I’m still sad the end is near. Here’s hoping they find another friendly place to nest. What would you do if they build up a pile of sticks of something on the floor? Can you tell how many other balconies have planters or flower boxes?
If they start building a nest on the floor, we’ll have to remove the sticks. We can see onto only the two balconies below us. The one two floors down has a veritable garden. It’s where those doves made their nest and laid an egg that time, and the residents ended up removing the whole thing.
Sometimes when I’m at the pool – open air on the 10th floor – I can hear squabs squealing somewhere. And then there’s the mansion next door and its lush grounds. We have a lot of bird life in the neighborhood. They’ll get by, same as Henry and Geri. (I did see Henry briefly a week or two ago, but Sophie chased him away. !!! So I then chased Sophie away.)
And they started doing just that today, flying in twigs to make a nest on the floor. We promptly removed them. Feel like total bastards, but we have to be firm. They are obviously unhappy about the squabs being on the floor, but they’re adapting.
If we have to put up netting, we figure right before we leave for Cambodia next month. That will be the longest time gone before our Big Move, and that should definitely show them it’s time for them to move on. 
Meanwhile, Shawn and Apple are healthy. Shawn is BIG, a male for sure, nine days old now. Apple is little, eight days old and seemingly female. We think we called the genders right this time. They should be walking properly next week. They’ll miss the experience of falling out of the box.
This is so sad. For them, for you guys, for all of us.
I know. We feel like right bastards.
But these are wild animals, and they will adjust.
But when they had the flower box and the tree pot, Ladyboy would wing-slap me anytime I got near. Now she just runs in fright. The fight’s been taken out of her, and she’s looking a bit old. (She’s six years old, which I believe is getting up there for a wild pigeon, although Henry’s seven and still looking strong.) I remember taking her to the vet last August when she had that parasite, so she’s lived longer because of us. Poor old girl. Hope she can lost for some time longer.
They wouldn’t have had as good a life if not for you. They’ve had safety, food, and even medical care.
And we’ve not had an instance of virus in five months. The last few batches have been healthy, so we’re hoping that’s run its course completely and maybe the parents are no longer carriers. We hope.
Meanwhile, Shawn and Apple are 12 and 11 days old. Shawn will definitely be white, Apple more mottled like Sophie and Frankie.
Thursday morning and both squabs are two weeks old now. Shawn and Apple are 16 and 15 days old, respectively. Healthy and seemingly happy despite the loss of their little nest.
The parents kept flying in twigs for a new nest, and I kept removing them, but it got a little tedious. I’d remove the twigs, and they’d not bring in any new ones the rest of the day, but then the next morning they’d start again. So I decided just to let them build a nest a see what happened. They’ve done something interesting – piled up a shitload of twigs in the corner but left an empty space right in the corner. Keeps the squabs hemmed in until they start walking properly. There are so many twigs that it looks like they’re getting ready for a witch burning.
But no eggs yet. We’re hoping the lack of a vessel will discourage that, but on the other hand they’re screwing again. This weekend is our anniversary, and they’ll be left on their own again while we retire to the canalside town of Amphawa, not far from Bangkok. We’re thinking of putting up netting the day before we leave for Cambodia next month, which would give Ladyboy and The Bully, not to mention their children still here at night, about three more weeks.
I should add we have implemented a total ban on Sophie. Recently he’s started trying to stay here at night again but twice now while the parents were away, we’ve caught him here pecking viciously at the new squabs. And a few weeks ago he chased away Henry. So he gets the water-bottle treatment the moment he shows his face. I still think he pushed poor Rudolph off the ledge in January.
Tuesday morning, and Shawn is a full three weeks old, Apple 20 days. But most importantly, we still don’t have any new eggs. We returned home yesterday from a weekend at the canalside town of Amphawa expecting to find some, but no. They’re still screwing though.
Before we left, I took away their new nest they’d built on the floor. Perhaps that played a part. They’re still screwing though. And she’s gone long once or twice before without laying any eggs, maybe two weeks longer than expected. So we’ll see.
The rains have begun again, and we’re getting some pretty wet pidgees. With the direction our balcony faces, it’s pretty well protected from rain most of the time, but not all the time.
I saw the most beautiful all white pigeon today, and it made me think of this thread!
Henry stopped by yesterday while I was cleaning the balcony. Then he flew to the window frames and was promptly chased away by The Bully, who is probably his son. Poor guy, he seems resigned to the fact that The Bully and Ladyboy, the latter definitely his daughter, have taken the place from him. It seems the only times they stop by now is when they see me doing something like cleaning, and that’s not really a good time to feed them. But he’s looking pretty sturdy for seven years old, which he just about is now.
And speaking of Ladyboy and The Bully, heavy, heavy rains all this week are making them sleep propped up in the window to get some relief. The children still here just stay on the rail and get wet.
Monday morning, and Shawn and Apple are 27 and 26 days old, respectively. Running around. Shawn is turning into a carbon copy of Dale from the last batch, while Apple doesn’t look to different from Cookie.
The parents have rebuilt a nest in the corner but still no eggs, although still lots of sex. We’re not sure what to make of this. And we’re not sure about when to put up the netting. We really love these guys and are dreading having to evict them. But they’ll have to go sooner or later.
New photos soon.
Aw, let em have one last batch!
Well, we’ll see. But it’s sad to see squabs out there without someplace like the flower box to stay secure in. We’re wondering if the nest they keep building is actually for the current squabs.
The promised photos, and these could be the final ones for this thread.
Continuing on from where we left off last time, here’s a sleepy Dale at age 32 days.
Then after returning to Bangkok early last month, we see the new squabs, Shawn and Apple, six and five days old, respectively. We saw little Shawn before, he hatched the day before we left, and we’re guessing Apple hatched on June 1 since they’ve always hatched on consecutive days if not the same day. And with Dad. I believe we removed the flower box later this same day.
And for something a little different, here’s a baby dove outside our bedroom window. 
The dove population has exploded in the neighborhood along with pigeons.
Then Shawn and Apple at 12 and 11 days old.
Then a night shot 10 days later, with three-month-old Frankie up on the green and partially hidden. The same night, a rogue’s gallery of previous children still staying here. And Mom and Dad up in the window, trying to shelter from the rain, with white Clarice visible up on a rail. The rain usually doesn’t blow in this direction, but it did that night.
Henry having a snack. The Grand Old Man himself. Still stopping by occasionally. Seven years old now. His head has grown progressively darker in recent years.
And Apple and Shawn at naptime, especially Shawn, ages 29 and 30 days, this past Thursday.
And all the photos can be seen on one page here.
Shawn and Apple are 32 and 31 days old now. Completely healthy, but we’ve noticed something curious – Apple has only just begun hopping up onto the green, maybe today for the first time. Shawn, despite being older, not at all. All previous squabs have jumped up at least a week earlier. We think it’s because unlike the others, this pair did not have the experience of hopping out of and back into the flower box or tree pot. And they should be flying now too, they’re even doing helicopters, but no flight yet.
The parents have rebuilt the nest on the floor a couple of times now, and we keep removing it. Still no eggs, which we think is very strange. We don’t think they’re laying them someplace else, because they’re always here.
I have only about four more weeks before moving from Thailand, the wife maybe a couple months longer. We had thought about putting up the netting just before heading to Cambodia next weekend for a few days, but we’ve been dragging our feet about making the arrangements.
Sam, I just want to say what a pleasure it’s been reading this thread for so long. Putting up all these pics has been a lot of work too.
It was good to see that picture of Henry. Old for a pidgee, isn’t he? Probably the food and shelter her got from you and the wife is the reason.
Thank you. I appreciate it. It’s been a labor of love for us. We’re going to miss these little guys.
My understanding is seven is old for a wild pidgee, not so much for a domesticated one. Henry doesn’t stop by all that often anymore, he seems to have given the place over to Ladyboy and The Bully, and it’s always good to see him. The latter really hates Henry too, the only time I have to give The Bully’s little butt a squirt with the water bottle is when Henry comes around and The Bully goes ballistic.
Sunday was funny. The squabs were 33 and 32 days old then. While I was cleaning the balcony, Apple, the younger one, became frightened and fell off over the side while up on the green! But at that age, they can fly, these guys just hadn’t tried it yet. I watched her spiral down erratically like Woodstock in the Peanuts strip, flapping her wings like mad. She managed to land on the top of a tree. Dad immediately flew down to her, but there wasn’t much he could do and so flew back but kept cooing at her. Then while I watched, she flew straight over to the fourth-floor balcony, which is just about level with the tree. I could see her on the edge looking out for a long time. Dad joined her eventually. Finally she flew back up here, possibly following Dad. Yay, Apple!
The funny thing is that Shawn is the older one, but he has yet to fly at all, not even up to the top rail on our balcony. But he will. Just needs time. We’ve seen this before. Yesterday (Monday) I saw Apple had flown over to the window frames, but Shawn was perfectly happy to remain here.
The parents are acting a little funny. They’re being overly attentive to each other. They’re always sweet and loving, but it’s ratcheted up. We can’t help but wonder if our not letting them build a nest here anymore has anything to do with it. It’s almost as if they’re consoling each other. But they’re still happy to be fed.
Friday afternoon and this will likely be my last post in this thread. I leave in 10 days. It’s a good thing I posted those last photos when I did, because I screwed up our camera in Cambodia last week. (Although my new smartphone does have a rather good camera.)
The parents keep building a nest, we keep dismantling it. But they still live here, and we feed them at night, along with six of their squabs still here including the last two batches.
We should have called about the netting sooner, but we’ve been putting it off. The wife finally called the workmen today, and they can’t get here until the week after next, after I’ve left. At least I won’t have to see them evicted. I was even telling them today, “See, it’s not me, she’s the one who’s going to kick you out.” 
I want to thank everyone who has enjoyed this eight-year-long thread. (Well, eight years from start to finish. There was a break of a few years in the middle.) I’ve enjoyed it as much as you have, probably more, and I’m going to miss these guys out here. Next month will make a full year since we took Ladyboy to the vet and had her treated for that parasite she picked up, so I have the satisfaction of knowing we gave her a longer life. Henry is seven years old now, and I fed him a nice lunch today. Hope he’ll be okay too.
Thanks to all of you again.