Stop the Pigeon

Track of the Week - 23 May 2021

We have a silver birch tree in the garden and at the top is a nest. Early in the year it is used by woodpigeons, later on it is commandeered by squirrels.

This week a very young pigeon came to an untimely end when a magpie killed it and proceeded to dismember it in the garden over the course of about five hours. If watching that wasn't bad enough the magpie returned the next day and saw off a bigger chick from the nest.

It took its time with this one though. First it spatchcocked the bird on the patio and then dissected it over the course of about three days. All we were left with was the breast bone and wings. Not pleasant to see but magpies have got to eat too. 'Nature red in tooth and claw' and all that.

Stop the Pigeon was the theme tune to the Hanna and Barbera animation* Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, written by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera themselves.

A spin-off from Wacky Races, the show had a similar crazy invention theme as Dick Dastardly and dog sidekick Muttley tried to prevent Yankee Doodle Pigeon from delivering top secret messages. Great fun. And I don't remember any pigeons getting hurt in the making of it.

* We used to call them cartoons in my day.