The Wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 18

It's been darker in the morning now when I go for my early morning run. Sometimes I don't see the pigeons because of the darkness. I still leave their food out for them.

On the weekend, I got out there at about 7:00am when the sun starting to come up.

My old pal "Brownie" showed up!

I haven't seen him/her all summer!

I think he remembers me too. He flew down right in front of me. I said, "hi Brownie! Where have you've been?" He just looked up at me waiting for his seed breakfast but unafraid of my presence. "Craow Dum" is like that too. He recognizes me and stands right in front of me looking up.

"Chocolate milk" is no longer in the fray. Hopefully since he was a tagged pigeon he found his way back home. "Golak" and "Snowflake" were front and center looking up at me as well.

I haven't seen "Busta Move" but I did see a pigeon feeding her/his baby on a ledge sheltered by a pile of leaves early morning. Yes, the males help out feeding the baby too. That could've been "Busta Move" feeding the baby. He's a bit of a "playa" so it wouldn't surprise me to see him with a brood of youngsters.

Both the male and female pigeon produce a substance to feed newbornes in their crop (a pouch below their throat) called "pigeon milk". It's not milk per say like mammal milk but it does contain a lactase substance full of protein to help the baby grow. This goes on for about 4 weeks and then they get regurgitated seeds, pizza, bread, bugs or whatever, until they are 8 weeks old.

I've taken some photos of the pigeons but the shots came out blurry. I need to figure out how to use the "stabilizer" mode on the camera in order to take decent shots. I am so "techno-challenged" that it is ridiculous.

Pigeons are funny birds. There is one house in Newburyport that I pass by when I walk some of the dogs. It's in a "la de da" neighborhood but this one house which is a little run down attracts pigeons. I'll see a flock of 20 of them sitting on this one rooftop but nowhere else. I wonder why this one particular house in the middle of nowhere attracts pigeons in particular. I'm wondering if there is a hole at the roof line that acts like a pigeon cote.

It's been really windy by the coast-line for the last couple of weeks. The pigeons have a hard time managing the wind. Most try to find a sheltered spot out of the wind under a ledge. Some have been tragically swept out on the street into oncoming traffic or out-to -sea picked off by a hawk or a taunting seagull.

Despite "Craow Dum"s disability (distorted feet from monofiliment line entanglement) he seems to be doing A-OK.