Smidgen Pidgeon: The Great Migration

SMIDGEN PIDGEON: THE GREAT MIGRATION 

Chapter One 

The Idea 

“Auburn, look! There’s food on the ground. Let’s hurry up and get some before the rest of the flock gets here.” Smidgen descended, as usual, Auburn followed her. 

“They won’t come,” he told her as they landed. “They’re all trying to stay warm and dry. 

"I wish I was too.” 

The other pigeons sat on window sills, and porch beams under roofs..They cuddled beneath bridges or in hedges out of the wind and rain. Smidgen and Auburn, the only bird in the flock with reddish brown and white feathers, liked to fly. The rest of the flock flew only when they had to food, shelter, or safety. 

Smidgen would fly in any kind of weather. She liked the way the wind felt as it lifted her and pushed her along. She enjoyed the view from high above the trees and buildings. That was how she had spotted the French fries.  Usually, Smidgen didn’t get much food to eat. While the other birds were eating, she would be flying. They wouldn’t save food for her. Because she was the smallest bird, the flock called her Smidgen.   

The French fries were too big for Smidgen and Auburn to swallow. So they each stuck their beaks into one and shook their heads. The French fries went up into the air and broke into pieces when they hit the ground. They ate those and threw the larger pieces into the air again. This time, a sparrow snatched one and flew away with it. Now, other sparrows came swooping. Auburn ran after them trying to chase them off. 

“Let them have some too, Auburn,” Smidgen said.  “We have

enough to share.” She walked around with her head bobbing. She stopped to peck at anything that looked edible. “Let’s see if we can find some dessert.” 

In the fall, it was hard for the city birds to find food. It would get even harder when winter came. Plants were not growing seeds anymore and people didn’t eat outside, dropping crumbs. Smidgen wished she could migrate like the other birds her mother had told her about. They moved to warmer places where plants were still growing.

“Auburn, let’s migrate,” Smidgen said. “Wouldn’t it be fun to get out of the city and see things other birds see? We wouldn’t have to freeze in the cold and we’d have plenty to eat.” 

“You make it sound like a good idea. But how would we know where to go? Wouldn’t be dangerous?” Auburn asked. 

“We could follow the ducks. They do it every year, and so do geese. Even little wrens migrate and come back when the weather gets warm again. It can’t be so dangerous. But, if you’re a coward, I’ll just go by myself. 

“I’m no coward,” Auburn said. “I can do anything you can and I’ll prove it! When do we leave?” 

“Right now! 

Chapter Two 

The Journey Begins 

“If we tell the flock our plans, they’ll say we’re crazy and try to talk us out of it. The ducks will be leaving soon, Smidgen told Auburn.. “Come on. I’ll race you to the park lagoon. 

Smidgen and Auburn flew the five blocks and Smidgen landed seconds before Auburn. 

“I keep telling you I’m the best flyer,” she boasted. Maybe someday you’ll believe me.” 

“And maybe someday you’ll quit bragging,” Auburn said. “Did you know everyone else complains about you and makes fun of you when you’re not around?” 

“Who cares what they think,” Smidgen answered. “I don’t like them much either. Look there are the ducks.” 

Just as Smidgen said this, the ten ducks on the pond flew up into the air. “Let’s follow them!” Smidgen shouted. 

“Okay, but we’d better not get too close. They may not like that,” Auburn warned. 

“We’ll fly just close enough to watch where they go,” Smidgen said. 

“This is one of your stupidest ideas,” Auburn told Smidgen as they flew. “But I don’t think you should be alone. It’s not safe.” 

“If anything happens to me, you can go back and warn the rest of the flock,” she said. 

“I will. But they won’t come to rescue you.” 

“They won’t need to. I can take care of myself. I don’t actually need you, but I’m glad you’re with me. I’d miss you a lot,” Smidgen told Auburn. 

“I’d miss you more,” he told her.  

Smidgen and Auburn had been flying for half an hour and were already out of the city. They didn’t see the usual tall buildings all close together, or the church with the bell tower where their flock sometimes roosted. Now, they saw large areas of land where crops had grown. The ground looked bare now. Houses stood far from each other with the tallest buildings being two-story homes or barns. They spotted some silos and a water tower too. 

Past the farms they saw an area with a lot of trees. It didn’t resemble the tree-lined streets where Smidgen and Auburn lived, or even the nearby park. These trees were close. 

All kinds of small plants grew around them. Large brown animals moved through the forest. They were difficult to see until they moved. Smidgen and Auburn had never seen deer before.. They saw smaller animals they knew were rabbits. Sometimes they saw them in the park, especially around the flower beds. 

“Come on slow poke,” Smidgen called back to Auburn. “I can hardly see the ducks now.” 

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise and saw one of the ducks coming down from the sky.  It was moving very fast and not using its wings. 

“The bird’s going to get hurt if it hits the ground like that,” Smidgen. “Flap your wings,” Auburn called to the duck, but he knew the duck wouldn’t understand him. “I wish we could speak duck,” he said. 

“What happened to the duck?” Smidgen asked. 

“Let’s go find out,” Auburn suggested. They found it lying on the ground.

Smidgen nudged it with her beak trying to help it up, but it didn’t move. “Why won’t it get up?” she asked Auburn. “Doesn’t it feel me pushing it?” 

Chapter Three 

Hunters and Hunted 

“It’s dead, Smidgen, and I think that loud noise killed it. We’ve got to get out of here.” They heard other sounds now, dogs barking. They were getting louder, closer. “Come on, Smidgen, hurry!” Auburn took flight, but Smidgen didn’t follow him. She was staring at the dead duck. 

The large dogs with black grey and white furs were close enough for Smidgen to see now. She took off just in time. She watched the dogs stand near the duck with one leg raised and bent as if their knees were pointing to the bird on the ground. Then she saw men come out from the trees and pick up the duck. 

“What are they going to do with it?” she asked, but Auburn was too far away to hear her. He was heading back the way they had come. Smidgen wondered if she should catch up to him and go back too.  No… she wouldn’t do that. She had told Auburn that she didn’t need him. Now was her chance to prove it. 

Smidgen kept flying south looking for the ducks. She couldn’t find them. But, another bird had found her. It was a peregrine falcon. At home, when one came near the flock, all of the birds would take flight at once. That made it harder for the falcon to catch one, but now  

Smidgen was alone. She flew as fast as she could. She knew the falcon could fly faster and wasn’t as tired as she was. Her only chance of escape was to hide.  

She headed toward an old barn and squeezed through a hole in the roof. She heard the falcon’s claws scratch as he landed and looked for her. When she didn’t hear scratching anymore, she poked her head out of the hole to see if it left. The sun was going down now, coloring the clouds with bright orange and yellow. She would have liked to sit on the rooftop and watch until the color was gone from the sky. 

“That falcon might still be around watching for me,” she thought. “I don’t think I should go outside. I’ll be safer in here.” 

She pulled her head back inside. There was no light in the barn and as the sky darkened, no light shown through the hole in the roof either. Smidgen had never been in such darkness. There were always street lights on in the city. 

Suddenly she heard the straw on the floor rustling. It couldn’t be the falcon because a bird with be high in the loft where she was. This was an animal that didn’t fly. 

The noises kept Smidgen awake. What was making them? She hoped it wasn’t moving up into her space. It was cold in the barn too and she didn’t have any other bird to sit next to for warmth. Smidgen heard noises outside the barn too. Something kept saying “Ooo, ooo.” Maybe migrating wasn’t such a good idea after all, she thought. She missed her parents and she missed Auburn. 

Chapter Four 

The Homecoming 

At sunrise, Smidgen came out of the barn. A thin layer of frost lay on the ground. She looked around but didn’t see any familiar sights. She was lost. She wanted to go back home but was afraid she might go the wrong way and wander farther. She flew a circle around the barn, looking out as far as she could see in all directions. She made a little wider circle, but kept the barn in view. She might have to go back to it if the falcon came after her again. Each time Smidgen flew around the barn, she got a little farther away from it. 

Then, she began to see things that she remembered. She saw the forest she and Auburn had flown over and headed toward it. On the other side of the trees were the empty fields. Smidgen got excited. 

A church bell began ringing. It was the one in the steeple where her flock roosted. The sound was getting louder. She was close enough now to see the pigeons. Disturbed by the bell, they flew in circles like she had flown around the barn. When the bell stopped ringing, they settled down on the church roof. 

“Look, its Smidgen!” one young bird shouted out. All of the birds, except Auburn, flew up to meet her. He waited for them all to re-land. 

“Where were you, Smidgen?” he asked. “I thought you were following me. When I saw you weren’t, I went back to look for you, but I couldn’t find you  

“I got too scared to move,” Smidgen said. Those dogs almost caught me.”  The other birds came closer to hear what she was telling Auburn. 

“What else happened?” one asked. 

“I was almost eaten by a falcon.” She heard the gasp. “But, I found a barn and I hid in there all night. 

“Were you scared?” one bird asked. 

“Yeah, it was pretty scary and very dark, not like it is here. You hear really strange noises, but you can’t see what’s making them. I heard a ‘Ooo, ooo.’ I think it was a bird 

“Did you migrate?” a young bird asked. 

“No,” Smidgen laughed. “I would not be back till next spring if I had. It’s too far and too dangerous.” She nuzzled Auburn. “You were right,” she whispered. Then she went on, “But I did see some interesting things.” 

“Like a place with a lot of trees growing very close together, and animals we’ve never seen before,” Auburn said. 

“I’d like to see them,” the young pigeon said. 

“Me too!” another added. 

“So would I,” said one of the older birds. “Smidgen, can you take us there?” 

“Only if Auburn will help me and we go in a big group. It’s not safe to fly alone. “Will you help me lead them, Auburn?” she asked. 

“Let’s go,” he answered.