A baby pigeon will fly at four weeks of age. For the next few weeks I’d call my friend to ask how Cooper was doing. Had he left yet?

It was hard to believe that this little guy would be flying in such a short time. This is what Cooper looked like just before he took flight.

I think he surprised himself that first day he flew. With a wild flutter of wings he landed on the neighbour’s roof looking rather stunned. His parents, Percy and Betty, were by his side instantly.

My friend laughed and pointed to some down feathers that were stuck to the side of the house. I guess his first attempt had not been so successful. He’d flown right into the side of the house, poor little guy.

We watched him parade across the roof with his mother in close pursuit and dad watching. Their heads bobbed back and forth. She’d chase him to the edge of the roof where he’d stop and teeter on the eavestrough. He could only escape by flying away.

This game went on for at least a half an hour before he returned to the nest. His parents perched on a drain pipe under the roof of the neighbour’s house and refused to let him join them.

In a short time he took flight again. This time he ventured farther and his parents chased him. We watched him fly across the yard dipping, diving and swooping sideways. It looked like he was showing off. I imagined him saying, “Look ma, I can fly!”

It’s interesting to watch nature in action and to recognize how the different species take care of themselves. The only problem with having the pigeons move onto the balcony was the mess they made.

After Cooper left my friend made sure the parents stayed away. They tried to build another nest numerous times, but finally gave up. We see the dad occasionally, but not the mother. She’s probably sitting on another nest somewhere nearby.

And Cooper? We haven’t seen him in a while. But I’m sure he’s having a blast wherever he is.