Subject: [Tweeters] "PILLBUG" -- Piedras Blancas racing pigeon update
Date: Apr 26 06:08:55 2006
From: Pterodroma at aol.com - Pterodroma at aol.com
The saga continues. I haven't posted any updates recently because..., well,
because no news is non news and such would sound much too much like the
non-news drivel spewed by our 24-hr cable news channels these days. "Pillbug,"
yes, we had to give him a name, and "Pillbug" as corny as it sounds seemed
appropriate enough given his bout with 'pillbug poisoning' the first day (April
18) continues to hang in here and survives the watchful gaze of the
Peregrines because he always sticks close to the south side of the house. I have kept
him adequately watered and with food provided in the form of a pan of mixed
millet, split peas, and lentils. He's probably most at risk before 10am when
he's out and about 'somewhere' flying around, exercising, and foraging on
his own. He shows up right at 10am every morning and stays until just before
sunset, then flys off to the rocky pinnacles and south facing ocean cliffs
below the house presumably to roost for the night. With hundreds of safe little
holes and cavelets along there, he's apparently found a good safe place to
hold up at night which so far I have not been able to locate.
I had a major breakthrough yesterday by finally tracking down the owner who
called me yesterday morning. Turns out 'Pillbug' is a long long way from
home and has been 'missing' for three weeks. 'Pillbug' is from Boron, CA, way
over in the Mojave in eastern Kern County near Edwards AFB, so he's had to
cross two mountain ranges to have gotten here. He's a young bird, raised from
hatching by the owner in Nov 2005 and has already been a proven champion in
pigeon racing and the owner is now very anxious to get him back. 'Pillbug'
will probably be taken out of the racing circuit for the rest of the year and
will just stay home to rest up, exercise locally, and grow more accustomed to
his home turf and the happy familiarity of his own home coup and roost.
Today will be the next major and most critical step towards sending him
home. I've got to catch him. Since 'Pillbug' usually spends his afternoons just
squatting on the concrete patio behind Quarters "C", I think that should be
easy enough with a large sea otter dipnet I've borrowed from Brian. I figure
I've got one chance and it will have to work the first time since I don't
think 'Pillbug' will have any clue what I'm about to do since I've made no
attempt whatsoever to lay a finger on him otherwise. Then, I plan to pack him in
a box or maybe one of Brian's dog ('otter') kennels, and hand him over to
the light station manager, John Bogacki, who will be driving home to
Bakersfield anyway on Thursday. Then, the owner will drive from Boron to Bakersfield
and pick him up on Friday. Anyway, that's the plan, a road trip rather than
by air under his own devices as we all are hoping for a happy story book
ending to this quite interesting adventure and experience for us out here. In the
meantime, I've learned quite a lot about the world of pigeon racing which
has been quite informative and interesting.
Richard Rowlett
NOAA/NMFS gray whale migration study
Pt. Piedras Blancas Light Station
San Simeon, CA