Phyllis Els shows sympathy and understanding for her feathered friends who so endearingly entrusted her with the role of granny to their new brood.
BIRDS ON THE BALCONY
While I was away the pigeons grabbed the opportunity to build a nest at the back of an old cupboard which lived on my balcony. Well, you could hardly call it a nest, I’ve never seen a more slap-dash piece of construction, two or three dried sticks criss-crossed, slap, pat, that was that and she sat down and laid two eggs. I had no idea that pigeon eggs took so long to hatch. Every day for weeks I went down on hands and knees and peered into the gloom of the makeshift maternity ward. But what a dedicated Mama. She sat there so patiently, day-in and day-out with Daddy taking over the night shift.At last the great day dawned and I was granny to two ugly prickly chicks. Anyway, for better or for worse I was partly responsible for them and I had to see to it that Mummy kept up her strength. The little gawklings grew very fast and the parents were hard put to it to satisfy their voracious appetites. They made funny little piping noises, something between a hiss, whistle and squeak which they turned on at 4:40 every morning and kept on high volume for the rest of the daylight hours. Even when they were born they seemed to be all beak, which was disproportionately large for the size of their bodies. Gradually tiny feathers grew and I was yet again moved by the kindliness of Nature for even then a layered pattern of softest grey and black was emerging. Daddy was matt black and she a pearly grey with a scalloped edge of black to her wings.
It was hilarious watching them learn to fly. They would sit there, pumping their tiny wings and chirruping in fright – more squawk than whistle this time – while the parents sat on the wall thrumming encouragement. No sooner were these juveniles off her hands when by some freak of nature and with great urgency Mama sat down and laid another two eggs, this time not even bothering to make a nest. She simply commandeered a large bowl of potting soil and ordered me to rig a shelter around it.
One day I was busy in the kitchen and on investigation found the parents marching side by side through the flat, through the lounge, into the bedroom dropping “pennies” all the way and when they found me they made it quite clear that it was long past supper time and what was I thinking of?
I was touched by the complete trust these wild birds had in me but by this time the balcony was in a terrible mess and what with the four family birds, two chicks and even a cheeky sparrow who came to dine with them, there seemed to be no stopping the graffiti.
The outside window sills were thick with guano, and they ruined the plants by stomping along the flower box with their bright red feet. They even managed to smash a prickly cactus, and would roost for the night in a flower pot no matter what it contained. Besides which, some of the tenants were beginning to complain about the noise and mess and who could blame them? What had started out as a great interest, now became a problem because paraphernalia usually kept on the balcony had to be brought inside; if I left the balcony door open they would strut through the house messing everywhere, they even broke the indoor plants, and my poor balcony garden was in tatters.
But they taught me a great deal. I did not know that pigeons had such a close family bond. While Mummy sat on her so-called nest, the teenagers would nestle on either side of her while Daddy kept guard on a nearby ledge, and he also took his turn feeding the young ones. When they weren’t on duty they would cuddle up close together like Darby and Joan and stayed loyal to one another; and now I know the meaning of “ruffled feathers”. Should an outsider try to muscle in on their territory their neck feathers would stand up in a ruff, their chests thrust forward, and they almost growled their warning.
Much as I cared for them, a heartrending decision was required. The other tenants had to be considered, and the surrounding gardens were large enough to shelter any number of birds, but how to keep them off the balcony? I just had to stop feeding them, but then they really got indignant and kicked up an awful fuss. I felt such a Judas, starving my faithful family. The Superintendent gave permission for a fine-meshed wire curtain to be erected temporarily and for a time it was agony to see them trying to get in and cooing piteously, looking at me with their soulful eyes, begging for a reason why they could not be admitted. But soon they got the message and flew to more hospitable pastures.
Most people think of pigeons as pests and very often they are, but with their scarlet legs, the intelligence in their shining eyes, and their rainbow neck feathers they are quite beautiful, and even we human beings, superior though we consider ourselves to be, can learn something of love and loyalty from them.