Pigeon-watching hotspots to see around town #4: Downtown Los Angeles' Inner-City Window Ledges.

I had just recently moved in to new housing, after so many spats of housing that was, unfortunately, in various ways, hostile, unprofessional, or outright unfriendly and discriminatory in nature, at times. This being the case, I'd oftentimes move out, or I'd be ordered to move out, which happens to be a legal premise (it's called a self-help eviction, when there'd been no paperwork filed for eviction). 

In any case, now, in the spring time of 2024, I'm housed somewhere I can really appreciate: they serve three meals a day, and they're fairly relaxed about any sense of micro-managing tenants and their belongings (my belongings, in other words). The security of the home is well-done, and I can let up off of many stressful burdens of my material possessions having formerly been at risk, on a constant basis. The charm of the place is akin to movies that most of us had grown up seeing, which depict inner-city lifestyles - for example, windows that face each other, with an apiary center space, between the facing rooms of the building (I have a view, from my window, though). The windows thing became a curious point of focus for me, when I encountered a new pigeon friend, while at the restroom. I call him "Sleepy Pigeon."

Sleepy Pigeon typically shows up, across from the restroom, where he perches, for the afternoon, or evening. Here, he finds peaceful rest, and, since I met him, he also gets fed here, at the window.

The spot is apparently a social magnet for other pigeons, once they find out that food's being served at the window. Take a look at what happens when the other birds show up. 

A crowd of pigeons flocks to the window on my side of the building, since they'd discovered that there's food here, sometimes. 

On top of that, there's also a similar ledge, outside my window, and there's a pigeon that shows up there, as well (I can't show the photos, in this case, for privacy reasons). 

This paradigm of pigeon perching and resting places really gave me an impression of that this style of living is how these urban environment pigeons situate themselves - I'd not been sure, previously, all this time, as to where the birds go, at night, in general. It was almost like a Hollywood movie moment for me, in fact, especially since it featured pigeons ☺️. That aspect really did it for me. In a different sense, it really makes the place feel like home, for me, and since I'm housed in downtown LA, now, it's like I'd come full circle (I used to rent a loft, out in DTLA, back in 2010-2012; then I became homeless, after some acute psychiatric emergencies, amidst a failing tech services business that I was running).

Perhaps, if folks happen to show up in town, on a touristy basis, they might, also, find some lodging that features a pigeon friend, just outside the window.

The DTLA (CA, USA) police administration dog park pigeon flock, having dinner.

This flock is a somewhat special flock, for demonstrating trusting behaviors, up to this point in time, although I’ve the same behaviors, previously, in some of the other flocks in town - it’s that the flocks become subjected to inappropriate human interventions in their populations by drugging them, catching them, and apparently, intentionally torturing and abusing them by tying strings around their feet and legs. It’s a travesty that this sort of behavior, by people, is still happening, but I’m committed to seeing to it, of that the birds continue to be fed and, with time, I expect that people will refrain from victimizing the town’s birds. It’s currently unknown “just who” is factually perpetrating these crimes, and I’m hoping to raise awareness and seek community solidarity, over time, in assisting in protecting the birds from intentional abuses, for observing the birds’ natural beauty, such as I have captured on video, today, and for recognizing their intrinsic worth as a locality attraction and for the potential of birds to touch people’s lives in perhaps unexpected and transformational ways.

An [imaginary] day of recognition for iPigeon.institute and for me, Jay Ammon.

 I stayed out for the weekend. It was exhausting, but I got the birds fed, most definitely. 

A couple of notable things happened, both of them in succession to one another. As I was hanging out in Grand Park, taking inventory of my day, and catching up on internet aspirations, and such, a lady came up to me. She somehow intuited that I was the perfumer of the area. I had been cleaning out the spray mechanism of my new tropical perfume spray, Southern Critters Skeet Skeet, and I let out a few spritzes of it. It’s an unexpectedly vastly diffuse spray, and, as such,  it’s suitable for environmental, rather than personal fragrancing. I was sitting by the top of the water fountain when she came up to me, and she kindly commented on the beauty of the perfume that had enveloped the area, and she asked for a sample. I gave her several milliliters in a sample spritzer, and I applied a label on to the spritzer, with my information, so she could follow me, and contact me, in the future, if she was interested in my developments in perfumery, etc.

That was the first thing that happened. After that, I heard a richly-developed remote-sensing episode play out;  both somewhat a social work awards and recognition showcase and a 12-step self-help meeting, all in one. They had gathered to recognize the work I had been involved in doing, as far as keeping the birds fed, around town. It was a dearly heartfelt outpouring of support for me, and while they were at it, they had also reprimanded, publicly, the ones who had been persecuting me, as part and facet of the 12 steps nature of the program, as it were. 

I came home and rested for a few days, and now, my time is up, here. I’ve got to go back out and feed the birds, but the recognition I had received, through this “imaginary” program which had played out, turned out to be very therapeutic, and I feel as though perhaps I can be healed of my drug addiction, at least, for now. Thank you so much, people of social work, in the downtown Los Angeles area, for putting this together for me. It really helps out. 

It’s slim pickings, at the end of my food supply, for the Figueroa at 4th underpass pigeons, today.

I'm at the end of my food supply for the birds, out here, in Downtown Los Angeles, and it's been a rough patch for this flock,over the past week, in my care and watch over them, which I'd been making sure to get to. I do 4 flock areas, in Downtown Los Angeles, when I come out here.

(Update): I had recalled that I found a container of some sort of rich beef soup, and I gave it to them. This past week, it seemed as that there might have been some people present, in the nearby vicinity, and the birds weren't perching at their regular location, in a notch, under the underpass bridge. The birds were super excited to get some food in them, as this spot is most typically my last stop, in visiting the birds of DTLA.

The Santa Monica Morning Pigeon-Feeders - an ad hoc N.A. Meeting.

 As some people would know, I was taken in for a quick processing and cite out for drug possession in Hermosa Beach, a few months back, or so. They don’t allow smoking cigarettes in public there, and I was spotted by a police officer while I was having a smoke break, by The Strand. As a result, I had to go to court. They ordered N.A. meetings for me. 

The Santa Monica Morning Pigeons Feeding meeting is sparsely attended, but it’s a reliably good sober group that reminds us of commitments, which is part of the progress in attainment that sobriety aspires to, for the fellowship and individuals attending 12-Step meetings. 

Remembering and fulfilling my promise to feed the birds in DTLA, I reconnect with my grounded self.

Personal public relations matters have been a huge and consistent mess, in my personal and private life lately, ever since the approach and passing of Valentine’s Day Weekend this year. 

I’d been coming under personal attacks on a regular basis, within the confines of my personal space and home life; a significant intrusion and invasion of the serenity and stability of my wellbeing and of the development of establishing meaningful relationships to come, based on my outreach efforts I’ve made online, in my social media accounts. 

Even so, with this being the case, there are some glimmers of light that have shown through, in promising ways that I’m looking forward to following through on. It’s been truly a long time since I’ve connected with someone on a deeper personal basis, and I feel like the time is becoming ripe for me to find that sort of opportunity once again. 

As my readers and followers over the years would attest to, my commitment to feeding the local pigeons and sparrows has been one of my long-standing and richly-defining traits that have pervaded the content I publish. Being that my personal life had become a significant detraction from my current life’s aspirations and pursuits, I’d recently been letting the various flocks of pigeons and sparrows down, in that I’d become so significantly exhausted and forlorn, both emotionally and physically. They’d been on my mind, and dearly so, yet I struggled, and failed, thereof, in getting myself up and out for the sake of feeding them their daily bread and other treats that I’d typically regularly have for them. I’d become worried that nobody else in the community had been concerned with their feeding, and that their spirits would be let down, in the scope of a someday promise of that they’d become tame, and more friendly, in years to come, for the sake of this sort of personal nurturing, and for expectations fulfilled; for the rewards that are to be reaped of acts of loving kindness that all sentient and intelligent creatures long for and appreciate. 

That being said, I’ve since rested up significantly, over the past weeks, following Valentine’s Day weekend, and the birds were eagerly hungry and enthusiastic to receive some care, in the form of bread and baked goods that I’d had for them. It feels truly fulfilling, in a spiritual sense, remembering that I had happened upon the Santa Monica hand-tame flock of pigeons one afternoon, next to the Santa Monica Pier.

Today I fed the Manchester at Harbor Freeway underpass pigeon flock, and the Grand Park flocks, as well. Here’s some photos from Grand Park today. 

Where to go for the best breads in Los Angeles.

Anyone who follows along with my daily outings to feed the pigeons would know that I’m a huge fan of bread. Check out these tasty breakfast bread baking-restaurant retail locations from the Los Angeles Times. It’s hard to go wrong on good bread.



The best breakfast breads in Los Angeles

Today I fed the freeway pigeons corn dogs. The baby pigeons went wild for it.

The seagulls got a good late night snack. They're pretty cute. Lots of babies at the pier in Santa Monica, CA. It turns out, they're very cute as well

Seagulls at the Santa Monica Pier,  with several clutch babies venturing out in to the night, for socialization and some sandwiches. 

Check them out some time soon,  this holiday season,  out on the beach just below Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant on the pier. I wasn't sale to get the baby seagulls on film quarreling over the food, since they scurry away after they finish up nibbling.  They're worth an evening trip out to the Pier,  at some point. 

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

4.2

(4,168)

  ·  $$

Seafood restaurant         Open

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   Family-friendly chain for seafood & American fare served in a fishing-boat-themed setting.

   301 Santa Monica Pier Building 9, Santa Monica, CA 90401