Sling Bird !!!!

[pdpbison]

Just a cool little story from today...

My kneeling, waiting to try and catch some feral String Feet Birds of my wild Flock...and...who lands and walks up looking at me?

"Sling Bird!"...

I have not knowingly seen him for like Ohhhhh, can it be??? 14 years or so??? !

One day, heck, 1988? 1991? Hmmm somewhere around there, I opened my roll-up industrial Door, and almost stepped on a Pigeon laying there on the ground with their Wings spread wide, looking up at me.

This was a full adult of indeterminate age, who somehow, had broken both thighs.

Anyway, I set him into a suspension 'sling', and provided Seeds and Water within easy Beak Reach, and the sling let him poop easily and did not push against his Crop or anything, while holding him 'up' so his Legas were merely relaxed and dangleing. I set some simple light splints on the legs, and kept him that way for like five or six weeks or something...toward the end of which, I began setting blocks of Wood under him, at first, only so the tips of the Toes could touch them if he wanted...then, for a few days or so, a little higher so full Toes could touch, then so his Feet just barely could, then so his feet could touch the stack of blocks with a little extra room for experiments of putting light weight on them...letting him take his time this way begin gently to test or push lightly with his legs.

Well, I only did a "so-so" job of it maybe, but he walked when taken from the sling, but he walked kinda with a distinct 'Duck' wobble and the legs were slightly bowed. But he walked well and decidedly anyway.

Anyway, I kept him in here for a while after, and when I was sure he was cool to release, I let him go. He had been a very agreeable, very accomidating, social, calm, friendly Pigeon the whole time, and his release was in fact quite casual, merely one of him going outside one day with me to be with the feral Birds whom he calmly rejoined.

I do not think I ever saw him since, untill today...!

But I remember him well...!

And he sure walked up and stared at me!

I was talking to him saying "Hello!" and he seemed very intent on looking at me for some time there. Then he got interested in a cute little Hen, and was doing his Tail-Fan-Dance things and cooing to her. He of course did this Dance in something of a bow-legged sort of way which did not detract at all from it's qualities and drama in it's own right.

Wow...

All these years!

Golly...

Phil
Las Vegas