19.08.2020
Pigeons!
Hello everyone!
Welcome to another creative writing class. This week I have been inspired by a lovely little racing pigeon that sat on my doorstep for a morning before we took pity on him and took him in for food and water. We tried to let him go at lunch time but he hopped back inside the crate we had found for him (we have three cats so it was important to keep him safe).
By tea time he was pecking at the crate and eager to go, so we took him outside (secured the cats inside) and off he flew into the sunset! Job well done we thought!……
The next morning I opened the front door at 9am only to find Mr Pigeon sat right back on the doorstep! He obviously thought he was onto a good thing and spent the day peering in the kitchen window. Needless to say he eventually went on his way and hopefully has now returned home.
Often at St Nicks when we are walking around the reserve we look out for birds. You will often hear someone say ‘Oh that’s just another wood pigeon’; having done a bit of research into them, I have totally changed my mind, what a fascinating and beautiful creature a pigeon is! So the following tasks will hopefully inspire you and peak your interest in pigeon’s too!
Did you know that pigeons belong to a family of birds called the Columbidae. Columbidae include pigeons and doves. There are many different and wonderful species of pigeon. You can find some of them here . I particularly like the ones with ruffled neck feathers!
Pigeons are also highly intelligent. One set of scientists trained some pigeons to distinguish between Claude Monet’s work and Picasso’s paintings!
Task 1: (5 mins) Pigeon feathers: Look at some photographs of pigeons. In ten words describe the colour of their feathers using words that describe objects of the same colour. For example: Pebbles, sunsets, mist etc.
Task 2: (10 mins) Pigeon Meeting! It is said that a pigeon can find it’s way home from 1300 miles away! Imagine that a domestic pigeon is lost on his journey home. He/ she lands at St Nicks and meets a wood pigeon. Write a story describing their interaction!
Or: Imagine the first time that a pigeon soars above a city – what do they see?
Task 3: (5 – 10 mins) I was surprised by the many colourful and varied variety of pigeons around the world. Look at the picture of the pigeon above. Can you invent a name and a habitat for the pigeon? Forget about the actual name. Imagine a fantastical name and world that this pigeon belongs to.
Task 4: (5 mins) Caption Competition! Can you end today’s session by coming up with a funny title or caption for the photo above?
On a final note doves are associated as a symbol of peace in the Christian religion. With this in mind I hope that you have a peaceful and happy week!
With best wishes,
Emma
