[garinda]

Trolling back today with my suntan cream, from the shopping experience that is Accrington’s Arndale Center, I happened to look heaven wards.

Imagine my surprise as I saw a metal beam across the entrance from Broadway covered in barbed spikes.

Fair enough.

It will be to stop those flying rodents, pigeons, from plopping on our heads as we head to see what’s going cheap in the Sale at Ethel Austin’s.

However, suspended underneath the beam, dangling from a bit of wire, is a bird.

My first thought was that it had hung itself, because it could no longer perch where it wanted.

It’s about the size of a pigeon, and has its wings outstretched as if in flight, but it is motionless.

I thought it may be some sort of decoy, like they use when hunting for ducks. But wouldn’t that more likely attract other pigeons, who if they find it very attractive may even try to mate with it?

It was only later on reflection, that I thought it might be some sort of pigeon hating hawk, but since I didn’t get a look at its little face and beak I’m unsure.

So the next time you are out shopping take a look.

Perhaps it’s always been there, and I’ve been in too much of a hurry to thumb through Hello in Smith’s that I haven’t noticed.

So which is it?

Decoy, pigeon scaring hawk, or suicide?