It was cold and I was not breathing very well and I didn't have my mind on what I was doing.
When I let the birds out I let them out into the sputnik then release them. The birds are very good, they know the system. They have very nice manners and line up and I let them out one at time, the ones that are not going out I put on the floor. When everything is in the sputnik I go out and drop the front and way they go.
I have a little blue hen, out of a pair of eggs D. Cox gave me. The parents are imported pigeons, I don't know much except they are Pitbull lines and were expensive. The little one is one of these bondy things, it came out of the nest and climbed onto me and will happily let me carry it around all day.
It is in fact a little bit obsessed and very highly strung. So I've only let out on the sputnik when I'm right there so if it gets scared it can jump on to me.
Yesterday I was shepherding them out and the baby dot went past me and into the sputnik. I told you I wasn't thinking.
When I dropped the front they took off and at the exact moment I saw it it took off after them
I thought, she's gone.
No sign yesterday. No sign this morning, No sign at lunch time.
Then I looked out and there's a blue pigeon pecking round by the loft. I ran out and called it, and she ran flat out across the yard and into my hands
I gave it a little kiss on the head.
She's got a marker ring on now so I won't do that again. And I'll be a bit more alert.
