Falafal Oil Slick
 
I had long thought that this flock, who live in a filthy gas station in Chelsea, were covered in oil and grime fro the taxi repairs at the gas station - then I saw where they dined... They all eat from a falafal cart on 28th and 10th, it has a faucet that drips oil - directly on to the birds heads. This is why the first bird from this flock that I tried to clean with Cannola oil (the usual treatment for oiled feathers) didn’t come clean. Basso Profundo regained flight after a good washing in Dawn. The Islamics who run the cart are Pigeon freindly, sort of, unlike native New Yorkers, and they tolerate the birds, but do nothing to prevent the damage they are doing. Geez guys - can’t you hang a bucket on that faucet? Dave New York City Pigeon Rescue Centralhttp://nycprc.org/http://nycprc.org/http://nycprc.org/shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2
The first oily bird I saw there, in 9/11/2006, I caught it with Al 1/29/2006 (See her story in NYCPRC Rescues)
Basso Profundo I caught 5/4/2006
Here is Basso roosting on the shovel in the gas station, now abandoned with a fence put up that he cannot fly over and that bars entry for me...
There is a young bird behind the shovel, it flies away as I approach.
Here is the gas station with the new fence - behind you can see the High Line boarded up in the background.
Here is our Pigeons falafal cart on the corner - you can see potential diners lined up on a ledge above.
The cooking oil makes sure the other filth attaches permanently to the bird.
Diners await...
...a place to clear under the cart...
This one moves in to eat
A little bucket on that faucet could save a lot of birds
This guy can barely fly.
This is the infamous killer building - The Morgan Mail building. You can always find dead songbirds, in pairs, dead on the sidewalk.