In the corner of my backyard there is a beautiful Rose of Sharon bush. The sight and scent bring me great pleasure. At some point flowers loosen from the bush and fall to my verdant green lawn. The white on the green makes an exquisite contrast. Much to my amazement, one of the white lawn flowers began to move, appeared to actually take steps, appeared to be a walking flower. That was weird; a walking Rose of Sharon; ambling across the lawn. As it neared, I discerned the walker was actually a large white bird. The newcomer headed toward the patio, headed toward my standing birdseed feeder and began to the partake in what the feeder offered. From my short distance, I could now observe this unusual bird; a total newcomer. It was all white, except for a small patch of tan feathers on its back. But this visitor was unusual. Instead of scaled legs, it had long fluffy feathered legs, fluffy muffs. The legs looked like they should have been wings for the bird, but clearly, they were its legs. I have lived in this house and sat on this patio for more than 60 years and never, never, never have I observed such a bird; feathered legs; an unusual legging garment.
Quick, GOOOGLE! What is this visitor??? It appears to not be so unusual. This avian is a member of the pigeon family. It is called a Fancy Pigeon, a Dove. Its feathered feet originally started becoming separate wings that did not evolve fully. GOOGLE proclaims that because of the feathered legs, this bird would get tangled in a tree if it attempted to fly and become a bird in the wild. This visitor might therefore be a domesticated breed raised by humans.
While the appearance of this beautiful, unusual sight brought me enormous delight it has now burdened me with pain and anxiety. Fluffy Feet (I have named it) may be someone’s pet, someone’s lost pet. I watched the beautiful white Dove dance across my lawn and disappear into my bushes. I may never learn if the bird and its owner are reunited. Not seeing the Dove again may hopefully mean it is back home as the pet it was bred to be.
Ethyl Haber
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