The birds! The BIRDS!

So let me tell you about the birds in London. The pigeons, of course, are ubiquitous. You see pigeons walking, hopping, and flying everywhere you go. No street is safe from them. I've even seen them inside buildings! I’ll admit, even as an animal lover, I have a particular dislike for the pigeons. They congregate especially in tourist hotspots, or basically anywhere where there are lots of people eating. Kids are usually easy marks for getting bits of crisps (aka chips) or bread. But that’s also kind of risky (for the pigeons) because kids tend to entertain themselves by running at the birds full tilt and watching them fly away in a panic. The one good association I have with pigeons is “Feed the Birds,” of Mary Poppins fame. That scene in the Disney movie where the woman sells bags of seeds to feed the birds was filmed on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the careful reader will recall I’ve been there! Sadly, there was no old lady selling bags of seeds and calling out “Tuppence a bag!” And to compound my disappointment, there are signs around the square asking tourists not to feed the birds. They do make something of a mess . . . the birds I mean. Though, come to think of it, tourists aren’t the neatest breed. (You’ll note I no longer associate myself with the common tourist. I now consider myself a temporary resident of London.) Despite the ill will that exists between me and pigeons, I’ve been on a mission to get a picture of a pigeon in flight. Despite the number of times pigeons have skimmed my head, I’ve yet to get a good shot. My day will come, and I’m sure the pigeons will give me plenty of opportunities by flying straight at me many more times.

Other types of birds exist in the city, of course, but most of them remain politely in the parks. All the parks I’ve seen (not counting mere “squares”) have at least one pond. And usually, these are long and narrow. These are havens for many types of water fowl, such as the noble swan, the moorhen, the coot, and ducks, of course. According to www.royalparks.org.uk 90 different species of birds were spotted in the past decade in Greenwich Park alone. Quite impressive. There are a few spots where you can feed them, but for the most part visitors are asked not to feed the birds. Not only does it create chaos, but it also disturbs the natural habits of the birds. They are still fun to watch, though. When I was recently in Kew Gardens I saw what can only be described as teenaged swans! They were gangly, grey, and rather ugly. Those two small circular things you see on their backs are their developing wings! Rather scrawny still.

For some reason they enjoyed floating on their sides with one leg sticking out of the water. Teenagers, eh?

For the most part I have an amiable relationship with the birds of London. We acknowledge each other, but go our separate ways, and we’re OK with that.

Now, let’s talk about the mouse Callie Ann and Katie saw scampering across our kitchen floor last night . . .