160428 Pigeon at Humane Society, but not Nile

160428 I'm so excited... It's been one week.

The Humane Society called and left me a message. They have a Pigeon. Highly unlikely it's Nile, but... one can hope. They don't open until noon today... I'll be there waiting.
. . Still going thru my Security Cam videos to try to see what happened to Nile. Nothing yet.


PIC 150309a 2731 Pigeons Egyptians first time loose  Cleopatra Nile.JPG
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160425 4 pigeons on railing, Nile later missing

160425 4 pigeons on railing, Nile later missing 
Every morning they would fly to the deck to say good morning... and beg to come in the house. Sometimes I would let them. Now Nile is gone (2nd from front). Niles wife, Cleopatra, and I miss Nile very much.



Pic 151220 2731 Pigeons four on railing Newbie 2.5 Nile Cleoplara.JPG
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160425 Cleopatra is depressed, Nile missing

 160425 Cleopatra is depressed ... for 5 days, hoping and waiting for Nile to return. Roof peaks that she never sat on before ... Hours gazing out searching and waiting. Standing on the spot on the railing where she and Nile spent time in the sun. In 3 years, they had never once left my yard.
 

. . Nile was always the first one to fly to the deck and see me in the morning.
. . Most likely Nile was chased by a hawk, now lost or killed? The Egyptian Swift breed has a homing instinct for up to 100 miles. They also fly with an amazing hawk evading maneuver, continuous very abrupt changes in direction. But he was very tame and vulnerable.
. . We put up posters at many places including the Humane Society. Some years ago I got an injured Pigeon back from there after 5 days missing.
. . Still hoping, but the odds are very poor now ~:<(
I'm very sad too. I really miss him......


Pics 160421f  2731 Pigeon Nile missing - Cleopatra.JPG ... plus p and q
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150309 2731 Pigeons Egyptians first time loose Cleopatra Nile

 I'm so excited. First time in their lives... my 2.5yo Egyptian Swift Pigeons, Nile and Cleopatra, were able to be free outside to explore. They did NOT fly away, walked around for 1/2 hour, mingled with the Chickens and other Pigeons, then went back into the Aviary to their OWN nest. Such a relief. I was anxious to see them fly, but they didn't. I was hoping they'd fly to the deck to see me... maybe next time?
. . I got them last Nov, secured ever since. Did not want to take a chance they'd fly away in the dead of winter. Now I know they feel they are "home".
Pics = 150309 2731 Pigeons Egyptians first time loose  Cleopatra Nile.JPG
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141123 Pigeons Egyptian Swift

NAMING CEREMONY today ... My two beautiful Egyptian Swift Pigeons
Meet Cleopatra (Cleo), and Nile, a matched pair.
I won them at a pigeon show recently and I'm thrilled to have them.
. . Egyptian Swifts have been bred in Egypt for 4,000 years but only introduced to the rest of the world in 1925. They are still rare outside of Egypt.
. . They are sleek and small, 10", 3/4 pound but have a 30" wingspan.
. . They are similar to Homers in performance, up to 60mph, but only have homing abilities of about 50 miles vs Homers many hundreds, and they fly quite high, 600 feet for 2 to 4 hours then return home.
. . Cooper Hawks and Falcons are their biggest threat but they have learned to make abrupt maneuvers and can usually survive an attack (I hope).
. . They are very gentle and calm birds, very beautiful, I'm in love. Just today I finished their quarters in the outdoor aviary. I won't release them to fly for a few months, to make sure they know where home is.