Henry and Geri have increased their frquency of coming here but just recently stopped coming together. They’re back to shifts, meaning they have eggs again somewhere. And so the cycle continues. Would love to see Henry on the nest.
Gimpy is fully recovered. Good as new.
We have a new squealer, a little gray one with some Sammy markings, an especially dark-gray head and black feet. The others – even Henry and Ladyboy – will peck hard at it and even try to frog-march it away, but it stands its ground. Stays and squeals as long as there’s food on the ground.
A bully named The Ghost due to his silver color and his gray mate have taken to doing it in the designated sex area. He’s a bad bully, and we try to keep him away but don’tlike to interrupt nookie.
Not sure. Possibly try to find an acoommodation with Henry. But they’re not stupid; they know they’re in our bad graces from their bullying, as evidenced from their reaction when they see us. But they keep coming around because they know we can’t guard Henry and the regulars forever.
Basically, I’d prefer to cross that bridge when I come to it, and I don’t think it will happen. I’m afraid no one seems interested in nesting here again. If they didn’t while we were away almost a month, then I doubt they’ll try it while we’re here.
A good one today. The Ghost and his gray mate did the dirty deed in the designated sex area, The Ghost on top. But then the kinky couple switched, and The Ghost crouched down. :eek:
The gray had just jumped up onto The Ghost’s back to start to mount, when one of the Pretty Ones – Small Pretty One or Fake Pretty One – landed on the green concrete edge of the balcony, hopped down, ran straight at them and attacked. Broke them right up.
It was probably Small Pretty One who did that, Ladyboy’s mate, as he’s done similar in the past. Prude. But they don’t seem to be together anymore. She seems alone. We’d not seen hubby for a while.
Not much going on. We’ve determined that Gimpy is Henry and Geri’s child. One day, he/she followed Geri around continuously, and I don’t mean just on the balcony. Gimpy stuck with Geri while flying around the neighbor hood. Later did the same with Henry, who always pecks at Geri tring to get the kid to go away.
Trying to cut down on feedings to reduce the population. This is very important ahead of building painting in October. Trying to keep it to an inner circle.
Have a couple of photos to post sometime but not much different from previous ones. Still thinking about trying to post a video.
I’m afraid feedings have come to an almost screeching halt. At least in the mornings, when a dozen or more pidgees hang out waiting for food. Henry and Geri come together now, but Henry doesn’t jump up in the window very often anymore, as he seems rather intimidated by the crowd. We keep fresh water out there, but until the crowd thins, especially with building painting looming, we’re keeping the curtains closed in the mornings. Late afternoon is a little better.
Many new babies coming by too, some that resemble Henry and have Geri’s clown face. Cute, but we can’t feed everyone. But one baby definitely belongs to the The Ghost and his gray mate, as it tried to force a feeding from the mate yesterday. Squealed loudly and forced its beak into the mate’s. I think The Ghost is the male, but we’re still not sure. They’re both about the same size, both aggressive and it’s always an even chance which one is on top during sex.
As for Boots and Bruiser, they’re still coming around doing it in the designated sex area. Boots is losing the raggedy tail feathers as new ones grow in. We’ve noticed that whatever happened to her, it caught the very tips of both wings too. Almost like she got caught in a lawn mower or car engine starting up. She’s not incapaicitated in any way, whatever happened.
The reduced feedings are having a little bit of an effect. But poor Henry and Geri. They look at us with contempt if we can’t feed them.
Ladyboy’s mate, Small Pretty One, must have died. He’s not been seen since shortly after we returned from the US three months ago. We knew he was an older male when they first got together. And she seems to have taken up now with The Bully. She always goes for the ones we don’t approve of.
New babies show up all the time, mostly black and white. If Henry’s not the father, he’s definitley the family scion. One we call Baby Clown Face, as it has Geri’s clown-mouth markings; must be hers and Henry’s.
Henry and Geri are spending more time here during the day, so much so that we’re wondering if something happened to their nest. But they’re still gone for the night though.
More new babies arrive almost daily. The neighborhood is filling with white pidgees of varying black markings. And one showed up yesterday that was a beautiful chocolate-brown color with white trim.
It’s August now, which means Henry’s been hanging around a full three years.
We have a small group that persists. They hang out here and sleep here most of the day whether we feed them or not. Includes Gimpy, the lucky little fellow who almost died. He’s grown into a pretty bird. I’ll have to post some photos of him. (Think it’s a him.)
Spooky has shown up a couple of times but not often. Her poor leg is still broken. Just hangs there uselessly. But she seems to be getting along all right.
Someone in another thread kindly suggested I give another pigeon update, so I will.
Gimpy seems to have become fascinated with us. Stays here all day and the past two nights. Loves the flower box and snuggles down in that. The only thing is we’re worried this may mean he’s sick. That’s what it usually means when they start sleeping over. But he seems okay. The first night, he flew back in just as it was becoming real dark. He was going to sleep in the flower box, but when I tried to drop a little food outside in case he needed a snack, he freaked, flew over to the window frames and slept there. Then just slept over there again last night. Out there now, in the flower box. Cute little guy. I’ll post his picture. This is the one who had both legs paralyzed for a week or so.
We came home after dark last night (Saturday night) to find Gimpy in the box. He probably figured it was safe for the night and did not seem pleased to see us. We kept from freaking him out, so he stayed in the box all night. We’re wondering if something happened to his nest. And this morning we noticed he was limping just a little. Looks like we may have another resident of the flower box, although he’s not building a nest yet, just sleeping in there. Like’s it in the daytime too, as does Little Clown Face or Carrot Face (the latter being the wife’s preferred name for him due to his orange beak). We think they may be siblings. If not, then potential mates, as Little Clown Face seems to stick close to Gimpy. We’re certain Gimpy is Henry and Geri’s, and Little Clown Face resembles Geri a lot, so I’m thinking siblings.
Small update: Gimpy stayed here only the three nights. He really did seem a little ill in addition to his limp. Now he seems better. Still hangs out most of each day. Eats more now too. It could be true what was suggested once by the pigeon board, that the pidgees want to stay here when ill out of a sense of safety even if they still won’t let themselves be touched. I guess we should feel honored, but we’re not sure we want dying pidgees. But Gimpy is back up to speed.
Yay Gimpy! I wonder though, if they have been poisoned. I know a place that I worked used to put out poisoned corn. I used to rescue the ones I saw, and some made it through. Sadly, some did not. Poisoned corn does not work on pigeons though, but I imagine some do die from the stress and just in general awfulness.
I’ve taken a few photos with the new camera – 14.3 megapixels – and I’ll have to post those soon. Henry and Geri have taken to hanging out here for much of the day, unlike before when they only ate and ran. I think the reduced feedings are causing them to hang around hopefully. Henry often dozes off and really looks cute when he’s sleeping. Still too many others around to feed him and Geri much – or Ladyboy, who is still around, or Gimpy. But we do manage some. Painting of our building starts in a couple of months though, and when it does we’ll probably have to remove even the water dish. Whenever the wife or I are off cleaning it or refilling it and a pidgee comes along, you really can see their shock at seeing no water dish.
A sad-looking one we call the Little Tumor Guy started stopping by. Poor little thing has a beak covered with little tumors, plus a big one on its left face. Small and frail. Haven’t seen it for a few days. And Spooky showed up again this morning (Saturday morning) after some weeks. Her right leg is still broken, completely useless. She just drags it around but looks healthy, so at least she’s surviving.
