Brains

By

Margaret C H Murphy

My name is BRAINS and here is my story so far…..

I was born in the West of Scotland and was cared for by a nice man, who gave me good corn to eat, fresh water to drink and a clean place to live. One day, he picked me up and put me in a basket, which he then put into his car. It was exciting as I have never been outside the loft before. The car made a funny noise and as it went along I was shaken about in the basket. At last the car stopped and the basket was taken from the car and before long the nice man picked me out very gently and handed me to another man whom I will call Jay. Again I was put into a box and back inside a car and away on another journey.  When this car stopped I was taken into the house to be shown to Jay’s wife, then I was put in beside his pigeons. This was quite strange as it wasn’t MY loft, where my parents and all my friends lived. Who were these other birds I was beside? They spoke funny and kept asking me where I came from and why was I in THEIR loft? Some of the birds were friendly but others kept saying I was in their space and kept pecking me and telling me to go back to where I came from. Every day Jay, came in and cleaned the loft, he spoke to everyone and came back later and gave us our meal. But I was still getting bullied by one or two others and I so missed all my old friends I wished I was back in my old loft..

Freedom

After a couple of days Jay came in and I made my escape, I jumped on his head and I was out of the door before he could say ‘Hello’. I flew out and sat on the loft roof for a while and had a good look around me. This was different from my old surroundings but it was wonderful to be free, the wind was blowing quite strongly but it was exhilarating. Where would I go? Jay was out talking to me and it would have been nice to go back into the loft but I wanted to be free. To see the world! Do things for myself. The wind blew and I flapped my wings and off I went. Oh this was exciting. I flew between houses just skimming over tree tops. this was magic as the wind blew me along and made me go quicker than I wanted to go but it was a great thrill as I hadn’t done anything like this before. After a while I became out of breath and was glad to sit on a branch of a tree for a while overlooking this new place I had been brought to. Jay noticed me and came over and spoke to me again trying to entice me back over to his loft. But hey I was FREE and I wasn’t going back into this new loft, I wanted to do other things that I heard the other birds in my old loft talk about which sounded ‘Great’. They had told me they were put into race baskets and taken on a lorry away to other  parts of the country, even to foreign lands and they had to eat and drink in these baskets, (some of the food wasn’t great but when you are hungry you just have to eat it). Then one morning they heard a loud shout ‘Let them Go’ and all the fronts of the baskets dropped and all the birds were released at once, after flying about for a few times they then found the direction for home and all headed north. They also told me that on return the nice man gave them a ‘treat’ of small grains and they all said it was good to be home beside their partner and to get spoiled. Well…… I wanted some of that; I’m a racing pigeon and this is what I was bred for?

After a while of sitting on the branch I decided to start my adventure and go for a fly. Up and up I went, darting about the sky, IT WAS WONDERFUL…I could go anywhere I wanted and do anything I liked so I flew and flew for hours. It was starting to get dark and I was beginning to get hungry and I didn’t know where to go to get something to eat or to drink, plus it was getting quite cold. The wind was blowing stronger and the rain had come on and I was feeling ‘miserable’ and needed to get somewhere to shelter and dry out. I landed on the ground and took a drink of water from a puddle it wasn’t nice but at least I had a drink then looking round I saw an old house that had a broken window and decided to go there for the night, I gave myself a good shake when I landed on a shelf in this house.  I was cold, tired and very hungry by now and I had to go to sleep feeling quite sorry for myself. After an awful night as I did not sleep very well however the wind was not so fierce as I awoke by the noise of crows all shouting and screaming at each other. This was quite scary and they kept telling me to look out for Mr Hawk but I didn’t know who ‘He’ was or where he lives but they told me that if he caught me then it would be ‘The End’. I then thought ‘Maybe being free and on my own is not so great after all’. I kept thinking of the new loft where I had escaped from as the wind and rain didn’t get to me there. Plus I was always well fed and had fresh water to drink; maybe I should try and get back to it as I’m quite frightened to be out on my own another night. So I flew around for a couple of hours and then all of a sudden the surroundings became familiar. What’s that I can see down there? It’s that my new loft, I can see the birds in the aviary. So shutting my wings I decided to go down to have a look. Some of the birds started ‘cooing’ and asking where I had been and they seemed happy to see me. So maybe they were not as scary as I first thought anything is better than dealing with those crows.

Jay’s wife noticed me sitting on the top of the aviary and shouted to him that I was back. He came out talking very gentle to me and ever so softly telling me that I was to be a good girl and come in the loft, where some of my friends were getting some food. My first thought was ‘food’ as my belly is rumbling. I think I will go in after all I’ve had a bit of freedom, experience life outside the loft and it is not all that’s it’s cracked up to be. It’s lovely in MY loft now; No wind or rain to make me cold and something nice to eat every day and lovely clean water to drink.  Jay keeps telling me what a clever girl I am since I returned to the loft. He even said to his wife ‘That bird’s got BRAINS to come back here after only 2 days in the loft…..Now that’s my name BRAINS. Don’t let on but I’m glad to be back !!!!!!

Family Affair

I’ve enjoyed many days since my ‘escape’ but most of all I enjoy getting out for a fly where I can stretch my wings most mornings and night. However you have to keep your wits about you all the time as there are many hazards to hurt me. I remember one time when out for a fly and it was very windy and I was enjoying myself so much and not paying attention and a gust of wind blew me into a TV aerial and I got a cut in my breast which required a few stiches. In the loft there are girl and boy pigeons and we usually just sit on our own perch but one day I noticed this boy pigeon making eyes at me he is known by Jay as ‘Big Blue’ and we started talking. It was nice to have a special friend and Jay put the two of us in a nest box together and before long I laid 2 eggs. It’s a funny feeling having to look after the eggs as I have to sit on them and keep them warm throughout the night. I get out for a fly when my mate ‘Big Blue’ takes over looking after the eggs during the day and after a few weeks I feel the eggs moving and before long we have 2 fluffy yellow chicks to look after. It’s hard work, all the sitting, feeding and keeping the nest tidy and it is good when Jay takes me out in the basket for a short run in the car and allows us to fly the 20 miles home. There are about 30 of us, so it’s good to race each other home and see who is the first bird into the loft: A few weeks later something strange happens to me as I’m away from my new babies and ‘Big Blue’ for 3 days. This was different as we were in a big lorry with hundreds of other birds. I don’t like being here in this strange basket having to fight for some food and a drink. After a good night’s sleep the convoyer opens the shutters on the side of the lorry and it’s lovely to feel the fresh air blowing into the basket and he also gives us fresh drinking water. After a short while the sides of all the baskets are dropped and we head for home but things are different this time and it is a bit scary as we have been on the wing for a long time and are not near our home.  We started off in a big batch but now this is down to 30 birds and we are all trying to race each other, some of the older birds are not able to keep up with us so they are lagging behind while others drop back. I just want home to my 2 babies and I’m starting to become tired as I have been flying for over 14 hours and it is starting to get dark. However I recognise some of the places below and there is the Forth Bridge and some tall buildings that are near my home. I look around me and there is only one other bird with me when all of a sudden I see my loft and start to dive down towards it. Jay is standing watching the sky and he sees me coming and I can hear him shout ‘Come on my Girl’ as I land on the top of the aviary. He keeps telling me ‘What a good girl I am and how glad he is to see me home’. Now all I have to do was walk over the pad and get into the loft and be beside ‘Big Blue’ and my babies. I didn’t know the technology of some things but when I walked over the pad I hear a ‘bleeping noise’ and the time is registered on the clock. It turned out that I was first bird back to the loft and I’ve won the club and federation which is not bad for my first race from France. Jay is so happy when he comes to see me sitting on my babies the next morning. He picks me up and gives me a little kiss and turns to his wife and said ‘I told you this bird had ‘Brains’.

© Compiled by Margaret C H Murphy