For The Birds
November 6th, 2008 | by Rebecca Tompkins 15 comments
My kids have no memory of St. Marks Basilica in Venice. They were far too busy chasing pigeons through the piazza to notice the buildings that surrounded them.
They don’t especially recall any of Paris’s wonderful parks, either. But those Parisian pigeons? They were captivating. Just ask my kids.
Barcelona? Great birds. London? Many fine feathered friends. Rome? A perfect backdrop for those captivating avians. Prague? An ornithological wonder ground.
For the longest time, I despaired of my kids’ pigeon obsession. “You’re missing all the good stuff,” I would tell them as I tried in vain to direct their attention away from the flocks. Eventually, however, I was forced to give up the ghost and embrace the universal childhood lure of the pigeon for what it truly is…
… a great photo op.
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We’re participating in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday series with this post. Head on over there and check it out.
Recent posts by this author
CanCan (Mom Most Traveled) on November 7th, 2008
How sweet! Way cuter than my 14-month-old who played with a grasshopper all morning. It didn’t end well for the grasshopper.
Caitlin (Roaming Tales) on November 7th, 2008
Classic! At least it’s something to keep them entertained while you check out the good stuff! And in London you at least get to have your Mary Poppins moment though there are fewer birds ‘on the steps of St Pauls’ these days.
Barcelona » Train timetables. Train timetables - exchange travel information ... on November 7th, 2008
[...] For The BirdsBarcelona? Great birds. London? Many fine feathered friends. Rome? A perfect backdrop for those captivating avians. Prague? An ornithological wonder ground. For the longest time, I despaired of my kids’ pigeon obsession. … [...]
Amy @ The Q Family on November 7th, 2008
Nice picture. Then you will love to visit Thailand some days. We have a great place with a bunch of pigeons as well. :)
Dominique on November 7th, 2008
This reminds me of my own visit to Paris, where I stopped at the Tuileries gardens and spent most of my time photographing a lady who obviously came there every day to feed the birds. I found that fascinating…and I’m considerably older than your kids! :P
Jane Rytina on November 7th, 2008
Actually my kids have this obsession too. We almost got thrown out of a prestigious park in Cambridge for chasing the geese.
DeliciousBaby on November 7th, 2008
I love the motion in this photo – great shot!
In cities like Rome, with no playgrounds near the monuments, I consider those birds a gift!
Thanks for sharing
heatheronhertravels on November 7th, 2008
Sweet. I bet they enjoyed Trafalgar square.
Shelly Rivoli on November 7th, 2008
We’ve also spent close to 30 minutes at a time “experiencing” the fountains Europe. Such is the joy of traveling with toddlers!
kat calvin on November 7th, 2008
Awww, this is too cute! They look like they’re having so much fun!
Linda on November 7th, 2008
A nicely told story, and a great photo to go with it!
Prague » Private Apartments in Prague on November 8th, 2008
[...] For The BirdsPrague? An ornithological wonder ground. For the longest time, I despaired of my kids’ pigeon obsession. “You’re missing all the good stuff,” I would tell them as I tried in vain to direct their attention away from the flocks. … [...]
Jennifer on November 8th, 2008
What is it about chasing birds around!?! If you ask my children what they want to do on a Saturday morning they will tell you that they want to go to the beach and play with the seagulls! What a great picture!
Roaming Tales » Best of the web: From autumn in Suffolk to art in Jeddah on November 11th, 2008
[...] well observed. This week, Rebecca writes about her children’s favourite Parisian attraction – the pigeons. Jamie writes about the agony of trying to teach her kids Spanish – and you can win a cool prize of [...]
Fox on May 19th, 2009
I believe children should be encouraged to interact with wild birds respectfully. I work at a wildlife hospital and see my share of human-inflicted trauma. Kids may think it’s fun, but birds are traumatized by humans trying to chase and grab them. It’s particularly difficult to watch unattended youngsters nearly trample and kick the young birds in the springtime. I wish parents would set greater limits on this. I do with my own youngsters and they enjoy just as much, feeding the birds or watching them with a measure of distance and respect. It sets up a much greater interaction with animals throughout a lifetime.
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