October 2008 Rescue Updates

Can't believe it's October already. Like one of my all-time favorite show's NYPD Blue's Bobby Simone said, "Time will take you on."

Things are all good though crowded in the loft. (Need some great adopters!! Go here for more info.) Blue & Willow are sitting on fake eggs as are Billie & George. Alejandra's looking much better after a harsh moult and she & Sparks seem to be getting back to normal though they haven't picked out a nest spot yet. Tank & Country abandoned their basket nest after months of failed hatches (fake eggs) and are now nesting on the ground under the jumbo-sized nest boxes I built with them in mind. (Blue & Willow moved into the basket.)

Little Bean (Note: I strongly recommend the name "Bean" for a pet- it is SO fun! She's my "Beanie Baby", my "Meanie Beanie", my "Beanie Weenie"!) is doing well and is cute even with her big long tail all grown in. I'm hoping that she can join my backyard feral flock and have the best of both pigeon worlds- a safe home loft with lots of great eats and a big sky to fly free.

Dill & Tess, the rescued baby pigeons who snuggled together in a hundred different ways are now grown up and courting for real. More (and cuter) pictures to follow.

Santino's growing up and getting darker chest feathers (rich red like a roan horse) but with iridescent purple and green. She's been super sweet but gave me her first pigeon scolding the other day. Oh, they grow up so fast.

There was an apricot-colored pigeon at the Marin Humane Society that needed a home and she's been adopted. Likewise a little pinto-pony-colored pij named Checkers and a feral cock named Fluffy that were adopted from Dr. Speer by a Mickaboo volunteer. A flock of twelve doves were rescued by a MickaCoo volunteer from a family whose home was burned in a recent wildfire as well as four others from various shelters (SF ACC, SCHS, etc.). Happily, one of the SF ACC pij at Andy's was adopted as a companion for an eight year-old Fantail pij named Palomo. And an injured pigeon was dropped off in a box (anonymnously) on the doorstep of a For the Birds Vet Tech who's been caring for him. He was shuttled down here from SJ tonight by Jen, another FTB Vet Tech (and my friend and pet-sitter), and is staying with me as he makes his way to an expert pigeon rehabber in Oakland. His name is Charlie. There's also a dove with a dislocated wing for whom I'm trying to raise vet care funds plus MickaCoo has a $700 deficit that I need to get covered. To make a tax-deductible donation, go here and scroll down to "How Can I Help?". The amazing news is that, since MickaCoo started this summer, folks have donated over $1100 (every cent of which goes to vet care) and brought care and comfort to eight ill or injured pij. And in this economy, no less. Thank you.

I had to leave town suddenly when my mom went into the hospital and was gone a week and a half. I'm back now and have brought her home with me to recuperate. While I was at the hospital, I noticed some birds in a mural that, while probably intended to be be doves, looked suspiciously like king pigeons. I missed my birds (and cats, had the dog and parrot with me) and leaned very heavily on my friends and pet-sitters to take care of all my crew for me (and on no notice). Thank goodness, they did.

The day before I had to leave town, I had been able to pull two roosters and two hens out of SF ACC and ferry them down to a MickaCoo volunteer in SJ who in turned ferried them and a rooster from Sunset Magazine (that was going to be eaten if a rescue home wasn't found!) down to their new home in San Juan Bautista. On her birthday. Happy Belated Birthday, Tina!