Moving on with Lucky and Loretta

14.2.15 – My Valentine was Tommy, peeking out of ‘his’ nestbox. Loretta was in the main box but flew away so I took the chance to take Tommy some peanuts. It was too early to do the main feed but I wanted my special boy to have something to eat! I approached the steps and I climbed up with my palm flat to show the peanuts. He allowed me to place them in front of him on the little doorstep, and I felt his soft white feathers. Tommy was raised in the cote and now as a young male of just about breeding age, he feels he has a right to a room in his old home, and I am hoping Lucky who is now alpha male will be reasonable about it.

Tommy, side, and Loretta, front

 The birds on the patio

 Above, my Lucky

and his new pretty wife, Loretta

15.2.15 – Lucky and Loretta spent time in ‘their’ nestbox – Snow White and Charm’s old one with the sticks SW collected still in it. Tommy spent a short time in his. I tried to get the pigeons to come over to the island to be fed – to start trying to preserve the lawn.....well there is no lawn now! Of course despite me throwing the grain there, and one or two of them spotting I had done so, none would come over. So I had the brilliant idea of taking a pigeon over there...... of course, one of the homies would’ve been ideal, but they can’t fly so the island is much too dangerous for them – one wrong move and they would be in the water. I easily caught a brown pigeon, carried it, struggling, to the island where there was lots of grain and peanuts looking very yummy, but of course the damn thing just flew straight back to the garden! Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow. Later, the jackdaws, crows and jays had a good feast! The sweetest dove-pidgie turned up with a few stragglers just before it started to get gloomy, but not quite dusk. It was small and obviously very hungry, so I was happy to make sure it had a good feed. I don’t think I recognised it, and I think I would’ve done as it was white with dark markings round its neck, and had been ringed with a thick orange band. I don’t think I would’ve chosen that ring for that bird.....  It stayed on the roof of the house, alone, for quite a long while, probably resting.

A sweet visitor, but never seen again

16.2.15 -  It is awkward trying to get the birds over to the island – they just don’t want to go. I sprinkle food going through the archway and they will come onto the little lawn outside the conservatory, but they don’t like going down the slim passage which leads to the little lawn at the back of the conservatory where the washing line is. Basically, they don’t like change – ever! They don’t like change, wind, strange people, strange things in the garden like different garden furniture, sparrowhawks, anything really – mind you, I don’t like change either, so I understand them. My idea has been to get them moving down to where the washing line is, behind the conservatory, then lead the trail of grain going out of the gate, over the bridge and on to the island. Today, I caught two separate pigeons at different times and took them over to the island – but both flew straight back. I took both Cloud and Cissie, one by one, to the island and sat on the wall to feed them – holding them firmly so they wouldn’t escape, though they don’t try to when they are being fed – usually. This didn’t encourage the pigeons over to the island either. Then I had a brilliant idea! If I took my knitted dove and pigeon they might act as decoys. The weather was getting mizzly..... the birds weren’t happy.....but I tried anyway....

 The house from the island - you can just about see the pigeons on the roof

 Knitted decoys!

Obviously the homies had to stay in the garden, and always will do – they wandered about as usual, with Chino wavering between wandering and being a scaredy-cat. I wasn’t not going to feed my special favourites – Dolly, Fleur, Mr. Strong, Frances etc and most especially Tommy, Lucky and Loretta.... so they were fed, with the pidgies muscling in too, but hopefully if I keep it minimal, the birds will get the idea of going to the island. I did used to feed them there a long time ago – and this is just to keep hubbie happy and try to let our grass recover. I didn’t see the sweet one from yesterday, but about quarter to five when it was very gloomy, three white doves flew back to the roof and then to the cote – Tommy, Lucky and Loretta! At five, and then again at quarter past I could still see at least one peeking out of the cote.... and at six pm when it was pitch black I quickly flickered the torch and could still see the peeker. I wonder if some or all will stay the night? – trouble is, I don’t really want them laying eggs til at least April when the weather might be a bit kinder, but happy for them to stay safe in the cote of course – just no eggs please, birdies!

17.2.15 – The birds in the cote were there when I got up, but I managed to get a look later and no egg, thank goodness. Lucky hasn’t brought any new sticks, there are just SW’s in there, but I will bring a handful or two of hay from the shed into the kitchen (to make sure it’s not damp) to have it handy in case Loretta lays an egg in the Spartan nest.

Chino, preening after giving herself a bath

Bianca, a blue-ringed white dove who turns up periodically, arrived and after a few seconds I realised she was picking up grain in a strange, sideways manner – so I observed her and think she has PMV. I managed to catch her and hand feed her, but I released as I can’t keep another homie. The grain I gave her will sustain her for a couple of days and I hope she’ll be able to get back here if she needs me. (Note - I am editing this blog ready to publish and note that I havent seen her again and that was a month ago - poor thing, she probably died)

In the afternoon I did the same thing with trying to get the flock over to the island- with no luck but late in the afternoon, when I was in the conservatory, with my camera handy, I saw a couple on the bridge.

 Below, Lucky and Loretta, at the end of the day, in the evening sun

18^th Feb – I got up early and the birds were in the cote but, again, when I got the chance to check, no egg. Mind you, I haven’t seen Lucky and Loretta mating, only occasionally billing and cooing. I am hoping that they are just staying the night so that other birds don’t ‘take over’ and will put off breeding for a while. It might just be Lucky in the cote at night, I can’t pry too closely as I don’t want to upset Loretta.

Today I caught Mr. Strong and took him to the island – same result, cross bird who flew off immediately and scratched my hand into the bargain (but I forgive him!). The general pigeons gather on the house roof, and some fly out towards the island, and then turn back. They do not like the change of feeding place AT ALL! I put food on the shed roof and some will come there, and hopefully as I put less food out in the garden they will gradually find their way over to the island. After a while, I collected up the homies into the hutch and run, and went shopping. When I came back there were quite a few pigeons on the island.

20^th Feb – the majority of the afternoon flock flew to the island to be fed (at last!). The first white dove to come over was Fleur – for a delicate looking little dove with a pretty flutey tail she is quite clever and a little adventurer, very ‘copped on’ to where I am and what I am doing. Dolly eventually made it over too, but seem quite bewildered to be there! I still feed any of my white doves and special pigeons in the garden but targeted to them and in small quantities, so the main flock HAVE to go to the island if they want food. I don’t particularly like traipsing over the bridge in this weather, but the garden is terrible and by feeding on the island hubbie will feel I am doing my best to preserve the lawn – not that there is hardly any lawn, it is all mud!

Yesterday Claro (Clara that was) and Tommy were fighting in the side nestbox that they both feel they have a right to live in. They are both big young white male doves, and neither seems stronger. I let them tussle for a while, then I reached in and removed Claro and put him in the back side box. I wouldn’t really mind which of the two settled there, and neither has a female as far as I am aware, but I feel Tommy has the edge as he has spent more time there – I mean recently, I am not counting when they were both babies. Both of them hatched in the cote last year – I quickly checked back and Claro was hatched with Clover (no longer seen) in July and Tommy (with Mercy, also no longer seen) about 39 days later (Both are offspring of Snow White and Charm, cruelly killed in the recent cull) - So as you can see, there is little between them in age, and both seem fighting fit! I just hope they don’t hurt each other.

21^st Feb 15 – I wanted to get on with cleaning the cote, that I started about two weeks or more ago. The awkward part, the back, is still very green. But Lucky and Loretta were in their box at the front, and yes, Claro and Tommy were fighting in the side box again. When the doves fight one tries to grab the other on the neck, and push it out of the box – but these are a matched pair, so they just go round and round. Again, I gently removed Claro and put him in the side. Then I went and fetched peanuts for them both. I love them both, they are wonderful birds – and reminders of SW and Charm – but ultimately they will have to sort out between themselves who will be the winner.

 Tommy and Claro - but now I can't remember which pic is which! Both are white males, and both are ringed so I know them when I see them out of the cote!

I thought I’d wait for a while, though it was sunny and ideal cote cleaning weather, to give the birds a chance to be in the cote and recover from the fight.

The racer with the injured foot that I mentioned a blog or two back is doing quite well. I always target it for food, and it’s bad foot is getting stronger, and it doesn’t have to rely on it’s wings so much for support.

Lucky has been the one staying in the cote for the last few nights so not surprising no eggs! (not that I want eggs in Feb) but he didn’t stay last night, and Tommy did for some reason. I like it when they stay as they are safe here. Tommy has also stayed tonight, I just glanced out of the window and saw his tail as he popped into his bed. When I was cleaning the cote, I realised he is using the back corner of his nestbox as a latrine, so I cleaned it out and put in a piece of newspaper!!

Sunday 22^nd Feb 15 – It’s going well with the majority of the afternoon flock going over to the island to be fed.

 The bridge to the island

 The swirling water that I don't want to fall into!

 Above, a couple of brave pidgies, and below, the rest gather on the house

 The date on part of the bridge - hubbie replaced the wood walkway

 Come on pidgies...... and below, flying back from the island

There are far fewer birds in the morning, and they still get fed in the garden, mainly on the patio and one of the reasons for this is that if the weather is frosty, I am not inclined to walk over the potentially slippery bridge. Another reason is that I have less time in the mornings. The white doves are far less inclined to fly to the island – Tommy came over today, with Fleur and an unknown white dove, but Lucky, Loretta, Grace and Dolly don’t want to. In fact, Lucky seemed quite affronted – he expect meals served promptly on the table or patio, at times to suit himself. And of course he will always be fed, as will my other old favourites – I have so few known white doves left, and had some very sad moments at the morning feed missing my birds. All those funny little characters and personalities just wiped out, gone – I still can hardly believe it.

I finished cleaning the cote today – it looks better, acceptable, but still needs painting. I wish I’d done it at the end of August or September last year when SW and Charm had finished breeding.

My three homies are all females and attract a certain amount of male attention. Today I saw Chino billing on the ground with a pigeon, then surprisingly they mated.... but this was just a ‘one minute stand’ – poor little Chino!

Lucky and Loretta hid in the cote together this afternoon when the weather turned grey, rainy and blustery, but flew away together at 4pm, leaving Tommy, in charge, staying in his compartment. I didn’t see Claro at all today – maybe he has decided that Tommy is supreme.

24.2.15 – Oh happy day! I was just about to go out the door shopping when I saw a ringed white dove on the patio.... red and yellow rings...... it took a while for my brain to work out that it was my Autumn! I was ecstatic to see her! - and pleased to get a photo.....

I had thought she had been roosting with the doves involved in the cull, but obviously, and thankfully, not!  There was absolutely no doubt that this was Autumn – she is always a little grubby or bedgraggled looking and has one slightly lower or dragging wing, which is the result of an injury quite a long time ago now. Autumn has always been a bird who has come and gone - the last time I marked something about her on my dovie calendar was on Sat 10^th Jan, when I put ‘Autumn back’ and noted that I had seen her previously at the end of October. She was still around a week later on 17^th Jan, but by the 23^rd I had written ‘No Autumn’. The cull happened some time around 27^th-29^th Jan so it’s not surprising that I thought she might have been caught up in it. I am so glad and grateful that she wasn’t, as she is my oldest known surviving dove who was hatched in my cote. She is now nearly two years and seven months old and was hatched at the end of July ’12 – the offspring of Sky and Summer.

 This is Autumn, and her sibling, Spring, when I brought them in to ring about 16th Aug 12  You can see Spring's green ring in the top photo - so Autumn is of course the other one!

And above, about a week after ringing, Autumn on the right

I haven't been happy about Chino's makeshift accommodation in the conservatory, and eventually got her a crate like the others. Her own house!

 Cissie, grey and Cloud, white

 Then joined by Chino, brown

 My 'homies'

I haven't been happy about Chino's makeshift accommodation in the conservatory, and eventually got her a crate like the others. Her own house! - you can just see her feet!

 A pigeon housing estate!

25.2.15 - A sweet little pair of pale brown collared doves came down to eat on the patio - I didnt manage a very good photo, but it was lovely to see them. They are shy birds and won't mix in with the ordinary doves and pigeons.

26.2.15 -

 See the big pigeon in the middle of the photo above? That's my Silver Shadow - you can see how big he is below - almost looks like a silver eagle!! He is twice the size of the usual pigeons and extremely beautiful - stunning in fact. Silver grey and iridescent purple. He has always been friendly, though came out of nowhere, and will eat peanuts from my hand.

272.15 - Today I saw my Grace- who will fly to my hand for peanuts - walking around the patio with a fine stick in her beak. At first I thought it had somehow got attached to her.....

 So I went out to see if I could help..... but then I realised she wanted to hold it!

 It was her special stick and no-one was going to take it away!

 She flew to the roof with it.....

 Oh no, where's it gone!

But eventually lost interest.... what was all that about, Grace?!!!

It's that time of year again, and all the female birds get attention.....

Above, Claro chases Cloud, and below, Cissie receives a courting gentleman at her door!

Lucky and Loretta

.To be cont....