Update on the Overpass Pigeons

[feralpigeon]

Yes, Larry, I was concerned about being stopped or arrested by the police.
I saw two cruisers on the way there, and no sooner had I set up ladder for
this last one when I heard sirens and saw the bubble gum machine flashing
lights coming my way. I was shocked! But then they drove right by me and
I figured that I would have at least enough time to help this straggler behind the mesh get out before they returned from that call. The bird ran away at first, I talked to h/her softly and then s/he allowed me to catch him/her.
In a second, the bird was free and joined the other birds.

They've lost a considerable amount of habitat there and they will no doubt be
dazed and confused for a while. But I am going to try and move them to a
nearby park in anticipation of a new ordinance that may come into law which
won't allow feeding in commercial districts but doesn't effect personal property and parks. It's a bit looser than the ordinances in SF.

I have AVI files but don't know where I can display them which shows the
trapped pigeon pacing back and forth behind the wire. I do also have
some stills of the area in general and the trapped bird and distraught mate
clinging to the wire mesh from the outside:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559294189OmERiu

I'm pretty apprehensive about tomorrow as I'm sure these guys will love to
try and trap some more. I won't be comfortable until they are through w/their project and the possibility of trapping any more birds is over.

fp

[Maggie-NC]

fp, seeing the pictures makes me madder than I was. I simply cannot understand the mind set of any human who is willing to cause so much agony and pain to a defenseless pigeon. I guess they want to protect the art work.

You can tell that the two pigeons clinging to the wire in front of the trapped one knew what was happening.

I truly hope that you can some how, some way, publicize this atrocity.

[Birdmom4ever]

Bless you, FP for rescuing all those babies from a very cruel death! And kudos to Wildcare for taking so many, too. I know the wildlife places prefer not to expend resources on non-native species, so I really appreciate it when they are willing to go the extra mile by helping pigeons. Our local Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley takes them, too.

[Birdmom4ever]

Oops--I didn't read to the end before I posted. So glad you got the last straggler out, too.

Your comments about Gavin Newsom are right on the mark. Now I have another reason to detest him!

[Larry_Cologne]

fp,

I saw a couple of the photos, and have an idea, probably not acceptable to some. But, here goes.

Could we turn this situation around?

To me, these overpasses seem to be an ideal place, compared to many others, for pigeons to nest. Few people are bothered by pigeons there.

If a ledge were extended outward from the wall a half foot out from the wall, no pigeon droppings would hit the wall.

The wall could then be used for murals, advertising, etc.

On the walkway or sidewalk below, a "flower bed" of dirt could extend outward from the wall far enough (about two feet or so) to catch the natural and free fertilizer (good enough for French Champagne vineyards). An mottled (splotchy-colored) type of ivy might grow there. (It could also catch baby birds falling from te nesting ledge. Here in Cologne at a train bridge overpass, where I found my baby pigeon Wieteke, birds often get run over by cars and streetcars going in both directions. birds nest on the supporting steel girders over the roadway.

The sidewalk would have to be wide enough to accommodate this scenario. Perhaps the car lanes could be narrowed to slow down the traffic (if this would be a positive and not a negative effect in the overall picture).

In Japan, according to news sources a year or so ago, some passersby claimed to get sick from passing under or near to where pigeons were nesting and roosting. (Perhaps they were allergic). The foot traffic might be negligible. We would have to consider the likelihood of this happening, and how best to deal with it.

Cities (that is, people individually and collectively, have to learn to accommodate other species, even rodents. These animals will not be eliminated; more likely they will be displaced. to the ones who see them as a problem, they will have to deal with a new problem once they have meddled in the old situation.

Anyway, possibly something to think about. (While I twiddle my thumbs).

Who needs more advertising and billboards? Does Caltrans have to squeeze money out of every bloody -- (since I'm an American, this isn't a bad word) --turnip they own?

I had an idea the other day, whose time I think is soon coming. Many people are tattoeing more and more expanses of skin. Formula One race cars, stadium walls, all conceivable areas of public spaces are being used for advertising. How about when your average sports star is tattoed all over with advertising? Drink Coke, wear Nike shoes. Priests and pastors cold have tattoes with religious themes; insurance executives could profess their loyalty and commitment with company logos and slogans.

It could get to the point where ou would have trouble looking someone in the eyes during a conversation. Maybelline spelled out in the eyebrows. Gillettte razors spelled out in dots, over and over, to form a five-o'clock shadow.

Better quit now. Mental fatigue setting in.

Keep up the good work, fp.

Hilde buried a run-over pigeon a half hour ago, which we found when taking a round-the-block late night walk. Something had eaten the breast muscles; keel was on the sidewalk a couple of feet away from the fatal spot. Maybe a crow (better the remains of a carcass than a live baby bird). Saw a bike (coasting slightly downhill) pass over the spot a half minute after I located it.

Good thing our flightless rescue female Osk-gurr isn't on the street.

Larry

[sabina]

Hey FP
I just want to chime in and say I'm amazed by what you achieved with your rescue efforts. It was clearly very well-organized, quickly executed, and best of all, so successful! Congratulations on a job well done!
What a ridiculous story, they couldn't touch the birds because of some made-up virus? I can't imagine how anyone could do such a thing, seeing those birds trapped in there.
Good luck tomorrow.
Sabina

[TAWhatley]

Thanks for the photos, FP .. very, very sad and upsetting. If you want to e-mail the AVI's to me, I will put them up on my site and post the links here.

Terry

[kittypaws]

The only "good" thing about thing this whole horrible thing is that as least they are using the mesh and not the netting - netting is terrible in that birds will get caught up - I would think the pigeons would be unlikely to get caught in the mesh but that is the only good thing.

How people can trap a bird like that is unbeliveable!! I really don't get it.

On some of the railway bridges in the UK, they will use mesh or netting at the sides, but allow roosting spots where the bridge spans the road. I read somwhere that they do this because if they sealed up all the roosting spots, the pigeons would just move on somewhere else and become a "problem" elsewhere - so that's a little comfort I guess........

I hope FP that the work is done soon and that no others are trapped.

Tania xx

[Larry_Cologne]

fp,

I wasn't able to see all the photos the first time around. Took a second look-see. There is plenty of space to accommodate pigeons with a ledge.

I don't know if Caltrans sposored the zebra murals,; if so it would seem hypocritical to kll pigeons on the one hand while trying to appear "green" or eco-friendly or "nature-loving" or whatever the current buzz-words are for those who need buzz-words, by painting (admittedly dead and non-threatening) pictures of zebras.

Reminds of the Christ's injunction against "whited sepulchres": pretty on the outside, dead and rotting on the inside.

I counted dupwards of 120 pigeons in your photo of them in flight. What a wonderful flock! This is a major nesting site for them. Very safe. Until recently.

I can't imagine a place less needed for much-less-worthy human interests than this. Why can't they (the ones who think they need this space enough to kill pigeons for it) focus their decadent minds or supposedly mentally malfunctioning stews for brains elsewhere?

Calling others bad names, denigrating them thus is probably small-minded and ineffective, but it is how I feel about them at this time.

Larry

[TAWhatley]

http://www.rims.net/IM000803.AVI

http://www.rims.net/IM000807.AVI

http://www.rims.net/IM000808.AVI

http://www.rims.net/IM000813.AVI

Terry

[Larry_Cologne]

Terry,

You posted the 4 QuickTime movies as .avi movies at 5:03 A.M. Central European Time, and at 5:45 I cannot open them in my Mac Safari web browser, nor in Mozilla Firefox for Mac web browser.

The Q symbol for QuickTime shows up, then a ? question mark.

Can you save them as .mov or .mp4 formats?

Ah -- okay, I downloaded the linked files and tried opening them in VLC -- didn't work. Then tried with Real Player, which worked.

Thanks,

Larry

[TAWhatley]

Glad you got them and could view them, Larry. FP sent me the files, I put them up on my site, and posted the links .. all four of which open just fine for me. Hopefully nobody else will have trouble with them.

Terry

[Charis]

That poor bird's gonna need therapy.

[Trees Gray]

Hi fp,

I'm glad to hear the last one is released.

Thank you so very much for all your efforts. Hope this new week, will bring some new strategies, get some well deserved rest, please.

[Feather]

FP,

I have been trying to find out the location of the pigeons, so that I can call Cal Trans.

I located it on Google Earth several months back, but I updated GE and it is so different. I have not figured out how to bring up the streets or the freeway numbers. I realize that time is important here. I know those birds are stressed that aren't getting relieved, as well as the ones that cannot get to their nests.

I can see the overpass right here on my screen, but I cannot find the links that bring up the street names.

These birds can't wait til I get smart.

Feather