Friday night and the EggHead Forum option of the forum choices is eerie quiet- I need to get a life!

Throbbing, prickly engineering problem this Friday eve.  Again.
 
I’m probably starting to become a Friday night whiner, apologies in advance.
The last few days I’ve noticed a brightly-colored pigeon hanging around the lawn on the SE corner of my house; odd, because I’ve never really seen pigeons of any kind around here, nor downtown, from Ogden to SLC.  The last couple days I’ve also noticed odd noises on my south wall, and tonight I realized this damn thing decided to hang out around my south-facing carport.  Then I noticed the big pile of sh*t on my windowsill, and the random droppings on my Audi, and my truck, and around my carport.  
The thing would fly across the street when it saw me at first, but now it’s flying just out of my reach, taunting me.  I just heard it land again on my windowsill, and it’s dark now, he’s probably roosted.  Two questions, right now:
 
1.  I know it’s illegal to kill songbirds; is a pigeon considered a songbird?  And,
 
2.  Any more humane ideas to get rid of him?  I hate killing anything, but if you’re gonna crap on my Audi you are marked!  I need to do dishes now and will check in a bit later.  [/whine off].  

pew pew

Shoot spatchcock and shut up

I think it’s mostly migratory birds that are federally protected.

I'm not proud of what I've done.
Late Friday night, I opened my south door, and propped the screen door open (so I didn't have to unlatch it), and turned off the motion-detector light in my car port.  Looked around the kitchen, and saw the very heavy cardboard tube that my 2' aluminum straightedge shipped in, and set it aside.  
Heard the beyotch land on my windowsill, and tear down the aluminum foil ball I had attached.  And I waited.  
After an hour of darkness, I assumed he had roosted.  I grabbed my 2' cardboard "club", jumped out the screen door and swung!  I'm monumentally unathletic/uncoordinated, but I hit him!  He flew into the bed of my truck, I ran to the side and swung a second time (missed), he flew up to the roof of the house, and I couldn't get to him again. 
By then a couple of the neighbors' windows lit up, and I heard police sirens starting up close by, so I retreated to the house and killed all the lights (this from experience).  Went to bed. 
Haven't seen or heard from him since.  I really hope I scared the piss out of him and he's roosting somewhere else; I may have injured him and he died in a different location (mowed the lawn and didn't see him here).  Hoping for the first scenario.  

@Botch

My pigeon story: As kids many moons ago we would trap wild pigeons and sell them to the livestock vendors at the local food market, for pocket money. The trap was super low-tech... just a small wooden box propped up by a stick tied to a string, with a handful of uncooked chickpeas under it. 

You can try that without hurting the pesky fella but good luck releasing him far enough that he can't find his way back 😂 

these two pigeon stories, side by side, are really great as well. is the pigeon intelligent?  if based unilaterally on wayfinding, maybe so .. but look how easily it takes bait. is the pigeon an adversarial warrior or just a messy self centered neighbor?   do we know any human pigeons?   maybe find out next time on friday night’s “drink while you think”.   happy friday!!!!

Happy Halloween, all! Wishing you pumpkin spice and everything nice. 

Well there are words but we can’t say them here .

Don’t forget to show your support tonight, @Canugghead.

@Canugghead

Relics from the good old days. They should be in a museum! 😂

GrateEggspectations said:

@Canugghead

Relics from the good old days. They should be in a museum! 😂

Haha, my son was three, now his son is three 😂 

Thanks @lousubcap We need the stars to line up again given how awesome Yamamoto is, the silver lining of not winning tonight is extra revenues for the local economy!

solid halloween weather here as well with most houses running fire pits in the driveway.