Pigeons and Peanuts

The new bird feeding station is proving 'quite' popular - not quite as popular as the old one by the fence, but popular enough that I thought I'd better pop in to our local hardware store for more seed.

They bag the seed and the peanuts in half kilos in plastic bags, and have them in an attractive pavement display in a big basket. When I arrived, the peanut basket was occupied by two pigeons, who had pecked a hole in one bag of peanuts and were taking turns to feed from it. They totally ignored me when I walked into the shop past them, and were not at all bothered by passers-by or traffic on the busy Fore Street of our small town.

I told the shop owner, who went and chased them off. He told me that one pigeon had learnt the trick a little while ago and was becoming quite a nuisance, but this was the first time he had seen two of them. Pigeons are highly intelligent and easy to train birds. I have no doubt that unless he changes his 'pigeon food' displays they will tell all their friends and soon come flocking for their peanut treats.