Oh for goodness sake, I didn’t favorite her, so she has to be ok! Do you guys get attached to them? I do, for my little underdog guys. But I imagine it has to be hard for you to feed them, watch them grow and raise little guys.
I hope Mint is ok.
We don’t have much hope after seeing these signs before. It comes on quickly. Over on the pigeon boards, they say this is not unusual. (It’s not bird flu. The US CDC says pigeons don’t carry that, and anyway Thailand has been certified bird-flu-free for at least three years now.) It is hard when it happens to one of the favorites. If Henry ever comes down sick, that will really be dreadful.
Oh don’t even think about that!
The pigeon board’s speculated the regular nutrition we’ve given him these past 2-1/2 years is what’s made him so big and healthy-looking. Hopefully it will keep him that way.
Geri eats a lot these days. And I mean A LOT. She’s usually sitting out there every morning waiting for us to appear. This morning, I swear she flew up somewhere to fetch Henry when she saw me. Flew back down with him in tow a minute later.
That’s amazing. It’s one thing for an animal to learn to do a trick, and a whole other level to realize they need to get someone else to do something.
I’m not saying that’s what she really did. But it sure looked like it. They are mates though.
I would put money that she did. Birds, and other animals, are far brighter than most people would believe or want to believe. Good for her!
Several new babies this past week. They can’t all belong to Henry and Geri, but most are definitely related. Took some excellent photos of one going crazy taking a bath yesterday morning, really loving it. That one’s a male judging by the size; first time here. Will try not to take too long getting photos up, but you know how it goes.
But that means even more are coming around. We have to be increasingly careful. I’m afraid Henry and Geri aren’t getting much of a breakfast anymore, but dinnertime is still good.
Every time I see that you have posted I hope that it’s to let us know someone is nesting!
But nooooooooo!
I wonder how we can encourage the pidgees to be more “open” about this?
Anyway, thanks for the continuing updates. I love the pics and the drama. It’s like “As the Balcony Turns”.
Several new babies have shown up in recent days. At least one is definitely Henry and Geri’s. I think it’s the one who was taking a bath. Seems to stay close to them. Still squeaks but not for a feeding. Like when he hops down from the green concrete onto the floor, he’ll let out a little squeak. Seems to be male, as he’s already started doing Angry Dances at Ladyboy.
Another one, possibly that one’s sibling, has some sort of bump coming out the back of the head. I thought it was just ruffled feathers at first, but it’s still there after a couple of days. Hope it’s not a tumor! This one’s gray with a lovely rippled-line wing pattern and a splash of white on the face. Another one I saw yesterday was a very, very dark Sammy with a single white spot on the back of the neck and white trim edging the black wings. Beautiful, especially the wing pattern in flight. Not seen that one again.
Geri has taken to hopping into the middle of the door if it’s open. Cute. But again, there are too many in the mornings now. As with our trip to Vietnam two years ago, our coming journey to the US will hopefully be good for thinning out the crowd a little, although also like two years ago we hope Henry (and Geri) sticks around.
It’s not a tumah!
I find myself wishing I could travel to Thailand so I could keep the pidgees fed while you all are over here! I wish you were coming through Kansas, I’d put you and the missus up for the night, feed you, and present you to our local Audubon Society chapter!
Thanks! But alas, I’m afraid the closest we’ll get to Kansas is Washington DC.
Say, do they have any pigeons in NYC?
Jeez, would it kill you to put up a live web cam?
Just kidding - I’m still fascinated by the comings and goings of your no-longer-little flock.
p.s. By now, you must have enough material and pictures to do a TED lecture.
Amen to the TED lecture! That would be a phenomenal tribute to one of the least appreciated of our oldest animal partners.
Thanks. I had to look up “TED lecture.” Not sure what I would say.
Mint is still gone, and Big Red has not been seen for a very long time now. Their daughter Pinky is still present. The wife pointed out it was almost – almost, mind you – like Mint was saying goodbye to us when she knew something was wrong. 
Wow. That’s both cool and heartbreaking at the same time.
This ^
Still more babies showing up. One I thought was Big Red returned, but no, the red is a much deeper rust color and completely covers the head. First appearance this morning (Tuesday morning). And we have another squealer, this one gray with a sort of Big Pidgee pattern and a white underbelly. Keeps squealing but not for a feeding, just in general, although not as loud as Little Squealer was. Henry doesn’t seem to mind that one around and will let it eat with him.
Geri seems to be getting fed up with the others and seems suspicious of my efforts to keep outsiders away. Like I’m maybe trying to chase her away. She left without eating yesterday. Today, Henry showed up alone to eat. We actually viewed them having sex down in the temple parking lot over the weekend. May be getting just too crowded here for her liking, and we are trying to convince the others to go hunt.
And little Bumpy Head still has that “horn” on the back of the head, but it doesn’t seem to cause the pidgee any trouble. We’re pretty sure that one’s the sibling of the dirty-white one who took a bath recently.
Some great news! After a lengthier-than-usual absence, Big Red returned this morning (Thursday morning). And … Mint is with him! She seems better. They’re out there now eating and fighting off other pidgees.
The one with the “tumor” on the back of his head we call Bumpy Head. It really does seem to be some sort of growth, smack in the middle of the back of the head, giving him a sort of woodpecker appearance. But it does not seem to bother him at all. Quite a healthy little pidgee.
Still more babies have showed up. Don’t know where they’re all coming from. Will post some photos soon, but one I failed to get was a beautiful dark one with white trim that I think I mentioned. Disappeared after two or three visits.