Betrayed

I`m feeling awful. I`ve betrayed two creatures that had trusted me. Yes, it`s those pigeons I`m talking about (yes again!, sorry if you`re bored with reading about them, but this may be the last post about them).

The advice I was given about them, was feed them for a few days then stop feeding them and they`ll go home, or away. So, since Saturday I`ve not fed them, I didn`t even go out into the garden for them to see me Sunday or Monday, and yesterday - no sign of them. Opening the curtains first thing this morning, what do I see... the two pigeons back. Looking out of the window at them dinner time I saw that they were merrily pecking away eating the leave of all my plants in the pots I`d set last week, and my parent said they`d been doing it most of the morning although she`d been trying to frighten them off. And, seeing her waving her walking stick should have been enough to send any of us running off! But, to no avail there they remained.

The time had come to do something more drastic, I thought, so getting a couple of cardboard boxes with lids, and the bag of sunflower seeds, I went out into the garden this afternoon and they came running towards me. Once they were pecking away at the seeds on the ground, I managed to get hold of them, one at a time, and pop them in a box each, put the lid on, made some holes in the lid, then boxes into the boot of the car, and off I went into the countryside about 20 miles. Stopping in a layby in a country lane I got the boxes out, put some seeds on the ground and let the pigeons out. Got back quickly into the car and drove off leaving them there.

But, I now feel awful, that I`ve done that to two creature who had trusted me. That I`ve abandoned them. Will they be alright? Will they find their way to their rightful home? Will they get run over, or get caught by foxes or anything, I do so hope not, they were such lovely birds. Part of me is wanting to go back and get them!, So much is going through my mind. It feels that I`ve betrayed them. I`m regretting what I`ve done. Was it for the best for them?

Have a look at one more picture of them. Their plumage was so beautiful in the sunlight, almost at time fluorescent. Yes, he/she is sitting on my hand, they were so tame.