The Dove From Above

Wandering around the nature trail at Connah’s Quay last week I happened across a severed leg on the ground with a ring attached.

Initially, I thought it was a wild bird that had been ringed by ornithologists, but KLJ in full CSI: Flint mode suggested it was a pigeon’s leg and therefore probably a tagged racing bird.

The numbering and lettering read WHU D07749 and so off to the interweb it was. Assuming that it wasn’t the property of West Ham United or the Welsh Hockey Union, I settled on the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union. For some inexplicable reason they omit the ‘pigeon’ from their acronym – the most crucial part I would have thought.

Lying barely a hundred feet from the Peregrine’s nest it doesn’t take Columbo (or should that be Columba) to deduce the probable cause of death. Clearly the falcon was the owner of a very discerning palate as it had left the leg in favour of the far superior breast – and I swear the blood was actually red wine gravy.

I had initially considered notifying the relevant fancier, but given I imagine the general consensus around the coops is not too positive towards the record numbers of Peregrines breeding in Britain I will probably keep schtum.

Until later.

P.S – There is a rumour that more hardline sections of the Welsh Homing Pigeon Union unhappy with the tolerant attitude of its committee are plotting to get rid of the current board. The suspicions of Chairman Bryn Hughes were aroused when an entire lorry load of pigeons were overheard saying “Coup, coup, coup” when he was driving them to a release location in North Wales.