As I reached for my camera, however, the idiot bird flew off, but I managed to just catch the thing as it launched.
Click on the photo and blow it up and you'll probably be as startled as I was to discover that pigeons take off backwards!
This bird is definitely taking off and not landing. It's rather helicopter-like, with a bit of vertical take off and reversing before sticking its wings in forward gear.
So what was going to be a photo of Sir Tom pondering a handful of pigeon droppings and the ignominy of becoming an avian toilet, instead demonstrated to me that I can indeed learn something new every day (yesterday I also learned about beet and chocolate muffins - yay).
7 comments:
I assume the pigeon took off backwards so he could check his "work" as he left.
Oh that must be one pigeon the peregrines missed! Did you know Phil went and saw them in flight yesterday at the Cathedral?
Hahaha, Speedway! I'll subscribe to that theory.
Mum, this is the other end of the city to the peregrines; there are no natural predators in this square; just families of fat slobs sprawled on the steps outside the McDonalds' stuffing their faces with crap and leaving greasy detritus for the pigeons to clear up. Perhaps we ought to reintroduce bears to the square; it would at least keep the lard-arses fit.
Therefore the pigeons are quite smart! I did not realize they launch in reverse! I recently watched a segment about their popularity amoung tourists in Venice.
No wonder Venice is sinking, Neetzy. The weight of all that pigeon crap must be a dreadful burden.
I hope Sir Thomas doesn't suddenly get an insight and smack himself on the forehead with his R hand.
It is interesting about how pigeons take off in flight. They are so ubiquitous I've never really watched them. We all learned something, thanks to your photo....
Hee hee, Ms.M!
I confess that after fifty-three years of pigeon awareness I neither knew nor cared how they took off … until this one startled me.
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