I took a long walk to and from Forest Hills, Queens, on May 26, 2024 (see a post on a photo I took early in the walk from Downtown Brooklyn). I reached Forest Hills proper after a bit more than two hours of walking. I had never been to Forest Hills before, so I took the time to take in the sites.
In a particularly scenic stretch of what must be one of the nicer neighborhoods in Queens, I came across a very pretty white and gray pigeon in a grassy front yard adjacent to a brick residential building. The pigeon reminded me a bit of a white and brown pigeon that I photographed in Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn, back in 2021. I knew I had a photo opportunity, so I quickly readied my LineageOS-powered Google Pixel 6a camera and prepared to take a photo. Now before I present the first photo in this set, I want to make clear that the pigeon did not appear to be doing much more than existing when I readied my camera. However, as I took the picture, I noticed that our feral feathered friend was actually hard at work.
You can see that the pigeon is holding a stick in its beak. As I aimed the camera at the pigeon, it suddenly fastened its beak to the twig and yanked it out of the ground (violently, I might add). By the time I took the photograph, the pigeon was already off to the races. When I say off to the races, I mean the pigeon literally started racing.
This is what I would describe as back-foot pigeon photography. When I set up the first photo, I had no idea that something big was happening. After quickly realizing that the pigeon was holding a twig, I tried to get another photo. I barely got the photo because the pigeon broke out into a full sprint after securing the twig. I have seen pigeons run across the street dodging death by tire, but I dare say I never saw a pigeon run as fast as this pigeon did once it had its twig. You would almost think it was hiding knees somewhere.
I suspected the pigeon had a nest somewhere. I quickly (probably not as quickly as the sprinting pigeon) followed it along the fence. As soon as it turned the corner seen in the first picture, it took flight – but it did not have far to fly. Its destination was just around the bend.
The pigeon had a nest right above the entrance to this building. This pigeon and its pigeon spouse (I did not catch the spouse) appear to have done a fine job building a nest on the downward slope of an arch.
What began as a plan to photograph an aesthetic pigeon in Forest Hills turned into something of a nature special.
