Sunday was Loy Krathong, not an official holiday but a big deal nonetheless. Lots of fireworks including firecrackers. Not too close but still loud. The pidgees kept jumping and then looking at us, like maybe we were responsible for that.
Pete and Charlie are still having problems with fighting. May have to cut back their nighttime snacks. But Ladyboy likes to eat at night then go regurgitate it into the squabs. She and The Bully are having lots of sex now, and kinky too, as she likes being on top half the time. New eggs are probably now forming as I type, so we’ll have to let them have one more round. But if these new squabs stick around, we’ll have to start taking away the pots.
Here and here they are freshly hatched on the morning of November 3. They both hatched the same day. As usual, father The Bully later removed the eggshells.
One day old. Can’t really tell them apart yet, but I think that’s Tony in the front. Just a hair bigger. Later their bills will develop into different colors – one dark and one somewhat lighter.
Four days old. That’s Pam on the right; you can see her beak is turning lighter. Ladyboy the mother watches in the corner.
Six days old and their eyes are now open. Feather shafts are starting to come in too.
Nine days old. Pam is in front, and you can see she’s going to be much whiter than Tony. The Bully, their father, watches over them.
Thirteen days old and newly removed to the flower box, with a fresh layer of soft soil. A little closer. And here is one more. You can see Tony’s breast will be dark. He could end up another Mandie or Pete.
And finally yesterday (Tuesday) at 16 days. And another. The face feathers are really coming in now. Big eyes too and their little tails are forming more.
And it’s now Wednesday morning as I type this. Ladyboy was out in the Living Room digging around, preparing it for the next clutch of eggs. She and hubby have been having constant sex, and Mama really likes being on top. Charlie, who turned five months on Sunday, did not return yesterday evening, only the second time that’s ever happened. Maybe he’ll finally leave. We’ll see what hapens. If the squabs eventually do all leave, maybe we won’t have to remove the tree pots after all. The Living Room seems to be Ladyboy’s dream home. She really, really likes it, and her annoyance whenever we move the squabs out of there is visible.
Sunday afternoon and the squabs are three weeks old today. Getting big. And prettier, especially Tony, he’s got some good markings. Pam’s pretty but will be of the traditional white variety. She has a similar top-of-the-head pattern to her grandfather and parents along with the standard black wing and tail trim.
We came home this afternoon to find Tony outside the flower box. We figure he fell out while squealing for a feeding. I put him back in. They’ll probably leave and reenter the box on their own later in the week.
Still have all four out there besides the squabs. Charlie missed another night last week but then returned. At five months, he really needs to find his own place now. Pete turned two months this past Friday.
Monday night, the squabs are 22 days old, and they hopped out of the box and later back in on their own for the first time. It’s a brave new world for them.
Charlie does not like his new siblings. He tried a test peck at them after they hopped out of the box. I had to give him a little squirt of water so he would back off, and then his parents went and whupped ass on him. He seems to have settled down now.
Ladyboy and The Bully have been having sex all day, and they’ve been digging in the spot in the Living Room where the eggs go. New eggs soon, I think.
Wednesday afternoon and the squabs are 24 days old. They can hop in and out of the flower box like pros now and today have been walking around checking out the balcony. You can read the curiosity on their faces. Brave new world. They’ve also been stretching their wings and doing helicopters. Ladyboy, meanwhile, is sticking close to the Living room, where more digging activity has been occurring. Expect eggs any moment now.
Did I mention we saw the squirrel again a couple of weeks ago? Just the once. But this week, some more unseasonably stormy weather seems to have pretty much destroyed his nest.
And we have another egg. Just one. The second one is expected tomorrow or Saturday, probably the latter if Ladyboy keeps to the same schedule. This one we’re calling Pumpkin since he was laid on Thanksgiving. Hatchings should start about December 15.
Pete and Charlie were both gone last night (Wednesday night), so we hoped maybe they had finally struck out on their own. But they’re both back tonight. So counting Tony and Pam, there are six pigeons out there right now, plus an egg. We may have to cut the nighttime snacks and close the curtains at night.
And we have the second egg! Two days after the first, as expected. Little Popcorn is now incubating next to her brother, Pumpkin. “Pumpkin” because he was laid on Thanksgiving Day, “Popcorn” because we heard that was the name of one of the turkeys pardoned by President Obama this year, and the wife liked it.
We’ve noticed a set pattern being followed every time including this time. Once Ladyboy starts laying new eggs, she hands all responsibility for the previous squabs over to The Bully. He’s a very good father – continues to feed them, coos at them to entice them out of the flower box and to fly. Ladyboy just won’t fool with them anymore now that she’s on the eggs again. The Bully will also sit on the eggs to spell her, but he takes care of the squabs now all by himself.
Today (Saturday) the squabs, 27 says old, have been practicing their helicopters. Tony even lifted off a few inches from the ground. They’ll be flying soon. They were both eating seed with Dad last night too.
Tony and Pam are four weeks old today (Sunday). I like them at this age. Not quite ready to fly but running around all over the balcony in wide-eyed wonder. Very cute.
As I was cleaning yesterday, I scooted the Living Room out of the way. If I’m real careful and don’t seem too threatening, Ladyboy, although clearly nervous, will stay on the eggs while I’m moving the pot. Brave little Mama protecting her eggs.
Monday morning, the squabs are 29 days old, and we have a bit of a crisis. We woke up this morning to find Tony missing! If I open a bedroom window, I can see all of the balcony below if I stick my head out and look. I did, and sure enough, there he was. And still is now. The Bully is frustrated. He’s outside cooing madly, trying to entice him back. We’re not sure if he knows exactly where Tony is. He keeps looking all around searchingly. Flies back and forth between our balcony and the window frames, but Tony is at the far end of the balcony, and The Bully may not have spotted him, dunno. It’s not like we can go knock on the door downstairs and ask for our pigeon back. And we think no one’s home anyway. Hopefully, Tony will fly back eventually. For now, he’s just sitting there. Stares back at me when I look.
They’ve both started eating some birdseed, but they still flock Dad for a feeding. Nothing like Dad’s puke, mmm-MMM.
Mama, meanwhile, is keeping out of the whole thing. She’s all about the new eggs now.
