Our volunteer Paul Elliott had been concerned for some time about this pigeon at Southmere Lake in Thamesmead was covered all over in an unknown, glue-like substance and seemed to be struggling in general.
Catching a pigeon who is still capable of full flight is always tricky and requires a lot of patience, but thankfully Paul managed the difficult feat today.
We can now begin the long process of removing whatever is coating this poor bird's feathers and legs, which he has probably been ingesting every time he preens, and even sometimes causes his legs to stick together, in addition to accumulating seed, loose feathers and dirt. Most likely, he will not be releasable to the late summer or autumn, until he has molted and grown a whole new set of feathers.
For now, he is looking better already, although he is thoroughly un-impressed with me.
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