Big Fat Pigeons

Lucky me! Seriously!

Why?

A few days ago I couldn’t fall asleep. Usually I go to bed rather late, I’m a night owl. It was impossible to get some rest that night. I had a crisis at 7 am, no sleep though. I had no other choice than just be awake until the next evening. With that amount of time what can you do? I went to the city center to find all fat pigeons. And I think I managed to find most if not all of them.

For a while I’ve been thinking it was a dream or a mirage. But my camera says it’s true.  To prove it to you I’ll show you the photos.

Let’s count the fat pigeons. Jeez, I need to demonstrate the mathematical skills, which are limited (to say the least).

So… Shall we start?

For now we have 8 from 2 photos from previous post.

Next four birds as a traffic barriers. (8+4=12)

Lonely guard (12+1=13  - that was easy!)

Those saved my time. 1o sculptures in one place! (13+10= 23) I found them when I came back from the post office with Christmas cards.

I almost missed that triangle! (23+3= 26 seems like a half already caught)

Aww, a pink one! Cutie! While I am amazed of their diversity in my sister’s head there are totally different thoughts… Fortunately for me I can read her mind: “Hamburgers and pigeons… Pigeons and hamburgers… Coincidence? I don’t think so… ”  (26+3=29)

Another lonely guard. Good pigeon, good boy. Nobody will steal my car now. (29+1=30)

Gang of 6 cuties (30+6=36)

“Don’t panic bro, just blend in the crowd and we all gonna be fine” (36+2=38)

(38+4=42)

Clever beasts! (42+2=44)

Who will blink first? Blinks fight! (44+2=46)

Yeah, it’s about that lonely brave knight but when you’ll see IT, you gonna smile… (46+1=47)

Gutter cleaners. (47+2=49)

It becomes very popular here in Tallinn: your own parking pigeon. New trend, real talk. (49+1=50 magic number!)

Sweet couple (50+2=52)

Sweeter couple (52+2=54)  Oh, and worth to notice: next to them you can find a bench dedicated to Chopin!

(54+4=58) They are located next to the Freedom Square

The last couple I could find. (58+2=60  and dammit, “over 50″ it’s not 60 or more! I have wrong information.. but still had fun looking for them)

But hey, why was I so lucky? Oh, the day was perfect for a walk: excellent visibility, sun shining like it was spring, not winter, cup of hot coffee in my hands and the pigeons everywhere!

And a small bonus in the end of the day: a snow! Ah, it made me really happy! First snow this year! Now I’m in the Christmas mood. The landscape has changed dramatically. It seems like my walk was the last glimpse of autumn. I made it just in time.

One more thing…  The artist himself with his art:

I find this task as unfinished… Wait for me, pigeons!

Bird is the word!

If you find yourself these days in the Old Town of Tallinn around 4 in the morning I suggest you to sit on a bench for a while. Why, you ask. I assume you probably are not an ornithologist, but you may have a piece of romantic soul to appreciate that moment. First you hear the engine of the passing car (Oh, come on! Try a little harder). Than you catch some noises of the most persistent Englishmen that are trying to find their hostels after great party. And boom! Suddenly you are able to hear ultrasounds! You realize you can hear the birds singing. Isn’t it magical? To make this moment even sweeter you can look at the sky and admire the stars (I never did that, I avoid sugar).
If you’re not a night owl, but an early bird (a bird idioms! Coincidence? I don’t think so…), then you may prefer Kadriorg Park. The birds start their performance pretty early, around 5-6 p.m.

By the way…
Did you know that the swallow is the national bird of Estonia? Well, now you know.

Strange, since September I haven’t seen a single swallow. No wonder I’ve seen a lot of seagulls and crows instead – it’s a seaside town.

That one is creepy! Discovery of a leg is quite enough for one day, even if it’s doll’s leg. Yeah, it seems like that crow say: “Wat are ya lookin’ at, eh?” So, I’ll just go back home… Yup, great idea!
Not only lack of swallows concerns me, but also relatively small number of pigeons. I mean, I don’t complain, but still I find it rather strange to not see any pigeon in a town square. No worries, I managed to find one in a Russian market. I imagined it differently, though.

Can you see him? He’s pissed, don’t mess with him. Mr. Poopet doesn’t like you. And don’t even try to scare him. He was trained by Royal Air Force soldiers. He’s very…ekhm precise. Just give him your muffin, don’t argue, just do it.

Apparently, I’m not the only pigeon’s “fan”. Aivar Simson, Estonian artist likes them so much, that he made about 50 concrete pigeon’s sculptures and located them in the city center. The idea was put into effect in 2005. Each one weight about 300-400 kg and is about 50 cm high. Where exactly they are located? Well, that’s my task to find each and every pigeon! I’ve seen maybe about 20 so far. 30 more – can be done.

Aren’t they cute?
To be honest, my first thought was “What the… What’s that?! I almost walked into this…” And then I recognized the shape and I was sure it was a swallow. Big fat swallow. But now I have confirmed information that those are pigeons. Big fat pigeons.

Still cute!