Clean House

Jun 20, 2009 by Naomi.

Trouble began when pigeons woke to coo at the crack of dawn, disturbing the sleep of those in the bedroom just inside the wall and the rain spout that a pair of pigeons favored. I never thought of myself as a house wrecker and in truth I did not actually wreck the house personally but I stood by encouraging the destruction.

At the first try to reach the offending squatters, Dan’s resident step ladder only took him as high as the fence. He tore down a chunk of shag carpet someone in the past thought would discourage the birds. Were they ever wrong! It appeared to be a flag to signal the place most suitable for a permanent abode. And birds obviously had been industriously adding material ever since. But reaching into the protected area was not possible from that ladder. So off we went to procure a ladder that would reach the required height.

That’s when the labor really started. Not mine. With a long handled old kitchen spoon to be sacrificed to the cause, Dan scooped out several gallons of debrie, consisting of sticks, twigs, poop, bird spit, and what ever. Gallons of water were zeroed in through the garden spigot to remove the residue and stench and prevent future damage to the wood. More than removal was required, Dan realized, therefore he had wisely purchased steel mesh to fasten over the protected cove not only as a discouragement but as a complete deterrent to further occupation.

Stapling the mesh was more work. Technology came to the rescue in the form of an electric staple gun. I stood by as a gopher to fetch, carry, and hand the tools. I encouraged lockout of the noisy birds whose small heads and tubby bodies distinguish them from ordinary garden birds normally seen in residential areas. In taxonomy the bird falls in the order Columbiformes, which includes the well referenced Dodo bird. And remember that order falls in the class of Aves, which includes all birds and incidentally is just a hair’s breathe away in natural selection from the vertebrate class of mammals — you and me.

It was no surprise that the displaced couple flew back and forth from the rain spout to the neighboring roof with the air of total confusion. What happened? Why were we shut out? Where do we go from here? Well that is what they appeared to be thinking from my viewpoint on the sidewalk below. They are not pretty; dark colored with iridescent color evident only when hit by the sunlight.

Today in the early light, they perch on the rain spout, making noise as before. How long will it take for them to make a new search, if they are forced by instinct to reproduce — never mind the call they make in the process?

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