Skip to content
Photography
Link copied to clipboard

Pigeon Patrol | Scene Through the Lens

Pausing for wildlife

October 28, 2924: First kept as pets and escaped ages ago, feral pigeons are descended from the rock doves that live in sea-cliffs and mountains, so they adapted well to the ledges, nooks, and crannies on city structures.
October 28, 2924: First kept as pets and escaped ages ago, feral pigeons are descended from the rock doves that live in sea-cliffs and mountains, so they adapted well to the ledges, nooks, and crannies on city structures.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

With Pennsylvania’s Battleground status - both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump campaigns held multiple events in the commonwealth over this past weekend - reporters and photographers have been busy.

I find a 20-minute walk in the city can do as much to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) as spending the same amount of time in nature. Especially when I spend the time people (and pigeon) watching and letting my mind wander.

I don’t need to go into the woods to commune with wildlife. Columba livia domesticas are the most visible in Center City. Pigeons are no strangers to my urban photographs, often seen on the fringes of street scenes, but I have been observing these magnificent birds - and significantly reducing my stress - for years.

Since 1998, a black-and-white photo has appeared every Monday in staff photographer Tom Gralish’s “Scene Through the Lens” photo column in The Inquirer’s local news section. Here are the most recent, in color: