Now Flossie has become a pigeon fancier

Last year we had an unfortunate incident with a pigeon.

I opened the back door to let Flossie into the garden after we’d returned from our walk. She shot out at full speed towards the rear fence where there was a great deal of scrabbling.

I didn’t take too much notice until she reappeared carrying a pigeon in her mouth.

I was horrified. She looked contrite, as if she hadn’t meant to hurt it. In fact, I think the pigeon might have knocked itself out as it tried to scale the fence, unwittingly ‘falling’ into Flossie’s mouth.

She laid her treasure down gently on the patio and looked at me expectantly. I’m not sure what she wanted me to do with it. The pigeon was taking its last breaths and I couldn’t bring myself to help it on its way. So, I took Flossie inside and we waited.

It didn’t take long, just a minute or so. Afterwards, I knew I would have to do something with it and I am not very brave about such things. I pulled on some rubber gloves and fetched a shovel. I scooped the bird up, tipped it into a plastic bag and placed it in the dustbin. It wasn’t a very dignified burial but it was as reverent as it was going to get.

This year, we’ve been visited regularly by a pair of courting pigeons. They have been paying a lot of attention to each other. There is much posturing and flapping on the back fence as they puff themselves up and do their merry dance.

Flossie is obsessed with them. She prances around the garden, woofing and trying to chase them away. They are persistent though. As soon as she comes indoors, there they are again, sitting on the greenhouse immediately behind our fence, just out of reach. They are smarter than they look.

Let’s hope they continue to outwit her.