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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>About the Band-tailed Pigeons
– they are not bad birds, they are not ugly birds, they are not mean
birds, they have been maligned by me, and I’m sorry!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>They are pretty to look at,
and their vocalizations are soothing. . . . but here on the edge of the
forest where there’s competition for my smorgasbord of bird seed and such
– they haven’t got the best manners! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>All birds are fascinating to
me, and it takes little effort to watch and please them, so I am grateful that
so many birds come to my yard – INCLUDING BAND-TAILED PIGEONS! So I will
not complain about how much bird seed a small flock of them can put away in
seconds!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Lisa Millbank’s
beautiful story with memories of her youth and BT Pigeons of the brambles and
forest, made me rethink my attitude towards them! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I’ll just have to get
more birdseed!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>A humbled birder,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Chris Miller<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>mcmillerz@peak.org<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting"'>"</span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting"'>Hope is the thing
with feathers perched in the soul"<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting"'> -
Emily Dickinson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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