I'm receiving a special delivery today,

I'll bet he loved spending time in the window box. Nice that the others don't seem to mind him being there. In my loft they're very nosey with a new bird in their presence.

tamarasommers wrote:

Every time I saw Ellie bowing [bobbing up and down], prancing about in front of his mirror and cooing, it was recognized as what I had seen in males before. It was sensed that Ellie was letting me know he was the boss. So I would just sit down and visit with him and tell him how pretty he was, ['Ellie is a pretty bird' and 'My, my, my, what beautiful feathers you have. I am so impressed']; then he would stretch out a wing on one side while simutaneously stretching out his leg on the same side; and then he would clean his little feathers up a bit, ruffle his feathers so he looked so poofy and pretty--then I would tell him, "Oh Ellie--you're so beautiful!! I have never seen such a preeeettty bird. Oh my, you just shine like the stars in the heavens!"

Then I would hear a crash, a yeowl, and there would be scratching alllll the way from top of the bathroom door to the floor. My little girl heard me, was on the dryer and tried to jump on a hook at the top of the door or something--in any event, she had heard mama talking sweet to someone else besides her, and wanted to come on it and be looovvveeed too. Posted are a few photos of Madeline, "Maddy". The bathroom was her nursery also!

What a lovely account! You described it so vividly, I could almost see and hear the scene! The moments we spend spoiling our birds and praising them are very special!

Teresa wrote:

The moments we spend spoiling our birds and praising them are very special!

They sure are!!

I just pray that Ellie hasn't become maladjusted being put in a small bathroom for sooooo long, with only me as the one who would come and talk to him [he was with me for 8 weeks and one day]. In his little life, that's a long time, especially as a baby bird. And the early "days" are his formative time.

Will he ever be like the other pigeons? Will he be able to find a mate and be happy? I am so concerned that he might not relate to them and be so odd, the other pigeons won't know how to relate to him. How does he become like one of the other birds? I so wish I could have gotten him into "rehab" earlier, but the foot was bad and I was so concerned about how he would be treated.

Is he going to be okay Charis? Maybe he will only be able to relate to people......he is such a special little pigeon.. I know they all are, but he really is...[sigh]! Any thoughts?

And how is his little foot doing? Does he need to go have it checked out? Give little "El" a kiss for me.... Worried--no, concerned, in Idaho. Tam

I'm confident that Ellie will adjust just fine, Tam.

When we take in a pigeon, whether it be a baby or adult that was ill, injured, or just needed a little assistance growing up, it's best that they not have a lot of people around them.

It sounds to me like you did all the right things to help Ellie.

I'm equally as confident that Ellie will thrive well with Charis.

El is doing great, Tam. He's dancing and cooing. He especially loves to dance and coo at his own image.

Matilda wrote:

El is doing great, Tam. He's dancing and cooing.
He especially loves to dance and coo at his own image.

Yes, they do like mirrors, don't they?

El has taken to lay wait for me and when I walk through the door, he charges and attacks my feet. He foolows him around the entire time I'm in the pigeon room and doesn't give me a second of peace. Not only does it hurt like heck, but I'm afraid I will step on him. The only solution is to lock him in his cage while I'm in there. Of course I am forced to give him a big kiss before he goes into confinement.

I'm sorry about your feet, but that's just too funny!

Over here, it's Lawrence Cat who attacks my feet, when he's got nothing better to do!

I agree...it is funny. I've just never had a pigeon go after my feet. This is a first.

Matilda wrote:

I agree...it is funny. I've just never had a pigeon go after my feet. This is a first.

I had a feral that was just crazy about my feet.
Every time I would sit down outside, he would could running over and nip at my toes. I have no idea why.

This particular day I was taking pictures of the ferals when he came running over to my foot, so I was able to get a photo of the attack.

Charis, that is too funny!
Cindy, that is funny, and a great shot! I think you guys had better start wearing closed toed shoes! LOL. Pinz follows me around on the floor sometimes in the loft, but my toes don't show, so I'm safe.

NiteOwl wrote:

Charis, that is too funny!
Cindy, that is funny, and a great shot! I think you guys had better start wearing closed toed shoes! LOL.

Pinz follows me around on the floor sometimes in the loft, but my toes don't show, so I'm safe.

I probably should wear closed toed shoes, but I hate wearing them in the summer.

I'm still laughing about that picture. One of our young birds used to bite Dons toes, when we had them in the house. I think it was Screech. I think that is soooooooooo funny!

NiteOwl wrote:

I'm still laughing about that picture.
One of our young birds used to bite Dons toes, when we had them in the house.

I think it was Screech. I think that is soooooooooo funny!

That's funny!!
I guess 'going after the toes' is pretty common practice among our fun lovin' pijjies.

I had a pair of slippers that I would sometimes wear into the loft. Only Luigi would go after my toes. But I had him from about 2 days old, and he was very comfortable with me. Don think any of the others would try that. Lets face it, Pigeons are nuts! Maybe they think they look like hands, and the toes being like fingers. They don't like hands, so they go after your toes. Who knows what they think. You wouldn't even think that they would notice your toes, never mind going after them. They don't miss much. Wouldn't you love to be able to read their little minds?

Loved the photos Charis & Cindy!

Around here we have to watch our toes when we are working in the sulcata tortoise enclosures! If I go in there with painted toes they think my toes are food and want a taste!
We can only wear closed toed shoes if we want to get anything done!

NiteOwl wrote:

I had a pair of slippers that I would sometimes wear into the loft. Only Luigi would go after my toes. But I had him from about 2 days old, and he was very comfortable with me. Don think any of the others would try that. Lets face it, Pigeons are nuts! Maybe they think they look like hands, and the toes being like fingers. They don't like hands, so they go after your toes. Who knows what they think. You wouldn't even think that they would notice your toes, never mind going after them. They don't miss much.

Wouldn't you love to be able to read their little minds?

EgypSwiftLady wrote:

Loved the photos Charis & Cindy!

Around here we have to watch our toes when we are working in the sulcata tortoise enclosures!

If I go in there with painted toes they think my toes are food and want a taste!
We can only wear closed toed shoes if we want to get anything done!

"Ouch" I'll bet you know when you've been bit by a tortoise.

Fancyfeathers wrote:

EgypSwiftLady wrote:

Loved the photos Charis & Cindy!

Around here we have to watch our toes when we are working in the sulcata tortoise enclosures!

If I go in there with painted toes they think my toes are food and want a taste!
We can only wear closed toed shoes if we want to get anything done!

"Ouch" I'll bet you know when you've been bit by a tortoise.

Thank goodness I've been very watchful & haven't gotten bitten... some close calls though!

Patience is a virtue! Ellie went after my feet a couple of times, and I said "No, no, no, no, no!" Foofed him away a bit, then helped him to come up to my shoulder and sit there. I felt some of it was territory, some of a bit of frustration, but he loooooovvvvvveeeeeessss you Charis. He is in a new environment, having been raised for eight weeks and one day with me, and he just doesn't see his little place in the world yet. He's part people and part pigeon.

I once had a cat [rescued] who would bite my toes in the morning, Suzie [it was only too late that I found out she was a he, so he kept the name Suzie]. At first I cried out "OWWWWWWCCCCHHHH" , then I tried not to react [that didn't work], then I started wearing my heavy socks, then I started pleading with him, and would tell him how much it hurt and to pleeeaaaassssseeee stop biting my toes. Well, he stopped. Maybe it was the attention, interacting with him and letting him know how much I cared and loved him, but he stopped and of course, was one of the most cuddly cats ever. Maybe, Ellie just wants for you to give him more TLC on entering, so he feels he has a place of importance in his fabulous, brand new world. ????????????????????????

I'm praying it will all work out for you so that it's all wonderful!

Thank you sooooooo much for loving little Sir Ellie, [aka: "El"] Tam

I think Tamara and Robin both said something very pertinent: with Lawrence, at least, it definitely is an attention-seeking device -- perhaps for pet pigeons too! With ferals, I think nail polish is the great attraction. Perhaps they think painted nails are big, yummy corn!
My ferals peck at my ring, and invariably look disappointed at the poor nutritional value!

Teresa wrote:

I think Tamara and Robin both said something very pertinent: with Lawrence, at least, it definitely is an attention-seeking device -- perhaps for pet pigeons too!

* With ferals, I think nail polish is the great attraction. Perhaps they think painted nails are big, yummy corn!

** My ferals peck at my ring, and invariably look disappointed at the poor nutritional value!

* You've got a point there.

**

tamarasommers wrote:

Patience is a virtue! Ellie went after my feet a couple of times, and I said "No, no, no, no, no!" Foofed him away a bit, then helped him to come up to my shoulder and sit there. I felt some of it was territory, some of a bit of frustration, but he loooooovvvvvveeeeeessss you Charis. He is in a new environment, having been raised for eight weeks and one day with me, and he just doesn't see his little place in the world yet. He's part people and part pigeon.

I once had a cat [rescued] who would bite my toes in the morning, Suzie [it was only too late that I found out she was a he, so he kept the name Suzie]. At first I cried out "OWWWWWWCCCCHHHH" , then I tried not to react [that didn't work], then I started wearing my heavy socks, then I started pleading with him, and would tell him how much it hurt and to pleeeaaaassssseeee stop biting my toes. Well, he stopped. Maybe it was the attention, interacting with him and letting him know how much I cared and loved him, but he stopped and of course, was one of the most cuddly cats ever. Maybe, Ellie just wants for you to give him more TLC on entering, so he feels he has a place of importance in his fabulous, brand new world. ????????????????????????

I'm praying it will all work out for you so that it's all wonderful!

Thank you sooooooo much for loving little Sir Ellie, [aka: "El"] Tam

LOL...I don't think so. He sped me from the window this morning and by the time I got through the door...he was on the floor stalking my feet.I love him. He does have an endearing way about him although the attacking the feet thing is not one of them he's gone way over the line on that one. No worries though...I won't stop lovong El...even though he has it in for my feet.