My Worst Fears Have Come True

[ante bozanich]

My worst fears have come true. I just found a note under my door from the super that there has been a complain about "some birds" on the back terrace. The "bird-control" people are coming next Thursday. Currently there are two nests on my terrace with two couples of feral pigeons sitting on them. I don't know when either of them were due to hatch. I panicked and just boiled the eggs and put them back. I thought this is better then them coming and killing the babies. I hope I did not make mistake. Now I have to deal with the rest of the situation here. I can not believe this.

[Lady Tarheel]

Ante, I am really sorry to read this. I don't know when the persecution of pigeons will end - if ever. I don't know what to say about the eggs since I've never been faced with this situation.

Please let us know about any more developments. I know you are sick at heart.

[canaryjayne]

This is terrible news and I know you must be devastated. I do not know what to advise but my heart goes out to you . You have done what you think is right to protect the piggies. It must have been heartbreaking having to boil the eggs. You have been very brave. I hope someone else will advise you further fairly soon. Remember no one fails when they do their best. Thank you so much for caring.

[Charis]

I'm so sorry. It must have been really hard for you to bol those eggs.

[ante bozanich]

I did not know what else to do. I know at least one couple has been sitting on their nest for a while and the babies could have been hatched any minute. If I waited and the babies were born then I think it would have been much more difficult. I am sure the "bird-control" people would have found the nest and I am afraid they would have killed the babies.

After I had put the eggs back into the nest the fathers went right back to sit on them as if nothing has happened. Now what do I do about these four birds and the rest who sleep and many others who come to visit me every day to eat and drink? God have mercy.

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by ante bozanich

My worst fears have come true. I just found a note under my door from the super that there has been a complain about "some birds" on the back terrace. The "bird-control" people are coming next Thursday. Currently there are two nests on my terrace with two couples of feral pigeons sitting on them. I don't know when either of them were due to hatch. I panicked and just boiled the eggs and put them back. I thought this is better then them coming and killing the babies. I hope I did not make mistake. Now I have to deal with the rest of the situation here. I can not believe this.

So, what are the "bird-control" people going to do exactly? First of all, no one blames you for what you did with the eggs. In my opinion, you did right. I know it must have been hard, but it's done now and the babies will not have to suffer at all ever again. If I was you, I would remove the nests, eggs, food everything and clean up around your area so that there are no signs of pigeons being actually kept and cared for there. That may sound like a very cruel thing to do but the birds will get over it and if they are actually sitting on a nest or even if they leave the nests, just the sight of the nests being there may cause you trouble. This is such a tough situation. This is all I can think to do. I wouldn't think that you would want the "human pests" to come and realize that you are actually feeding, caring for and ALLOWING these birds to reproduce on your terrace.

[ante bozanich]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

So, what are the "bird-control" people going to do exactly? First of all, no one blames you for what you did with the eggs. In my opinion, you did right. I know it must have been hard, but it's done now and the babies will not have to suffer at all ever again. If I was you, I would remove the nests, eggs, food everything and clean up around your area so that there are no signs of pigeons being actually kept and cared for there. That may sound like a very cruel thing to do but the birds will get over it and if they are actually sitting on a nest or even if they leave the nests, just the sight of the nests being there may cause you trouble. This is such a tough situation. This is all I can think to do. I wouldn't think that you would want the "human pests" to come and realize that you are actually feeding, caring for and ALLOWING these birds to reproduce on your terrace.

Thanks. I think you are right. There was nothing else I could have done. There is no way of relocating these birds with their nests. As I said, I did not want to wait because there was possibility the eggs were going to hatch any time. I have 6 days. I will let them sit on the dead eggs till tomorrow and then I have to move on. I will stop feeding all of them. It's good that it's spring. Days are long and warm so I think most of them will be able to find their own water and food for the time being. I have to start with the major cleaning of the entire terrace and my apartment, keep my head together and not think right now about sorrow and my contempt for some if not most of human beings.

PS I have no idea what this "human pests" are going to do.

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by ante bozanich

Thanks. I think you are right. There was nothing else I could have done. There is no way of relocating these birds with their nests. As I said, I did not want to wait because there was possibility the eggs were going to hatch any time. I have 6 days. I will let them sit on the dead eggs till tomorrow and then I have to move on. I will stop feeding all of them. It's good that it's spring. Days are long and warm so I think most of them will be able to find their own water and food for the time being. I have to start with the major cleaning of the entire terrace and my apartment, keep my head together and not think right now about sorrow and my contempt for some if not most of human beings.

I asked what they were going to do because I hope they are not planning on putting out poison. That's why I suggested that you stop feeding them right away. If they can't find food there, maybe they will move somewhere else. If poisoned food is put down and they are still used to eating in that area, well, we all know what that means. This is so sickening.........

[ante bozanich]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

I asked what they were going to do because I hope they are not planning on putting out poison. That's why I suggested that you stop feeding them right away. If they can't find food there, maybe they will move somewhere else. If poisoned food is put down and they are still used to eating in that area, well, we all know what that means. This is so sickening.........

I am afraid you are right and in the world we live in there is not that much I can do to stop them without hurting myself.

[abisai]

Ante . . .
Ok you've got 4 birds with nests and dummy eggs. your super is coming to "inspect', and not in a friendly manner. You got rid of the eggs . . .whats done is done. The super now wants to get rid of the birds. Balls in your court now. Get rid of the birds before he does. You can release them very far away near an existing flock . . .or you can obtain cages and keep them inside of your apt. Get rid of the evidence, especially if your gonna keep the birds in your apt. Otherwise Super may wanna get rid of you.

Keep the faith . . there are still good people in this world.

A.C.

[Avalona Birdy]

*shudder*

What a horrible situation.......I am sure that the best thing now would be to shoo them away, so if there is any poison or something like that, then they wouldn't get hurt. Clean up the food, the water......man, it's this kind of thing that keeps me awake at night.......

[mr squeaks]

We will all send "thoughts" that these "bird control" people will come to "inspect" at a time when you do NOT feed the pijies and there won't be a PIGEON in sight!

Even so, because of the situation, you may have to feed the pigeons some other place OR feed VERY sparingly and not consistently, so you don't get future notices!

Sounds like someone has been "watching."

I'm so sorry you have to go through this...Hopefully, we will think positive that things will turn out well!

Shi
& Mr. Squeaks

[phyll]

[quote=ante bozanich;196710]I did not know what else to do. I know at least one couple has been sitting on their nest for a while and the babies could have been hatched any minute.

I intended to send you a "Private Message," but since that is not an option, I am posting here.
The next time you are faced with a situation concerning pigeons, please ask for advice BEFORE taking any action.

If the parents have been sitting on their eggs for a while, then the eggs you boiled contained fully formed babies. Those babies can feel pain.
I know you said you panicked, so I am not telling you this to make you feel bad or guilty, but, hopefully, to prevent you (& others) from taking this action.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't ever boil eggs that have been incubated again.

If you haven't already removed the nests, remove them on Tuesday or Wednesday.
We don't know what the freakin' "control" company plans to do, but if they use POISON, get rid of it the best you can. They may use corn treated with poison.

The entire building may be targeted, so the poison may be placed in "common" areas.
If poison is used & you need help to remove it, contact me at ChristsChris@webtv.net.
We live on Long Island & would be happy to help you.

Phyll

[ante bozanich]

Originally Posted by abisai

Ante . . .
Ok you've got 4 birds with nests and dummy eggs. your super is coming to "inspect', and not in a friendly manner. You got rid of the eggs . . .whats done is done. The super now wants to get rid of the birds. Balls in your court now. Get rid of the birds before he does. You can release them very far away near an existing flock . . .or you can obtain cages and keep them inside of your apt. Get rid of the evidence, especially if your gonna keep the birds in your apt. Otherwise Super may wanna get rid of you.

Keep the faith . . there are still good people in this world.

A.C.

None of these birds are captive, so I do not have to release them. They can fly away as they wish.

Now I feel horrible about the eggs from what Phyll has said. I do remember someone else here telling me to boil the eggs at another thread regarding a different issue while back. I could be totally wrong but I think it's debatable how sentient birds are before they hatch. Also, I still don't know how could have I moved the nests so that exterminators would not see them considering that I have been told never to disturb the nest let alone to move it to a totally different location.

Also my understanding was that pigeon poison was illegal in NYC?

I think I have to remove these nests right away and stop feeding all these pigeons right away. We are talking about many birds here who could be poisoned. I can remove poison on my terrace but there are at least 30 other terraces above, bellow, right and left. I think, the sooner these pigeons stop comming here the better.


My main problem here is how to remove any sign of pigeons coming here and somehow make sure they do not come when "bird-control" people are here.

I can't beleive this. They were the only family I had. I am not going to think about this right now. It's going to brake my heart. I have a lot of work to do.

I don't know if it's wise to post this on the Web. I am going by my full name here. But I suppose It's too late now not to do so.

Thanks Phyll for giving me your email. I may need it.

[Larry_Cologne]

Ante,

The pigeons have invested a lot of time over the winter and "pre-nest-building" season to scout out the territory.

I have watched pigeons in the windows across the street build nests. They spent many days and some nights in the windows from last October on. I watched the window being opened and a hand brush the first nest, a large pile of twigs (two handsfull) out of the window. I watched again as a hand brushed the second nest, with an entire egg, from the same window. Room is storage room, closet of sorts, seldom accessed -- maybe once or twice a day. I was worried there may have been a hatched chick also cast out, but couldn't see (ground below consists of a metal grill, before a door. However, a day or so later I watched as the female flew across the street (to a window above and adjacent to my window) and released an egg from her vent, which dropped and shattered at our apartment house main stairwell entry.

The pigeons persisted, and have a nest which they have been sitting on for several weeks now in an adjacent window in the storage room next to their first site, but still accessed and controlled by the same person who removed the first two nests. (Second room is accessed by door leading to first room, which I have determined by watching lights and silhouettes. Windows have translucent but not transparent grid-patterned glass. Pigeons in second window nest maintain a lower profile in one of the corners of the window, rather than sitting on a high pile of twigs as in the first window, and thus presenting an obvious and tempting silhouette.

Also, last summer while I was in the U.S., landlord entered apartment for repairs, as a result of which a neighbor lady watching over our apartment had to chase the feral female pigeon Mamieke wth a broom from her nest with several-day-old eggs on our wardrobe and secure the place against pigeon entry. Made her feel like sh*t.

Our male rescued-as-a-baby and hand-raised male Wieteke comes for food to our window daily, still thins of the apartment as his home and nesting territory. There are a couple of more-or-less "safe" windows across the street for nest building (one window, at the chapel, has had successive pigeon pairs with a nest for years). He has not chosen to secure one of these as his territory. I think he and his mate will not have a nest this year. He is quite angry with me. His mate comes to the window when called, and he chases her around because she won't go in (I am standing there preventing her entry).

I talk to him a lot, do the "hech" danger warning sounds pigeons make to each other, but do not get across to him. Don't speak the same language. He is very persistent. Very macho. Very impressive.

These observations indicate to me that the pigeons will not give up so easily.

I don't see how you can have done anything else. I agree with the other posts above hwole-heartedly. I rescued and hand-raised Pidgiepoo when I found him and his nestmate in a nest in a flower pot someone had removed from their balcony or terrace and set on the street on April 30, 2004. I now realize that the parent pigeons had put in a lot of time and effort scoping out the unsuccessful nest site over the winter, while the terrace or balcony was unused and therefore seemed safe. Most of the city pigeons don't live long enough to be able to pass on "chirps of wisdom" to their offspring and future generations.

I have observed pigeons flying off whenever they hear an explosion or loud noise. Motorcycle backfires, doors or windows slamming, loud handclaps, firecrackers or gunshots

I would make a loud "plosive" or explosive sound prior to opening your apartment door for inspection. Get the pigeons to fly forty to fifty meters or yards away at least. A good shocking noise will keep them away for five or ten minutes at least.

If you can think of nothing better (louder), pop a large balloon or two that you have ready on the balcony, or do a very loud handclap: these will chase the pigeons away for a short distance, for a short time. Try not to let a person waiting at the door to your apartment catch on to what you are doing. Have the balcony spotless. (Maybe one or two poops near the edge would be a good idea, to convince them that the pigeons are not nesting, but there is always the random pigeon visitor. Might be a more natural scenario. Also wouls account for a neighbor observing the occasional visitor in the future. Play it by ear).

As I type this, Wieteke is on our window ledge roo-cooing for his mate. "Dang it, where are you, woman?"

Larry