Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

Pete’s Pigeon

“There’s an ongoing problem with the pigeons,” the former resident told my husband.

I remember the pigeons. We all have these two story entries, and the pigeons love them. The problem is, that they nest, and so when company comes, there might be pigeon droppings in your entry – aaarrgh.

I’ve always loved the sound of pigeons coo-ing, so it didn’t bother me so much. I pay the gardener a little extra and he makes sure the entry is cleaned every day. When guests are coming, I scrub any late additions myself.

LLLOOLL, I can see they have installed beds of nails to keep the pigeons from roosting.

00Pete'sPigeon

Our resident pigeon has two perfect eggs; she pooped enough to build up a foundation above the nails, and now she roosts, safely, on the sharp nails. She takes turns with another pigeon, I am guessing the male, sitting on the eggs.

00PigeonEggs

Sorry for the poor quality of these photos, but the windows are dirty, salt streaked, and I am shooting through a screen. Also, I don’t know which one is the daddy or mommy pigeon, or even if they are daddy and mommy or mommy and friend. I don’t know that much about pigeons, I just love the sound of their voices. I guess I should be appalled by the pigeon poop, but I feel lucky to have two pigeon eggs, and protective pigeon parents, it seems like a good omen to me.

00DaddyPigeon

It would be a health issue if any of the pigeon windows opened, but none of them do. When the eggs hatch, and the pigeons fly off, I will get the guys with the tall ladders to come clean the dropping off – again – and hope they will roost in another spot next nesting season.

Pete thinks this is the greatest show on earth. He has windows all over the house, and there is always something happening. The gardener is watering the lawn in back (well the dust in back, but we are going to have the trees cut back so the lawn and bougainvillea will grow once again), washing off the entry in front, the birds are flying in and out of the trees, the pigeon is roosting on her eggs, or flying off to find some bugs or whatever pigeons eat. He is losing his excess weight (I hope I am too!) running up and down the stairs. He is NOT bored! Anything but bored! He loves this place.

June 3, 2009 - Posted by | Adventure, Doha, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Health Issues, Hygiene, Living Conditions

12 Comments »

  1. So the pigeons used their own “crap” to their benifit?

    And people say they’re dumb animals…hah… what do they know?

    “crap!”

    Disturbed Stranger's avatar Comment by Disturbed Stranger | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  2. I love your place, too! can’t wait to see you, AM, QC and the pigeons next month πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚

    adiamondinsunlight's avatar Comment by adiamondinsunlight | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  3. ok just skimmed through, you went back to Doha?

    Purgatory's avatar Comment by Purgatory | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  4. wow thats a lot of poop. Isnt there a risk of the ammonia stench leaking into your house ?

    Mathai's avatar Comment by Mathai | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  5. Disturbed – I hadn’t thought of it that way – what a great point of view. πŸ™‚ Like making lemonade out of lemons . . . ?

    Ahlen wa sahlen, Najma srira!

    Purg – gotta start reading for content, big guy. πŸ˜‰

    LOL, Mathai, I think most of it is feathers. There is no smell at all.

    intlxpatr's avatar Comment by intlxpatr | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  6. Someone is feeding the pigeons and creating this mess .

    Find him and make him clean his doings

    daggero's avatar Comment by daggero | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  7. The nail idea is a bit sadistic but interesting at the same time.

    Hey πŸ™‚ It’s been a while, i’m in the process of catching up haha. Congrats on the move!

    sp4rkster's avatar Comment by sp4rkster | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  8. My GOD what is that pigeon feeding on?!

    how did she manage to overcome all the obstacles?!

    once a pigeon family dares to come and try and hang out on one of our windows… you should see my mom going buying a big fishing nest thing with a handle and trying to catch them in the act and she did succeed, then she got scared and started screaming and jumping up and down with the pigeon in the nest thing cooing away and my sisters running around the hand screaming… thank god my brother came home to that scene and saved my mom from the imprisoned pigeon and caught the others…

    i was told they were made into a delicious dish by a family friend who took them in :S

    afterwards, no pigeon ever dared to visit our house again… EVER!

    danderma's avatar Comment by Daddy's Girl | June 3, 2009 | Reply

  9. LOL, Daggero, I think pigeons eat bugs and things, I don’t think anyone here is feeding them!

    Sp4rkster – Note how effective those nails are at keeping the pigeons away.

    Daddy’s Girl – LLOOOLL – a delicious dish! Oh, I can imagine your mother was a sight (I am thinking me and spiders!) but what a brave lady, catching them in her net! What a great family memory, you must have laughed until you were crying!

    intlxpatr's avatar Comment by intlxpatr | June 4, 2009 | Reply

  10. That looks awful, The nails should be longer!
    Be careful these are not like ‘kept’ pigeons. They are full of disease…

    Mohammad Abdullah's avatar Comment by Bu Yousef | June 4, 2009 | Reply

  11. Oh yikes! Thank you, Bu Yousef, I thought they were just . . . pigeons. I am guessing they will go when the eggs hatch, or if the eggs are not viable . . . Maybe I can find some beautiful and lively Calder mobile to hang from the entry light; maybe the color and motion will scare them away and keep them away – but not until the eggs hatch, or are abandoned.

    intlxpatr's avatar Comment by intlxpatr | June 4, 2009 | Reply

  12. I’m sure it will be cool to watch the small ones grow up πŸ™‚

    Nicole's avatar Comment by Nicole | June 4, 2009 | Reply


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