Thanksgiving Pigeon - Not One, But Two

While driving along the Wapsipinicon River today I noticed two dark silhouettes in separate trees that I did not immediately recognize. After stopping and studying the birds using my long Nikon lens I realized I was just looking at rock pigeons.

I know that pigeons are not that big of a deal compared to bald eagles and swans and you name the special birds. But the fact that these two birds captured my attention is testament to their size. In fact, as I was slowing my truck I wondered what species of hawk I would be looking at. These birds were big enough to become a part of the upcoming Thanksgiving meal - assuming there will also be pecan pie and tators to go with it!

In the old days, when I was first learning to hunt, we used to shoot pigeons that were messing up country barns. Now, with far fewer old barns still in existence, I don’t see too many pigeons. So, even though pigeons are commonplace, their numbers in my frequented areas are much lower than they used to be. Numbers are now low enough that I stop to see some of this species every now and then - at least when they are large enough to resemble small hawks!