Backyard Visitor

We have had a visitor in our back yard for the past 4 weeks. This guy has been around looking for food and company. When the kids are out playing he would land on the fence close to them and watch them. Each morning I would go out for coffee on the patio and he would come land close for a visit.  I got the camera out and started taking pictures to try and get the numbers off of his leg band. We named him Bert.

Twice I got close enough to touch him. We set out clean water for him each day. The kids researched racing pigeons and how to take care of them. This bird is so tame that we knew it had to be someone's pet. It did not know how feed in the wild. Its bright white made him a very easy target for the hawks and owls in our neighborhood.

 The past few thunderstorms left Bert wet and miserable. I was finally able to grab him as he was shivering and miserable on our patio cover. I was able to read all of the numbers on his tag clearly for the first time.
The tag was sold by FOY'S PIGEON SUPPLY in BEAVER FALLS, PA.  I gave them a call and they told me they sold that series of bands to a breeder in Texas.  Long story short a man from two streets over came by to pick up his bird. Bert is actually a Bertha, she is about 4 months old, he tagged her with bands he already had from around the house. He was very friendly and talked to the kids a long time. They had lots of questions for him. He told us he had lots of other pigeons at his house and asked if we wanted one for a pet.

 I will miss having Bert stop by and visit every morning, but I am glad that she is safe and back at home.