Diva & Mocca

Description

Journaling reads:

The story of Diva and Mocca

When Diva was born in our home on the 7th of August 2019, we thought he was a female, because he was a lot smaller and far less dominant than his brother Dara from the same nest. But on the 30th of March 2020 we found out that our assumptions were wrong when Diva met his soulmate.

We thought it was a Monday morning like any other. Tim and I drank our morning tea and coffee in front of our bedroom window. Then suddenly we saw Diva at the other side of the water on the corner of the façade of our neighbors' house. He usually isn't very social with other pigeons and likes to be alone, staring at the world around him. This time however, we saw him interacting with another pigeon. Then, when they just started to get cozy, another pigeon appeared who tried to steel Diva's new friend away from him. Diva wasn't going to let that happen, so he jumped over her and chased the intruder away with loud sounds and imposing movements. When that threat was eliminated, they flew a few bricks higher to find a more secluded location. Before we knew it, they started to pick each others beaks while dancing in circles around each other. Even though the platform was very small, Diva's new friend was able to present her rear side and Diva was able to climb on top, making their relationship official. It turned out to be love at first sight and we welcomed the new addition to the family with open arms. Because she had beautiful light brown colored feathers, we named Diva's new wife Mocca.

On June 25th a true tragedy took place... While I was teaching a course online, I heard Diva making a lot of noise on the roof the entire time. It sounded far more panicky than his normal sound. So during my break I climbed on top of the roof to see what was going on. I followed Diva's sound and looked over the ridge to the other side and then I saw it.... Mocca was laying flat on her back underneath the roof tiles and wasn't moving. Diva was standing next to her and was clearly in shock. He was either trying to wake her or whining intensely or both. It went on for a few hours. It was such a sad sight to see, and I was in shock as well. After a while Diva flew on top of the ridge and approached me. I looked at him and I could clearly see that something was wrong. Then suddenly his crop started to swell up and he started to puke. This went on and on for a few days. It became clear that he either ate something bad or that he had contracted some disease and that it also might had caused the early death of Mocca. After an online search I found out that it probably was a case of the Adeno-Coli syndrome, a disease that affects 70 percent of pigeons between 6 and 9 months old and which can indeed be fatal.

I quickly made a special feeding bowl, just for Diva, in front of the window where I gave him a nutritional mix with Yakult every day in the hope of making him feel better. After five days he finally stopped vomiting and he fortunately started to feel better and better after that, at least physically.

Although his relationship with Mocca was only for a very short term, it was true love and he will always miss her...

To create this layout I used items from the following bundles:
- Empty Rooms by Allison Pennington
- Vintage Kids by Mommyish
- Summer End by Rebecca McMeen
- Coffee O'Clock by Pink Reptile Designs
- Just Imagine by Rachel Jefferies
- Falling Slowly by Bella Gypsy