She tolerated me and all my selfies over the last 2 years.
All I ever had to do with her most days is hold out my hand and she would come right to me.
The last number of months I always looked out for her. More so than usual. I didn't really think as to why but I am now aware that she effected me emotionally. They all do, but she did more so. Seeing her and having those moments every day made me a little happier. I didn't realize that until her disappearance. If that makes sense. And add that every time she showed up in the yard on a weekend and I wasn't near the window to spot her, Angie would let me know that Gulliver was outside. Quite often my breakfast or dinner got a little cold as I went out to see her before I ate.
The first days of her disappearance, I held out hope every morning that she would return. After 10 days or so, I silently mourned the loss of my friend. She's still in my thoughts quite often while I am outside.
I have reminded myself how Pierre disappeared for 60+ days a few times during the winter months. Charlie goes away for even longer spells, up to 5 months. She's been away all summer but has recently started showing up again. Maybe this is Gulliver's turn to pull a disappearing act? It just wouldn't be like her to do so after over two years of visiting; but then again it wasn't the other birds thing to do until they did it.
I have learned to take in the good moments with our wild friends because you never really know when may be the last time that you see them. So many pigeons before her have left one day and didn't return.
Thinking back to the last day with Gulliver, the air show at the CNE was ramping up for the long weekend. The Blue Angels were flying very low over our neighbourhood every afternoon. They were so loud too! Their fly overs would spook the birds. I took this photo from the park right by our home. I had full zoom on the 500 mm lens but the image is not cropped.
On top of the loud scary jets, there was one or two cooper's hawks in the neighbourhood because it is their migration time, and they were chasing all the birds here. I found a few piles of pigeon feathers in the yard. Thankfully none matched Gulliver's. Of course I feel sorry for the ones that ended up becoming lunch to a hawk but I also accept that this is their wild way of life.
Do I think that a hawk got her? I'd like to think that was not the case. Gulliver's mate is missing as well along with some of the others in that flock. A couple of the others that we have named, are also missing now. After that "scary" long weekend for them, a bird we call Gandalf went from daily appearances to one or two visits a week and is now MIA for a few weeks. Another named Buzz, similar to Gandalf.
Anyone remember the pair that I called the Jerseys? Them, along with Mrs Pierre, and a bunch of others all flew away one fall day and never came back. I believe that they had enough of the cooper's hawk attacks and went to a safer feeding place. The last week they were here, they were on edge, and their visits were no more than 2 or 3 minutes before being spooked away. Pigeons are much smarter than what many people believe.
Fingers crossed that she surprises me one day with her return.
Here's a handful of pictures of her if you care to see a little more of her and our times together.
Fun at Halloween. I know I have some Santa hat Christmas shots somewhere that I could also share.
Playing in the fall colours.
Enjoying one of the first really nice days of spring.
Cold winter days with some snow made for fun photo opps.
I swear she got jealous when I wasn't "focusing" on her. HA HA!
She really is a beautiful bird to behold and obviously stood out from the flock.
Our message to the pigeon haters of the world...
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