pidgey widgey

So last week I was working in a flat 4 floors up that overlooks the Water of Leith. The owner, like myself, is a fan of the local wildlife and has a couple of strategically placed birdfeeders just outside her windows. Lots of birds in the trees nearby. Great to observe them from a similar height rather than the usual looking up from below. Plenty of pigeons that muscle in on any birdseed action. The owner encourages the squirrels by putting blueberries in the feeder, which the pigeons don't bother with. 

During my lunch I would stand near the window (sometimes open, sometimes closed) and take pics of the wildlife. I only had the B camera along on the first occasion but took the A camera when I realised the locals were fairly easily bribed to pose for photos. Minor skirmishes between the squirrels and pigeons at times, and if there were any exotic birds, beyond magpies and woodpigeons I must have missed them - on the rare occasion I was actually doing some work! 

The pigeons and squirrels would vie for dominance of this small birdfeeder. It was made for tits and finches so the larger animals struggled to fit on or inside it and access the goodies in the small cup in the bottom. Also both squirrels and pigeons were remarkably comfortable holding onto the harling and moving about it above the 4 storey drop. 

This one was very keen on the bread I put in the feeder. It was very seeded (pumpkin and sunflower seeds) and soaked up the jam of the defrosted blueberries. It wasn't as impressed with those blueberries as it got fresh and less mushy ones for breakfast from the flat owner. It would start to eat mine then let them fall as if by accident from it's paws while looking me in the eye. The bread however was a great success and it painted it's paws and nose red with the berry juice that soaked into it.

a rare truce

We are so familiar with commonplace pigeons that we often don't recognise how marvelously coloured they are; with bright orange staring eyes and iridescent neck plumage

pigeon doing a Salem's Lot impression holding onto the vertical wall