Birds

As I was caring for Gem during the weeks after his rescue, I told him that when he was well, we would build him a house and get him a girl. Here’s how that went.

This morning, Carl’s breakfast was a few walnuts, shredded bok choy, and a slightly burnt almond flour pancake from my own breakfast. Carl’s favorite days are when I burn the pancakes, because otherwise I tend to hoard them for myself.

When I first saw Gem, I thought he was three feet tall. That was a powerful misperception, given that he is in reality just 10 1/2 ounces of flesh and bone and very fancy feathers. I was driving home at the end of the day, fantasizing about apricots as jam makers do in June, when…

Remember how we weren’t sure whether our King pigeon Yuzu was male or female, but were certain that Quince was a boy? (Even our expert pigeon veterinarian said so.) Well, look what our boy Quince went and did . . . And this is how she looked at me when I asked to see her…

Okay, so it’s not an official national holiday. Banks and government offices are open. But if the New York Bird Club had succeeded in its efforts, this would be a day to formally honor the heroism and dedication of our friend, the pigeon. Here’s an excerpt from the club’s 2009 letter to President Obama: We…

Guess what’s new here? If you follow the Hitchhiking to Heaven Facebook Page you probably already know that we’ve been building a pigeon house. (I should probably call it an aviary or dovecote, but to me it’s a pigeon house.) We’re still working the details — nest boxes, perches, and so on — but right…

A while back, Stewart came home from a trip and I told him I’d taken up with a guy down the street. My other boyfriend is a fat guy — big belly, skinny neck — though he weighs only 30 pounds. And he honks. Which makes sense, given that he’s a big domestic goose. When…