We could, but it would be too restrictive for them again. This way Ladyboy can alternate between the tree pot and flower box for her nest, which seems to be what she wants to do. The squabs will have plenty of room in the tree pot and won’t have to be transferred to the box anymore.
We’re still looking around for new pots and boxes, but amazingly we can’t seem to find anything that’s right. You’d think in a city the size of Bangkok, it would be easy. We got these 11 years ago from the wife’s sister. Not sure where the sister got them.
Some more photos including a few shots from Kanchanaburi province early this month, site of the actual Bridge over the River Kwai. About 2-1/2 hours west of Bangkok. On the main page, between the previous batch of pidgee photos and this batch. The bridge itself here and here (with me in the first side area on the left, where you’re supposed to step into if a train is coming). Unlike in the book and movie, the bridge was taken out by aerial bombing in 1945. The curved sections you see are original, the rectangularish sections replacements for where the bombs hit. Plus a few of Hellfire Pass, featured in the recent Colin Firth/Nicole Kidman film The Railway Man.
As mentioned, yesterday I finally removed the dead tree from the tree pot. Turns out I didn’t even have to use the saw, it just pulled out easily. Then I took out the shit-encrusted nest and laid down soft, new soil. Danny and Mali were on the floor during all of this, shocked into paralysis, but they got over it soon enough when I put them back in their “new” pot. They seem to enjoy the room, and now I won’t have to transfer them to the flower box.
I laid down new soil in the flower box too, and Ladyboy has already started digging a little indentation for the next clutch of eggs. Now she can have a two-nest home, which I guess is the height of luxury for a pigeon. And the couple are having at it again like teenagers. It’s sex, sex, sex all day and night. They really do love each other.
I think they’re really cute fresh out of the egg. All pink skin and bright yellow fur. Then yes, after a couple of days their skin starts turning black, and they go through an “ugly duckling” stage until they look at about 10 days like Jabba the Hutt. After that they start looking more like miniature pigeons.
And we have another egg! Laid yesterday evening (Tuesday evening). They seem to lay them mostly in the evenings. We thought it was coming, because Ladyboy was acting sluggish. You could tell she was “in labor,” for want of a better term, and The Bully was standing guard over her. The second one is expected tomorrow, with hatchings about February 13. Maybe on Valentine’s Day!
A little recap of Ladyboy. She turns five years old soon and is Henry’s daughter. We know this because we remember her coming here following Henry almost five years ago, begging Dad for a feeding. So she’s known us all her life. She originally took an older pigeon as a mate, or maybe he took her, and he was called Small Pretty One. He disappeared after a year or so, and we figure he just died of old age. The Bully showed up not too long after that, and we named him that due to his aggressive manner. We even had to chase him away, because he was always attacking other pigeons.
Then Ladyboy hooked up with The Bully, and I guess they’ve been together going on three years now. They had a nest somewhere else and would just stop by here. Then two years ago as of the end of this May, they moved here for reasons unknown. I’m guessing something must have happened to their previous nest. But The Bully must be maybe three years old, and we suspect he’s Henry’s son, although we don’t know it like we do for Ladyboy. He’s actually turned out to be a rather nice guy, although still a little aggressive. We let him chase away outsiders now that he’s just protecting his home, but we make him stand back when it comes to Henry or Geri. He sure hates Henry, and that may be a sign that Henry is his father. We’ve seen this sort of attacking parents before. But if we’re around when Henry and Geri appear, The Bully seems to understand when we want him to back off. It helps if we pour him a little pile of food behind the tree pot, where he can’t see Henry or Geri while he’s eating.
And we have the second egg! Laid yesterday (Thursday), right on schedule. Always two days apart. This pair will be Johnnie and Lizzie. ETA for hatchings is February 13. Maybe Valentine’s Day. And the couple have started building a new nest underneath the eggs, slipping in twigs.
I’d mentioned that Woody disappeared on his six-month birthday. He was gone a week, then returned. Stayed a few nights and now has been gone again for a while.
Despite getting into minor fights at night that we have to break up, Bo (4-1/2 months old) seems to like Timmy (three months), who appears to be female after all. They hang around together in the daytime.
Well, although they were raised elsewhere we’re pretty convinced The Bully and Ladyboy are probably siblings. Woo hoo!
The Bully seems to have taken over parenting of squabs Danny and Mali, ages 15 and 14 days, respectively, exclusively now that there are more eggs. Ladyboy is busying herself with guarding the new eggs.
Yesterday (Saturday) I thought Little Danny at age 16 days might be sick, because he kept repeating these little convulsions. But he didn’t look sick. I picked him up, checked him out. He acted just like a normal little pigeon. Then it dawned on me. He had hiccups! That’s what they seemed to be all right. They stopped later in the morning. So birds get hiccups. Huh. Who’da thought?
Thursday morning. Danny is four weeks old today, Mali tomorrow, and yet they’ve still not left the tree pot. This is the latest I’ve ever seen squabs wait to leave the nest for the first time, and they’re looking like right little pigeons now. They perch on the edge, they do helicopters, they look down and all around, but they just can’t seem to make that first leap. I attribute this to the height of the tree pot being much greater than that of the flower box. But no worries, I’m sure they’ll leave it in their own good time.
I had to give little Timmy a squirt with the water last night, because he – she we’re thinking now – was picking fights with the others. Got flustered and flew off. First time away from home.
Not counting accidentally falling out, they’re usually out by 25 days, IIRC. Maybe a day or so before that.
I’d say the young hang around for two or three months (Timmy is just over three months). But they seem to be staying longer now. Charlie stayed six months, and that was the record for a while, but it’s since been beaten, and Bo is nearing it. I think 30 or 32 days is the youngest anyone has left, and I’m still worried it got eaten by a cat.
I’m pleased to report that yesterday (Friday), Mali finally took the leap and hopped out of the tree pot, at age four weeks. And she managed the short “flight” back up into the pot, but before she did, brother Danny was visibly excited but just could not make himself do it. He finally did do it this morning, at age 30 days. (Hmm, I wonder if I got these two mixed up.)
I estimated hatchings would begin yesterday (Friday), and I was correct. Cracks began appearing in one of the eggs, and this morning there’s a small hole in it. Johnny is marching home.
The previous two, Danny and Mali, just turned five weeks and started flying this week.
Mickey, 2-1/2 months, disappeared suddenly earlier this week. Hope he’s okay. And Bo, who turns five months this coming Monday, didn’t come home last night, so maybe he’s finally flown the coop. So last night, we had just the two parents, the two latest squabs and two other older offspring.
Here in my city we have a lot of pigeons but, during spring and summer, we also have a pair of peregrine falcons that live on a tall downtown building.
The falcons have a 24/7 camera on them, so sometimes, when they bring dinner home, we play “guess the prey”.
It’s not uncommon in the US to see raptors living in urban areas. Bangkok is big, do you know if any varieties of hawks or other birds of prey live there?
We’ve seen some crows, but there’s nothing larger than that around here except for the occasional large water bird that finds its way this far inland. We do have a few cats in the neighborhood though.
And … success! Little Johnny made it out of the egg sometime in the past two or three hours. There was only a small hole the last time I looked, so he must have burst forth rather suddenly. A Valentine’s Day squab. Mama is guarding him jealously, but he’s super wiggly.
Sunday morning and we have the second squab ! Little Lizzie is out there wiggling with her brother.
Bo still hasn’t come back, so we’re down by two now for the week. Worryingly, little Mali also didn’t come back last night, and she was only 36 days old. She and her brother just started flying this past week. But she came back after daybreak this morning. Hungry! She and Danny eat seed now but still pester Dad for a feeding. She sure scarfed up the seed I put down for her.
I guess little Mali learned her lesson. The day after returning from her night away, besides being all hungry she refused to leave the balcony area all that day. She wouldn’t go any farther than the immediately adjacent window frames. She’s since been leaving again during the day, but she sure didn’t that day, and she’s making sure not to get caught out at night again.
Meanwhile, the new guys, Johnny and Lizzie, have opened their eyes today at ages three and two days, respectively. Two days is the earliest I’ve seen the eyes open. It’s always been at three or four days, maybe even five, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen two days.
Well, Mali may have returned, but little Danny has disappeared. Not been seen for two days now. Poor little guy. Hope he’s okay and just decided to leave, but it felt like he was still attached to the Old Homestead.
New squabs Johnny and Lizzie at five and four days are not old enough yet to know to be afraid of me. If I stick my finger at them, they think I’m bringing food and start pecking around it trying to find an opening like they do with their parents’ beaks. A few more days and instinct will kick in. Then they’ll be rising and snapping.
Laid yesterday evening (Tuesday evening). They seem to lay them mostly in the evenings. We thought it was coming, because Ladyboy was acting sluggish. You could tell she was “in labor,” for want of a better term, and The Bully was standing guard over her. The second one is expected tomorrow, with hatchings about February 13. Maybe on Valentine’s Day! 
Not been seen for two days now. Poor little guy. Hope he’s okay and just decided to leave, but it felt like he was still attached to the Old Homestead.