sorry for himself lol. It must have been so good to be back to his peanuts, he was eating them so fast lol.
I am sure Piggi will get a mate one day.
Tipseyman is doing well though I am really worried for him. I let him in the garden while I watch him interacting with other pigeons. Now it makes me all paranoid that that hawk could take him from right in front of my eyes. The hawk is really fast and quiet. But I won’t let that put me off , I know Tipsey enjoys to talk closely to other bids , I will just have to watch him more closely even though that gets them a bit shy seeing me to close.

[chriss80]

Piggi and Tipsey are both doing very well, always up to having fun!

Bellow are some photos of Tipsey playing in the snow this winter with the outside garden pigeons, the cold snow did not let him down and he cooed and displayed proudly to anyone willing to put up with him. In the past the outside pigeons used to not be so nice to Tisey, they used to peck him and chase him away but now is all changed and Tipsey is accepted in their flock.


There are also some photos of Tipsey and Piggi after I have gave them a bath a few weeks ago. They wore very dusty and they refused to wash so I had to take matter in my own hands. Tipsey was not bothered by the shower and even started grooming while water was falling on him, one easy going pigeon. On the other hand Piggi protested but I managed quickly with a damp cloth to put some water with a bit of vinegar added on his feathers. While they wore drying out in the warmth of the living room they still wanted to fight one another so I have to keep an eye on them. One thing about Tipsey is that he is one smart pigeon, as you can see from the photo he knows very well where heating is coming from lol



Tipsey in the snow






Piggi wet, his feather felt much more nicer and look shiner after.



Tipsey is such a sweetheart, all winter while he was in the warmth tried to have a bath in the drinkig bowl but I had to wash him better and especiialy underneath his wing

[Feefo]

Thank you for a lovely update, Cristina!

Cynthia

[amyable]

Hi Christina, Thanks for letting me know about the new post, it's lovely to see how Tipsey is doing now.

Boy what a handsome man he is, I'd forgotten just how gorgeous his colouring was. Mind you Piggie is the same, they are so alike, it's wierd how that happened as you don't see that many ferals with their colouring on a day to day basis.

It's wonderful to see him experiencing all these new things aswell. Snow is a first for him. I'm glad the locals have started to be a bit kinder to him, he does try so hard to chat them up.

I'm going to take a picture of him to the 'sanctuary' tomorrow, so they can see what love and care can do. They still remember Tipsey when I mention him. He was well known as he just couldn't stand up at all when he first came. I'm so so glad I took him away as he would have been PTS by now.

I love that picture by the radiator, he's well used to his home comforts now !!! A far cry from the days of being left lying on his side, caked in poo.

Piggie looks quite confused by this bathing business, 'oh, the indignanty of it all'.

It's great to hear about them and see how they're doing,

Love to you all,

Janet x

[chriss80]

Today is a very sad day as our lovely Tipsey passed away suddenly, we never expected this now. He was dearly loved by us both and he leaving left us feeling very empty. This bird was so amazing and the time he spent with us is always going to be treasured forever.
Once I was talking to a friend about reincarnation. Once I had 2 ginger hamsters and always is the past I attracted male animals similar. She believed that they always come back to me in different forms. The departure felt irreplaceable, is never going to be another bird like Tipsey.
I just can’t believe he is gone; he was such a happy bird and became so tame. We did not expected this so soon One moment he was doing well and the next he was gone without any warning.


Fly free Tipsey, rest in peace.

For those who don’t know and reads this Tipsey was the one with the bad wing!

Soon I am getting a female bird for Piggi from Janet.

[mr squeaks]

Your post about Tipsey's passing came as quite a shock, Chriss!!

I am SO SORRY. I do know Tipsey had a wonderful life with you and now flies free over the Rainbow Bridge!

Tipsey will always have a place in your heart and memories!

Sending LOVING COMFORTING THOUGHTS WITH HUGS at this sad time...

Shi

[Feefo]

Oh, that is so sad! He was a lovely pigeon and you gave him a wonderful life. Without you and Janet he would have had a much, much shorter life and a miserable one at that.

He was a lucky pigeon and I know that you will miss him terribly.

Cynthia

[amyable]

Hi,

I've been talking to Christina on email but I do want to say on here a big thank you to her for the wonderful life she gave Tipsey.

When I found him he had been left lying on his back for two days and had scratched his wing raw in his attempts to get up. He was starving too, and all they were going to do was wring his neck. He wanted to live. Christina offered him a home, (we thought he was a girl), but they still made him part of their lives along with Piggie, and he couldn't have been happier or had a better or more active life. He overcame his disability and I've loved hearing about all his antics, running around chasing all the ladies who visited his garden.
I can't believe he's gone, but if you believe in re-incarnation, then I know you'll see him again one day, just watch for the signs, he'll let you know when he's around.

He turned into a wonderful character, and that was all thanks to the love and time Christina and John gave him. He was indeed a lucky bird.

Now his wing is healed and he's flying free.

Hi Janet,

I wanted to tell a few more stories about him.

About a month ago Piggi figure it out that if he drags his toy near the net aviary he can get Tipsey really worked up. At first I thought “ nahh Piggi can’t be that smart, I mean come on!” Well boy I was wrong! I moved Piggis toy away from the net that keeps them apart about 4 times and soon after it was right back in the same spot. What I witnessed was unbelievable: Tipsey was attacking Piggis toy, while Tipsey was attacking Piggis toy Piggi was pecking Tipsey head, even plucking off some feathers off his neck. I was like OMG!!!!!!! Well I had to leave Piggi toy-less, served him right! I know this sounds really bad what Piggi did but I could never stay upset at Piggi because well… he is too cute, you got to admire his smart brain. No worries, as soon after in the nice sunny day they wore both cuddle up in the sunshine trough the net into one another like best buddies. You see they had a really strange love – hate relationship like and I had to accept tit. Deep down inside was love and companionship between them.

Last week I cleaned the aviary and all this time Tipsey was around me being very cocky and grouting at me, he was not approving of me doing so and going trough his sticks he gathered from all over the garden. I normally take him up stairs in the house while I do the work in the aviary but was such a nice day I though he can stick around. Oh boy he was revolted of my actions. Once I finished he and put his rock there he went straight at it and sat on it very proudly and doing really dominant coos lol It was like I was a big intruder and he won some big fight lol. Oh and the peanuts after I gave him made him forgot I what I have done there. He gathered other sticks and weeds and rearranged his place again, that was fun seeing him busier then ever.

Last Tuesday was a really fun day that sticks in my mind in particular. While I was walking Tipsey in the morning trough the garden he found this really big slug. He found slugs before but this thing was about the size of a finger and rather active. Tipsey threw the slug around like nothing on earth, he as peaking him and throwing the slug in the air, he done so about 5 times. I was not sure how to react to such a sight. I wanted to stop him but he was so much into it that I did not wanted to ruin it. In the end Tipsey started to grunt at the slug and looked so startled lol was so funny, he was coming near the slug and doing loads of grunts, the poor slug was moving and Tipsey backed off eventually and walked away in the opposite direction.

In the same day Piggi was upstairs, you see I take him in over the night and get him back in the aviary in the morning because he coos so much early morning right under our window at about 5 in the morning. Anyway Piggi was upstairs and I was putting fresh water for both of them. I went back and forward and done first Tipsey water first and then after went to open Piggis part of the aviary to get him fresh seeds and water too. Tipsey went deliberately went past me straight into Piggis side of the aviary. I tried to get Tipsey out but he did not wanted to hear anything about it so I though “ just let him have his way” So I sat on the bench and left the aviary door wide open and watched Tipsey going trough Piggis stuff. What he’s done there really surprised me: first he walked around curiously pecking at everything gently and curiously, then he ate Piggis seeds from Piggis bowl, not just normal eating he ate with such an appetite I mean he ate all the seeds and it was quite a handful, he even ate the peas, and Tipsey never eats peas lol. I never sow Tipsey eating so much since I had him, he always ate very little and often but this time Tipsey’s crop was absolutely full of seeds. After he finished most of the seeds he elegantly dinked from Piggis water pot and as a desert went for his grit too. Then he walked around a bit more trough the aviary, had a few mouthfuls of the remaining seeds and cooed off trough Piggis door right back to his side of the aviary and sat proudly on his rock. I guess food tastes better when is stolen. Oh yeah he got revenge on Piggi and he was proud of it, I could see a cheeky smile of his pigeon face lol.

Tipsey was always up to something and he was so entertaining. I am going to miss moment like that so much. He was my garden pigeon as I called him, because he always walked trough the garden happily and that was his special thing he enjoyed. I don’t think I would of noticed small things like the worms that lurk around or the ants, butterflies or bumble bees and how the whole thing works together when you leave things grow around.

I can’t believe he is gone, but as Janet says he flies free now and has a good wing.

[chriss80]

Hi Janet,

I wanted to tell a few more stories about Tipsey.

About a month ago Piggi figure it out that if he drags his toy near the net aviary he can get Tipsey really worked up. At first I thought “ nahh Piggi can’t be that smart, I mean come on!” Well boy I was wrong! I moved Piggis toy away from the net that keeps them apart about 4 times and soon after it was right back in the same spot. What I witnessed was unbelievable: Tipsey was attacking Piggis toy, while Tipsey was attacking Piggis toy Piggi was pecking Tipsey head, even plucking off some feathers off his neck. I was like OMG!!!!!!! Well I had to leave Piggi toy-less, served him right! I know this sounds really bad what Piggi did but I could never stay upset at Piggi because well… he is too cute, you got to admire his smart brain. No worries, as soon after in the nice sunny day they wore both cuddle up in the sunshine trough the net into one another like best buddies. You see they had a really strange love – hate relationship like and I had to accept tit. Deep down inside was love and companionship between them.

Last week I cleaned the aviary and all this time Tipsey was around me being very cocky and grouting at me, he was not approving of me doing so and going trough his sticks he gathered from all over the garden. I normally take him up stairs in the house while I do the work in the aviary but was such a nice day I though he can stick around. Oh boy he was revolted of my actions. Once I finished he and put his rock there he went straight at it and sat on it very proudly and doing really dominant coos lol It was like I was a big intruder and he won some big fight lol. Oh and the peanuts after I gave him made him forgot I what I have done there. He gathered other sticks and weeds and rearranged his place again, that was fun seeing him busier then ever.

Last Tuesday was a really fun day that sticks in my mind in particular. While I was walking Tipsey in the morning trough the garden he found this really big slug. He found slugs before but this thing was about the size of a finger and rather active. Tipsey threw the slug around like nothing on earth, he as peaking him and throwing the slug in the air, he done so about 5 times. I was not sure how to react to such a sight. I wanted to stop him but he was so much into it that I did not wanted to ruin it. In the end Tipsey started to grunt at the slug and looked so startled lol was so funny, he was coming near the slug and doing loads of grunts, the poor slug was moving and Tipsey backed off eventually and walked away in the opposite direction.

In the same day Piggi was upstairs, you see I take him in over the night and get him back in the aviary in the morning because he coos so much early morning right under our window at about 5 in the morning. Anyway Piggi was upstairs and I was putting fresh water for both of them. I went back and forward and done first Tipsey water first and then after went to open Piggis part of the aviary to get him fresh seeds and water too. Tipsey went deliberately went past me straight into Piggis side of the aviary. I tried to get Tipsey out but he did not wanted to hear anything about it so I though “ just let him have his way” So I sat on the bench and left the aviary door wide open and watched Tipsey going trough Piggis stuff. What he’s done there really surprised me: first he walked around curiously pecking at everything gently and curiously, then he ate Piggis seeds from Piggis bowl, not just normal eating he ate with such an appetite I mean he ate all the seeds and it was quite a handful, he even ate the peas, and Tipsey never eats peas lol. I never sow Tipsey eating so much since I had him, he always ate very little and often but this time Tipsey’s crop was absolutely full of seeds. After he finished most of the seeds he elegantly dinked from Piggis water pot and as a desert went for his grit too. Then he walked around a bit more trough the aviary, had a few mouthfuls of the remaining seeds and cooed off trough Piggis door right back to his side of the aviary and sat proudly on his rock. I guess food tastes better when is stolen. Oh yeah he got revenge on Piggi and he was proud of it, I could see a cheeky smile of his pigeon face lol.

Tipsey was always up to something and he was so entertaining. I am going to miss moment like that so much. He was my garden pigeon as I called him, because he always walked trough the garden happily and that was his special thing he enjoyed. I don’t think I would of noticed small things like the worms that lurk around or the ants, butterflies or bumble bees and how the whole thing works together when you leave things grow around.

I can’t believe he is gone, but as Janet says he flies free now and has a good wing.

[amyable]

Those are great memories, They made me laugh. Funny how they were always looking to get one over each other, but good friends underneath it all. I've just been watching a video I have of Tipsey in the garden and bathing in my small waterfall. He sure liked to keep himself looking good. Such a poser.
I've had a very sentimental evening, reading through his story again.
I'm so glad you decided to create this journal. It sits as a fitting tribute to a great pet and feathered friend.

[chriss80]

I got some major updates: we have a girl for Piggi and her name is Boo, we just got her today from Janet. Boo is one pretty lady and quite a grunter.

For now she is upstairs in a spare room but she has not meet Piggi yet.

We have opened the box for here too her upstairs and let her in there with the box open. Outside the box in the room there are seeds, fresh water plus peanuts. Within10 minutes she was out of the box eating the seeds lol. Right now the light is fading off outside and so is in her room and she sits on top of the box perched.
I think we going to sneak Piggi in the room tonight in the dark so they wake up tomorrow together. But one thing Piggi is going to be locked in a cage, you never know what the reaction tomorrow morning is going to so be better safe then sorry.

I will keep up to date on how the things are going, this is very exciting times.

Picture of her just out of the box bellow, she is one brave girl.

For those who do not know about Boo she does not fly but that is ok as I am going to let her walk among my garden pigeons, she is going to have great time. While for Piggi there is some occasional freedom out there planned for the future, so he can go sky high, one he settles in with Boo hopefully.

[John_D]

Piggi is going to have a big surprise

Hope that they like each other and want to settle together.

John

[amyable]

Hi Chriss,

That is so weird seeing her coming out of that box I sent her off in today.
It was hard putting her in there and saying goodbye, but I told her she would be one of the most spoilt pigeons in the world from now on, so she grunted and got in !!
Before I put her in the box, I let her give Poly one last kiss, he replied with a peck on her head.
I really hope she and Piggi hit it off as she's had such a hard time losing any mate she had at the sanctuary, and then falling for the three timing Poly here.
She deserves a mate of her own that she can settle down with. Piggi also deserves a mate and so they were sort of made for each other.

I look forward to hearing their love story.

Good luck Boo.