Walter came home for a chat

I was getting a bit worried and even went to the lengths of borrowing some better binoculars - ours are just cheapy ones) in an effort to see if any of the woodies around had rings on and were Walter. Then this morning there was a woodie in a tree in the garden. I couldnt see a ring due to the way it sat but it was there for about 5-10 minutes while I spoke to it and was only about 6 ft above my head which is not really normal woodie behaviour since they tend to be timid and scittish. I was 90% certain twas Walter but still I did not see the leg ring to be sure. Then this afternoon - well a few minutes ago- I walked down the garden and disturbed a flock of about 5 pigeons who flew off while I let the chickens into the end of the garden. I has just been dug ready for rotovating this weekend so I can start my veg growing - and self sufficiency efforts- and the chickens love newly dug ground. They also clear out all the bugs which is very helpful for us and good for them. Anyway I sat on the sleeper that is a border edge and drank my tea and then I realised that sitting above me in the walnut tree is a small woodie. I walked over and spoke to it and it stretched and I saw the leg ring. Its a great relief. Walter is ok and doing well and was with me a full half hour while he preened and I had a chat with him and his friends were all in neighbouring gardens waiting sitting on top of the trees at quite a distance from us. Anyway I am happy now since I know he is fine. I saw the leg ring twice in fact so definitely it is Walter. I was actually starting to get bored with sitting there but didnt want to go away and leave him - tho I am almost 100% certain he is actually a SHE. She is not as pretty as a male bird and having held one on Sunday when it got stuck in Walters vacated aviary that I am sure was a very pretty colourful male I am now sure Walter is a female. And its the 13th again. Definitely my lucky number! Also I have a feeling I will be seeing Walter again. Tho I know not when but (s) he will come back now regularly. I am going to move a bench down the bottom of the garden tomorrow to watch my veg grow. We have a rotovator hired for the weekend and I i ntend to plant broad beans and whatever else I have seeds for that can go in now on Monday. Also my dad has bought me 7 very heavy bags of rotted farm manure so its all out planting time. The main problem now is how to keep those pesky birds ( including pigeons!) off my growing veg without hurting them??

fly away free

My Walter flew away today. This is him before he flew
At 11.45 he was there at 12.00 hrs he was gone. I tried to let him (or may be her )out yesterday but he wouldnt leave. I left the door open. The neighbours if they saw me will think me insane when I am trying to fly thru the door to show Walter how to get out of the aviary. I flapped my wings and ran thru............he just preened his feathers........as he likes to!
Well I do not know what made him finally go but he has. He needed to but I have cried all day. I should as a friend said be celebrating but I have been mourning. Walter is gone. But Walter ( who I truly believe is actually female but still will always be Walter) is free. Free to fly. I realised at about 2pm there was a pigeon doing circles over the two rows of houses- ours and those behind us. I do not know if that was Walter but certainly I have not seen a pigeon do it before. M says its what homing pigeons do. He roosted 2 doors away on a tree



I am 99% certain it is he. I have now joined a twitchers site( bird watchers) and intend to buy a better camera just to find out if he is still out there- a new hobby for a new year then. I need to be able to see his ring round his left leg - its green. He is free tho. free like any human on this planet can never be.Free like my dogs cannot be, like my cockateil Ben can never be.truely truely free just to be............ Truly free. I can never be truly free. No number, no national security, no birth cert, nothing. As I understand it the only country like that right now is somalia and very few folk would chose to move there but true freedom is something everyone over the whole planet lacks. Even dogs and cats are chipped. We all are known by numbers. " If you dont wannna be a number dont give them your name" - Crass about 1978. Well we are none of us free and Walter for better or worse is! Yeah!

Only wild animals are free.
At 3.30pm put my chickens to bed. I went to check just on the ofchance he had come home to roost- well no he hadnt but another pigeon was in his aviary. I left quickly thinking it would soon leave. Half an hour or so later I went back and it was still there and couldnt find its way out. Eventually by putting food in the doorway I got it to leave but it crashed and couldnt fly. I caught hIm easly and took him up the garden and showed to M who was not amused. Anyway I checked his ( I am sure twas a he) feet and both gripped me. His wings seemed to work but I think one is slightly damaged but will get better- anyway eventually having checked him out all over put on floor and waited. He took lots of steps and flew away. Now tho will I turn into pigeon woman of Kilsby? A bit like a bag woman but with pigeons? Well we will have to see. Walter was on the tree 2 doors away. Walter is free...........