Squabbling times

Carol collected a pigeon dove with a damaged wing, spotted by observant Grace of Ken's Traditional Fish and Chips lappering along Riverside Walk by the old Horseshoes in Hoveton. Its liekly the bird was attacked by a predator ~ possibly a rat, or hawk. Squabbles in the animal kingdom are part of everyday life. A small trifling dispute, say over territory, courting, or food can soon escalate and become fatal for some creatures. Fortunately, the pigeon was given another chance. Interestingly, the word 'squabble' is a baby pigeon dove. A lady visitor at Granary Staithe recently commented how healthy the pigeons swooping round her looked. This is curious, given the ammount of chips and other scraps of food the pigeons and gulls are thrown in the public domain of Hoveton~Wroxham. On occasions people stand and feed the birds chips and other food assortments as they gather round, akin to feeding seals circus style. Feeding of bird life ~ We kindly advise offering natural, vegetable based food (for example grain pellets or flakes) straight into the water. This method is not only healthier for waterfowl, but is just how the the birds digest their food naturally. Where possible, please use the signposted bird feeding area at Granary Staithe, while taken precautions to wash hands with disinfectant. Chris