Delightful and Glorious: Fly high Delorious

[cyro51]

I don't often post on the Hall of Love, it is too painful so I wrap all my departed pigeons in my heart, but Delorious was special to so many people, including members of this forum that always ask about her in correspondence with me, that I couldn't let her go without a public eulogy.

About three years ago Les, who feeds the birds on Clapham Common, sent me a photograph of his very favourite feral pigeon, Delorious. She (I will always refer to her as a she, even though she could be a he) was a large , solitary bird, missing one foot , her other foot incomplete and with broken tail feathers that never regrew. But the iridescence around her neck was incomparable. She was clever and would position herself behind Les to receive her peanut treats, and hover expertly beside him wherever she found him. Once she had eaten she would go to the pond for a last drink, then fly off alone, making a large circuit of the common before disappearing into the distance.

A little under a year ago Les telephoned me and when he said said “I am holding my favourite pigeon in my hands”. My heart sank , because I knew something must have happened to Delorious. He went on to say that he had found her wounded on the common and was taking her to Retief Ehlers for treatment. Les and Retief nursed her back to health, but Retief felt that she was too old and battle scarred to fend for herself and so she came to live in my aviary.

I can't say that Delorious was really happy in the aviary, she had no desire for pigeon company and so she stayed in one spot most of the time, moving only to eat or to roost in a nestbox. One day, a few months ago, I found her being jumped on by other pigeons and when I brought her indoors found that her poops were black and her mouth was pale . Both very bad signs. I put her in a wicker pigeon carrier on a heat pad and after worming and treating with Baytril and another antibiotic prescribed by Retief she made an improvement, but I kept her indoors where she had the run of a bedroom and later the company of other pigeons (Holly, then My Little Angel) as they went through their own recoveries. She liked her company indoors , because there was enough room for her to have her own space as well – and she was very possessive about her wicker basket, glaring furiously through the bars when any other pigeon dared to get in it! And she loved “her” room, where she could lie comfortably in the sunshine, eat and drink without interference from a boisterous bunch of pigeons.

Although Delorious seemed to have recovered from whatever had caused the black poops, she suddenly started passing undigested seed. An X-ray didn't reveal anything in the gizzard, although there was something non-metallic in the crop. The vet and I agreed that surgery would be too difficult for her. Then the black poops returned, she started to vomit. Her keel was sharp and she was no longer able to fly up to her favourite perch. Instead, she started spending more time on her heat pad in her basket.

Les had a word with Retief who was surprised to hear that she was still alive. He said that he thought she must be suffering from Proventricular Dilation Disease and warned Les that she would not last much longer, so Les and Keiko travelled up to Norwich (a four hour drive for them) to say their final goodbyes two or three weeks ago.

I thought I had found the solution to all her troubles by feeding her Poly Aid, a high energy, low residue food...for a few days she showed some improvement and I thought that I had beaten the odds when she was once again able to fly up to her perch. But on Sunday when I went to give her her supper she was breathing noisily and died as I held her in my arms.

Les and Keiko came up for her funeral yesterday. They put peanuts into her casket and she was buried next to the aviary. John will be providing a fruit tree to mark the site.

We all loved Delorious and will miss her more than words can say.

[little bird]

Sending my condolences, Cynthia. It's never easy, no matter how many we lose. It's always like the most precious one.

[Lady Tarheel]

Cynthia, I am sorry. Your tribute to Delorious touched me tremendously and I know you will miss her. I'm just glad she had you at the end to help her make the transition. I know we love all of our babies but there are those very special ones, like Delorious, that leave a void when they leave us.

What a wonderful testament to Les' and Keiko's love for her that they drove that long distance to see her one last time.

Wish I could give you and John a big hug, but, nonetheless, know that I would if I could.

[John_D]

She was indeed a beautiful pigeon. It didn't matter about her feet, her broken and stunted tail - she was still beautiful. They thought she was an elder pigeon, and she seemed to have a way of looking wise, contemplative, filled with years of pigeon knowledge. Fanciful, maybe, but she had 'a look' about her which I have not seen in any other I have met.

We thought of the room as her room, and she went wherever she chose. When Holly pigeon shared the room for a while, Holly would follow Delorious .... lie in the sun, lounge on the bed, perch atop a cage - Holly so often seemed to just want to be near her. Close? Maybe not. But they were companionable. They surely sense things we cannot.

We knew it was, really, just a matter of time but that made it no less sad a day when she left us. She will not be forgotten.

John

[Charis]

You have me sobbing.
She is so lucky to have lived her final time in your care.

[TAWhatley]

I'm so sorry for the loss of this wonderful pigeon. Thank you for the lovely tribute, Cynthia.

Terry

[TerriB]

It's always inspiring to meet such a noble and courageous individual. I know you are missing her very much. How fortunate she was to be free in her early life and to have so many care for her at the end.

[Trees Gray]

I'm SO sorry to hear about Delorious. Thank you for sharing your tribute of her.

[myrpalom]

I am so sorry for your loss, Cynthia and John.
What a beautiful pigeon Delorious was! She had this noble, tranquil and slightly sad look in her eyes that I often see in permanently injured birds that went through a lot before ending up in Lapalomatriste.
Wathever sufferings she might have been through in her feral life, it was largely compensated by the love and care you gave her, untill the very last moment.
Myriam

[Lin Hansen]

Cynthia,

Beautiful story about Delorious, who was so loved by so many people.....

So sorry for her loss.

Linda

[cyro51]

Thank you Nona, Maggie, Charis, Terry, Terri, Treesa, Myriam and Lyn.

I hope that Delorious's days as a free living bird were happy ones. She was so lucky to meet Les, who ensured that she never went short of food.

Cynthia

[mr squeaks]

Cynthia, that was a most stunning and fitting tribute to Delorious!

There are those pigeons who just seem to be "special."

While their loss is always felt deeply, they live on in the heart and mind memory of all who knew them...

Sending heartfelt LOVE and HUGS to help...

Shi

[amyable]

Cynthia, I have just come back to see your message about Delorious and came on to read the lovely eulogy, although it made me fill up it was very touching. I know you've been concerned for her for a good few weeks and how much you wanted her to overcome this hurdle and stay for a while longer. When you have a 'special' bond, no matter who with, their passing always comes just a bit too soon.

Delorious and I came from the same neck of the woods, I used to be wheeled around the 'Common' as a baby in my pram, long before Delorious was in residence there. How lucky she was to have been so loved by Les too otherwise you may never have had the privilege of knowing her.

May her special tree blossom forever.

Lots of love

Janet

[Larry_Cologne]

Cynthia, and John, what lovely things you have to say about Delorious. Thanks for sharing, and what a wonderful tribute to her.

My condolences on her passing. She was a beautiful bird, and my wife Hilde expressed the same thought.

Larry

[cyro51]

Thank you Shi, Janet , Larry (and Hilde). I am sorry for the delay in responding, too often I check posts before logging in, forgetting that the Hall of Love will be invisible.

Cynthia