A bit of a scare

I had a bit of a scare the other day.  When I went to put everyone to bed there were white feathers everywhere outside my back door.  I looked up on the roof and there were feathers stuck to the cobwebs on the satellite dish too.  My heart sank and I had a bit of a scout around for more evidence but as I didn't really want to see what might be there it was a bit of a half hearted affair.  When The Hairy One arrived home after dark he spotted them straight away saying 'Have you lost one of your doves?'  This of course took away any faint hope I might have had about my possible paranoia.  If someone else thought it too it must be true.  I went to bed with a heavy heart wondering who the casualty was and if they were sitting somewhere injured and needing help or if they had just been gobbled up for breakfast by Mrs Sparrowhawks babies.

The next morning I went outside, stepping carefully over the sad carpet of feathers wondering if I could con Hairy into sweeping them up because they were breaking my heart and I didn't want to do it.  I looked up on the roof to see if any of the little rotters had come home for breakfast (they still roost on the house opposite, more about that later) to see all six of them sitting there cheerfully awaiting breakfast.  I had to count them twice just to make sure I wasn't seeing things.  Then I noticed that a couple of them were preening and causing a flurry of feathers.  They are moulting!  All that worry for a moult!!

Hairy Hubby went over for a chat with the man who owns the house over the road that afternoon.  He does not live there, it's just his half a million pounds worth of waterfront holiday home.  He wants to live there but his wife won't (madwoman) so he has just sold it at auction.  His first words to Hairy were 'Have you lost one of your doves?'  Apparently there were feathers everywhere on his back door step!  Upon closer inspection there was also piles and piles of splatty dove poop.  To the degree that they have had to put a door mat down to cover it from house viewers eyes!  Oooops!  Maybe a canopy would be better incase said viewers look upwards and really get it in the eye!

My only worry now is what the new owners will think of having my six beloved white doves roost on their roof and splat all over their patio.  If I am really lucky they might just gently shoo them off and my wayward teens will come home to live again.  Worst case scenario is either they decide to build a dovecote for the lovely birds to live in or they harm them in some way to get rid of them.  In either case there will be hell to pay if they do.

We are off to buy some new chickens later...watch this space for more drama cos you can bet it won't be easy!