From my bed, I have an uninterrupted view of the roof opposite. Every morning, just after sunrise, a small colony of feral pigeons stirs, emerging from behind the solar panels. All but one are pure white, stark against the slate. The outlier, a single male with mottled black-and-white plumage, struts along the ridge tiles with his chest puffed out, as though he knows he’s unique.
These birds are descendants of rock doves, once dwellers of sea cliffs and mountain ledges, now almost entirely urbanised. The steeply sloping roof mimics their ancestral sites, and the void behind the panels creates a cave-like, warm, dry, protected space ideal for roosting and nesting.
Autumn’s arrival has done nothing to dampen the piebald male’s ardour. He circles a hen, crooning and bowing deeply. She appears unimpressed, fluttering out of reach until, eventually, she relents, crouching down with wings semi-raised. Peak breeding season is March to July, but feral pigeons will lay year-round if they have shelter and a consistent supply of food.
They’re discreet parents, but from my vantage point I catch glimpses of their domestic life – nesting material clumsily deposited through the bird mesh, feathers ruffling as they squeeze through a gap to swap incubation duties or feed their young with regurgitated crop milk. The squabs stay hidden until they fledge, suddenly appearing almost fully grown beside the adults. Only the puffs of down poking through their plumage betray their youth.
This is also the only roof in the cul-de-sac covered in a crust of egg-yolk yellow maritime sunburst lichen (Xanthoria parietina). The flock’s droppings have created ideal nitrogen-rich conditions for this tough lichen to thrive. Its dense, leafy lobes cling to the tiles, forming intricate patterns that add a vibrant splash of colour to the dull suburban roofscape.
I’m not the only one enjoying the view. My tabby cat perches on the windowsill, chattering softly. The pigeons have nothing to fear from her, but their bright plumage offers little camouflage from the sharp-eyed female sparrowhawk gliding silently overhead. The danger is real – just a few days ago, I drew back the curtains to discover bloodied white feathers strewn across the street.
• Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian’s Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount
