To fight the pigeons

When I first moved into my apartment I decided that I wouldn't disturb the spiders or the pigeons on my concrete balcony.  I figured that it was just as much their ecosystem as mine and thought that we might be able to inhabit the balcony in shifts.

I would leave them alone when they decided that they wanted a turn on the balcony and hope that they would afford me the same courtesy when I was out there.

Well this morning, I figured out their secret.

I sleep in everyday until nearly ten ... until now.  I discovered that the sun peaks around onto my northeast facing balcony for about an hour after sunrise. I had been missing it all this time. Being from the prairie and having previously owned a home where my back yard pointed south, this was up there with the best moments of 2011.  So I went out on to my balcony to eat my breakfast and bask in the sun before it slipped behind my apartment building's corner.  (This will become a regular routine, even if I have to get up at five in the morning, I will do it.  It has changed my entire perspective on the day, and my apartment is no longer the cold tomb I once thought it to be.)

Although it wasn't my scheduled time to be on the balcony, I was soaking up all the morning sun that I could get into this Irish skin.  To my fright, the pigeons that I noticed circling in my periphery decided to try to land, right above me on the balcony ledge.  I screamed because it felt like they were swooping at my head.  I scared them off quite well. Or so I thought...

I understand that they were not used to having me out there, sharing the sunlight, and that I was essentially sitting in their spot, but swooping at my head meant a turf war for the balcony.

I got out my broom and swept all of their droppings off the edge, I sprayed glass cleaner in all of their usual spots (I know, I'm sorry, but ammonia is supposed to work, if you are part of PETA or have a love for pigeons, you can come and rescue theses ones) and I moved my seat into their spot.  But I have good cause for this.

Later, when I ought to be working or writing a massive paper, I sat staring out the large floor to ceiling window that looks out onto my balcony. A pigeon popped up on the base of the window and I have reason to believe that it was the same bird that I gave a small heart-attack when I screamed at it earlier that morning.

I made a flinch in the hopes to scare it off.

It stayed.

I stood up (usually that scares them off).

It stayed.

I sat back down.

It tapped three times on the window with its beak and stared right at me.

I stared at it.  He (or she) was calling me on.

Finally, I made some ridiculous move where I fanned out all of my limbs and yelled at the pigeon and it took off.

Phew.

I have every intention of owning my balcony whenever there is sun shining on it... watch yourselves pigeons, I'm taking back my balcony.

That's all.

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