Vicki

Pigeon cleared all by itself... phew. No baby yet!

I haven't got close enough to get a full ring number yet (but its white). The bird is really quite active and looks plump - more so than Pidge did. Is it OK to leave for a day and see if it decides to fly off of its own accord? Or do I need to enlist the husband to catch it and get the number? Hopefully not the beginning of another Pidge saga

Pidge has gone home Thanks to one of your lovely members and then a lovely local pigeon keeper, Pidge has finally been returned to her rightful owner. Apparently, she was in fairly good condition which is good news for me, having looked after her for such a long while! Thanks again for all the support and advice here. Would I do it all again? Well yes, actually. I don't think any worse of pigeon keepers just because of one person's incompetence. In less than 24hours of the right person having Pidge, she was home. Good luck to you all for future races etc! Vicki

Geordie - no, he wasn't trying to sort it out. He had ample opportunity to collect the bird or arrange collection and he didn't. He only did something when the RPRA threatened him with a ban because of his behaviour... and then once his son (who described the whole situation as a nightmare and was ashamed of hid father's actions) had collected / released the bird he rang me every hour and a half to see if the bird was back in my garden. I should add that this guy is FULLY aware that I am heavily pregnant and due to give birth any day. I don't need some stranger pestering me either by not taking responsibility for his own bird, I don't need to clean any more pigeon excrement off the children's climbing frame etc and I do NOT need to deal with him again. Apologies if that comes across in a negative or aggressive way, but I have put so much effort into getting this pigeon sorted and it has all bein thwarted by the owner's idiocy. Pigeon-Man, I will email you, thank you. I will also email the lady from RPRA.

It came back New post started.

It would seem that Pidge wasn't released far enough away. Or that he is still thinking after a long holiday that this is home. After the experience with his owner, first of all having made no effort to contact me, not showing up to collect when arranged, and then plaguing me with phone calls once his son had released the bird (oh, yes... the story entered a new dimension!) I really don't want anything to do with him. How can I get this bird home, rehomed, or at least out of my garden permanently without having direct contact with the owner? Someone please help me! I am Worthing, West Sussex. If there is anyone who would consider rehoming Pidge I honestly think this would be the best idea as his owner is seriously clueless / doesn't care. I am and Vicki x

I've updated on my other post

Well.. After plenty more faffing about, and a very cross Vicki as my husband had to cancel picking up the baby crib... Pidge has GONE! Owner's son has been to collect. We've been asked to keep an eye out for Pidge as he is going to be released quite locally and may yet end up back in my garden. Turns out the 'problem' on Sunday was a bust up between owner / son over Pidge. No idea why owner didn't collect - especially as he passed my house. Twice. RPRA have already reprimanded the owner; he let it slip that he'd had a letter today threatening him with a ban if he didn't take responsibility. So, I owe a thank you to Hazel at the RPRA who responded promptly to emails, to PIGEON_MAN for making a phone call, and for the support / advice here which has provided me with a place to rant and generally not go mad. Now operation clean up can begin - Pidge has left his mark in many places across my garden, particularly the children's climbing frame and slide which they can't use until all of the poo has been cleaned off. I am bowing out of my (hopefully) one and only experience of pigeon life! Thanks again for all the support. Vicki x

The owner was coming to collect this evening. Now he's not. And his son is, who doesn't like pigeons. Apparently he's had a stern letter from RPRA threatening a ban. Nightmare.

I think it worked Had a phonecall from the owner this afternoon - I was polite but firm and said that his options were choosing the bird to be rehomed or I would ask the RSPCA to take it. More faffing around, my son (who lives locally) will come and get it etc etc I'll ring you straight back. He rang again about 20 minutes ago and said he'll come tonight to collect. Why this couldn't have been done 6 days ago when I first contacted him, I don't know. So my husband's evening plans have been cancelled. He'd better show up this time.

I'm in Worthing, West Sussex. The local animal hospital can't help / won't take the bird. Their only advice is what I've already done. I'll try the local secretary again, after that I'm giving up...

Hopefully this will be my last post... Following on from the saga of Pidge and his owner not collecting him on Sunday, I still have the bird in my garden. I'm not happy about this... there is pigeon poo all over the children's climbing frame and my decking. The pigeon is banging against the patio doors and scaring my youngest daughter who has Special Needs and doesn't understand that he can't get in / won't hurt her. I'm getting I have reported the bird as a stray to the RPRA. They have said as much as you all lovely people have said on here - the owner is negligent and should organise a courier. I have spoken to the local secretary and he will collect the bird as a last resort (considering my about-to-give-birth scenario), but understandably is reluctant as essentially he will be in the same situation as we are. Have I exhausted all the options? Is there anything else I can do? Many thanks in advance for any help or advice. Vicki x

Pigeon still here...

I am desperately trying to get this poor bird home - a bit of the ongoing story is in the Found section of the forum. I am in Worthing, the bird needs to get to Poole or thereabouts. Can anyone help? Vicki

Oh dear Maybe I should have been clearer... Arrangements were made for owner to collect Pidge. He said he'd leave Poole around 9am and expect him a couple of hours later. He had my contact details, I only (stupidly) had his landline. His son leaves very nearby, and was visiting him too. I gave the owner directions into Worthing from the main A road, which we are close to. Spent ages on phone directing him in. As we'd spoken a couple of times I had no reason to doubt that he'd be coming. I spoke to him on Friday, made it clear that Pidge was free but in the garden and had been proving difficult to catch. I explained I wasn't up to doing it as due to give birth any day. He said he'd phone Saturday morning to see if we'd managed to contain the bird. This is where my suspicious mind starts questioning, as Saturday came and went with no phonecall so I asked my husband to ring the owner again in the evening to make sure he was coming. Another lengthy phonecall, all the directions confirmed. Lunch time on Sunday, I'm still giving him the benefit of the doubt. Chichester can be an absolute nightmare to get through, so allowing for leaving late and heavy traffic would explain him not being there. The rest of Sunday is on here - by tea time I am really annoyed. Its the only day we haven't had rain so I could've got the children out and about for the day (strangely enough they wanted to go to the local RSPB centre to look at other birds!!) Now I can cut a long story short as the owner has just phoned. Very apologetic - no real reason given still - but appreciative that we've taken time and care with his bird. We've seen Pidge this morning. He has flown from Maidstone so has come a long way. He has previously flown from a town about 3 miles from here, possibly Maidstone too far. Anyhow, the owner would like to stay in touch and will let me know if Pidge makes it home safely. He sounded genuine, and obviously I appreciate him calling today to speak to me and say sorry. I may never know why he didn't come, but I think somehow I don't need to know... So the Pidge saga continues for a while longer

I don't know what happened, it just seems a bit odd that you'd travel for 2 hours and go home empty handed At least I'll know what to do if I find another one! Pidge, however, may end up being a permanent feature in my garden.... Thanks for all of the good wishes for baby. My next challenge!

Owner has called - apparently came all this way, had 'problems' and is now back in Dorset. Pidge has been released from my garden, at owner's request. Thanks for all the replies

I will give our local animal hospital a call in the morning, see if they will take it. Although I suspect not as he is not injured, and not really lost any more as we know who he belongs to... Its 5:30pm now, that's enough waiting, isn't it? I can't see him coming now. We've had to move Pidge to a cardboard box as the cat carrier was filthy. Just hope he'll be ok in there. I'm due to have a baby any day now, I really wish I hadn't got this involved!!!

How do I know if it is fit and rested? I suspect it is... seems to have enough energy to try and get out of the box, poor thing. Its been in there for 24+hrs now and it seems cruel to me. I'll hold on to it until tomorrow and then let it go.

The number is GB 11 B 11314. The owner said his son lives locally to us - we are in Worthing, West Sussex and he is coming from Poole. I wonder if he's having the day with family and collecting on the way home??? Even so, very annoying to be waiting all day... husband is talking about letting the bird go as its getting distressed in the cat carrier.

He's just under 2 hours away. My husband spoke to him on the phone last night and he said he was leaving at 9am today - even accounting for bad traffic, it wouldn't take 6 hours to get here! If he's left late or has a problem, that would be fair enough but its just bad manners to keep us waiting all day like this

I have been 'looking after' a lost pigeon for just over a week now. It has mostly been in the garden, but I have made sure it has been properly fed and watered. Through the lost / found section here I have managed to trace the owner. He was supposed to be here this morning to collect his bird. We spent ages yesterday catching the poor thing (it was happy sitting on my daughter's climbing frame and our big sycamore!) and it has been in a cat carrier ever since. He hasn't turned up and I have wasted the whole day waiting in for him, when we really could've done with getting the children out and about on one of the only rain-free days we've had It looks unhappy being contained. What do I do? There is no answer on the landline number we were given, and to be really frank think I have done more than my fair share looking after someone else's bird.... had better add that I am no pigeon fancier, in fact I'm quite scared of birds!!! What's next? Any advice please?

Just wanted to say thank you for the help on this forum. My pigeon visitor will be reunited with his owner on Sunday, he is coming all the way from Dorset to West Sussex to collect his birdie. The children will be sad to see 'Pidge' go!

Oh that's fantastic, thank you. I will ring tomorrow I'm in West Sussex so its not too far from home. Hopefully the good feed and rest it had today will give it the energy it needs to get there...

We have had GB 11 B 11314 visit our garden for most of today. The pigeon has been fed, watered and protected from cats etc. This evening s/he has gone again, although has gone between the trees and lawn so may be back in the morning. I'd love to know if our new 'friend' makes it to his / her destination. Any ideas who s/he belongs to?