Introduction
Acrobatic? It must have been awkward to hold a pigeon, perched on your left palm with the back of your left hand on green vegetation, and to photograph the scene using your cellphone camera in your right hand.
Welcome, dear reader, to the 127th entry in the Humor Topic Section. It really happened. My youngest brother texted the above image to my cellphone last Wednesday afternoon. My amazed textual reply requested to know “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would have said.
A Pigeon in Hand: The Rest of the Story
Late last Friday afternoon, my brother called to tell me “the rest of the story.” He said last Wednesday started off as a usual day at work. (He works in Morristown, Tennessee.) Around 11 AM that day, while routinely walking from one building to another, he was surprised when a pigeon flew down and landed near him. As he approached it, he thought it would fly away. Instead, the pigeon flew up and rested on his arm!
Was it a homing pigeon? As in the above image, it had a tag on its right foot. My brother couldn't make out the tag well enough to identify the owner or any contact information for reaching him or her.
My brother said the pigeon followed him around and even rested on the palm of his hand, as in the above image. After taking the above photograph, my brother placed the pigeon under a shade tree and went to get a cup of water. The bird awaited his return and drank water from the cup.
Afterward, my brother went back inside to continue working. When he had opportunities, he looked outside and saw the bird still under the shade tree. After a while, however, my brother never did see the bird again that day. He looked for it over the next two workdays, Thursday and Friday, but didn't see it.
Conclusion
On House Mountain, I once saw a bald eagle perched on a tree branch near the upper-middle bluff. Standing nearby on the rock bluff, I was within a few feet of it. The bird flew off before I could photograph it.
The article from 11/19/2023 includes my photograph of an owl perched on a tree within feet of where Molly (our “old puppy”) and I were hiking. Molly and I were amazed it didn't fly off.
Countless times and in different hiking locations, I have come upon deer and startled them. Years ago, at Big Ridge State Park, a bear was on the trail I was hiking. Clapping my hands and talking loudly to it as I approached, the bear ran crashing down a ravine below the trail before I got to where it had been.
I have never, however, had a pigeon fly and land on my arm while at work, in the woods, or anywhere. My youngest brother has one-upped me with his pigeon story. Thanks for sharing your story, brother.
Is anyone missing a tagged pigeon in Morristown, Tennessee?
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