New to This Site

[goulian]

Hello All. I have just found this site using Google and I have to say how much I love it. I have never seen so many people on one site who obviously love pigeons. I have recently "adopted" a small flock or feral pigeons and had no idea so many others have done the same, or very similar, thing.

I am located on a military base in the Republic of Korea (Camp Casey) and am retired from the Army. I now work in an education center and had, at one time, a small dovecote of Fantails. I have an old website that explains how I got started and what happened to them, among other things. If you are interested, the web site is as follows: http://www.angelfire.com/ca/goulian

I have been feeding a small flock on my way to breakfast every morning since January 2007. At that time, it consisted of only about five birds. Now it has at time thirty individuals, some of which are tame enough to eat out of my hands. It sure it great to have a wild animal trust you enough to fly to your hand. In all fairness, these pigeons were not exactly wild, but were very used to having people around, as most pigeons are. But, as far as I know, they only fly to me and a friend who accompanies me to breakfast.

Well, I just thougt I would check in and say that I really enjoy reading the various posts and will continue to enjoy it for as long as this site exists.

Take care and enjoy your pigeons.

Mike

[TAWhatley]

Hi Mike! Welcome to Pigeon-Talk! It sounds like you have found yourself a home here. We would love to hear more pigeon stories from you and any pictures you could post would be wonderful .. we LOVE pictures here!

Again, welcome!

Terry

PS: Just started reading at the link you gave .. great stuff!

[cyro51]

Hi Mike,

Welcome! We have members dotted all over the world, which is great. I don't think we have had a member in Korea before.


Cynthia

[Trees Gray]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to pigeon Talk,

Thank you for your interest in our fine feral friends, we would love to hear more.

Please do share pictures from your "neck of the woods".

[Reti]

Hi Mike and welcome to Pigeon-Talk.
Great website you have there. Thanks for sharing.

Reti

[Lady Tarheel]

Hi Mike

Welcome to the forum. We are very happy to have you join. As you already know, this is a great site with wonderful, caring, pigeon-loving people!

[Victor]

Hi Mike, and welcome aboard. I was stationed in Camp Casey for one year in the late 70's. It is a beautiful place and I remember the people there being so friendly. It is nice to "meet " you!!

[Garye]

That's what's so great about this site - knowing that there are others like you who love pigeons. I used to think I was weird and alone in this until I found this site. I, too, feed ferals and it's always interesting to see the different colors and personalities of the birds. I had a favorite feral I named Garye but she disappeared sometime this year. Such a special bird. She would look at me at times like she was studying me, like she knew I really cared about her. She sounds in a way like your Henry. Henry knew you and came right over to you like that. I always knew pigeons were smart.

[goulian]

I would like to thank you all for your comments and welcomes to this site. I know I will love it here. In addition, I want to tell you about something that happened this morning on my way to feed the flock. I normally feed these birds on the same patch of ground so thay will know exactly where to find me. They already know when I will be looking for them, but they have not yet seemed to grasp the exact location where the food will be given to them. They just follow me around until I feed them. Today, on my way to the designated location, I met a friend and stopped to talk for a minute. Shortly after stopping, several of the birds flew to me and pushed their feet against my right arm. When I realized what they were doing, it blew me away. They were prompting me to go to the feeding location. They did not land on me; just kept pushing their feet against my right arm and shoulder. When I started to walk again, they stopped and followed me to the location where I fed them. It never ceases to amaze me as to what these intelligent birds are capable of. It made my whole day, and now I look forward to their next revelation of their amazing intelligence.

I noticed a Korean woman who had been walking near by. She had stopped and was looking at me and the pigeons with a puzzled look on her face. She probably wondered what I had done to make there birds "attack" me. That must be what it looked like to her, at least until I started feeding them.

Take care, all, and have a nice pigeon day.

Mike

[Trees Gray]

Hi Mike,

Pigeons are very smart, as well as endearing.

We all know it, but I sure appreciate you sharing this example with us, it makes my day.

Thank you.

[Lady Tarheel]

Hi Mike - I love stories like the one you just shared. Pigeons are very smart. For several years my husband fed a large flock at a local shopping mall. He usually walks 3-5 miles a day so he was always walking by the time he made it to the mall. It didn't matter what kind of clothes he had on, which direction he approached the mall, or if other people were walking near him. The pigeons would fly at least two blocks to meet him and accompany him to the feeding site. He said it was almost embarrassing sometimes because some would walk behind him and others would fly.

He had to stop feeding them at the mall when they took away all the canopies where they nested, and started putting out goop, wire and anything else they could think of to drive them away. Some are still there because we have a baby (Pooh) who was rescued by a caring shop keeper who contacted us.

[Charis]

Hi Mike- I'm a Real Estate agent in Portland and often list homes in my own neighborhood. My personal flock of rehabbed ferals, would follow me to open houses and wait on the telephone line outside, then follow me home again.
It was comforting to have my own personal escort.

[Garye]

Pigeons sure are smart. We had a carnival in April that took up the parking lot space where I feed the ferals. I was worried they wouldn't find me in another spot but I waited in my car. Sure enough, they managed to find me in my new spot. We'd meet each day in the new spot until the carnival went away and then it was back to the old spot again. I really don't know how they do it because my car resembles so many others that come to the mall but they somehow found my car in that new spot.

On a cold day, they'll let me know to hurry up with the food. They'll get on the back of my car or roof and look in through the window or flap their wings against the car. I remember one cold day, I was a little slow with the goods and I heard this flapping in the rear of my car. I looked out the rear window - 3 pigeons were perched on the back looking in.

Yeah, they know a friend when they see one.