tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21199862621114034122024-03-13T23:52:18.711-07:00My DovesWelcome to my dove blog. My doves add a special element of life and beauty to our garden.Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-14660620499981505422016-08-18T12:46:00.001-07:002016-08-18T12:46:59.874-07:00Baby pigeons rescued!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
9.8.16 – The pigeon I took in last night was alive this morning. I’m calling
her Polly though I don’t know her sex of course. She took a drink from the
little glass, and I hand fed her six peanuts to give her a boost, before
putting her in the day part of the hospital, with a pot of grains, while I fed
the flock. She didn’t attempt to eat, so after a while I hand fed her the same
amount I feed Cloud – which is 30 grains/peas (the larger ones, not the tiny
ones) twice a day.<br />
<br />
The wound on her wing had dried and looked superficial, but she obviously
has more wrong with her. I could take her to the wildlife aid, but in my
experience all they do with yet another feral pigeon is put it down, so not
worth my time. I will do my best for her myself. My 3 day rule applies – I have
found that if a pigeon lives 3 days after I have picked them up with illness or
injury they often survive.<br />
<br />
In the hospital it is a bit dark and gloomy as the tree of paradise is so
big, so I moved her to the rickety old hutch on the patio near the cottage to
be in the morning sun.<br />
<br />
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<br />
It’s a perfectly safe place for her to be, but by about
11.30am the sun had moved so I decided to see how she was by taking her out on
to a towel on the lawn. She moved away from my lap by using her wings as feet.<br />
<br />
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One of her feet is ok, but the toes are all curled up on the other. She isn’t
in a very good way and I don’t think she will live, but I have to give her a
chance. I moved her into the aviary – to one of the crates on the ground floor
in the day room. It is light and airy and she will be able to see the others if
they walk past, so she will know she’s with her own kind, But obviously I will
put her back in the hospital at night.<br />
<br />
When I first went into the aviary to see about Polly’s arrangements, Pascal
was taking in a bath. I was so pleased because this is a private bath just for
the aviary birds. After a while, Pan obviously thought he was taking too long,
so he hurried him out of it, and I picked him up to go outside in the sun for a
bit to dry.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
10.8.16 – Day 2 for Polly but I don’t think she will make it as the other
foot is curled up now. Her poops are rather runny too. All I can do is make her
comfortable, and give her food and water. She spent some time in the
sunny afternoon sitting in an old cat basket on the lawn watching the other
pigeons – of course while I was around to make sure she was safe.<br />
<br />
11.8.16 – The start of Day 3 for Polly and she is still with us. When I had
her for feeding today, she picked up a few grains that had spilt on my lap, and
fed herself which I thought was a breakthrough and quite promising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t really know what to do with her, as a
pigeon that can’t fly is one thing, but a pigeon that can’t walk – well what
kind of life does it have? But it is still early days and I will see how things
go.<br />
<br />
Montgomery and Mariette are two weeks old today and Chino has laid the first
of the new eggs. Luckily all the old babies have moved out or we would be
running out of space! That is Bronte and Darcy, and Avery and Evageline have
moved out, but the first babies, Pascal and Primrose are living in the area
below the shelf, but above Cloud, in the aviary. In the last day or so I
realised that they were taking turns on their ‘nest’ – how sweet I thought,
playing mummies and daddies. But this morning, when neither were on it, I saw
two eggs! I was very surprised as these two are only four and a half months
old, so very young indeed. I have no hope whatsoever for these eggs - Pascal
and Primrose are too young, they are siblings and Pascal is deformed. I have
never even seen them mate! Certainly no sticks were gathered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever happens, I don’t mind, we are not a
pigeon loft or racing, and we will just take what God gives us. The book says
that pairing a parent to off-spring is ok and called line breeding, but pairing
siblings is in-breeding and not recommended. I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>totally get this but of course I didn’t actually put them together, they
have always been close and have made these arrangements themselves – though I
did put the nest pan there. Primrose can fly and could’ve left the aviary like
Darcy and Bronte, and Avery and Evangeline, whenever she wanted to. I couldn’t
take a photo of the nest as it is in such an awkward place.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Above, Darcy on the roof, and below, Evangeline</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Below, Bronte (Darcy's sibling) on the grass</div>
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Below, Charity (who is actually male) - a pigeon I picked up ages ago having been stunned by flying into a window, but recovered and it's probably a couple of years on now. He is currently courting.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
12.8.16 – Day 4 for Polly and it looks like she will survive. I have decided
to let her feed herself, when the others are feeding, and just top her up
afterwards with a few grains. She has also now started to preen herself – must
keep up appearances she says!<br />
Yesterday afternoon my son in law texted me. There were pigeons in the
warehouse where he works and the powers that be wanted them out, full stop –
but there was a nest and the other guys were intending to destroy the babies.
My SIL (son in law) has a soft heart, and he thought I might take them, and of
course I said I would. I told him to put them in a box and keep them warm til I
could get over in the evening. I had to tell hubby a porky-pie as you know how
he feels about me taking in even more pigeons, so I pretended I was visiting a
friend. As I drove over to see my daughter and SIL, I was praying that the
babies would be old enough to rear. I had taken all the stuff I would need with
me having put it in the car before hubby came home from work! – box with hay,
little shot glass for giving drink, grains, plus the baby food Kaytee mix, and
equipment which I hoped I wouldn’t have to use, as it is not easy for me to
feed little baby pigeons.<br />
Thankfully the babies looked to me about two weeks old – pretty well fully
feathered and alert. Poor little things, their parents will be chased away from
the warehouse (or worse) and their lives have taken a dramatic change. But they
WOULD have been destroyed – by the time SIL had texted me in his lunch break
and come back, the other guys had, he said ‘put the babies outside’. Now I don’t
know if that means in the nest, or just put them out loose ……but anyway SIL
then took over and rescued them. I didn't want to know all the horrible details.The babies were nice and warm so I was able to give them a feed, and
encourage them to drink from the shot glass. SIL had put them in a pet carrier
sitting on an old fleecey top, and when I got home I snuck into the garden
carrying it, intending to put them in the aviary. Hubby had already gone to
bed, so no probs, and I left them there for the night.<br />
<br />
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Above, muddled babies! - and below, the two rescues on the left, with Monty and Mariette<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uyL3eH-QUYA/V7V9RlBapcI/AAAAAAAAPWo/_XoQtxiWGjs-KNcF1COQlHvznjCF5OrPACLcB/s1600/DSCF8135-20010523-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uyL3eH-QUYA/V7V9RlBapcI/AAAAAAAAPWo/_XoQtxiWGjs-KNcF1COQlHvznjCF5OrPACLcB/s320/DSCF8135-20010523-01.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby pigeons rescued from warehouse - would've been destroyed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Above, the babies in their new nest in the aviary - and below, their arrangements<br />
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This morning the babies were fine and I weighed them. The little white
speckly one (reminding me of my lost Perelle) was only 155g with the bigger
dark one being 222g. I weighed them so I could calculate how much food they
need which is 5% of their weight, twice a day.- not sure where I got that info
from, but I use it as a rough guide – I also use this site for reference about
rescued babies or injured pigeons - <a href="http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/">www.pigeonrescue.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
I realise of course that rescues like Polly and the babies should not really
be put with my other birds in case they are carrying disease, but I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have only so much space, facilities, time etc.
When I picked Cissie up (Pan’s mother, now dead) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was obvious she had paramyxovirus so I
isolated her for 6 weeks.<br />
<br />
I am writing this in real time 9.00am and from the house I could hear babies
squeaking – I didn’t know if it was Monty and Mariette or the new two. I went
out and found it was the new babies – they could see Pan from their box and
hoped he was daddy coming to feed them. I put some grain down and Pan started
eating it, but when I opened their crate he did enter their box but just pecked at them and obviously
wasn’t going to take over as a foster dad. It would be nice to think that Cloud
would foster them, but she is not really capable of feeding babies – I don’t think.
So there is no-one except Polly, who is injured and can’t be expected to do
such a thing. Looks like I will be Grandma Dove again for a while!<br />
<br />
Today Polly was in the wicker basket on the lawn under the buddleia, seeming
pretty content, but when I checked her again, she wasn’t there!......... A
quick look round and I found her near the flower bed next to the aviary.<br />
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Pretty Polly!</div>
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<br /></div>
I
thought maybe she had been too hot in the basket so I left her where she was.
Big mistake! Next time I looked she’d disappeared again, and this time was
tucked away round<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the back of the aviary
from which I had to remove her PDQ! (because she moved further in and I couldnt reach her).So she <i>can</i> move about, but only by
wing-walking.<br />
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Below, Cloud sunbathing in what I call the 'vitamin walk'. I was going to plant flowers in the strip in front of the aviary, but decided against it, and now sprinkle grit, pigeon conditioner and the pink grit-like vitamins in it for the pigeons.</div>
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Above, Darcy and below, Bronte in the aviary - they return sometimes to get grain. Well, we have the key of the door, they say! Another one who comes in is my former patient, Robin - he is now perfectly well- see his photo at the end of the blog.<br />
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Sat. 13.8.16 – Polly came out of her basket again this afternoon (though I
had blocked the narrow passage to the back of the aviary). A male saw her and
thought she was crouching for mating, and other birds got interested in her
food, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so I had to block her in her
basket in the end. </div>
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The state of her injuries now. </div>
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Her feet get covered in poop and have to be washed or it sets like concrete</div>
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Pan’s babies have screamed all afternoon it seems, and poor Chino has to do
it all – sit on the eggs most of the time AND feed the babies. Pan is being
lazy! (and it’s not funny!) My own babies, Perseus and Andromeda, joined in the
screaming too at one point, but I am feeding them three times a day – morning
(usual feed), noon (light feed) and about 5pm (good bedtime feed with a few
peanuts to see them through the night). They seem ok and I will weigh them on
Monday maybe and see how their weight is, but Andi feels terribly light and
little. They remind me of Tink and Pan last year – their daddy Sultan left when
they were probably just a bit older than these babies and I took over the
feeding, but Tink eventually didn’t survive and I am afraid the same might
happen to sweet little Andi.<br />
Pascal and Primrose seem to take fair turns on their eggs, but sometimes I
see them both off together – but well, what can I do?<br />
<br />
Sun 14.8.16 – This afternoon I was sitting on a rug sorting some toys in the
sunshine with Polly sitting in her wicker basket near me. Hubby came out ‘She
looks happy enough’ he commented. But, we didn’t know that Polly was plotting!
Minutes after that, she moved out of the basket and flew to the roof! Goodness!
– I truly didn’t think she would be able to fly only 6 days after her injury.
She immediately attracted male attention – and I took a couple of photos, but
then seemed to settle down on her own.<br />
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After a while, when I checked, I couldn’t see her anymore and of course
started worrying. This was about 2pm. As the afternoon drew into early evening,
I went round the back of the old mill (now offices) near us, and thrashed
through the flower beds, but no Polly.
</div>
Eventually at nearly 7pm I discovered her on the gutter of the roof of the
cottage – I scrambled up on the coal bin, with the net, and knowing I had only
one chance to get it right, I brought the net down on her and dragged her
towards me. Hardly good for her injury, but better than staying on the roof all
night to be spotted by the hawk in the morning. Silly Polly! As we descended
from the coal bunker, I banged and turned my ankle but better that too, than a
bad night for me worrying about Polly. I have got very fond of her! So she was
given a drink and put in her crate in the conservatory with a pot of food, til
I transferred her a bit later into the ‘hospital’ (old hutch) for the night. So
that was todays little drama.<br />
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Montgomery (back) and Mariette</div>
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<br /></div>
Mon 15.8.16 – Although Polly had the opportunity to fly again this
afternoon, she didn’t – though she did try limping across the grass a bit. I
was glad she didn’t fly as I don’t think she is well enough yet realy, but she
is certainly a lot better than she was last Monday late afternoon/eve when I
took her in, and wasn’t sure she would survive.<br />
Evening -I have now had Perseus and Andromeda for four days, and I weighed
them this morning. Andi weighed the same – 155g and Percy had lost weight –
down from 222g to 217g. Not good, as both should’ve put on weight I would’ve
thought but on the other hand both are still alive, eat their food, drink out
of the shot glass, and do their poops – plus they squeak and walk about a bit,
so seem to do what they should for their age.<br />
<br />
Tuesday 16<sup>th</sup> Aug 16 – This afternoon, as the weather is so nice
and sunny, I planned to take Perseus and Andromeda out on to a rug on the lawn
for a little bit, to see the flock. I remember doing this last year with Pan
and Tink. I was looking forward to it all morning, as I love to spend time with
my little rescued ones. First I put Polly out in her wicker basket, and as
always she seemed content. One of her feet has uncurled, and she can now stand
on it – but she mostly sits. The babies sat in a makeshift towel nest or in my hat, and
watched the grown-ups!<br />
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Above, baby Andromeda - Below, the white dove is Lottie, Appoline's mum</div>
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And here's Perseus looking doubtful</div>
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It wasn’t time for their feed, but I gave them water.
They now drink very well out of the shot glass. They got excited when they saw
the pigeons, and I let them walk out onto the grass. Poor little Andi ran after
a pigeon, squeaking, hoping to be fed, but they all ignored the babies, despite
the book saying that feral pigeons will often feed other squabs (other than
their own) if they beg. I kept bringing the babies back to the rug, and soon
they started to peck the nearby grains, and even ate one or two. Clever babies!
While they were out, I also treated them for lice as I had noticed them on
Andi’s white feathers yesterday. As they are still young, I only kept them out
for 20 minutes before taking them back to their proper nest in the aviary. As I
passed Polly’s basket I noticed she had gone, but soon found her under the
slope (that Pascal uses to get to his nest) in the aviary – she must’ve limped
there by herself. As she was ok, I left her there. Again today she had the
opportunity to fly, but didn’t. Pan was on his nest, so couldn’t get upset –
though females in the aviary don’t really bother him, it’s the males he doesn’t
like (except Pascal).<br />
<br />
Thursday 18.8.16 -Monty and Mariette now often come out of their box onto the
shelf, or into the box opposite. They are getting big now – even tall – but
still babyish looking at 3 weeks old. I took them out of the aviary in a basket this morning and ringed them – Monty who has light
brown plumage with Light Green Left leg and Dark Green Right (I don’t like
using two rings as I think rings are a bit of a handicap but am running out of
colours/combos) and Mariette who has light grey plumage with Blue Left leg. I weighed Monty and he is 350g
– looking back at old weights I see he is nearly the biggest ever at his age,
with only Bronte being bigger (though now Bronte doesn't seem particularly large)<br />
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Tonight I will have had Perseus and Andromeda for a week. Their weights on
arrival were Percy 217g and Andi 155g. This morning they weighed – Percy 248g and
Andi 193g. As far as I can judge they are about 3 weeks old, the same as Monty
and Mariette, but may be a bit slow in fledging as they have no parents. I’m
pleased they have put on weight though.<br />
<br />
Polly now goes on top of the hospital hutch in her wicker basket in the afternoons - but when the other pigeons start hassling her I have to put her back in the aviary.<br />
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Below, Robin, my former patient, now fully recovered </div>
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To be cont....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-26053047062121085342016-08-08T13:19:00.002-07:002016-08-18T01:41:52.921-07:00Cloud's drama - and a summer of babies!<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Carrying on from the last blog...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tuesday 19<sup>th</sup> July – I don’t
normally enter the aviary after I have locked it up for the night but Cloud was
flapping about and I was anxious – well it turned out she was having a funny five minutes but was
actually fine – and seeing Pan with his babies looking so protective and loving, I nipped
back for the camera.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Wednesday 20</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> July 16 – Today
Appoline was missing for a while, but did come back in the late afternoon – but
was gone again at bedtime. Perelle was left there alone. I do feel little
‘Apple’ (as my grand-daughter calls her) is a bit young, at only five and a half weeks, to be
flying off with the flock, and can only hope that she will make it back in the
morning.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Thursday 21<sup>st</sup> July – Appoline did
come back, but this evening Perelle didn’t stay in the cote. I’m a bit sad that
my sweet white and speckly-white babies have fully grown up. In the aviary,
Avery and Evangeline have learnt in the last day or so to scramble up to the
top of their nest box, and to pop through the little window and walk along the
perch in the day room supervised by daddy, Pan.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A ringed racer joined the late feeders in the
garden, and walked, uninvited into the kitchen. Of course, being the softie I
am, I gave him his own dish of grain …….</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">but when he then walked into the
sitting room, it was taking a liberty so I collected him up and put him into
the hutch, in case he needed a refuge for the night, and though he stayed a
while eventually he up and left.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Friday 22<sup>nd</sup> July – The racer was
there in the morning, and Appoline, amongst many others, but no Perelle. Poor
little thing, I wonder if he will find his way back by tomorrow. The aviary
babies are full of beans, and flutter about inside their home, but haven’t
tried to venture out yet.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Saturday 23rd July - Evangeline left the aviary today, and Avery the day after - they are four weeks old. They just wandered out and joined the other pigeons.</span><br />
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Evangeline above, blue ring, and Avery below, red ring</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Monday 25</span><sup>th</sup><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> July 16 – Cloud
created a little drama. At her morning hand-feed, about 6.30am, I normally let
her just jump off my lamp. Sometimes she does a little fluttering flight but
always towards the ground, not up! But this time, somehow, she flew up and
landed on the aviary roof. Oh no! Of course, as you know, the other side of the
aviary is the river. I watched her on the roof, and took a photo, but although
I put the steps up I couldn’t reach her because she was enjoying the new view and
didn’t want to come anywhere near me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">She stayed there for a while, but when
the flock flew off in a real or imagined panic, suddenly she wasn’t there
anymore. I had visions of her ending up in the river, like Cissie did that
time, but when I looked over the fence, there she was on a pile of grass,
leaves etc. I quickly got the net and put it over her so she couldn’t move....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">and
then had to get the steps and scramble over the fence – not really what I
wanted to be doing first thing in the morning! She was ok of course, just a few
ruffled feathers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Wednesday 27<sup>th</sup> July 16 – Well I
have written my notes for a while but so far Perelle has not come back. He or
she was a sweet young bird and it is a shame that I will probably never see him
again. Of course, not seeing a bird doesn’t mean it is dead, but Perelle went
off in the heat-wave and may not have been strong enough to get back here from
wherever the flock go at night. I see
Appoline every day though thankfully. This is why the aviary birds have such an advantage
– they can fly to the roof and round about, but don’t have far to go home.
Avery (right in the photo) and Evangeline are now fully fledged, but still spend much time in the
aviary.....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">though they also enjoy being out on the roof with the flock – unlike
Pascal and Primrose who mainly stay in the aviary…. Pascal because he has to,
not being able to fly, and Primrose because she wants to, though she does come
out for short periods. When I cleaned out the aviary yesterday I made a new
arrangement for Pascal, with a ‘nest’ like Cloud has got (a proper pigeon
nesting bowl). He and Primrose act like mates, rather than the siblings they
are. I am not sure if siblings do mate, though I don’t think this is a great
idea, especially because of Pascal’s disability, but if they do start nesting
for real I won’t stop them. They are a bit young yet being only four months
old. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I think the box I put there is a
bit small, but the space is limited. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I went into the aviary at lunch-time to be
greeted with an unexpected but pleasant surprise – Chino was out of the nest
box, she had obviously just done her ‘hen poo’ (very big poop excreted by
sitting pigeon females, saved up over the night!) and next to it was an
egg-shell. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Wow! A baby already! I wasn’t expecting hatching til Friday. This means the baby hatched only xx days after the first egg was laid. Pan was obviously itching to get hold of the shell – the second I released it after taking the photo, he picked it up…… and went to the little doorway…….flew to the roof, and chucked it away!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I removed Chino and held her against my body, so
I could take this photo, she made a dreadful fuss of course, but I wanted to
see our new arrival – the cutest weeniest just hatched little orange bubba! </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Later Pan celebrated by mating with Cloud! I
have never seen her allow this before!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The horrible eye infection seen in so many
last Autumn </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">is back in a big male pigeon
that I have been unable to catch. One time I did manage to get my hands on him
but he struggled away, and now of course is even warier of me! One eye is fine,
the other is gunked up though he can still see out of it. I know that if I
could only catch him, I could remove the stuff and treat his eye with the
wonderful drops I discovered last year from Healing Sun on ebay. All I can do
is make sure he gets an extra ration of peanuts to keep his strength up but if
the other eye got infected too, unless I could get him, he is doomed to either
be caught by a predator or starve to death.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Thursday 28.7.16 – Pan is one year old today!
Happy Birthday to my clever boy! His short eventful life so far – He was
hatched to my flightless bird Cissie who was disabled due to being a
paramyxovirus recoverer and Sultan, a racing pigeon, who stayed for a while.
Sultan left when Pan and his sibling Tink were only about 17 days so I hand
reared them, as Cissie was unable to feed them. Tink died but I nurtured Pan
all through last winter, and in February put him with Chino, and they made a match of
it. Pan is now father to eight! (all thriving) Pascal and Primrose, Bronte and
Darcy, Avery and Evangeline, and two new babies – the other egg hatched today!
Here’s Chino and you can just see one of the tiny babies – probably only
as big as my thumb now but amazingly
will probably be fledging in four weeks time!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Friday 29.7.16 – Just after the young birds (now the
old babies!) Avery and Evangeline had gone back into the aviary at about
8.30am, and I had gone back into the house, I heard a thump, thump and went
straight back out to see a sparrowhawk flying away from the grain bin area.
There were feathers on the lawn, but I think whatever bird it was had got away.
Haven’t seen the SH for ages, and not wanted to! – but I MUST take care, and
remember it could be there at any time. Cloud and Pascal particularly need to
be protected.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I made a new arrangement, particularly for
Pascal’s benefit today, in the aviary. I made a slope so that he could possibly
get up higher – and into the box that Primrose mostly uses at night. Pascal and
Primrose seem determined to be together, so I will humour them, against my better
judgement. It aint right n proper, but they don’t know that! Within a very
short time, Pascal had learnt to scoot up his slope!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Thursday 4.8.16 – Oh dear I haven’t written
up my notes for a while, and things move on so quickly with the birds! Well the
new babies are beginning to sit up and take notice. They look very similar at
the moment. It seems amazing that Avery, their big brother (or sister) is still
less than 6 weeks old, and still has a few of the wispy yellow baby down
feathers on his head, and they are a week old – BUT daddy Pan is ‘driving’
(chasing) mummy Chino because he wants to start ANOTHER nest!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bronte is less than 14 weeks, and his
sibling, Darcy, left the family home (the aviary!) quite a while ago – but he
has stayed and from an early age has strutted his stuff and made things awkward
by courting his own mother, and annoying Pan. Last evening, when Bronte arrived
back in the aviary, they started fighting, so I shut him in a box that I had
put on the top of the box that the new babies are currently in. I had put the
box there for his benefit and hoped that Pan would just let him in it without fuss.
But of course Pan is the alpha male and likes a good tussle – and this new box
looked pretty good to him – being nice and high. And he saw no reason why he
and Chino shouldn’t have THREE nestboxes! I thought Bronte might not come back
tonight - either because he didn’t like being shut in the box or because he
doesn’t like Pan’s attitude! Again, I had to shut Bronte away – mainly to keep
him out of Pan’s way but also because he (Bronte) was ‘getting at’ poor little
Evangeline! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In fact, tonight, Avery didn’t come home –
which is a shame because he is still young to be out all night! I hope to see
him again in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Pan doesn’t appear to have a problem with
Pascal, who is also male. This is no doubt because Pascal is an ‘under-dog’
sort of bird. He keeps himself to himself and his quarters (with Primrose) are all underneath
the shelf upon which Pan’s nest-boxes stand. Pascal and Primrose (siblings) are
approximately four and a half months old<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Friday 5.8.16 – Avery was there in the
morning. He is probably the most distinctive of Pan and Chino’s offspring, with
his one white-tipped wing feather. There is another bird, probably about the
same age, that comes with the flock, very similar – also with the one white
tip. I call him Avon. Although I said I wouldn’t name and/or ring new birds, of
course sometimes I do!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Evangeline didn’t come back to the aviary
this evening either, so it looks like the two of them have moved out – despite
being less than 6 weeks old, and still practically babies themselves! Bronte
did come back, and I had the same performance with Pan, </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, who I had to chuck outside for a minute or
two, while I caught Bronte and locked him into the box (with a little pot of
food and some water).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">A few photos taken around this time....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Cloud sunbathing in the porch of the aviary. I like it here! she says. The aviary gives her far more freedom than she had before. For a start, she doesn't have to wait for me before she gets up in the mornings!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Primrose, left and Pascal - I put him there, he can't get up by himself</span></div>
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Below, Mariette and Montgomery - the new babies </div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">And Chino, feeding them</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Monday 8th August 16 - The situation with Bronte in the evenings hasn't improved, but Pan has decided that the upper box is ideal for his new nest and has started putting sticks in it! He is busy, busy, busy - there is no time to fly to me and mess about on my head, shoulder or in the feeding bowl - he has too much to do! Pan of course and as always must have his way, and so I lock Bronte in the lower box that is unoccupied by the new babies - who aren't so new now as they will be 2 weeks old on Wed/Thurs! So far they appear to both be grey, with Monty the lighter one.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lucky and Lottie have not attempted to start a new nest and the dovecote stands empty. It needs painting so desperately that maybe I ought to start thinking about doing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">5.30pm - was going to sign off and finish this blog when I found an injured pigeon in the garden. She had a wound on her wing, which I sprayed with the Veterinus spray (I also have the gel as you know) and seems unable to fly, though otherwise alert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> She wouldn't take a drink, but I made her as comfortable as I could in the old hutch which is now the hospital! She wanted to go in that corner, but I will move her to the night part a bit later on, as I think she will feel safer there.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Later - the injured one accepted a drink, which I was pleased about and I settled her in the darker night part of the 'hospital'. Bronte didn't come back to the aviary tonight - he obviously can't face Pan's aggression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Here are the birds tonight....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span>
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Pan comes rushing towards me as I try to take his and Chino's photo</div>
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Chino in the new nest</div>
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And in the box below the new nest, the babies in the old one!</div>
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Pascal snuggles up for the night in his box</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">And Primrose sleeps in her 'nest' above Cloud on the ground floor</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">To be cont...</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-68427912348891012722016-07-18T09:43:00.001-07:002016-07-18T09:43:36.866-07:00More eggs on the way<br />
<o:p> </o:p>July 2016<br />
<br />
Do you remember how the conservatory used to look - the table covered in the birds' crates, grain and loose feathers? Look at it now.... mind you I miss them inside to a certain extent, especially carrying Cloud off to bed in the spare room, and snuggling/smelling her on the way! The birds smell sweet due to being grain-eaters I suppose.<br />
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Sunday 10<span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">th</span> – Several ringed racing pigeons here today. It was
windy, and maybe they had been blown off course – or just stopped off for a free
meal. There was one who seemed rather small and unsure – I easily managed to
pick up and hand-feed it a few peanuts for energy. I checked the ring – yes it
said GB16 so a this year’s bird. It’s nice to see the racers, but I had a much
more delightful surprise – my lovely white pigeon Mr. Strong arrived! I haven’t
seen him for ages – possibly since April – and had thought I never would again.
He is beautiful, pure white with a fan tail (probably not a full fan-tail, but
one of his parent may have been). He used to often arrive with my Grace but she
wasn’t there.<br />
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Above, Mr. Strong and below, in the middle, the gorgeous big pigeon that I call Silver Shadow<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Monday 11.7.16 – This morning, Perelle fledged properly and flew to the roof.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--CIncJJUr8E/V40CyhEQnvI/AAAAAAAAPRs/KePYcy-eKygJIQM84QX5bOLNIBZrz4IGQCLcB/s1600/DSCF6855-20010421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--CIncJJUr8E/V40CyhEQnvI/AAAAAAAAPRs/KePYcy-eKygJIQM84QX5bOLNIBZrz4IGQCLcB/s320/DSCF6855-20010421.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young squab (right) just fledged, with father pigeon </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">At lunchtime, I took Appoline out to give her
a little drink, and afterwards she struggled out of my hands, scrambling to the
top of the dovecote. She seemed happy and was safe enough. But later on, it
started raining and I wished I hadn’t got her out. I mean, the birds are
waterproof, but it was her first day out – and Perelle’s. The rain got worse,
it was a deluge! </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">The flock on the roof stoically hunched together. I was
worried about my poor little moppets, but there was absolutely nothing I could
do of course. Fed the flock lots of times, but the babies didn’t come down. I had supper, still not down.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Below, Lucky comforts the babies after the rain</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Well
after 7pm Perelle was on the lawn and I managed to catch him. He did have some body warmth but his wings and the top of his body were saturated so I gently dried him off with the hair dryer and gave him a hand feed. When I came out from doing that Lucky disappeared, leaving his half-drowned babies to cope on their own. I had
to catch Apolline with the net, and dry and feed her too.</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
By the late afternoon, Chino had laid her second egg. If all goes well, we
will have new babies by the end of July. Below, Avery in the aviary!<o:p></o:p><br />
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Tue 12<sup>th</sup> – Bright sunny morning. Perelle came out but Appoline
stayed in the cote – hardly surprising after yesterday! Lucky flew up and fed
her in cote, and I saw him try to feed Perelle on the ground but he didn’t seem
to want daddy to feed him – I’m big now, he says, I’m out and about on my own! Just before I had to go out, the flock flew away and Perelle almost immediately
flew into the cote. I am so pleased he can fly and negotiate the entrance to
the cote well. Perelle and Apolline survived the drenching yesterday very well. Most newly fledged pigeons take a bath within the first few days, but I bet these two won't!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
A spotty white dove with a green ring was there too this morning with other
white doves. I felt I should recognise this bird for several reasons. One – it
was ringed with my kind of ring , on its right leg, which is the leg I favour.
Two – it looked a lot like Lucky. Three – it was reasonably tame and didn’t
seem scared of me (and in the afternoon ate peanuts from my hand). Four – it
was in my garden – possibly back home? At times like this I wish I had kept a
ring book from the start. I have at times, but usually on scrappy little bits
of paper that I have lost. There were only 3 babies last year – only Selfie in
the cote, who died, and Tink (also died) and Pan in the hutch. So I will look
at my blogs for 2014 and 2013 and see if I can find out who it is.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Pascal and Primrose (siblings) still spend time together, but of course Pascal, the pale one, has stunted wing and tail feathers and can't fly. I watched them for a little while....</div>
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and when something startled Primrose and she flew off, I caught the moment Pascal jumped into the air - but of course came down with a bump! (he's so adorable, I love him to bits!)<br />
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Perelle didn’t come out of the nest-box again today, and Apolline not at
all. After Lucky had fed them and left in the early evening, I took a little
supper of small grains up to the cote in two tiny dishes (glass night-light
candle holders) which they polished off – and then I took them up a drink in a
tiny shot-glass with a handle, that I always use for the babies!<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Wed 13<sup>th</sup> – The cote babies were out on the roof when I got up at 6.15am this morning, but
later put themselves back in. I think we can say that these two are safely
fledged – and quite early too. Properly fledged at only about 30 days – some
don’t fledge til 35 days. Lucky has treated them well, and they seem fine and
healthy. It doesn’t look like Lucky and Lottie will be starting a new nest any
time soon, so the young ones will be able to keep the nestbox to themselves
which is nice – because it gives them more of a chance to grow up before they
are forced to fly away and leave the cote or relocate into another section.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One of the aviary babies wasn’t in the nest box with the other, when I went
in. But as the aviary is totally shut at night I wasn’t too worried. I soon
found him or her in with Chino and the eggs in the new nest – It was Evangeline
and she looked so sweet cuddled in with mummy, but by the time I got the
camera, Chino was out and baby was heading towards her own beddies.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Robin spends most of his time in the aviary, but can fly to the low roof now
reasonably well. As long as Pan is ok with it, I don’t mind him living with the
others.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
One day when I had my four year old grand-daughter, I said
to her that we would go and see if my friend, Sara, was in, as I hadn’t seen
her since she had a serious jaw operation. ‘Oh’ said my grand-daughter ‘Is she
a bird person or a real person?’ (shows how much I give the birds human characteristics!)<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Thurs 14<sup>th</sup> July 16 – Apolline was not on the roof, or in the
cote, or anywhere I could find this morning when I went out early, but there
was an unringed pure white dove of the right age……could Apolline have lost her
ring? It IS possible of course, as at this stage the birds have little slim
legs, or I might not have snapped it together securely, so it could have come
off, but this doesn’t usually happen. I searched in the flower beds and around
the back of the house, and near the offices which back on to us but there was
no sign of her, or of any foul play. The little white dove flew to the cote and
went into one of the lower boxes, and I am not sure that a young dove from
somewhere else would do this. I picked her out and gave her a hand-feed, then
popped her in with Perelle who had by that time gone back to the usual nest
box. He didn’t seem worried by this, and neither did Lucky – though he didn’t
feed either of them, so I have to assume it IS Apolline, and I will re-ring her
with the same colour ring (blue) but on the left leg instead of the right, just
in case the first Apolline turns up! But no, I think this MUST be Apolline. And
later, Lucky did feed her….. what on earth happened to that ring??<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I cleaned out Avery and Evangeline’s box early this morning, about 8.00am. I
only have a short window of opportunity for doing something like this, as Pan
would make a fuss and get in the way if he was around, but he goes out flying
first thing so I got it done and dusted while he was out. The nest, made of
sticks by Pan, and with an underneath layer of pigeon felt and a piece of old
carpet was very damp, VERY dirty and had a few of those dreadful wriggling things
that I have a phobia about – disgusting! It was very soon all disposed of with
nice clean old towelling at the bottom and a layer of fresh hay. Nice and clean! (won't stay that way for long!)<br />
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I blocked
Chino on her nest in for the duration, and the babies waited patiently in a
little basket!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby pigeons in a basket</td></tr>
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Friday 15<sup>th</sup> – I weighed Avery – 370g – and Evangeline – 331g
today. They are now 19 days old and must be the biggest babies I have ever had.
At that age Pan weighed 248g and Pascal 318g. They weigh more than Perelle and
Apolline at 26 days. Probably they get more food than is maybe good for them –
as it is right there on the shelf for Pan and Chino to feed them. She is still
doing so, but probably wouldn’t if she had to go out and forage for food; then
she would leave it to Pan. There is a window at the front of the aviary and I
can discreetly observe the secret lives of my baby pigeons! Already I have seen
them help themselves to small grains, and Avery had a drink out of the bowl. </div>
<br />
Although I took them out of the aviary into the kitchen to weigh them, I don’t
intend to take them out for any other reason (such as a little play time as I do with the dovecote babies) as I
want to see what they will do at fledging time of their own accord.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I forgot to say in the last blog, before Chino laid the eggs she is sitting
on now, I went in to the aviary and had a bit of a surprise, as she was on top
of Pan appearing to be mating! Of course it is normal for the male bird to be
on top and I have never seen this type of behaviour before. The only thing I
could think of – and other people suggested it to me also – was that it was
some form of dominance. But Pan is not the kind of male you dominate! Very
strange! In fact, I never saw Pan and Chino mating at all before these eggs
were laid – except for that one weird time – but assume, and hope, the babies
will hatch as usual.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I am wondering what colour the new babies will be. Chino is pale brown with
a darker brown band, and Pan is a typical grey pigeon with mottled wings, and
green/purple iridescence on his breast - no doubt there are endless colour combo's<o:p></o:p><br />
1<sup>st</sup> set – Pascal – very
like Chino – Primrose – dark grey and like Pan but more subdued<o:p></o:p><br />
2<sup>nd</sup> set – Bronte – Sandy brown with mauve-ish breast, and mottled
mauve patches on wing.. Darcy – brighter sandy brown than Bronte<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
3<sup>rd</sup> set – Avery - dark grey with a dark band and white wing tip –
very fetching!. Evangeline – pale grey with dark band.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Above, Bronte</div>
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Sat 16th - I while ago I caught a fledgling robin in the house and released it - so sweet!<br />
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A day or so later, I saw it - or another one - on the path and threw it some peanut granules.<br />
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But today I was so distressed to find it dead in the garden with the cat sitting nearby. 'No Loopy! I said to her 'I really DON'T want darling baby robins as a present.......' but cats will be cats, there is nothing I can do about it (at times like this I wish I hadn't adopted her). The only thing I could do of course was to give the little one a special funeral.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watery funeral for fledgling robin</td></tr>
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Robin (the pigeon) was nowhere around at the time I shut up the aviary, so obviously felt well enough to fly off (11 days after the injury, which was the second injury)- he was back by tea-time the next day, helping himself to grain inside the day room. Home from home!</div>
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The photo below was taken at the poultry farm where Cloud and co. are looked after when I am on holiday. The dog does spot the chick (but can you???) but doesn't go after it, and it was soon scooped up and put back with its mother.</div>
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Monday 18th July 16 - So now we are into a quiet mode with the new eggs not due to hatch til about 29th July and I probably won't blog again til then.<br />
<br />
Avery and Evangeline - 3 weeks<br />
Perelle and Apolline - 5 weeks<br />
Bronte and Darcy - 11 weeks<br />
Pascal and Primrose - about 16 and a half weeks<br />
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The aviary birds on the floor of the day room, with Primrose on the water bath, and Pascal at the front. Cloud to the left, and Pan in the middle. Below, Avery and Evangeline (right)<br />
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Below, I am not totally sure who the four white doves are, but I like to think it is a happy family snap of Lottie and Lucky, with their babies, Perelle and Appoline.<br />
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To be cont</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-18796702350329822582016-07-10T01:04:00.001-07:002016-07-10T01:04:50.385-07:00All the babies are growing up fast<br />
Sunday 10.7.16 – Here we are hurtling into July and Pan & Chino’s babies
are two weeks old today. I can now distinguish between the two of them – Avery
is the bigger, darker one, and Evangeline is the smaller, paler grey one.<br />
<br />
This is when they were only probably about 9 days or so, with Avery on the right.<br />
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And below, Evangeline, the little one, is on the right this time - so cute aren't they?</div>
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And here's Perelle and Appoline, from the dovecote, agedabout three weeks or so - I am beginning to lose track of all the ages! I took them out of the cote and put them in the old hutch to have a good look at them. Perelle, the spotty one, is in front.<br />
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Now Perelle and Apolline are four weeks old today - together in the nest box.<br />
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During the
past week I discovered they had lice – particularly on the underside of their
wings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lice on underside of baby white dove wings</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">As you can see from the photo, these are like tiny little pencil lines but of course they live off the
blood of the host, and as I want my babies to be as healthy as possible, I
bought some Johnson’s Anti-Mite Extra spray. It says on it that it is suitable
for pigeons, and I have used it in the past, so know it is effective.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnson's Anti-Mite Extra spray, suitable for use on pet pigeons</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I will
check again in a week, and can re-use if necessary. I expect Avery and
Evangeline have lice too but they don’t show up like they do on the white
birds. Maybe I should spray ALL my birds but I am reluctant to use things like this unless totally necessary.</span><br />
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Above, a pretty brown unknown pigeon who decided to join in for a while, and below, Cloud, in her pretend nest and own habitat - she gets cross when I remove her for feeding, if she doesn't want to come out! Although I miss my Cissie, it is much quicker to hand-feed one bird twice a day than it is two.<br />
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Lottie only seems to be turning up once a day, to feed herself, and Lucky is
doing all the feeding of the babies now. He is a pretty good father, in
general, but for a couple of days he didn’t seem to be doing his duty so I gave
the babies a few hand-feeds. And now I am giving them a few small grains on the
ledge of their nest-box and they seem to be able to feed themselves, which will
be a good head start when they fledge – which could be any time in the next
week.<br />
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My cat Loopy seems to be around at odd times, so I hope these babies will
be canny and not put themselves in harm’s way.<br />
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The wound on the underside of Robin’s wing has healed, and he can fly a
little bit, when he wants to. Here he is with his dragging wing, poor thing.<br />
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Yesterday he flew to the low roof for the first
time since his injury, 11 days ago. I am
currently putting him to bed in the old hutch, but he spends the day in the
aviary with the others – and of course he is free to go into the garden when
the aviary door is open. I’d hoped he might show an interest in Cloud, but so
far he seems to prefer Primrose. She is only 15 weeks old, so a little young
for settling down.<br />
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Above, you can just see two pigeons, enjoying a quiet peck round the garden. This is Pan and Chino, having time out from the babies. Below, I let about a third of the raised bed go over to wild flowers as it seemed a shame to dig them up. I do have some carrots in the rest, but not sure they are growing very well. I am no gardener!<br />
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Here I am crushing dried egg shells - then I add this to the raised bed as the extra calcium is good for the pigeons, and the soil. It is quite satisfying doing this, and my grandchildren love doing it too. I used to just add the shells to the compost but they take ages to break down, and one of my blog readers crushes egg shells for her white doves so I thought I would too.<br />
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Pan started bringing sticks to make a new nest in the box opposite Avery and
Evangeline a few days ago.<br />
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Chino and Pan snuggle up in the aviary. I took the photos through the little hatch opening<br />
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But when I went inside the aviary, Chino immediately stood up as she is still a nervous bird</div>
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Primrose was watching from the window in the day room. She is very much a home bird as I said before and after a short morning fly she comes back and spends the day at home.</div>
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The nest box already had a felt pad in it, and I added a handful of hay to Pan's few scrappy sticks. Yesterday in the late afternoon (laying time) Chino seemed to be making herself comfortable.<br />
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And a bit later on - yes I could see an egg!</div>
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But, you say...... more babies?? How on earth will they all fit in the aviary if they keep having babies? Well, Darcy and Bronte are birds about town, or field, now - and despite being only 10 weeks old, they spend all day out and about, and only Bronte comes back home at night to the aviary, and is the last bird in! I see Darcy during the day, and try to make sure she (or he) gets extra food. I still don't know what sex these two are - or in fact what sex the older two, Pascal and Primrose are! Though I am pretty sure Primrose IS female. (P and P are about 3 months old now. So it is only natural that birds will move on - the females taken away by males looking for a mate, and the males looking for females and nesting spots of their own, though of course they might try to bring them back to the aviary. Pan is reasonably tolerant, but there is only so much space. Pascal of course will probably never be able to fly, and will always be my 'baby'. He is very sweet, with his silly little frilly wings, as he jumps up in the air, or off the edge of the raised bed, and tries to fly! He reminds me of Pookie, the rabbit with wings. Does anyone remember the beautifully illustrated Pookie books by Ivy L. Wallace?<br />
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Avery (left) and Evangeline have now found their feet, and often move to the front of the nest-box. Pan built them a very good nest, with lots of sticks, but although I am reluctant to pull it out it is very smelly now, and I'd rather do it before Chino lays a second egg, and the pair start sitting in earnest.</div>
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They get excited when they see their daddy, Pan, and flap about squeaking, asking to be fed!<br />
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This is one of the very nicest things about my new aviary - I can easily see the babies whenever I want to, and they will have more freedom than the dovecote babies; being able to move about on the shelf and learn to pick up grains right from the start. As you can see, the adults chuck the grains about everywhere, and though I have a little 'aviary' dustpan and brush and am forever sweeping up, it is always messy! And the poop! Goodness, where does it all come from? (don't answer that!). In the mornings I do some pooper-picking with kitchen paper, of the fresh poop where the birds have been roosting - and all this goes in the compost as very good for the garden - but it is impossible to keep the floor of the aviary clean. In the beginning it was like a lovely sauna or something with all the bright clean wood but that quickly changed! Of course the poop just dries up and crumbles away, and I do sweep the floor.</div>
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Below, Perelle on my lap after a little hand-feed top up. His dad Lucky, has a black smudge on his breast and a couple of tiny black markings on his neck. Apolline appears to be pure white like their mum, Lottie.</div>
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He fluttered off my lap to the ground, but he is not fledged yet, so I picked him up and put him back in the dovecote.<br />
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He waits on the ledge for Lucky to come back and give him the confidence to fledge!</div>
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Below is my Dolly, now three years old, and one of the very last of the 'old gang'. She was hatched in the cote, and is, I think, Lucky's offspring too (with his first wife Charm), but I must admit I would have to check that as I can't totally remember. Her sibling was Fennie, named after one of my blog readers, and Purplecoo mate. She knows me well and runs for peanuts - nothing else will do!</div>
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My tortoise, Orlando, gets very adventuresome and climbs up the wire netting of his run. Lucky I found him or he might have fallen off and landed on his back. I am not sure how long they can be on their backs, but it can't be good. Mind you, I am getting more used to having a tortoise now and am less worried about him.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One year old tortoise trying to escape!</td></tr>
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To be cont.....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-68754524970023576092016-06-30T01:34:00.001-07:002016-06-30T01:34:31.813-07:00Happy News!June 2016<br />
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Sunday 26.6.16 - I had been car-booting and when I got back I opened up the aviary to make sure all was well but it was a minute or two before I noticed an egg shell on the floor.<br />
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At first, for a distressing second, I thought that a squirrel had been in and stolen and destroyed an egg from under Chino, but then I realised, silly me! - the eggs must've hatched!! Because Chino laid them before our return from holiday the sitting time has seemed very short and I wasn't sure when they would hatch. I had a little peep inside the nestbox but Chino was sitting tight and I couldn't see anything.</div>
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Chino above, Pan below </div>
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Later, when it was Pan's turn to babysit, he left the box and I had the chance to see the babies - and even pick them up! They are actually quite tiny but look larger than they are, in my hand.<br />
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The parents will not desert them if they are handled - they don't have a very good sense of smell. Anyway, Pan trusts me - and Chino tolerates me! So, Pan and Chino have become parents for the third time this year with the first babies to be hatched in the aviary. I thought I'd have a little play on words so the biggest baby (which is probably the male and the first hatched) will be Avery and the other one will be Evangeline (or Angel for short). Their older brothers and sisters are Pascal and Primrose, now 13 weeks, and Bronte and Darcy now 8 weeks. Their little neighbours in the dovecote are Perelle and Appoline, now 2 weeks old.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby white doves - 2 weeks old - Perelle nd Apolline</td></tr>
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Apolline is named after this tiny restored 14th century chapel, dedicated to St. Apolline, situated near Perelle bay, Guernsey.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Apolline chapel, Guernsey</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">14th century painting of the last supper, St. Apolline, Guernsey</td></tr>
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Since I am mentioning Guernsey, I will show you the photos I took of a white dove collecting nest material from a window box high up above the shops in St. Peter Port. I wonder if I was the only one who noticed him that day? Maybe my blog reader, Guernsey Girl, could have a look sometime and see if that pair are still there? I think it was the windows over Boots. I'd love to know if they raised babies in their flowery abode</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White male dove looking for nest material in a window box, St. Peter Port, Guernsey</td></tr>
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He jumps in to have a better look!</div>
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And below, he has taken it to another window box next window down -</div>
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can you see his mate just peeping out?</div>
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And he emerges again, to go and look for more!</div>
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Back to Sunday 26th - Another thing that made my dovie day was that my Autumn turned up again, after a month away. She is nearly four years old - my oldest 'baby' hatched in my dovecote at the end of July '12. I always think I may never see her again..... and then she appears, and I am so pleased!</div>
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Tuesday 28.6.16 - this evening, about 6.45pm just as I was getting ready to serve supper, I noticed Robin by the water bath and threw him some peanuts. He seemed to be struggling to jump up to the raised bed, and then I realised that he couldn't fly again! Robin, as my Purplecoo friends will remember, is a male pigeon that I ringed with two pink rings probably a couple of summers ago. His original name was Robber because he was always stealing grain from the hutch, but when he was found, unable to fly, in my back kitchen on 24th April this year, and I took him in, I changed it to Robin! This was before I had the aviary, so Robin was smuggled in past hubbie and I cared for him for two weeks, bringing him in every night, before he became able to fly again. But now he's back.....I suppose he has a weakness in his wing, or something. Anyway, this evening it was very easy, I just popped him in the hutch, with food and water, and he dived into the nestbox part, glad to have shelter for the night. I will be assessing him tomorrow properly.</div>
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Wednesday 29.6.16 – Robin has an injury to the underside of his wing. It
looks like it could be a glancing shot wound…… or
it may not be of course.<br />
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It seems that it is not related to the reason he
couldn’t fly the last time. It didn’t look nasty but having got him there, I
anointed it with the veterinus gel anyway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veterinus gel - excellent for wounds on pigeons</td></tr>
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I was sure that it was just the
injury and he didn’t have anything else wrong with him, so I tried him in the
aviary with the others (while Pan was with the new babies) but he didn’t seem
to like it/them much and escaped as soon as possible to go back to hiding under
the hutch. I will look after him, obviously putting him safely in the hutch at
night, and hope he gets better like he did the last time. I wouldn't put an unknown poorly bird in the aviary - obviously - in case it brought in disease.</div>
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The new babies are now three days old - it is hard to twist round with the camera and get a picture of them inside the nest, especially as they are not left for long. You can just see two fluffy bundles...<br />
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And here they are - Avery and Evangeline. I am a very proud Grandma Dove!</div>
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Tonight, Darcy didn’t come back to the aviary and was still missing by dark.
I hope she manages to make it back tomorrow.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Thursday 30.6.16 - Darcy came back with the flock in the morning. I was pleased of course but not too surprised, as this pair - Bronte and Darcy - have always been grown-up for their age which I was truly thankful about when I had to leave them at only four weeks old to go on holiday. Bronte, I am pretty sure, is male - he has been displayed male dominant behaviour these last couple of weeks - which seems surprisingly early. Sometimes he even dominates his mother, Chino - and she has to sit where he says, not where she wants to! Below, sorry a not very clear photo of Darcy and Bronte on top of the aviary.<br />
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When I caught up with my neighbour, I found out more details about the rescue of Darcy who had fallen down the chimney while we were on holiday. This very kind young man found her in the back bedroom, took her outside and put her in the aviary. I hadn't expected that - I thought he would've just thrown her out. He said he could see she was a young one. He told me a funny story - apparently when he goes on night fishing trips, his girl friend doesn't like staying in the house alone so goes to her parents'. One time she came back in the morning to find an egg on the kitchen floor! Most odd! Eventually she found a female mandarin duck in one of the little back rooms - she must have come down the chimney to the back of their old unused Rayburn - and was able to get through the broken mesh or whatever it was that was there. You wouldn't have thought after that experience she would've felt like laying an egg! But, when an egg's coming, it's coming, I suppose and must be laid!</div>
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When I open the hatch window on the aviary the birds fly out in the current 'pecking order' - which is age order - Pan first, then Primrose, then Bronte and last Darcy. Pan, Bronte and Darcy seem to like to go flying in the mornings, but Primrose is a home bird and usually comes back first.<br />
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Darcy, left, and Primrose inside the aviary. </div>
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They are probably both females - same parents but not siblings</div>
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Lucky and Lottie's babies, Perelle and Apolline, are adorable. Perelle has some dark feathers on his wing, but Apolline seems to be pure white. Last year, Lucky had one baby Solo with his third wifey, Loretta - and then later on his first baby with Lottie, Selfie. They were the only babies hatched last year in the cote. Selfie died at fledging time, for no reason I could fathom, so I am hoping that all will be well with these two. So far, I haven't had to worry about them as they seem well cared for. Lottie started leaving them at night at two weeks old, which is usual, but I still don't like it. How could anyone want to leave this tiny little thing......?<br />
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Therefore, every night since they have been left, I have been tucking them up with an old cashmere glove stuffed with feathers, and a handful of hay, then blocking them in with a little grille and a half brick. This keeps them safe and warm, without mummy, til morning. I get up at 5am before Lucky and Lottie come back to unblock them, then I go back to bed til 6.15am when I get up to feed the flock and open the aviary. This routine is a bit tiring but I will continue til they are three weeks old and more feathered up. They should be fine, after all it is late June - though a miserable wet one!</div>
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Here's their beautiful mother, Lottie. She seems to have bonded well with Lucky, and I hope they will stay together.</div>
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Lucky was first with Charm - who left him for Snow White (both now dead in the cull), then he was with Loveday for a while - not sure what happened to her, probably the cull as well - then with flighty little young Loretta, and now with a hopefully more steady mate, Lottie. Below, Lucky, coming to eat peanuts from my hand.<br />
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Here's Chino having a bath - this was before the babies hatched. The pigeons like to get their feathers wet so as to moisten the eggs to aid the hatching process. There is a bath in the aviary but so far I have only see Pan and Cloud use it.<br />
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Chino, enjoying the sun, but near enough to dive back inside. She's is a bit of a nervous bird, and a good mother, wanting to be near the babies.</div>
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I made a little flower bed next to the aviary as there was a patch of bare ground after the aviary had gone up. It looks prettier than the photo! - with purple, pink and lilac flowers. I call it Pan's Garden, and I had the little statue of Pan in the garden already but moved it here.<br />
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And last but not least, here is my little tortoise, Orlando, who is just about a year old. I have had him for 5 months now and his shell measures approx 3 inches. He's in his vivarium, having a munch! The oldest recorded tortoise in the world is Jonathan, Seychelles giant tortoise - they reckon about 184 years old, hatched in 1832 -amazing! <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise)" target="_blank">Have a read!</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One year old tortoise<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">To be cont......</span></div>
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<br />Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-29716272073227174512016-06-17T05:01:00.001-07:002016-06-17T05:01:36.013-07:00My new aviary - June 2016<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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table.MsoNormalTable
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mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
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mso-style-priority:99;
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mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
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mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
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Well…… where do I start? My last blog was written at the end
of December 2015 and the months without blogging have whizzed by, and now it is
17<sup>th</sup> June 2016.</div>
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Hubbie and I have just returned from the beautiful island of
Guernsey, and maybe that’s why I feel refreshed enough to blog!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby seagull on Lihou Island, off Guernsey</td></tr>
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Or maybe it is
because a new chapter in my dove/pigeon life has started.</div>
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I now have my much wanted aviary in the garden. The main
reason I bought it was because it occurred to me at some point that my young male
pigeon, Pan, was ‘homed’ to our conservatory and that when we went away on
holiday the house would be shut up and he would find himself homeless and
confused. I adore Pan, having brought him up from very young, and he is tame,
so I needed to get organised and create him a new home! But back to the
beginning…..</div>
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First, if there are any new readers – welcome to my blog
about the doves and pigeons that live in and visit my garden. All my previous
blogs can be found by scrolling down the blog history dates at the side.
Sometime, I must go back to the beginning myself and read them all again! I live in Surrey, right near the river, in a little cottagey-bungalow with my third husband. I have two daughters, and two grandchildren.</div>
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I currently have the following birds I call my ‘homies’ –
Pan, Chino, Cloud, Primrose, Pascal, Bronte and Darcy – these live in the
aviary, but are free to go outside. (Previous readers will remember my Cissie,
who was killed by the sparrowhawk on Monday 18<sup>th</sup> April – RIP my
funny crazy bird) Then I have Lucky and Lottie living in the dovecote, with
their new babies, Perelle and Apolline.</div>
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<b>Pan</b> – Grey pigeon - My male daddy bird. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan - male pigeon less than a year old</td></tr>
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He has had an
eventful life and is not even a year old yet! He was hatched (in my old hutch)
on 28<sup>th</sup> July 2015 with his sibling Tink. Parents – Cissie, a
paramyxovirus recoverer who couldn’t fly and Sultan, a racing pigeon and a bit
of a ‘player’! Tink never grew up properly and eventually died, though I did my best, but
when Sultan never returned when Pan and Tink were 17 days old, I took over
their care and feeding (Cissie due to her previous illness was unable to feed
them properly and had totally lost interest). So Pan has been ‘mine’ since he
was very little and by bringing him into the conservatory every night, he
thought our cottage was his rightful home. By the beginning of Feb 16<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pan was over 6 months old and considered
himself sexually mature, strutting and bowing to my females – Cissie, Cloud and
Chino. Cloud would have nothing to do with him – the cheeky young upstart! –
and Cissie was of course his mother – so I put him with Chino (in the old
hutch) and on 23<sup>rd</sup> February they mated for the first time! Then he
started collecting sticks for a nest and on 24<sup>th</sup> March 16, three
days before Easter,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pan and Chino became
parents to Pascal and Primrose.</div>
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<b>Chino</b> – pretty pale brown female. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chino, left, after a bath</td></tr>
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I’m not quite sure how
long I have had Chino, I suppose it must be eighteen months to couple of years now. She is a
very nervous bird who arrived in my garden with one wing damaged, and unable to
fly properly (she still can’t). Like Cloud and Cissie, Chino was in love with
Sultan (Pan’s daddy) but he eventually settled down with Cissie (briefly!) –
now Chino is very content with Sultan’s son. She has come out of herself a bit,
is more confident, has raised two lots of babies (Pascal & Primrose, and
Bronte & Darcy) and is now sitting on new eggs in the new aviary nest – due
to hatch towards the end of June.</div>
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<b>Cloud</b> – a white female dove.</div>
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Part of the old arrangements, sitting under the old hutch - left to right - Pascal, Cissie, Chino, Pan, Cloud at the front with Bronte and Darcy at the back.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
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I’ve had Cloud about three and a
half years. She also caught paramyxovirus – a horrible disease for pigeons from
which they are unlikely to recover in the wild, and although perfectly happy
with all her wits about her, she can’t fly and can’t feed herself. When Sultan
arrived last summer, he chose her for his first love, but although she laid
eggs, it didn’t work out and he swapped to Cissie. Cloud now spends time cooing
in her pretend nest in the aviary, hoping to attract a Romeo.</div>
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<b>Primrose</b> – dark grey pigeon now about 12 weeks old. I don’t
know her sex yet but guess she is female. Feisty little thing with nothing
wrong with her.</div>
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<b>Pascal</b> – pale brown pigeon and Primrose’s sibling. He
developed wing flight feathers but they all dropped out ages ago, weirdly, and
he has only a fluffy stump for a tail, so can’t fly. I really don’t know why
this happened to him, but a genetic defect I suppose. He (or she) is very
lovable.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young pigeon siblings, Pascal, left (can't fly due to lack of wing feathers) and Primrose</td></tr>
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<b>Bronte and Darcy</b> – nearly 7 weeks old -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>quite bright sandy-brown young birds – both
can fly and have developed normally.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darcy, left, and Bronte in the new aviary</td></tr>
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<b>Lucky</b> – white male dove in the cote, with black smudge on
his breast and odd eyes – one is a light amber-brown and you can see the pupil,
the other is very dark brown (what pigeon fanciers call ‘bull eye). This is his
fourth season nesting in the cote, and he is with his fourth mate, Lottie. He
has had an eventful history – all in the previous blogs – the most important
being having survived a cull when someone unknown (probably a local farmer)
must have killed hundreds of my feral flock at the end of Jan 15, including
Lucky’s ‘frenemy’ Snow White who enticed away Lucky’s former mate, Charm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucky got away with only a shot wound under his
wing so really was Lucky that time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucky feeding new babies in the cote</td></tr>
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<b>Lottie </b>– white female dove. She and Lucky had only one baby
last season, Selfie – who died around fledging time. Now they are proud parents
to fluffy yellow babies, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perelle and
Apolline – now about 4 days old. Perelle is named after the location of where
we stayed in Guernsey, and Apolline, after the charming little restored 14<sup>th</sup>
century chapel there, dedicated to St. Apolline, patron saint of dentists.</div>
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I also feed the feral flock of pigeons and a few white doves
that visit the garden daily. Some of these birds I have known for a long time,
including my white dove Dolly, hatched in my cote three years ago and Autumn,
my oldest white dove, four years old – but so many of my special ringed birds
were wiped out in that dreadful cull.</div>
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I have a cat called Loopy (I didn’t name her) who we adopted
from neighbours who had to relocate abroad about four years ago – she<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is extremely nervous but gradually getting
more used to us - it has taken all this time! Mostly she stays in her little igloo house at the back of the
cottage. My tortoise is called Orlando, and is not a year old yet. He has a
vivarium inside and a run in the garden for sunny days – which don’t seem too
many at the moment.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orlando, baby tortoise, less than one year old</td></tr>
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So now you know who’s who…. I will continue!</div>
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Hubbie didn’t take much persuading to have an aviary in the
garden as he hated having the birds in the conservatory, and some, at
night-time, in our little back bedroom so I started frantically saving, and
looking at aviaries on the internet – so many to choose from! My aviary needed
to accommodate flightless birds so had to be just right, and probably
customised too. The one I bought was from an ebay seller – brand new - and
described as suitable for birds of prey and chipmunks, so I knew it would be
strong. He customised it for me – putting in a wide shelf in the night time
area, and a little window at the side, with sliding door to close. It will be
easier for you to look at the photos, as I go along, than me describe anyway.
It cost about £600 delivered, but not erected – but hubbie and a mate put it up
easily.</div>
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Aviary won't fit in the old space. I managed to block Lucky into the cote just before work commenced, so thankfully his eggs were not abandoned even for a short while. </div>
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The homies wait in the conservatory for their new home to be finished</div>
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It was decided the aviary would go against the river fence</div>
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Brand new home for Pan's People!</div>
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Pan, left, Bronte or Darcy middle, and Chino right - getting used to the new arrangements</div>
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Another main reason for having the aviary was that when the birds were
nesting, in the old hutch, I had to be around all the time, to let birds in and
out – or leave the hutch open and at risk of predators. With the aviary, I can,
if I want to, shut the whole thing up, with my homies inside, and they have
access to what is called the ‘flight’ area so can have light and air, but be
totally safe – and this is very important for Cloud and Pascal, and Chino of
course – and means I can go out for the whole day without feeling terrible
about shutting them into a confined space.</div>
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Pan’s People, as I call them, all live together very
comfortably at the moment, but Pan is dominant and if one of the young ones
prove to be male, he will no doubt not tolerate them for ever. If Pascal is
male and Pan is nasty to him, I am not sure what I will do….. but cross that
bridge when I come to it. Pan, Primrose, Bronte and Darcy all fly out when I
open the little window in the mornings, coming back in when they feel like it.
Chino sits on her eggs, and Pascal and Cloud can come out when I open the main
door, and when I am around to keep an eye out for them in the garden. One day,
probably, like poor Cissie, they will meet with the sparrowhawk as it is
extremely difficult to allow flightless birds freedom and ensure their safety
at all times – but I<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>do my
best. When Cissie died Cloud lost her companion, but now she has Pascal to be
her little friend.</div>
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The squirrels and jackdaws get in to the aviary and are a
total pest, but as long as they only steal the food and not the eggs, I can
cope with it. This baby squirrel is quite cute!</div>
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The robin and blue-tits sometimes come in too, but little birds
are not a problem. The jackdaws crash about, making a mess and knocking the
food bowls off.</div>
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While I was on holiday, Pascal and Cloud went to the local
poultry farm, to be looked after. Pan, Chino, Primrose, Bronte and Darcy stayed
in the aviary – with access to the outside as usual, and were looked after by
The Surrey Ark – I can’t thank them enough for helping to ensure that all my
birds, particularly Chino, were still there to welcome me when I got back. I
was particularly concerned that Chino would jump out of the little window, and
of course not be able to get back. Surrey Ark were visiting twice a day and
told me that several times they had to rescue her from where she was hiding
under the old hutch, and return her to the aviary.</div>
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On the Friday before we were due to be home on the Sunday
morning, we had a call to say that there was a pigeon in the house! The only
way it could’ve got in was down the chimney! Fortunately our young neighbour
was able to come in and rescue it. He couldn’t find it at first but thankfully
did, and it was still alive – he said it was ‘red, with an orange ring’ –
meaning the bright sandy-brown, and the ring told me it was Darcy, the smaller
of the two youngest ones. I was so glad she was alive but wasn’t looking
forward to the mess in the sitting room! Luckily it wasn’t too bad, but there
was blood on the window pane and sill so I was relieved when I managed to catch
Darcy in the aviary, and check her. I put some of the veterinus gel I keep for
the pigeons’ minor injuries on her breast where there was matted bloody
feathers, but I think it was just a scrape.</div>
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From that call, I also heard that Chino had an egg (or two)
so I was very pleased that Pan and Chino had started again in the new aviary,
and knew that that would keep Chino confined to the nest-box for longer, also a
bonus! I had had to remove two lots of two eggs from the old hutch before we
went – which I have never done before, always wanting to give each potential
baby pigeon/dove (squab) a chance – but I had to do so at that time for various
reasons, including the well being and continued feeding of Bronte and Darcy.</div>
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Left to right, Primrose on top, Darcy and Bronte, and Pascal, on the old hutch, when they were all younger.<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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Pan seemed exhausted went we got back. Some people claim
they can hear their pets talking in their heads, but though I certainly don’t,
I do feel that I understand them and know something of what they are
experiencing and communicating to me. I felt Pan had had to do a lot of the
policing of the aviary while I was away – keeping out intruders as best he
could, and on watch at night too, due to the little window hatch having to be
left open. He spent a lot of that day dozing, but the next day was very clingy
to me – flying to my head or my back whenever I came into the garden.
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Cloud and Pascal were pleased to be home too – they had been
confined all week, and wandered delightedly in the garden, revelling in their
freedom. Primrose immediately flew to her sibling, Pascal, and cuddled up.
She’d missed him! Don’t say birds don’t have feelings! – and pigeons are one of
the most intelligent of birds. And of course my birds specially so – ha ha!</div>
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So all is well and happy….. though I would like Cloud to
find a nice understanding mate. She has attracted the attention of two
different pigeons, and seemed to like one in particular, but unfortunately he
didn’t seem to understand her issues, and expected her to fly off with him –
which she can’t!</div>
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To be continued…..</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-83506779134481131082015-12-23T13:04:00.001-08:002015-12-23T13:04:11.468-08:00The birds of the year - 2015 - and Sorrel's story<div class="MsoNormal">
December 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
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In previous years I have remembered the birds of the year in
a blog around Christmas-time. Unfortunately, my old pc died, taking with it all
my photos, and so this will be a blog with few piccies I am afraid, though I think I can use some from Blogger. I don’t know
if I will be blogging in the New Year – I seem to have lost my blogging mojo,
though not my interest in pigeons and doves. I will always like them as they
have such interesting, clever, funny characters. What I’d <i>really</i>
like for Christmas is my own little pigeon loft! Not because I want to race
pigeons, but a really safe little environment for my homies (and any others
that come along) to live and breed, and so I don’t need to keep them in the
conservatory and the spare bedroom! The cote of course is fine for birds that
can fly but not for Cloud, Cisse and Chino. Well I won’t get one this year, but
one day perhaps…. <a href="http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com/whats-new/tiny-loft-fascinating-pigeon-racing-method/" target="_blank">This appeals to me</a> but I would need to find out exactly what would suit me before I went
ahead with anything (if hubby agreed).
If you want to read up on anything I have mentioned below you will find
all the ‘stories’ in the individual blogs at the right hand side of the blog
page you are reading – and they go way back to 2007 so I have been blogging
about the doves, pigeons and other birds for 9 years – and enjoyed it, but
maybe it is time to move on.</div>
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January – The end of
Jan was terrible as my beautiful white daddy dove Snow White, his mate Charm
(who he had enticed away from Lucky). Lucky’s new mate Loveday and many others
failed to return – ever – and I had to assume had been culled. Even now, it’s
not something I want to dwell on. I reckoned 100 birds had been destroyed.
Although the numbers eventually recover it’s the loss of the individuals I
mourn – and so many white doves went that the numbers may not recover for a
long time. I think this was the beginning of the end for me - this was the second big cull I've suffered - the other was in 2010 I think.<o:p></o:p></div>
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March – At the end of
March, Lucky and his third wife Loretta,
successfully hatched one of their two eggs, my darling pretty little Solo.
Loretta was white with brown markings, and Solo was white, with prettily marked
brown and charcoal wings.</div>
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He was
partially reared by me and became quite tame, flying to my arm – but by
September, about 6 months old, was no
longer coming to the garden. I don’t know what happened to him but I like to
think he’s living somewhere. I never give up on hoping to see a bird back again
– unless they were ill of course when I last saw them.</div>
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April – April saw a
magical morning when a mummy mallard duck and her babies proceeded quickly
through the garden and into the river. I was given a small juvenile collared
dove (found on the road but apparently uninjured) to look after – Ockie – so
sweet, but he didn’t survive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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May – A ‘new’ Snow White turned up in the shape of a white
male I named Snowden. He tried to take Lucky’s wife no. 4 away from him, but
Lucky won in the end! My daughter’s cat knocked a nest out of a tree or bush in
her garden and I had three teeny weeny babies to care for – Bibberty, Bobberty
and Boo! I managed to keep them alive over night and delivered them to the
Wildlife Aid at Leatherhead – they didn’t survive more than a few days either, though hardly surprising. Two of my
female homies, Cloud and Cissie started a silly girlie relationship. A pair of
females can rear babies successfully but of course I had no fertile eggs to
give them! <o:p></o:p></div>
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June – By June, Lucky had a new wife, Lottie and they also
only hatched one of the two eggs. I called this baby Selfie, and all seemed
very well with him with both parents feeding him well – but in the end he
didn’t really fledge properly and died in July at 38 days old having never
flew. My three flightless ‘homies’ – Cloud, Chino and Cissie acquired a
‘minder’ – a big ringed racer who liked spending time with them. He here is with Cloud, and Chino, left, and Cissie, right, below.</div>
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I called him
Sultan, and the girls all adored him – Cissie and Cloud stopping their girlie
relationship to scrap over him but he set up home with Cloud (probably because
she had the most suitable accommodation for a nest) and by 12<sup>th</sup> June
she had laid an egg. The egg and relationship was a non-starter and Cissie took
over as favourite in the harem. Her first eggs also came to nothing but
eventually, and amazingly, as she is not a normal bird, being a recovered
paramyxovirus sufferer, she hatched Tink and Pan. These babies, hatched in the
hutch, and so very accessible to me gave me so much interest and pleasure. They were tricky times, especially
when they developed a weird condition where they couldn’t walk and were
dragging themselves about like bum-shuffling babies using their beaks as a
‘walking stick’! – but they both got past that. Tink was very small and never
grew up properly. She died at 7 weeks old, having been much loved by me, but
her big strong brother, my boy, Pan, is still alive as I type – sitting on the
top of the open kitchen door – aged 21 weeks. At least I think he is a boy,
I’ve always thought of him that way and he has displayed a bit of ‘grownup boy’
behaviour already! He is ‘homed’ to the house which is a bit inconvenient, but
as he matures things may well change, and at the moment I am happy to have him
come in every night, to safety. Since he has got past the baby stage he hasn’t
really given me any worries – he always comes in at dovie bedtime, just walking
into the kitchen as if he owns the place. Below, Tink and Pan - Tink, the small one that never grew up properly.</div>
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July – Sparky arrived on the 10<sup>th</sup>. He was the
tinest thing you ever saw – a very young wren, though fully feathered, brought
to me by my neighbours. I didn’t expect him to live, but I did my best feeding
him with soaked mealworms, practically all day, every day and he was amazing –
got bigger and sparkier every day.</div>
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He was with me for a hectic two weeks,
during which he was extremely demanding but I took him out if I had to,
including to a christening, and he was adored by all – me, the grandchildren,
everyone who met him and even hubby! But one morning he appeared poorly and by
evening he was dead. I lost him and Selfie within two days of each other. A
gloomy few days losing two of my babies, and I couldn’t really see any cause
for either death.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Selfie, pigeon and Sparky, wren</div>
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August – Lottie laid more eggs but abandoned them. She and
Lucky are still together as I write though so at least my Lucky has a faithful
mate – for now. Sultan had gone by August – abandoning Tink and Pan, and his
mate, Cissie, when the babes were just over two weeks old. Cissie lost interest
in them too so I reared them, which is why Pan is now the tamest pigeon I have
ever had – flying to my hand, my head or whatever bit of me he can land on. He
was babyish for ages, needing help with feeding til he was 9 weeks old but he’s
great now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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September brought a horrible eye infection to the flock and
I treated quite a few with a very effective homeopathic remedy I got from ebay from
a lovely gentleman called Healingsun. Definitely recommended. Many cleared up
in 3 or 4 days. Tinkerbell was a poor
little pigeon with terribly bad eyes that I was unable to save – if any bird
touched my heart this year it was her (totally blind by the end but still responding to me). She was named
after Tink and died two weeks after her. She's alive in this photo, but hardly looks it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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October was all about feisty little Tigerlily and her story is all written
down in the October blog, but in the end she was another I couldn’t save.<o:p></o:p></div>
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November brought my Autumn back after being missing for a
month or so. She always goes off and I wonder if I will ever see her again and
then I am overjoyed to see her. My oldest known surviving ‘baby’ hatched in the
cote at the end of July 12 so now 3 years 5 months old (parents Sky and
Summer). Chino, my pale brown ‘homie’ has regained a little bit of flight, but
still wouldn’t be able to live on her own. Sometimes I pop her up on the roof
to spend time with flock, and then she flies down again on her own. She is
currently in possession of the top of the hutch and has TWO boyfriends so I am
hoping she will be nesting in the spring. She missed out last year when Sultan
chose first Cloud, then Cissie as his partners – though he did mate with Chino
too (he was a right player!)</div>
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November into December 15 – Just in case this is my last
ever blog, I want to end on a positive note. It may seem that all the birds do
is die! – but of course I only tend to get involved when the birds are injured
or poorly or in need of assistance, so the losses are high but let me tell you
Sorrel’s story…..she's the brown one in the photo below, the only one I can find of her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sorrel had the eye infection and I told you about that in
the blog dated 31<sup>st</sup> October where I, over two days, removed big
lumps of cheesy matter from one of her eyes, and treated her with the
homeopathic drops.<span style="text-align: center;">She was cured in 4 days! I didn’t ring her because he is a
very bright sandy colour with mauve iridescence on her breast and while not
exactly unusual, at least very
noticeable. I certainly don’t get her mixed up with the other brown pigeons.
But by mid November the paramyxovirus was taking its annual toll on the flock,
and Sorrel, with several others, were suffering from it. The infection is
nearly over by the time the symptoms of head turning ‘star gazing’, turning
round and round etc are noticed but the birds are unable to pin-point grain due
to head tremors and unless helped quickly die from starvation or exhaustion or
are caught by predators. I took a few to the Wildlife Aid to be put down, as it
seems kinder than letting them starve and I haven’t the time to help them all
but I decided I would make a huge effort to try to save Sorrel. So every day I
had to catch her to feed her. I really should’ve kept her in and away from the
others, but with 3 homies and Pan already, I just don’t have the
room/facilities. Catching a pigeon that can fly is not so easy, and takes times
and patience, but of course one with paramyxo is desperate for food and spends
time on the ground unsuccessfully trying to pick up grain so easier than
catching a normal pigeon. Every day from the 23</span><sup style="text-align: center;">rd</sup><span style="text-align: center;"> November to the 6</span><sup style="text-align: center;">th</sup><span style="text-align: center;">
December, I tried to catch Sorrel and managed to hand-feed her each day, except
once (when I felt terrible). At these feeds I fed her double the amount I feed
the homies to ensure she would have enough to get her through til I could catch
her again. Every day I was relieved to see her in the garden again – due to
being fed she was managing to keep up with flock, despite the illness. I noted
in my dovie calendar on the 7</span><sup style="text-align: center;">th</sup><span style="text-align: center;"> Dec that she had had paramyxovirus
symptoms for three weeks (the illness runs for about 6-8 weeks I believe and as
I said the symptoms only show at the end – I think! I am not an authority on
this!) A couple of nights I kept her in – much against her will! - one was on a
dreadful rainy blustery evening and it would’ve done her no good to be out in
it. At the time she was roosting on the light over the porch, and although this
is a good safe place for a poorly little bird it is still exposed to wind and
rain. On the 7</span><sup style="text-align: center;">th</sup><span style="text-align: center;"> I didn’t manage to catch her, but did notice she
seemed to be able to pick up some grains herself and on the following day she
was feeding herself quite well! – and I haven’t had to hand feed her since,
though I do throw her extra peanuts! So
I’d given her about 13 hand feeds – and probably saved her life!</span></div>
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Thank you to everyone who has read my blog over the past
year or years. I hope you all have a truly lovely peaceful Christmas. Love from me, the homies and the whole hungry
flock!</div>
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Below, magnificent Silver Shadow, with some of the flock</div>
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And if this really is the last blog - God bless!</div>
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Faith xx<o:p></o:p></div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-10464174266860339022015-10-31T14:30:00.000-07:002015-10-31T14:30:17.280-07:00An unexpected blog - October notes - mainly TigerlilyI didn't expect to blog, but I kept some notes and they developed!<br />
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Early in Oct Pan came home with a small wound on his back.
Otherwise he seemed fine and I treated it with my special veterinus gel –
within two days little feathers were growing back in!</div>
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Cissie had a PMV relapse – making her more floppy in the
head and more inclined to go round and round in circles. Maybe the excitement
of the summer, having a mate and becoming a mother got to her in the end!
Anyway, she would have to be a whole lot worse before I would consider the
dreaded trip to the vet – she is still my girl - My clever girl, Pan’s mother!</div>
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18th Oct - I am very fond of this pair - Mr. Strong and his new mate, Blackie</div>
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Above, Pan - my big strong gorgeous boy!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">20.10.15 - I had thought that the nasty eye infection
amongst the general flock had blown over but one day I realised that a bright
sandy little pigeon with unusually purple iridescent feathers on her breast had
got something wrong with one eye, so I set out to capture her. She was a pigeon
I had particularly noticed before – because of the unusual colouring – so I
know that she had had nothing wrong with her eyes previously or I would’ve picked
up on it. Once I had got her I had a good look – one eye was very puffy,
bloodshot, practically closed and with two lumpy areas in the region our
eyebrows would be. I gently pressed
round the eye and a piece of cheesy solid matter came into view over her eye
and popped out. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">As you can see from the photo, it was quite large. I treated
the eye with the excellent drops I get from Healingsun on ebay and released
her. Next day I caught her again – and the same amount of matter was eased out
of her eye. If you didn’t know you’d think it was half a soggy small peanut.
This stuff, hard pus I suppose, was the cause of the two bulgy lumps above her
eye. I used the drops again of course. This sounds a bit gross, but it was very satisfying to get rid of the stuff and give the bird some relief - several times I had seen her scratching at her eye with her foot; it must've been painful and irritating, and of course was making her practically blind in that eye, and therefore vulnerable.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> On the third day, her eye was looking
better, and by the fourth really good. On the fifth day I could tell by looking
at her that her eye was fine and I didn’t need to try and catch her to do the
drops. Amazing – cured in 4 treatments, yet if you had seen her the first day
you wouldn’t have thought she even HAD an eye it looked so awful. I wish I had
taken photos every day, the cure was so dramatic. As I write it is now 28</span><sup style="text-align: left;">th</sup><span style="text-align: left;">
Oct and Sorrel, as I call her, is with the flock every day and perfectly fine.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Below, the homies gather in the kitchen doorway - with naughty Pan, who can fly of course, up on the left on the sink unit. (the blue things you can see in the garden are stacked bags of coal!)</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Cissie and Cloud in the bath - the water was probably fairly clean though the bath has algae growing on it but I read that it is good for the birds not to clean the algae off - so I don't very often</span></div>
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I haven’t seen my Autumn – (my oldest white dove hatched in
my cote) for several weeks now, since the beginning of October, but she has
gone away before for long periods and then returned, so I hope that will prove
to be the case this time too.</div>
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23.10.15 - 5.15pm - Above and below, my little loner, Tigerlily</div>
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You might or might not remember Tigerlily from my last blog.
She’s a feisty little skinny black and white pigeon that I was treating for the
eye infection. Every day in October I have marked on my dovie calendar whether
I have seen her or not, for feeding, and only missed seeing her on three days
or rather late afternoons or early evenings, as she always comes late. Her
story continues .....</div>
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28.10.15 – It was quarter to five and as the clocks have
changed already getting very gloomy indeed, and past the time I would expect to
see any pigeon around. I started cooking the dinner in the back kitchen as we
haven’t lit our aga yet, so was in and out of the house, when suddenly there wasTigerlily
on the roof! I got the pot of food I had ready for her and went out and started
throwing it on the garden table, and eventually she came down. She immediately
gobbled up one peanut, then just sat there, panting or breathing in a heavier
way than usual. I talked gently to her and sprinkled more food, as I walked
round the table so I could get a good look at her from all sides. She seemed to
be unharmed, but something seemed a little wrong or different, and I didn’t
like her breathing. I decided that if I could I would capture her, just for the
night, so she got a forced rest and didn’t have to face the possibly long
flight back to wherever she comes from in the semi-darkness. I got the net, but
actually just grabbed her with my hand. Inside, I examined her eyes with my
glasses on plus a magnifying glass, and both seemed fine. In fact, I couldn’t
remember which one I had treated with the drops. She was quite light and a bit
skinny, but otherwise ok. As it was nearly bedtime anyway, I put her in Pan’s
day box, and locked her in for food and water , and put Pan straight to bed in
his night box. I left the food and water with her for a few minutes so she
could eat more and get a drink, but it really was getting pretty gloomy by this
time (or ‘doomy’ as my three year old granddaughter calls it!) so I removed it
before carrying her box into the room where the homies sleep. Then I brought
Cloud in next because she always makes cooing noises when I put her to bed and
I think that hearing this any ‘newbie’ will be reassured that they are in the
company of their own kind. I will of course release her tomorrow morning, as
soon as the other pigeons are on the roof, provided she does not seem worse. I
think maybe she is just exhausted – other pigeons have benefited from just one
night’s rest. For all I know she might roost just round the corner, but somehow
I get the vibe that she flies a long distance, and comes here just to eat due to
lack of food in her more local area. She is rarely with other pigeons which means she is more vulnerable.</div>
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Thurs 29.10 15 - I
released Tigerlily after taking a photo....</div>
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and first she flew to a roof away from
the other pigeons which is not good news because they do that if they feel
poorly..... but a bit later, she joined some others on the main roof </div>
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and by
8.45am had gone. I wondered if I would ever see her again....I doubted it, and
my heart was breaking already.</div>
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Fri 30.10.15 – After bringing the homies in, I still kept
popping to the kitchen to see if Tigerlily had managed to come back, and
eventually there she was at 3.30pm just before it starts to get dusky and
gloomy – alone again, naturally! I took out food, and while she ate I skirted
round the table trying to look nonchalant but really waiting for an opportunity
to grab her! Again I managed it, poor
skinny little thing, and one eye, though not looking infected, looks a bit
closed. Here she is in temporary accommodation, in with Cissie. </div>
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Soon the homies
will go to their night boxes and she can have Pan’s box for the night. Of
course using boxes for birds like Tigerlily and even bringing them in is a
potential risk for the health of the homies, but all the birds take their
chance and I just do the best I can, and keep them all as clean as poss. Just
after this, a white dove appeared on the garden table with one pigeon. The dove
had a long piece of straw tangled round one foot, and trailing after it – it
was sort of criss-crossed round the foot in ballet shoe style. I threw peanuts
and made a grab for the straw – but missed! Hopefully straw is not as binding
as string or wire but when they can’t shake off something tangled up , pigeons
can lose their feet.</div>
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Below, Chino relaxing on top of her box - she doesnt do this very often, she's such a </div>
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scaredy-bird, mostly just hiding inside</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Tomorrow I have a problem, I am going to be out for the
major part of the day so will have to leave the homies in the conservatory.
Pan, being betwixt and between, and considering himself a homie at night is my
main worry. Currently during the day he perches on the kitchen door, which is propped open, and flies outside if
he wants to – when hubby’s not around anyway! I am off to see a show with my
daughter and don’t expect to be back here before 6pm at the earliest – well
past the time the homies come in now – which depending on the light is around
2.30-3pm so very early! Pan decides for himself when he will come to the
conservatory, but it is no later than 3.30pm – so what to do? Do I shut him up
when I have to go? I think I might have to. He would be worried if he couldn’t
get back into the house at night – but having him ‘homed’ to the house is very
awkward sometimes! Tigerlily will be
another problem – but I will release her in the morning after hand-feeding her
a really good feed, so at least I know she has had a cropful which will last
her a good 24 hours.</span><br />
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Sat 31<sup>st</sup> Oct – So I had to leave the house at
10.45am – the three homies had been brought in and would be all right in the
conservatory. I also, luckily, had managed to catch Pan and he too would have
to spend a boring day inside but I did put one of the water baths on the
conservatory floor and hoped he would manage to amuse himself. He isn’t crated
like the other three. Luckily hubby is away this weekend or goodness knows what
I would’ve done</div>
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I had released Tigerlily and she’d gone by 8am, but at 8.30am
she’d come back and was sitting on the side of one of the water-baths, in the
odd upright way she has. I gently approached her and without difficulty picked
her up – but what to do with her? I put
her in the hutch on the raised bed, with the door open, so she could leave if
she wanted to..... but she didn’t, she went into the ‘night’ part and hid. Poor
little thing. I couldn’t leave her in the garden for any random fox to break
into the hutch and eat her while I was out, so I made arrangements – and had her in with the others, but not
loose like Pan. At least she would be safe and I could enjoy my day out. But
she is obviously weakening, and unfortunately I don’t really expect her to
survive in the long term.</div>
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Although my plan was not to ring, name or get fond of any
more pigeons, it is impossible for me not to with some of them. Tigerlily, like
others before her, has captured my heart.
But also, she reminds me of and is my last link with Tink and
Tinkerbell. Tink was first, Pan’s sibling, and the day after she died was the
first day I bought another little pigeon in – and named her after
Tink....Tinkerbell. Less than 2 weeks
later, Tinkerbell was also dead, and I was treating Tigerlily (named after
Tinkerbell – if you get the Disney connection) for the eye infection. All small
little pigeons with endearing personalities, and Tigerlily has unusual
colouring for the pigeons round here.</div>
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I leave you with Lucky, my daddy cote bird, and his current mate. Lottie, who seems to be sticking with him. Will they be having babies again in the spring - hope so!</div>
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Bye for now, I will catch up again at Christmas.</div>
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To be cont........</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-55702168817234529362015-10-01T13:10:00.001-07:002015-10-01T13:10:14.703-07:00Tinkerbell update - and I sign off for a while<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Wed 23rd Sept 15 – Tinkerbell was brought in yesterday late afternoon, looking at death’s door. Sodden, cold, hungry and with one
eye gummed up, and the other nearly closed. Obviously I sprang into action to
warm her up and look after her. I decided that no way was she going to be released
for several days, and until her eyes were much better. I weighed her this
morning – if I had to guess I would’ve maybe thought 170g which would be
very low, but she was only 162g which is about the weight of an 8 day old
squab! From my recent records, Pan weighed 204g at 10 days old – and Tinkerbell
is a fully fledged pigeon with no sign of baby down or a squab’s beak and must
be at least 35 days old or more. But today one eye seems a bit better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tinkerbell today</div>
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Below, the flock on the sunny roof</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thursday 24th - I am hand feeding Tinkerbell three times a day and she always has food with her
in case she wants to eat on her own – and water of course. I also treat her
eyes three times a day, and they are not worse but not much better I am afraid
to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Below - the white dove is my Autumn. She is now over three years old and the oldest living surviving known dove hatched in my cote, that still visits me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sat. 26.915 – I had hoped that Tinkerbell would be so much better by
today that I would be able to release her but such is not the case. I am
surprised she is alive she is so poorly. She is practically blind and the drops
don’t seem to be helping her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There is another small grey pigeon with one bad eye that I grab and
treat when I can, and a black and white one who is reasonably tame, also with
one bad eye. I call her Tigerlily. The little brown one that I mentioned before never
made it back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There was an attempted hawk attack and I heard the birds fly off
and went out to look around. Tigerlily was standing in the flower bed, frozen
to the spot. I netted her and brought her in for eye treatment, and kept her in
a while, but released her when the other birds came back. She is small and a
bit skinny, but feisty and can fly. At night sometimes she sleeps under the scaffolding,
which is sensible of her!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Above, can you spot Tigerlily?</div>
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There she is!</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pan seems spooked and wants to spend more time with me, but I discourage
it as he has to be a bird not a person. He came back with ruffled back feathers
one time and may have had a near encounter with the hawk himself. I do leave
the kitchen door open when I am around so he has a quick refuge if he needs it,
or I put him in the run with Cloud and Cissie. Tinkerbell has the hutch at the
moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sunday 27th - </span></div>
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Tinkerbell's eyes today</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Monday 28.9.15 – Tinkerbell weighs 179g today so gone up a bit. If she
is still alive and I can get her to a reasonable weight I may consider taking
her to the vet for her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Afternoon – she’s worse, got diarrhoea.
I doubt she will be alive tomorrow......... her toes have curled up which
means the end is near. All I can do is keep her warm....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">At the end of the afternoon, a few pidgie stragglers arrived – and also
Tigerlily! I was pleased to see her and managed to grab her to treat her bad
eye. I also stuffed a few peanuts down her, before setting her free again. She
is small, and a bit thin, but obviously managing fairly well. A great little
bird!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Early eve – I put Tinkerbell to bed as usual, with the snugglesafe bottle under the padding in the bed to keep
her warm, and kissed the top of her head and blessed her. I’d rather she died
tonight if she can’t get better but if she does I will miss her. She responds
when I talk to her, though she can’t see me, snuggles into my lap for protection and is so good and patient, but
must be the poorliest bird I have ever had. It’s pathetic to see her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tuesday 29.9.15 – Tinkerbell was dead this morning. Just like her
namesake Tink she was in the same position I left her, just frozen in time. I'm sure she just drifted quickly away. I
was sad for me, as I loved having her, but not sad for her. I wished I could've made her better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pan is 9 weeks old today and likes to hang round with the homies more
than with the main flock. He is big, good looking and still comes in at night –
what more could you want from a boy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thursday 1.10.15 - Tigerlily is also doing well – she seems to arrive
late, as she did today, but I was able to grab her, treat her bad eye (which is
much improved) and make sure she gets a good feed. Like Siena and Florence, I
think she will recover from the eye infection and be fine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I won’t now be blogging til my review of the year at Christmas time, so
look after yourselves until then, and thanks for reading. It is much
appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-86908616974824702682015-09-22T13:40:00.001-07:002015-09-22T13:40:31.531-07:00Pan, Tink...... and Tinkerbell<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sunday 6<sup>th</sup> Sept 15 – I had to get up at 5.30am as I needed to
do a car boot (rubbish clearance basically). The birds reluctantly got up early
– I had to create a false dawn for the homies by putting lights on. Pan of
course is now a properly fledged young bird so has to go out on the roof, but I
wanted to leave the hutch open for a refuge for him. This meant that I either
left Tink shut up somewhere .... but where? The conservatory gets way too
hot.... or take her with me, so I did! She was very good and attracted much attention!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Blacktail had spent the night in the house and I hand fed her and
attended her eyes before I put her out. Her eyes were very bad again, full of
pus but I still hoped to build up her strength and cure her eyes
eventually..... that was then, and this is what happened. I got back from the car
boot, and saw her sitting on the cottage
roof – apart from the others who sit on what I call the dove roof. She was
hunched up and obviously poorly. She didn’t come down when I fed the flock, and
I had to pop out again for a while. Later, when I crossed the bridge to the
island, there were white feathers everywhere and red gore and I knew
immediately that poor BT had had a close encounter with a hawk. There was no
body, and the hawk had no doubt carried her off. I hope it was quick ..... poor
fragile little thing, rest in peace. I felt and still feel very sorrowful, but
thankful it wasn’t my little Pan. I wish I’d kept BT in now..... but she never
wanted to be in. When I told hubbie, he said well let’s hope that has satisfied
the hawk.....but it hadn’t. Mr. Strong, who is a favourite white dove, always
comes very late in the afternoon/early evening. He had a mate I called Frances,
and something obviously happened to her because she stopped coming and he soon
teamed up with a white female I call Blackie. Currently they are coming at
different times, so maybe have a nest. Well Blackie had been and gone, and I
always pop out a few times about 6pm or later just to see if Mr. Strong is
there. When he and a few straggling pigeons flew down, suddenly there was a swift
brown swoop of the hawk, and the pigeons flew off in a panic – meaning Mr. S
didn’t get any supper at all – but I saw the birds fly one way and the hawk
over the river, so at least I know he got away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Monday 7.9.15 – I saw Tink eyeing up the shallow dish of water on the
raised bed, and soon she stepped in for her first bath! The young pigeons usually do take a bath not
long after fledging – and of course Tink is at fledging age, though she can’t
fly and probably won’t be able to for some while yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> I let her stand in the
sun for a little while, but then she seemed to be shivering so I got a cloth to
wrap my baby bunting in, and brought her in to the very warm conservatory to
dry off. The feathers on her back are now starting to fill in and she is catching
Pan up in looks if not yet in size. As she flapped about in the conservatory I
noticed some grazes under her wing – maybe an attack from another older pigeon?
– and treated it with Veterinus gel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">It could’ve been Pan who did it – maybe.... –
they don’t seem to be getting on very well at the moment, which is fairly usual
for siblings – although some of them get on very well, staying closer to each
other for much longer. The trouble with Tink and Pan is that they are not equal
in ability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Above, Dolly - now about two and a half years old, and below, Cloud sunbathing on the rug<br />
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Tink in the conservatory</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tues. 8.9.15 – I can’t really call the babies the babies any longer!!!
They are six weeks old today, or roughly 42 days old, and of course Pan has
been properly flying for about a week now.
It seems amazing that Tink and Pan have got this far whereas poor Selfie
who was ‘properly’ brought up and had two healthy parents and little
intervention from me died at 38 days old, and never flew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink and Pan 6 weeks old</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The roofers continue with the work but it is not affecting the flock
very much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Wed.9.9.15 – I deliberately caught Florence at the morning feed – mainly
because I wanted to take photos to show you how her eyes have improved but also
because she had feathery bits stuck round her beak and I wanted to remove them.
She didn’t want the photos taken, and struggled, but was rewarded with peanuts afterwards,
and then I did her eyes with the homeopathic remedy from healingsun (ebay) one last time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So this is how they were - 24th Aug</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">and this is approx 16 days later - 9th Sept - after several treatments</span></div>
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The pigeons in the raised bed - see Tink? Yes she's relaxing on the warm brick</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thurs 10.9.15 – Pan now has the routine of a normal fledged bird –
nearly! He makes a loud fuss, so is the first of the homies to be got up in the
morning. He is now resisting hand feeding, which of course is good and natural,
but I try and stuff a couple of peanuts down him to keep him going, as he isn’t
terribly good at picking up grain, and certainly can’t pick up big pieces. Then
I take him outside and he flies straight off to the roof to be with the others.
I really need to ring him as soon I won’t recognise him from any other ordinary
pigeon. He takes his looks from his mother, Cissie, and really she is very
average! So I don’t hand feed him during the day, but this afternoon caught him
at about 5pm and brought him in for the night. He was hungry and flapping for
food then! All the homies come in about that time now, and stay in their crates
in the conservatory til about 7.30pm when I put them to bed in the spare room.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I will continue trying to bring Pan in at
night, but I know that one day he will just fly off with the others – and
hopefully be strong enough to get back the next day. I have no idea where they
roost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink is still only like a 3-4 week old – still with the baby down on her
head and body – and she spends her time in the nestbox of the hutch, or
supervised in the garden with me. She is happy to be hand-fed and I am hoping
that she will eventually catch up and be like Pan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pan spends time in the nestbox with Tink – usually because I put him
there in the afternoons for a rest! – but he is free to go out. I put the
grille up so the young birds, but especially Tink, can see out but don’t get a
direct confrontation with any other bird – but the hutch is open so Pan go
leave if he wants to. I can only do this when I am at home. Otherwise Tink is
shut in the hutch for safety, and Pan tends to hide in the bottom of the box
that Chino stands in if he needs a refuge. Very sensible! I ringed him today
and was lucky to find one of my older smaller rings – it is the same colour,
pale pink, as mummy Cissie, and he is very similar to her, but it doesn’t
matter as I can’t possibly get them confused for more than an instant, as she
can’t fly and he can!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sat. 12.9.15 – I noticed that Tink’s anus was a bit distended last night and this morning it is worse – red and slightly bleeding. She still
seems to have food in her crop which should’ve gone through her system by now.
I am concerned that she has had a prolapse and am in tears about her, poor
delicate angel thing. I did a bit of research, and gave her a warm bath, dried
her gently with the hairdryer and have
applied some of my special gel but I feel that unless she can pass faeces soon
she will die. My vet, though lovely, is not an avian vet and to be honest I
can’t afford to spend a fortune on a little under-developed pigeon who probably
hasn’t got a chance anyway. I am keeping her warm in the conservatory, with a
hot water bottle under the towels she is standing on, and am hoping for the
best, but fearing the worst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tink's distended anus - feeling poorly...</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">A bit later – it got too hot in the conservatory so I carried her out in
the box she was in to the hutch, and just as I was about to pick her up, she
pooped! Not much, but something is better than nothing! Also, when I cleaned up
her night box I would say there was the normal amount of poop in there from the
night time. I went out and came back at lunchtime, and gave her some water in a
little shot glass mixed with a tiny bit of prune juice!!! I already had it, so
I thought I might as well try it. I don’t think it will harm her, and may get
things moving!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pan came into the kitchen to find me, screaming for food! I hand-fed him
a bit and then put the small pieces he can pick up himself on the garden table.
All the time he wants me to feed him, I will do so, as I don’t want him getting
under-weight and skinny and worn out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In the mid afternoon when I was checking Tink and had picked her up in
my hands, suddenly a whoosh of watery creamy stuff came out all over my T shirt
and jeans – this does mean things are moving through her but it is not ‘normal’
and her crop is still full. I haven’t fed her at all today and she has been
listless and hasn’t wanted to pick up tiny grains herself or be out of the nestbox.
Surprisingly she can fly a little bit and has done so today. I pray she
survives but pigeons can go downhill so quickly – be standing and looking
fairly ok one minute and dead the next, literally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink was put to bed at the usual time. She and Pan have been separated
at night for quite a while now as they were ‘getting’ at each other. I gave her
the hard microwave pet pad, underneath the towels of her bed, so she’s got a
warm spot if she needs it. I don’t check the birds once I have put them to bed,
unless I was to hear something unusual, so I can only hope she will be with us
in the morning. Love you, baby Tink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sunday 13<sup>th</sup> Sept 15 – Tink was alive and seemed reasonably
ok, but hardly a poop of any kind in the night box. I gave water but no food. I
had to go out earlier and when I came back laden with food shopping at about
11.30pm, I went straight to see her in the hutch, and found to my horror that
her crop had ruptured. What I had thought before was a graze under her wing,
through scratching or rubbing against something, was in fact the start of the
rupture, and now it was so bad the old undigested grains were coming out of the
hole! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lQGYwZng-2Q/VgGxdNKfWFI/AAAAAAAAO80/O-uEr3PtgEo/s1600/Tink.rupturedcrop.bratz.13.9.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lQGYwZng-2Q/VgGxdNKfWFI/AAAAAAAAO80/O-uEr3PtgEo/s320/Tink.rupturedcrop.bratz.13.9.15%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squab pigeon with ruptured crop</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Truly horrible and very distressing. I had hubby returning plus his
daughter, her husband and two kiddies coming for lunch, but I just dumped the
shopping down and attended to Tink. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;">I took her into the conservatory, put her
on a towel and gently eased all or most of the grains out of the hole – this
sounds horrific I know but at least in some way it must have eased her. There
were about 40 grains/peanuts and some had swelled to double their size..... no
wonder she had ruptured. </span></div>
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Below, a peanut that had swelled up inside Tink, with a normal one below to show the difference</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zCzFM22fEzA/VgGxdr16XBI/AAAAAAAAO9M/7HTUxQpXpC0/s1600/Tink.rupturedcrop.bratz.13.9.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zCzFM22fEzA/VgGxdr16XBI/AAAAAAAAO9M/7HTUxQpXpC0/s320/Tink.rupturedcrop.bratz.13.9.15%2B005.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;">I don’t know when this started or why.....but the
grains had that ‘beginning to ferment’ smell.....poor little Tink. Afterwards I
washed the wound and applied my Veterinus gel. I have never really encountered
this before, except when I had the pigeon Patience, that had been attacked by
the hawk, but I have read about it, and I read up some more. Birds DO survive
this, and I only hope Tink will, but she really is a tiny little poor scrap of
a thing for her age.</span></div>
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Tink alone, and with Pan</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Monday 14</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Sept 15 – Tink survived the night, and today
seems a bit perkier. There were some more normal looking poops in the night box,
though not yet right of course. I have been giving her prune juice in water,
soft balls of Kaytee mix and defrosted and slightly warmed frozen peas. Despite
the ruptured crop she must eat or she definitely WILL die! I offer her drinks
many times a day to keep her hydrated. When the day warmed up a bit and it
stopped raining, she was at the front of the nestbox near the grille, so I got
her out onto the raised bed, and she seemed to have some interest in being
outside. It could be worse! I am of course guilty for perhaps having over-fed her in
the first place and not noticing how bad it was getting, and I feel terrible
about it, but I am doing all I can now to help her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tuesday 15</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Sept 15 – Tink is alive but seems poorlier. I am
keeping her warm and giving her little drinks. She ate her breakfast ok but I
am keeping her in the house as it’s wet and dreary in the garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink comes into the conservatory first in the afternoons, and then the 3
adult homies, and then I hope that I can either catch Pan or that he will come
in on his own – which he did tonight, running into the kitchen. Tink was
settled in her box, and Pan is usually in his at the other end of the table,
but when I went back into the room a bit later, I saw that he was standing
protectively over Tink, and I was touched.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> It’s quite a few days since they have
been together, and today is their seven week ‘birthday’. I hope Tink was comforted
by having her sibling with her for a while, but I didn’t put them to bed
together, just in case. Will little fragile Tink still be with us in the
morning.....and if she is, what kind of a life is she having? I carried her
around the garden in my old fleece-lined hood when the sun started to shine
this afternoon. She does get sleepy, but she also still has some sort of
interest in life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Wed. 16.9.15 – Tink was no longer alive when I went to her this morning
– though at first I thought she was, as she was in exactly the same position as
I left her, with eyes partly open. She had just passed away easily..... I hope.
I brought her out and stroked her on my lap. And showed her to Pan, who cocked
his head enquiringly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> I couldn’t be shocked or sad, it was inevitable. And
partly my fault which I have on my conscience. Rest in Peace sweet brave little
thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The 3 homies were in the garden til me and granddaughter had to leave to
take her to gymnastics and then I had to shut them up in the hutch/run. But
later how I wished I had put them in the conservatory before we left as the
afternoon got progressively more gloomy with heavy rain. I was held up in the
traffic and drove home inch by inch, worrying especially about Pan. Would he
stand in the rain and be soaked? Would the flock fly away because it was so
gloomy and leave him alone; prey to the sparrowhawk? I knew that Cissie in the
hutch and Cloud in the run would be safe, and both able to keep in the dry –
though it was two hours past their normal feeding time. And I assumed that
Chino would be sensible and stay in her hidey-hole under the hutch.... .but
after losing Tink, I didn’t want to lose Pan too. But thankfully he had the
sense to perch under the hutch, near Chino, and while not dry wasn’t soaked
through. I scooped him up and brought him into the house first! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">17.9.15 – There has been a pretty little pigeon that came to my
attention a couple of days ago. Obviously got the same eye infection, and looks
small and poorly. Yesterday I made an unsuccessful attempt to catch her. All
through yesterday’s driving rain she sat hunched on the roof, and I was out
most of the day so didn’t suppose she got much food, she didn’t come down when
I fed the others when I got back. At bedtime she moved to the porch, and was
partially out of the rain, which also thankfully didn’t continue all night.
This morning she came down with the others, and I grabbed her! A very sorry
little state, with one eye closed and the other very nearly so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Her body was
sodden, but still a little warmth remained. You mustn’t feed birds if they are
not warm as it is bad for them, so first I wrapped her in a tea-towel and wiped
her eyes, then dried her with the hairdryer before feeding her some peanuts.
Then I treated her eyes with the homeopathic eye remedy – I have already
ordered more! This was before 8am. I then put her with food and water in
Cissie’s crate – poor Cissie always has to give up her crate, but the day was
looking fair and she just had to go straight outside. I kept Cloud in – in the
crate next door – to give the new little one (who I am calling Tinkerbell in
memory of Tink)</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">some pigeony
companionship. The sun was out and the conservatory warmed up quickly, thus
drying Tinkerbell’s feathers. She helped herself to some more food and seemed
much better, and at 10am I released her back to the roof with the others. I
wouldn’t have done this if it had been pouring like yesterday, or if no other
birds had been about. I hope to be able to catch her again if her eyes need it.
If I hadn’t caught her today I doubt if she would’ve made it – she was so wet,
and her eyes so glued up.....she only came down in desperation to try to eat,
and was just hopefully pecking the ground probably only half-seeing the others
doing so, just to try to get some food. It’s pathetic to see a pigeon like that
– I have to help! And I did manage to catch her for more food and eye drops
later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Friday 18<sup>th</sup> Sept 15 – Not raining yet thank goodness though
it is forecast. Tinkerbell spent the night alone on one of the local roofs,
totally exposed to the elements and to the early morning hawk – but survived
and made her way back to the pigeons roof here. I made a failed attempt to
catch her, and then I left her as she was picking about in the path and any
food she gets is better than me frightening her and getting none. But later she
was on the low roof near the cottage with her back to me, so I quietly got the
steps and the net and managed to catch her – maybe she wanted to be caught!
Being tangled and dragged in the net is not very nice, but I gave her a good
feed (but not too large bearing in mind what happened to Tink) and examined her
eyes. They were SO much better than yesterday and that’s with only two eye
treatments. I really recommend these drops from Healingsun on ebay, they have proved extremely effective – Euphrasia Homeopathic Eye Drops (for dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and birds).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Obviously I wiped them and did them again, and back she went onto the
roof. Even if it rains now and I can’t get her again, I am satisfied that her
eyes have improved and she’s had enough food for today. I also caught a little
young brown pigeon and treated her eyes too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Below, photos of my beautiful Mr. Strong, and the little brown one is the last picture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I have now had my brown flightless pigeon, Chino, for a year. She is
just as grumpy and nearly as scared as when she arrived, but very pretty. Well
Chino, if it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t be alive!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Mummy Cissie, left, and big 'boy' - her baby, Pan</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">6.30pm – All the homies were quiet in the conservatory, and I was
sitting alone typing on the laptop when I thought I could hear rustling. We
suffer sometimes with mice and even the occasional rat so I pricked up my ears
and listened but it seemed to stop......until it happened again.....eventually
there was a noise I couldn’t ignore and I went into the kitchen to investigate. To my
amazement, there was Tinkerbell flapping near the little window in the pantry!
She must somehow have sneaked in when I had the door open! I can’t remember
what time I shut it but the homies were in by half four so she may easily have
been in for a couple of hours, hiding! I was touched that she had realised that
the kitchen was the place where I have fed her, and treated her eyes and that
she probably came in looking for food and a safe haven. I gave her a quick hand
feed, and some water, did her eyes, then made a home for the night in the small
crate in the conservatory that Blacktail had used. So lucky hubby is away this
evening! Unfortunately the eye drops have totally run out – so in preparation for the morning, I put a
very small amount of cooled boiled water in the bottle and swished it around so
that any of the remedy on the sides would be incorporated into the water – that
will be better than nothing, til my new bottle arrives. By 8.45pm it was wild
outside, with hard pelting rain - thank
you Lord of the Birds for sending fragile little Tinkerbell in to be looked
after and dry!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Weekend 19<sup>th</sup>/20<sup>th</sup> Sept – Well, the weekend was dry
and passed without incident. Tinkerbell was released again on Saturday lunchtime and seemed to be coping – as was the little brown one, also with bad eyes (but not as bad).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Monday 21st Sept - The weather turned very wet in the afternoon, and when Tinkerbell came down I was unable to catch her, and she only managed to eat a couple of pieces of food. I wished then that I had kept her in. It is so difficult to make these sort of decisions because she can fly and doesn't want to be confined.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Tuesday 22nd Sept 15 - Pan is 8 weeks old today. Happy Birthday Pan! He is big, bright and beautiful - and the tamest pidgie I have ever had. He still thinks of me as 'parent' and flies to me, landing on my back, arm or head. He can feed himself of course, but still likes me to feed him too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px;">It started raining at 4am and rained heavily and continuously from then on. Tinkerbell failed to come back to the garden, and I felt low, wishing I'd kept her in. Why on earth did I release her? so seemingly underweight and with poorly eyes..... I felt like another death was on my conscience. The little brown one was there, but no Tinkerbell. The day had a couple of dry spells but then got worse, raining and gloomy so I decided to bring the homies in early about 3pm. I'd got Cloud and Cissie in, and had gone back to get Chino when I realised I'd left the lid off the grain bin and as I went to put it back, I saw a pathetic little bedraggled figure of a pigeon standing there...... near the cottage door, and looking near to death's door......Tinkerbell! Speaking softly, and making the clicking sound I make to my homies and pigeons I am communicating with (with my tongue on the roof of my mouth) I crouched down and picked her up - she made no resistance. Tears came into my eyes - the Lord sent you back, I said to her, tucking her into my cardigan for warmth. First of all, I gave her a little drink of water with vitamin drops in it, then I took these quick photos of her for you to see - one eye was nearly closed and the other completely gummed up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px;"> How had she managed to get back, the poor little darling. I then wrapped her in a cloth and carried her while I got out the hairdryer - obviously blow drying her very gently and with my hand in the stream of warm air to make sure it was not too hot. After that, I gave her a few grains, but not too many at first. Then wrapped her up in the cloth inside my cardigan again while I heated the microwave bottle. I set up a warm box for her, with cloths on top of the bottle and left her there for a while - giving her more food and water later. I am so so thankful that somehow she managed to get back and I can look after her. I wondered if she had gone away at all but was in fact hiding somewhere in the garden....but if she'd been in the coal hole she would've surely have been drier, and really she was absolutely saturated. I pray she lives.....</span></div>
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Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-74674166617396227892015-09-04T13:53:00.002-07:002015-09-04T13:53:39.185-07:00The babies progress - and I help doves with bad eyes<div class="MsoNormal">
My last blog ended with me worried about the babies not being able to stand/walk .... and I considered how I would feel if they worsened and died....devastated.... so ....</div>
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Fri 21<sup>st</sup> Aug – I decided that I would try to get
an appointment with the vet, and hang the cost, but found out he is away til next Friday. They had
got a locum in but I was told she wouldn’t see pigeons – and I don’t
particularly want Tink and Pan to see HER! The receptionist suggested I try
Wildlife Aid, but I know they would just put them down. I’ve got an appointment
for next Friday and hope the babies will struggle on til then. From what I can discover online I think they
have a virus or a bacterial infection, as these cause weak legs. While I wait
for the vet, I will try to get some vitamins/minerals for them.</div>
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There are several birds around with bad eyes – at least four
or five. Maybe some infection is going round. There is one particular white
dove that seems to be struggling, with both eyes sore and crusty. I have caught
her a couple of times to wipe her eyes over – only with water as that is all I
have got but I ordered a homeopathic remedy from someone on ebay who sounds
like he knows what he’s doing. If it works I’ll give him a mention!</div>
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Sat 22<sup>nd</sup> Aug 15 – We had a mini one day heat-wave
– it was really hot. So warm that I took
the babies drinks of water in between their regular feeding times and arranged
old muslin nappies as sun-shades over the hutch - but they were fine. I
obtained some vitamins from the pet shop – Johnsons Vit-Min – I felt they
couldn’t do any harm and might do some good. They gave the dosage for varied
sizes of birds and I felt that the babies would be about the size of
cockatiels! I put it in their drinking water
as directed– making their little glass mug look like it was filled with
orangeade! Luckily they didn’t refuse it. I’d also been giving them little
grains – ‘pigeon conditioner’ - which is also very nutritious.<br />
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Sun 23rd Aug 15- Solo didnt turn up all day (and as I edit this blog I have to regretfully say that he hasn't been seen since - he was 4+ months old, very pretty, quite tame and much adored by me)<br />
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Below, Pan and Tink (the little one)</div>
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Monday 24<sup>th</sup> Aug 15 – Dreadfully rainy all day,
and so dark! I kept the three adult homies in all morning, then they went out
for a short while but had to come in again about 1.30pm. I see no point at all
in them sitting miserably outside in the rain. Of course the general flock had
to do so, and the one with the bad eyes sat miserably on the back roof of the
cottage, away from the others – she has not been down all day. Eventually about 5pm she came down to the patio where I
was sheltering in the porch, throwing grain. I had already decided that if I
could I would grab her and bring her in for the night, out of the rain, and it
was easy to do. She felt very wet and hadn’t got much body heat – besides feeling
thin – but was quite feisty and struggled– but I felt a pot of food to eat at
leisure, a night in the dry and her eyes wiped again would be beneficial.
She’ll be set free in the morning, after she’s had the chance to eat again,
provided the weather is not appalling. You can see the state of her eyes,
before wiping, in the photos – I hope the homeopathic remedy arrives asap!<br />
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The babies were out today, but of course, in the hutch,
which now belongs totally to them and is perfectly dry. I am delighted to be
able to report that they seem to be able to stand better! Maybe this is down to the vitamins but how would I know. Anyway, I also decided
to try to give them calcium in the form of ground up (to powder) eggshells –
which I mixed with the Kaytee powder that I’ve got in the cupboard which I keep
in case I have to feed very new baby doves. This must be full of all the right
vits and minerals, so I mixed it all up and made little pea sized balls – which
I put to dry out. Unused mix can be kept in the fridge for a day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YgoQdyDLbjs/Ven0dzaYhNI/AAAAAAAAO3I/R14NQnIyGFk/s1600/kaytee%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YgoQdyDLbjs/Ven0dzaYhNI/AAAAAAAAO3I/R14NQnIyGFk/s320/kaytee%2B001.JPG" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crushing eggshells to give baby pigeons calcium for weak legs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaytee mix for feeding baby pigeons</td></tr>
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At about 7pm a bat was suddenly in the sitting room – it must’ve
come in when I opened the kitchen door. I managed to catch it in a tea-towel
and took it into the conservatory to take a photo before release, but it
escaped and flew madly round, upsetting the birds. I put them all early to bed, to be out of the way, including the poorly one – (I think she can be Florence 2) – and continued to try
to catch it. I like bats with their cute crumpled cross faces! – I caught it in
a plastic jar but didn’t get a very good photo. I felt it wouldnt be fair to keep trying, as it was probably stressed out, so I released it.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tuesday 25.8.15 - Tink and Pan are four weeks old today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vwvJeJXRdjQ/Ven1sIHS3hI/AAAAAAAAO3o/kA0J4Vb0v44/s1600/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vwvJeJXRdjQ/Ven1sIHS3hI/AAAAAAAAO3o/kA0J4Vb0v44/s320/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B008.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Pan now stands</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vSs_g4GUb7g/Ven1roA5OhI/AAAAAAAAO3c/cl5sAVafaVE/s1600/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vSs_g4GUb7g/Ven1roA5OhI/AAAAAAAAO3c/cl5sAVafaVE/s320/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B009.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> and preens....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5FPGlZP_wA/Ven1r2vhdAI/AAAAAAAAO3g/KUSaZGv1lIk/s1600/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a5FPGlZP_wA/Ven1r2vhdAI/AAAAAAAAO3g/KUSaZGv1lIk/s320/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B010.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> While Tink, below, can't stand or walk....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tq1hxe7pbRM/Ven1s_34WdI/AAAAAAAAO30/2Cz0bYnPoSw/s1600/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tq1hxe7pbRM/Ven1s_34WdI/AAAAAAAAO30/2Cz0bYnPoSw/s320/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B011.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Pan pecks....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnRRFL81p8Q/Ven1uLA2iPI/AAAAAAAAO34/LEm6XyeAneg/s1600/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnRRFL81p8Q/Ven1uLA2iPI/AAAAAAAAO34/LEm6XyeAneg/s320/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B012.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> and so does little Tink....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_2b5SzqlaA/Ven1vV0XwOI/AAAAAAAAO4E/QJoh9ft2pqQ/s1600/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_2b5SzqlaA/Ven1vV0XwOI/AAAAAAAAO4E/QJoh9ft2pqQ/s320/4wseks.tinkpan.25.8.15%2B015.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Happy 4-week birthday babies!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thursday 27.8.15 - Pan is walking well now and uses the whole space in
the hutch - the nestbox and beyond. They have had a little dish of seeds in
there for a few days now, and a shallow dish of water - and he helps himself,
though not always effectively. I take both the babies out into the garden for
supervised play/learning time but Tink just sits on my lap or a soft cloth,
while Pan will explore the raised bed or the grass. When it's time for them to
go back in the hutch, I hold Pan some feet away and he jumps/flutters in - thus
getting a start at practising flying. He now seems on track for his age.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink, on the other hand, seems about half Pan's age. I was very busy
today with people over, so couldn't spend quite as much time as I would've liked
with the babies, but Tink's feet seem even more crumpled than before and she is
unable to stand. There is a part of her back that the feathers have not grown
on - rather odd. But she moves about, sort of, and eats, drinks, preens and
poops, so I am hoping that she might pick up eventually. The homeopathic eye
remedy arrived and seems to be helping the feral birds eyes so I am going to try to get
advice/remedy for Tink. There are three main birds - all white or whitish doves - that I am able to pick up (if I get it right!) Florence2 who I will obviously just call Florence (she's in the photos above), Siena - who has only one bad eye and one who has a black tail and two bad eyes. </span><br />
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BT, above and below</div>
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Above and below, Florence's eyes show some improvement</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Friday 28.8.15 - Siena, with the one bad eye, was there at the morning
feed, but wary of me now and I couldnt catch her. Her eye does look better
though. The one with the black tail, who I have mentally called that for too
long and not having chosen a name she has become Black Tail or BT! - anyway she
turned up and I was able to grab her. She is a poor skinny little thing so I
gave her a hand feed before putting the remedy on her eyes. I do this by laying
her on my lap and holding her beak down and closed and then just dripping a
couple of drops on her eye, before turning her over and doing the same in the
other. Her eyes too look improved, and I am so pleased.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I obtained the remedy from ebay. </span><a _sp="p2057872.m2749.l2649" class="vip item-title" href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321112568517?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #6a29b9; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px; max-height: 1e+06px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;">EUPHRASIA HOMEOPATHIC EYE DROPS FOR DOGS,CATS,RABBITS,HORSES & BIRDS</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> The homeopath is called Andrew and he was kind and helpful. His ebay name is healingsun - but you can also find him at www.homeopathy-heals.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink seemed even smaller this morning, with her worst foot very much
crumpled underneath her. While I let Pan have a few minutes in the raised bed
while the flock was around, I carried Tink around in the crook of my arm,
wrapped in a cloth. Although the sun was trying to come out, the morning had a
Septemberish chill, so I didnt want her to get cold. The homies stay in the
conservatory until the day has warmed up a bit and I usually put them out about
9am, but the babies needed to be in the nestbox - so I half filled a hot water
bottle, and well wrapped it, before settling Tink on it - she has to be propped
a little by a rolled up cloth so that she is supported,comfortable and can see
out well. In the photo, Pan, next to her, looks so much older! Later he sat
down right next to her which was nice for her, giving his support and warmth
also.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Aft - I managed to catch Siena this time and did her eye, but she feels
quite plump and her eye is pretty good now so I unless I feel it needs it
I won't upset her by catching her again. Florence was caught and her eyes
anointed. She, like BT, is a skinny poorly thing so I hand fed her some peanuts
first. Later on, at pigeon bedtime she was sitting on the outside light,
apparently asleep - so quietly I got the steps and the net - slowly, slowly,
catchee pidgee.... and grabbed her. I was then able to do her eyes again and
brought her in for the night. And of course now I can feed her up a bit in the
morning and do her eyes before releasing her. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pan now spends periods of time in the garden when the flock is there, and when I can loosely supervise him. He walks or runs about, and does little short flights. I am still feeding him but less than before to encourage him to feed himself - but I always make sure he has a good supper because I don't want him to go back to the poorly thing he was before. I make a little nest for Tink and put her out too. Luckily the other adult birds seem to ignore her. Pan joins in with the homies, and they tolerate him (mostly)</span><br />
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Tink in the rug, while Pan walks around</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tink is adorable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sat. 29.8.15 - In the morning, Pan was practically climbing out of the
babies night time arrangements (not very secure!) but Tink was quiet and still
- getting me worried she hadn't made it through the night....but I touched her
and she started to squeak....thank goodness! I love them both - my big baby,
and my little under-developed baby who still has plenty of personality!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I saw Siena but I didnt try to catch her today. In the afternoon I
caught Florence, did her eyes and hand fed her before releasing her. I was glad
I caught her because her eyes were a bit gummy and it wouldnt take long for
them to get totally sticky. I do feel when I do these birds' eyes that they know
I am trying to help them. There was a pigeon, obviously getting old, sitting on
the grass alone.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pBktGLudBY0/VeoC3u6OnyI/AAAAAAAAO5w/moPybYiyoTY/s1600/29.8.15.poorly.pigs.doves%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pBktGLudBY0/VeoC3u6OnyI/AAAAAAAAO5w/moPybYiyoTY/s320/29.8.15.poorly.pigs.doves%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">When the flock flew off, I picked it up and put it back on the
roof - and this evening when it was sitting on the little porch roof, I climbed
the steps and brought it in for the night. BT turned up a bit later, and also
perched on the porch roof so I was able to get her, feed her and do her eyes. I
was glad these two were not out in the rain all night. It was easy to bring them in as hubby is now away for a week. So tonight
I have 3 homies, 2 babies and 2 poorly ones inside the house!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Earlier on in the day, here were the homies -</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You can just see Tink in the hutch (top left) and underneath Chino, partially hidden, Cloud in the middle, and Pan, bottom middle and Cissie, Pan and Tink's mum, right</span></div>
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Eventually the three older homies moved to the other side of the garden, to relax </div>
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and get away from the Young!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">To be cont.........</span></span></div>
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Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-2849706162171469662015-08-21T07:32:00.001-07:002015-08-21T07:32:27.908-07:00Will Tink and Pan be my last babies?<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> Thursday 6th August 2015 - Below Tink and Pan today - for new readers Tink is the little one</o:p></div>
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Their parents, Cissie (left) and Sultan enjoy time in the garden</div>
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I had a look at Lottie's new egg - it was bloody, as you can see - I have never seen that before but the people from the poultry farm told me later that this sometimes happens. The second egg laid was also like this - and within days Lottie had abandoned the nest, so no new babies there then.......The first egg was laid 9 days after Selfie's death. And now Lucky and Lottie seem to have no interest in the cote or each other.</div>
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<o:p>7.8.15 - Sultan goes in to feed his babies who rush towards him. He wouldnt feed them when I was looking though, so I had to shut the door so he could get on with it.</o:p></div>
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9.8.15 - Below are Cissie and Sultan in the open hutch, with Cissie's 'ladder' in place, with Cloud sitting below - and you can just see Chino on the lower left, peeking out.</div>
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The babies ear holes are very obvious at this age - about 12/13 days</div>
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Below, Chino avails herself of the ladder and goes up to visit the babies - no Chino! they're not yours.....<br />
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And when I went out, she thought better of it and here she is preparing to jump down<br />
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Mon 10th Aug 15 - A rainy day - here's my darling Solo, putting his wing up on the flower pot as he has a nice shower! Solo, partially hand reared by me, is very tame and comes to the crook of my arm when I am feeding the flock so he can eat out of the pot! - and get extra peanuts!</div>
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11th Aug 15 - With the babies about 14 days today, Sultan and Cissie canoodle..... I hope they don't start nesting again! It's too awkward for me.</div>
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Thurs 13<sup>th</sup> all went as normal, though it
was a murky rainy day. I brought the babies in for some photos, and you can see the difference in their sizes - Pan's the big one.<br />
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My blog reader, Fennie, said they look like dodos and I think they do! </div>
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Miniature dodos or tiny little vultures - ha ha!</div>
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Friday 14th August 15 - Sultan wasn’t on the roof in the
morning and hadn’t turned up by his usual time to feed the babies. As always in
these situations I stressed about it, but gave the babies a little feed and
hoped he would arrive soon to take over. Cissie doesn’t seem to have much
interest in the babies now and either can’t or won’t feed them herself. I was
giving her three feeds a day so she could share with the babies, instead of her
usual two, but I think it is pointless. Sultan didn’t come and I had to go out
at 10.30am so, reluctantly, I left the hutch open as I didn’t want him to not
be able to get in if he did come back. Cissie was in charge as she is quite
good at repelling intruders! When I returned at 11.15 there was no evidence
that Sultan had been and gone, so again I waited. 12 noon, no Sultan so at half
past I gave the babies another little feed. They can scream for England, and
seem to do so all the time! Time went
on, with me keeping an eye on the garden. Although it rained sometimes it
wasn’t as bad as the day before, and I didn’t keep Cissie in the hutch – she
has the usual run of the garden when I am at home, the same as Cloud and Chino.
They are only shut up if I am out for their own safety. I feared that something
must have happened to Sultan as he still didn’t come..... it seems unlikely he
has met with a hawk, as he is a bigger than average strong male and not a
potential target but it’s possible he has met with an accident, has been
involved in a cull......or remembered where he came from and has gone back to
his owner’s loft. If he did that, the owner may have kept him in for some
reason......for all I know he may have been going back every night and the
owner let him out every morning and now has decided not to. Or maybe Sultan has
just got fed up with the babies.... but surely not? I decided to give them
another small feed...... and planned to give them a good supper at about 5.30pm
which is the time Sultan normally last feeds them before the night.<br />
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There have been one or two times in the past, I remember,
where parent birds have missed a whole day’s feeding and then come back and
carried on as if nothing had happened.</div>
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This morning I went
to move a big box that we had left on the patio – we had meant to burn it but
didn’t get round to it and now it was soaked by the rain.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
It felt odd as I
tried to grab it and I looked inside to see a pigeon looking up at me! Special
Delivery – One Pigeon!<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pXyxaBs3wN0/VdYvbYDRPpI/AAAAAAAAOxg/WCpdTPtE54A/s1600/Meadowcroft.cheddar.cottage%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pXyxaBs3wN0/VdYvbYDRPpI/AAAAAAAAOxg/WCpdTPtE54A/s320/Meadowcroft.cheddar.cottage%2B015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It had obviously been there a while as there was quite a
lot of poop – maybe it had been there all night. I got it out but it couldn’t
fly and had an injured foot and was limping, so because the day was forecast
very rainy, I shut it up in the new hutch with food, water and a folded towel
to sit on. I left it there all day, checking it occasionally, and in the late
afternoon, brought it into the conservatory for the night – hubby is away so no
smuggling was necessary! I do not want a new homie, especially an ordinary
unremarkable unknown grey pigeon but I am incapable of leaving it to its fate,
so I will give it a bit of a chance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Saturday 15.8.15 – Sultan hadn’t turned up by 10am and by
that time I had given the babies a small feed before I put them in the hutch –
just in case he did come to feed them – and then just before 10 a normal feed, as
he was in the habit of feeding them about 9.15/20 am. He may never come back so
I have worked out and written down a feeding schedule for them, and will tick
off each feed as I do it. I am not cross with him as it may not be his fault
and I am grateful for the gift of Tink and Pan who may be my last babies. They
are incredibly lively and noisy but seem different in some way to the previous
dove babies I have had, though I can’t put my finger on the what that
difference is! I have never had pigeon babies before – all my babies have had
more or less white parents, and though some babies have been dark or speckled
they have not had the pure pigeon blood of Tink and Pan – who also are half
racer/half feral. I still hope Sultan comes back as though I don’t mind at all
feeding the babies, I do feel ‘orphans’ do less well than babies whose parents
take an interest, and it’s a shame for them.
They may as well be orphans for all the interest Cissie takes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I weighed them both before the first feed – Tink 142g and Pan
238g – but they both move about so much on the scales it is probably not very
accurate. Next time I will have to weigh them in a box.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why is Tink so much smaller than Pan? I don’t think Pan is exceptionally big so it
is Tink that is small. Pan may be male
which would make him larger, and the first hatched, so at least a day older.
Also stronger, and able to get more food, elbowing Tink out of the way, when
Sultan was feeding them. I don’t think there is anything wrong with Tink, she
is just the little one!<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The new poorly one, as yet unnamed, was fine except for its injuries (no wound or
anything) so after the flock had been fed, dispersed and calmed down a bit, I
put it out on the low roof to enjoy the sun and the company of others. If it
comes down to the ground later, I will pick it up and house and feed it. It may
be ok in a few days, but if not, I will have to rethink as I definitely won’t
keep another pigeon – I can’t!<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Above, poorly one on the roof- not looking too jolly, but</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
later she sat down and was fine, as you can see</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Though keeping herself away from the others</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Tink and Pan in my old hood</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I tried having them in the main part of the hutch</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
But Pan struggled back to the nestbox leaving Tink alone</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
So I put them both in there together</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am at the moment trying to reduce the flock. I am not in a
position to be able to keep up the amount of feeding I am doing due to the cost
and as I really am cutting down, I felt it best to do it now, in the summer,
when there is potential other food out there to be found. This week I have cut
down by one bag (20kg) of grain. This is my plan: I stick to strict set feeding
times – first thing in the morning, then not again til 2pm earliest, then about
5pm. I have written a list of the only birds I really want to feed and it seems
ridiculous to keep feeding these hungry hordes of others. And even if I took
ten ton of food out every day, there would never be enough as more and more
pigeons would arrive, until I was feeding the five thousand and the garden sunk
into the river with the weight of all the pigeons!!! So – the only birds I really want to feed are
–The homies (Cloud, Cissie and Chino),Sultan if he ever comes
back, Tink and Pan, my darling babies, of course! – and Lucky and Lottie, and
any babies they may have in the future, Solo, my much adored baby now coming up
5 months old, Autumn, Grace and Dolly, 3 females, all hatched in my cote and
now between 2-3 years old, Mr. Strong
and his new mate, Blackie, Silver Shadow, the magnificent huge grey pigeon,
Seagle, the unusual bright grey pigeon, and a few others like Snowdon, Charity and Sausage – plus any returning
birds that were hatched in my cote.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pandora and Tufty would always get fed too, but both have
now been missing for a while. Bianca too, who must’ve perished as she had PMV.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I never really felt the same after the cull in January, that
destroyed so many of my favourites I had had for so long, and Snow White that
beautiful white daddy dove, and Charm, Lucky’s first wife. Another reason for trying to reduce the number of birds in the garden is the MESS and the work! Recently I have had to be slooshing down the patio up to three times a day - then there are feathers everywhere (not all suitable for my shop, just messy!), and I hate the water baths being dirty so I am tipping out the dirty water and refilling 3, 4 even 5 times a day! I don't begrudge any of the work for the homies and cote birds but it has been getting ridiculous with the others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hubby has told me that scaffolding is going up at the
beginning of Sept and work starting on the cottage chimney a week later, as it
is in need of repair. At one time the thought of that would’ve filled me with
despair as I would’ve been worried that it would affect my birds – now I don’t
care. I will always like pigeons, but the whole thing has got too much for me,
and far too expensive, so I am hoping that by next spring the flock will be
much reduced and I will try to keep it that way. I now feed far less generously and try to
target the special birds so they still get enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another plan is not to ring any more birds – unless hatched
in the cote/hutch – so therefore I won’t have any more favourites.... like
Sausage for example! I also plan that when Lucky goes (dies or doesn’t return)
the cote goes – unless of course there was another breeding pair in there with
eggs/babies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sultan didn’t turn up all day. I’d put the injured one on
the roof, and by the end of the day couldn’t see it anymore, but just before I
was due to go out for the evening, I heard a funny rustling and went to
investigate. She had scrambled onto the light above the porch – obviously the
chosen roost for the night. I got the steps and the net, and she didn’t resist
so I captured her easily and brought her in for the night to the conservatory,
with food and water. Better think of a name, I can’t keep saying the injured
one.<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday 17.8.15 – Sultan has not returned, and I am beginning
to think that there is something wrong with the babies. Although they scramble
about, squeak for food and seem happy enough, I don’t think they can stand very
well. My strategy with so many things is to wait and see, so that is what I am
doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because the injured one favoured the light as a roost, and I
remembered Pharos, named by hubby who did the same some years ago – my train of
thought went like this – Light – Lamp – Lady with the Lamp – Florence
Nightingale – Flo – so that’s what the injured one is now called. Hubby came
home from his weekend away, and I hurried him in to the shower,saying dinner
was nearly ready, but it was really so I could catch Flo and bring her into the
conservatory for the night, and food and water. I am not going to get fond of
him or her as I really won’t be having another homie, but if I can bring her in
at nights, I will do.<br />
<br />
Below, Silver Shadow, the huge and magnificent pigeon, eats peanuts from my hand but gets bombarded by interlopers trying to do the same!<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flo came down during the day for water, and I made sure she
ate some food too. She sat with the homies for a while, then I put her back on
the roof. By the evening, she was nowhere around, though I checked the back of
the offices just in case – so ......I just don’t know what happened to her.
Maybe she has Flo-wn away!.....joking apart, she probably won’t have made it, poor thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tuesday 18<sup>th</sup> Aug 15 – As far as standing goes,
Tink, the little one, can stand better than Pan. Pan now doesn’t seem to be
able to stand at all but gets around a bit but wiggling, or scooting along
using his wings instead of feet, like a baby bum-shuffling. Despite this he has
a definite interest in life, and wants to be out of the dark nest into the main
part of the hutch. When I consider the weather is warm enough, I open up the
nest door and put a grille up, so they can see out and can have light and air –
or put them in the main part of the hutch – but if I do that, then Pan tries to
get back to the nest cos he doesn’t know what he wants! Ultimately I don’t see
him surviving, and maybe Tink won’t either, but I am enjoying having them and
as they are only 3 weeks old today, then we will see if things improve. I think
there is little chance now of Sultan returning, and if he does then he might
well reject them if he thinks they are in any way ‘different’. </div>
<br />
Later – I have been reading up on why a young pigeon
wouldn’t be able to stand – and there are so many reasons and possibilities;
most of which would be very expensive to correct. I did kind of wonder if he
might be suffering from a form of rickets, due to lack of sunlight, as the
nestbox is so dark, and that is another reason I am making sure they get fresh
air and day light now. I could make him a sort of contraption that supported
his body and left his legs dangling out but touching the ground. I wonder if
that would help make them stronger. I would be really loathe to have to euthanize
him......I have messaged one of my blog readers who keeps racers for advice.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Above, Tink's feet - and Pan's, below</div>
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Wed 19.8.15 - </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Below, Tink manages to scramble to the top of the bricks</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Thurs. 20.8. 15 - Cissie takes no interest in the hutch or the babies, but today she seemed to be listening to their peeping and looking up, so I put her up in there with them.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
She ignored them, as usual, and made her way to the dish of grains - so I removed her soon</div>
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Now, I wouldnt leave her alone with them, in case she pecked at or tried to harm them.<br />
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A few days ago, I grabbed a pigeon with one eye that was all gunked up or sealed over, and using a soft non-fluffy cloth and tepid water, I just kept going over it til I got the stuff off. I didnt even know if there would be an eye underneath, but there was - very swollen surrounding it though. I didnt ring the bird, but I think this is it below - and as you can see at least now it has the use of that eye.<br />
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Cloud wouldn't come out of the run when I wanted her to, so I left her there with the top up - and later found her on top of the new hutch.....<br />
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Wow Cloud - how did you manage that?</div>
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Friday 20.8.15 - More than a week since we last saw Sultan, but Cissie and the other homies don't appear to miss him, and the babies have adapted perfectly well to me feeding them.</div>
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Tink and Pan have actually been picking up small grains and feeding themselves for quite a few days now, and I give them the opportunity at most feeds, if I have time. I feed them roughly at 7.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm and 5.30pm - and they go to bed at 6pm. I am now bringing then into the conservatory when I bring the other homies in - depending on what sort of day it is, light and weather wise, but about 5pm or so - and they go on the conservatory floor on a rug, to sit and peck grains and make a mess! - before supper and bed! </div>
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Little Tink on the right is so much smaller than Pan - who is probably normal sized for their age. They currently weigh, roughly, Pan - 257g and Tink - 159g</div>
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Friday 21st August 2015 - I am wondering whether to take the babies to the vet. He's a lovely man and he'd see them and do his best, but any visit starts at about £30 and could easily go up to £100+ which I couldnt really afford.....but I am thinking about it. They have a lively interest in what goes on around them, they preen as normal, are starting to feed themselves..... it's such a shame they can't stand and I can't imagine why not.....but with a recovered PMV sufferer as a mother and a runaway racer as a father maybe it wasnt the best start in life for them. Now they only have me.</div>
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Below, Tink and Pan looking tiny on the rug at the afternoon feed</div>
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This is 'watch and learn' time too - so I throw some grains - enough to encourage a few pigeons near, but not bring down the madding crowd of them!<br />
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Both babies drink well from the little glass - and sometimes from a little dish if I put it near them</div>
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Later, when I put them back in the nestbox, Pan scrambled up to the top of the bricks on his own! The bricks were in that arrangement for when the parents were on the nest, to partially block off the doorway - they don't need to be like that now, so I rearranged them to make it more comfortable for Pan, but of course then he didnt like it and went and sat with Tink again!<br />
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To be cont....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-24879541342300584502015-08-05T12:35:00.001-07:002015-08-05T12:35:19.087-07:00Cissie and Sultan are proud to announce......<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Cissie with egg shell - has a baby hatched?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqkkDnReeVs/VcJddYSCkBI/AAAAAAAAOq8/igfMQieHDkk/s1600/Cissie.eggshell.28.7.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqkkDnReeVs/VcJddYSCkBI/AAAAAAAAOq8/igfMQieHDkk/s320/Cissie.eggshell.28.7.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tuesday 28<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">th </span>July 2015 – Before Sultan took over
– nice and early for him at about 11am – I peeped in again at Cissie and talked
softly to her. As she shifted position, I caught a glimpse of a tiny wriggling
yellow downy baby!</div>
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Below, has my Grace, right, teamed up with handsome new male, Snowdon?</div>
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I hope they will be as happy as we are, says Cissie, below, with Sultan</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-byLo_AOKU/VcJdzu7ADDI/AAAAAAAAOrI/62KybTO0hZU/s1600/Cissie.sultan.hutch28.7.15%2B028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-byLo_AOKU/VcJdzu7ADDI/AAAAAAAAOrI/62KybTO0hZU/s320/Cissie.sultan.hutch28.7.15%2B028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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By Wednesday there seemed more shell in the nest, so I was
pretty sure the other egg had hatched too! I am so thrilled! My Cissie, with
her problems, had still managed to hatch two live babies!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SvvlLrbCmNs/VcJeXLcHjlI/AAAAAAAAOrU/x3e1XO5Bg_8/s1600/30.31.7.Cissie.Sultan.babies%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SvvlLrbCmNs/VcJeXLcHjlI/AAAAAAAAOrU/x3e1XO5Bg_8/s320/30.31.7.Cissie.Sultan.babies%2B001.JPG" width="253" /></a></div>
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Thursday 30.7.15 – All goes well. Sultan comes to the hutch
earlier now there are babies, so Cissie gets longer free time than when they
were sitting on the eggs. I’m glad that the more competent bird is on the nest
during the day, feeding the babies. Mind you, Cissie, despite her disability,
is coping magnificantly with the new responsibility– I am proud of her!</div>
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Below, I gently move Cissie to get photos of the new little ones</div>
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Cissie’s story, in brief, so far:- On the 19<sup>th</sup> Jan ‘14, I picked Cissie up from the
lawn. She was a very unremarkable little pigeon, obviously very young, probably
quite newly fledged and she had paramyxovirus. I called her Narcissus as, at the time, I had a male with PMV
called Echo – she was soon shortened to Cissie. She was in quarantine for 6 weeks before being allowed out
in the garden to mix with the others, but she was a very scared and unsure
little bird. She eventually settled into her life as a flightless bird but has given
me at least two scares – both when she somehow managed to fly! One by flying up
to the roof, and down on the other side where the offices and the old mill wheel is - and deep water - I luckily found her on the pavement - and two when she flew or blew over the fence and
into the river – where I fished her out! Earlier this year she and Cloud started up a little girlie
kissy kissy relationship that didn’t get very far before Sultan arrived on the
scene – a big male with a racer’s ring. Cissie enticed him away from his first choice, Cloud, then
took over Cloud’s hutch and laid two eggs – one broke and one she hid. Then she
and Sultan started again, and here we are now, with two babies, aged two days
old today. (At a guess, Cissie is about 19-20 months old)</div>
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1<sup>st</sup> August 15 and already I am feeling a
Septembery tinge in the air. Cissie came out of the nestbox into the main hutch
early at about 9am and I wasn’t expecting this, but did manage to get a photo
of the babies alone.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBaCd08z57I/VcJfqbdAsUI/AAAAAAAAOsA/zjJa6ZWemXw/s1600/Tink.Pan.1.8.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBaCd08z57I/VcJfqbdAsUI/AAAAAAAAOsA/zjJa6ZWemXw/s320/Tink.Pan.1.8.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I let her do her big morning poop on the ground, then fed
her quickly and put her back with them. One baby is much smaller than the
other, though I have seen this before with other siblings. They are both still
covered with downy yellow fluff, but I can now see dark patches and dark ends
to their beaks. Their parents are both grey pigeons so I am expecting them to
look similar. I’m calling the babies Tink and Pan – Tink’s the little one and I
am of course very much hoping she will continue to thrive and catch up in
weight. Although my little ‘chickens’
are hatched and I AM counting them – two!
....I realise that anything could happen. One thing in their favour is
that when they are shut in the hutch with mummy or daddy they are much safer
than little squabs in a normal nest or even the dove cote which is open to
possible predators – or falling out from! One thing that is worrying me is the
babies’ food. At present, baby pigeons get fed ‘crop milk’ – which is of course
nothing like milk, but is some sort of glandular secretion produced by the
parents. So this is fine.... but soon the babies go on to half cereals half
crop milk.... What is worrying me is that I feed Cissie (as I have to) and
therefore she is not choosing what to eat so it may not be right for the
babies. I can only hope that Sultan is feeding them correctly.</div>
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Sultan went on the nest later today at 11.30am and an hour
and a half later I saw him come out into the hutch – oh no mate, you’re not
coming out now! Luckily, he didn’t try to – he ate, drank – then having thought
about and realised he was stuck inside, crouched and did a poop - he doesn’t like to on his own doorstep, but
needs must! - I will clean up later. I’m not going to the hutch now and letting
him think he can come out so early – this is Cissie’s free time and she
deserves it!</div>
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Sun 2.8.15 – Tink and Pan are now about 6 days old and are
getting big; with Pan still bigger. They seem fine and I love to look in on them
every day after I’ve fed Cissie. I don’t disturb Sultan when he’s in charge as although he is very tolerant of
me, he doesn’t know me like Cissie does. I was telling someone about Sultan and
Cissie, and she suggested that maybe Sultan is having a holiday romance, and
will head off back to his owner and loft when summer turns to autumn. Well, we’ll
see.....</div>
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Above and below, Cissie re-arranges her nest</div>
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Below, the cote doves, surprisingly, sit with the homies -</div>
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Left to right, Chino, Cissie, Lucky, Cloud (sitting) and Lottie below Cloud</div>
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Mon 3.8,15 – Pan is
just beginning to open his eyes, but Tink not quite yet, as she is obviously
the younger sibling. The lovely thing about having them in the hutch is that I
can just open the door as see the entirely, without having to peer into or
delve into the dovecote. I’ve only had this once before when Jose and Happy
reared baby Pearl in the old hutch.</div>
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I saw the kite again today, soaring overhead.....<span style="text-align: center;">And also some little cuties popping about in the leaves – I am
pretty sure they were juvenile Long-Tailed Tits and they were so adorable, probably just fledged.</span></div>
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Later – Tink’s eyes are now opening. I saw Cissie feeding them
this afternoon..... it’s so awkward about the food, I’m not sure what to do. I
gave Cissie an extra feed today and have
put a jam jar of smaller grains in the hutch for her to attempt to get grain
for herself and the babies. I am worried about them being underfed, especially
Tink, who seems half the size of Pan – but having said that they both are
growing and seem healthy enough. </div>
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You can see the difference between the babies - Pan, on the left, is far bigger</div>
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Below, Cissie manages to control her head 'wobble' to feed the babies.....</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v2uMlUln7PQ/VcJhnmEPeiI/AAAAAAAAOsw/UkXyvGAOZ9E/s1600/Cissie.feeding.3.8.15%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v2uMlUln7PQ/VcJhnmEPeiI/AAAAAAAAOsw/UkXyvGAOZ9E/s320/Cissie.feeding.3.8.15%2B011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I went shopping I saw someone had dumped a hutch down
our little country road. We do get some fly tipping but not that much, thank
goodness. The hutch seemed more or less ok, so I rang hubby at work and asked
him to have a look when he came home. When he arrived he had it in the pick up –
the deal being that I get rid of the run (which he hates because it is ‘messy’
he says). The hutch will probably be more useful to me than the run – although of
course I won’t have that ‘outside’ facility, but the birds don’t actually use
it that much. The hutch will need a huge clean out which I will have to tackle
tomorrow – it’s full of old dirty rabbit straw. It is appalling that someone would
just chuck something like this in a little local road but I will be able to put
it to good use.</div>
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If I had wanted to
get rid of it I would’ve put in on Gumtree for ten or twenty pounds, buyer
collects and it would’ve sold.</div>
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Lucky built a new nest immediately and he and Lottie have
been sitting in it at times and ignoring it at others. I expect they will have
new eggs soon.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3tYfjGM8F8/VcJjKzoJNsI/AAAAAAAAOt4/jU5ClbzJxlA/s1600/Pan.tink.KITE.3.8.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3tYfjGM8F8/VcJjKzoJNsI/AAAAAAAAOt4/jU5ClbzJxlA/s320/Pan.tink.KITE.3.8.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tink and Pan again</div>
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And the kite, way up overhead</div>
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Tuesday 4.8.15 - The babies, or at least Pan, are roughly a week old today, and can be left for short periods. Normally the parents would fly in and out of the cote as they see fit, but I have to monitor what Cissie is doing and open the front for Sultan if he wants to go in. It's awkward, but worth it as I love these babies and want the best for them. I don't want to leave the door open unless I have to at least until the babies are two weeks old - oh well I have managed so far!</div>
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Above, Tink and below, Pan</div>
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Lucky built a new nest immediately and he and Lottie have
been sitting in it at times and ignoring it at others. I expect they will have
new eggs before the end of the summer.</div>
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Later...... Lottie’s staying the night!</div>
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Wed 5.8.15 – One new egg this morning. And today's photos of our lovely babies. The light across them is the chink of sun coming through when I opened the nestbox side door.</div>
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The homies rest together in the afternoon - L to R Cloud, Cisse, Chino</div>
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<o:p> To be cont....</o:p></div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-88523632629791768022015-07-28T04:26:00.002-07:002015-07-28T04:26:31.261-07:00Sparky's story continues.....and ends + Selfie and more<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Warning - this blog contains one or two photos which some may find distressing</b></div>
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July 2015 - Sparky is becoming very well travelled! Because of still needing frequent feeding, he has to
come out with me if I am being longer than an hour. One time I went to the bank
and to do the big shop and was longer than I thought I’d be, in fact two hours,
and the noise when I came back into the house! Feed me! Feed me! So he has come
with me on several daytime trips there and back to my daughter’s house, and to
an evening Neal’s Yard products party (where he stayed in the car, but several
ladies came to see him!). </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cV8yHJwPGr0/VbdcmRdzpiI/AAAAAAAAOms/lA-SqiZSHk4/s1600/Sparky.eating.17.7.15%2B020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cV8yHJwPGr0/VbdcmRdzpiI/AAAAAAAAOms/lA-SqiZSHk4/s320/Sparky.eating.17.7.15%2B020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand feeding rescued baby wren</td></tr>
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Then on Saturday 18th he came to a fete at an old people’s
village in Hersham, Surrey. I had been once before two years ago, and it is such a quaint place <a href="http://whiteleyvillage.org.uk/" target="_blank">Whiteley Village</a> and the fete was so charming with a brass band and pony and trap ride
round the estate that I wanted to go again, and had promised my five year old
grandson that I would take him too...... but what to do with my little Sparks?
I needed something safe to contain him in, but had nothing suitable. I try not to be at a loss with matters like this, so having thought about what he would need, I chose
a tall box, that he couldn’t fly out of (not being very good at flying yet) and
covered it with a piece of fabric mesh (I sacrificed my laundry bag here but it
had holes in it anyway!). Inside the tall box I placed some hay for a 'carpet' and a tiny box for him to
hide in and we were all set! Taking his mealworms in a pot and some sandwiches and snacks for us in a mini cool bag! Although my grandson doesn’t need a buggy
of course, we put Sparky’s box on the old buggy and pushed him round the fete! I
doubt many people even gave it a second thought, and so what if they did! They
didn’t have the pony and trap this year, but had brought an old bus from the
Brooklands Bus Museum – what fun! I collapsed the buggy, and Sparky in his box,
me and grandson all sat at the top front, and the conductor came up to give us
proper old fashioned tickets out of his ticket machine. Grandson loved it!</div>
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Later on I asked on old lady if we might sit in the shade
near her stall, eat our ice-creams and listen to the band. Of course Sparky
needed feeding, so it made her day to see a baby wren, and have him on her
finger. It made my day that she had the same name as my mother.</div>
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So we managed to do the fete successfully but next day was
hubby’s grand-daughter’s Christening Day which I thought might be more tricky.
Eventually it worked out ok – we left him in the car, parked in a shady place,
while we were in the church and then I sneaked him in to the sports club for
the ‘do’ afterwards and put his box under the table! My main worry on that day
was Cissie and Sultan and the eggs. Usually I try to be around when they do the
change over – which is 12.30 approx. I prop open the hutch door, Sultan has
some food, then he goes to the nest. Cissie emerges, I bring her out, and
secure the hutch. But that day I had no alternative but to leave the hutch
propped on when we left at 10.30am, with the ‘ladder’ up for Cissie and hope
for the best. The jackdaws plunder the food and I couldn’t decide if best to
leave food or not, but in the end thought if food was there, they would eat
that and maybe wouldn’t try to venture into the nestbox in the search for it.
The whole Christening occasion was very short and we were home by 3pm, to find
Sultan safely on the eggs, and all was well. Whew! The eggs were half way
through their incubation time at this stage, and have been well looked after by
Cissie and Sultan, so I am very much hoping nothing goes wrong – though as I
have said before I don’t know if Cissie is capable of producing healthy young
(due to being a paramyxovirus recoverer).</div>
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Sparky above as he is now and below when I first got him!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WfbdX8Leo18/VbdeJPuSBaI/AAAAAAAAOnQ/i7_AGUJr9MQ/s1600/racer.Sparky.10.11.15%2B033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WfbdX8Leo18/VbdeJPuSBaI/AAAAAAAAOnQ/i7_AGUJr9MQ/s320/racer.Sparky.10.11.15%2B033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below, Sparky peeping up at me from his favoured 'bed' corner of his box</div>
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Tue 21<sup>st</sup> July 15 – </div>
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Above and below, daddy Lucky loves his baby, Selfie</div>
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Above, Sultan, hopefully soon to be a Daddy!</div>
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and below, my darling Solo, Selfie's half brother (or sister) on the parched lawn</div>
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Below, Sparky plays in the leaves, supervised by me!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3U8r5RhoI9c/VbdeyCQWIHI/AAAAAAAAOoI/ixdG2f2-bv4/s1600/sparky.selfie.cloud.21.7.15%2B034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3U8r5RhoI9c/VbdeyCQWIHI/AAAAAAAAOoI/ixdG2f2-bv4/s320/sparky.selfie.cloud.21.7.15%2B034.JPG" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby wren on my finger</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eAbAxt4SQHc/VbdeyzgFmNI/AAAAAAAAOoQ/Sw5EiiZ7m-g/s1600/sparky.selfie.cloud.21.7.15%2B035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eAbAxt4SQHc/VbdeyzgFmNI/AAAAAAAAOoQ/Sw5EiiZ7m-g/s320/sparky.selfie.cloud.21.7.15%2B035.JPG" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparky is modest when his photo is taken!</td></tr>
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Above, Cloud, left, with Selfie who's about 32 days old and due to fledge properly soon</div>
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In the early evening I took
Sparky round to show him to the young woman who found him first. Her mother
joined us and while we were talking, Sparky was on her finger, or my hand, and
chirping away – and then suddenly there was another wren popped out of the
hedge, and then it was gone! Maybe it was one of his parents! </div>
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Hey! Feed me!</div>
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Thursday 23.7.15 – Sparky seems to have lost his spark this
morning. I am writing this in real time, and although it’s 8am he hasn’t woken
up properly, keeps going back to sleep and hasn’t eaten much. Obviously he is not leading a proper life for
a wren, and though I take him into the garden daily – so far I have always
brought him back in. Also he is more of less only eating one thing – soaked
mealworms – so maybe isn’t getting all the nutrients he needs. I hope he’s
ok.....later I will take him into the garden and give him more time there, and
see what happens.</div>
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Above, Sparky makes himself at home in the big wide world of the sitting room</div>
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This morning after I’ve been feeding the flock for quite a
while, I realised Selfie wasn’t in the nestbox! He is due to fledge being about
33/34 days old but where was he? Before I panicked, wondering if he had crash
landed in the flower beds, I had a good look round, and thankfully found him
sitting on the lawn quite near the house. He was easily captured and brought
back to the nestbox, where Lucky and Lottie both joined him. </div>
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Selfie, in the nestbox - and his pretty mummy Lottie</div>
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They have been
ideal parents to him, I haven’t had to do any top up feeds or bringing in at
night – which of course is as it should be but so often isn’t! Because of less
attention from me, Selfie is not as tame as his half brother or sister, Solo –
who is 4 months old now. Solo will eat from my hand – and so will Lucky now,
amazing! – and Solo will even fly to my hand. This is due to so many birds and
the fight for the food, so any tame or tamer birds who are prepared to ‘risk it
for a biscuit!’ get a little more! Grace flies to my hand, and so does the huge
pigeon, Silver Shadow. Sometimes when he is on my hand, eating peanuts, I have
to prop my elbow with my other hand – he is so heavy, he’s like a parrot!
Probably the most splendiferous pigeon I have ever seen – and not a racer, just
a gorgeous feral. He will happily eat 50 or more peanuts at one session on my
hand. No wonder he is huge!</div>
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Cissie is still sitting far longer on the eggs than is fair.
Sultan comes on them about 12.30 now and comes off 5.30pm-6pm so at the most
Cissie gets five free hours and does the other nineteen herself! There is
nothing I can do about it, and of course I don’t make her sit, she is free to
come off if she wants. She either comes off, or I get her, about 8.00am – and
put her on the ground where she turns round and round, then does the massive
‘hen poo’ and then I hand feed her as usual – then it’s back to the hutch, and
she dutifully goes back to sit on the eggs. Sometimes in the morning, Sultan
comes back to the raised bed, and I open the hutch, but all he does is eat, and
then flies off again. Cissie sometimes comes out, and even jumps out of the
hutch, but if he’s not going to sit on the eggs –which he’s not! – then I have
to catch her after a few minutes and put her back. From today it’s only about
six days to go now Cissie, til they hatch (if they do). Surprisingly today maybe Sultan picked up my
vibe as he went on the eggs at 11.40am !</div>
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In the evening, I found a pigeon by the water bath. I
thought it was just old but when I picked it up I found I had blood on my hand.
So I wrapped it in a cloth, smuggled it past hubby, and examined it in the
conservatory. It had a bleeding slit on its belly – probably some sort of
puncture wound - and I couldn’t seem to
staunch the bleeding....but hopefully in the end managed it (with pressure from
my finger over a clean cloth), and applied some of my veterinus derma gel. I
put it in Cissie’s crate in the conservatory which of course she is not using
at all now – with food and water – but I won’t be surprised if it is dead in
the morning, poor thing.</div>
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Fri 24<sup>th</sup> July 15 – I woke up late as my alarm
failed to go off, and hubby had left for work early. This put me in a big rush
– so much to do with the birds! First I checked the injured one – still alive!
Good! Then this is the current routine, and all before I get a mug of tea
myself! First I bring Chino out of the night box and put her in the
conservatory in her crate – there’s food and water already in there. I carry
Sparky’s box in at the same time, but put him in the sitting room on the sofa,
still in the box of course. He’s still dozy and not peeping for food. Then I go
out to the island to feed the flock, and usually do two trips with the bowl
full of food. They cluster around me as it is a hungry time of year with babies
to feed! Then back I go to the house to bring Cloud out to do her morning poop
on the lawn – she is fussy and won’t do it inside (unlike Chino) – and after
that she is fed, and brought back to the conservatory to her crate – to avoid
the scrum on the lawn and early morning hassle from potential suitors.... but
the main reason I bring her in is so I know she is safe while I do what I have
to do. Both Chino and Cloud go out a little later when it is quieter. Now I
check Sparky and see if he wants feeding, which he usually does by that time.
Then back out with another bowlful of grain for the flock, trying to make sure
that my favourites and my cote birds get enough. This morning it is a bit
gloomy with heavy rain forecast later, and Selfie stayed in the cote.
Yesterday’s ‘fledging’ may not have been the proper big event! By about
8.00-8.15am, Cissie usually totters out in to the main part of the hutch, and I
remove her so she does her poop on the ground (which is so big I have to clean
it up later) and then I quickly feed her before putting her back so she can sit
on her eggs. After all that I re-check Sparky, then today a bit more was added
on to the routine as I went back to the injured one. I carefully brought her
(may be a him of course!) out of the crate and examined her again. There had
been more blood loss and some diarrhoea during the night, but her body was
warm which is a good sign. The wound didn’t seem to be clotting very well
though. It is so small I can’t really see it, which is why I think it’s a
puncture wound. I carefully applied some more gel, then I wrapped her in a
cloth, and gave her water from a little shot glass. This went down well, so I
hand-fed her a normal sized feed of peanuts and grains which were also accepted
well, and put her back in the cleaned up crate. I noticed one foot is crumpled,
which is not good, but not too bad either...... we shall just have to wait and
see. Well, I was writing that in real time, and now it is some hours later, but
unfortunately just before 9am I heard much flapping about in the crate – to
find the pigeon in its death throes which fortunately didn’t last long. So she
didn’t survive though I did what I could.</div>
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Today it is raining heavily and persistently. I am glad
my baby Sparky is in here with me, rather
than hiding under a leaf somewhere like a little fairy! Sultan took his time
coming onto the nest, but was on it by 12.20, though this horrible wet day
doesn’t give Cissie much to enjoy in her free time! I brought Cloud in to the
conservatory after her 3pm feed because
she sat on the doorstep to the cottage and looked bedgraggled and miserable–
but Chino and Cissie sat in Chino’s quarters and stayed dry.</div>
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Sparky couldn’t go in the garden today and I feel that he is
becoming too dependent on me and possibly ‘imprinted’ – I don’t really know
what to do with him. He comes out of his box that is on top of the sofa, walks
along, then jumps up to my neck and snuggles in to my hair, while I type on my
lap top. Although this might seem cute,
I can’t have a tiny bird living in my
hair for the rest of its life!</div>
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This jumping on me was becoming annoying and as it was
nearly 9pm, I put Sparky in his box in the conservatory to get the last of the natural light and hopefully settle down for the night. When I checked him he wasn’t in his box and I
couldn’t see him anywhere, and as the light was fading I had no alternative but
to hope he had found a good ‘bed’ and leave him there for the night.</div>
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Sat. 25.7.15 – In the early morning, I couldn’t find Sparky
in the conservatory but hoped I would hear him cheeping when he woke up. I
dealt with all the other birds and then went to look for him, but with no
success. The conservatory doors and windows had all been shut so I knew he
couldn’t have got out. I keep the three crates for the homies in the conservatory
– on the table. And underneath, toys and books for my grandchildren – plus
there are two big chairs in there, and lots of boxes for my ebaying, and
general clutter. I felt I had no alternative but to take everything out
carefully and check for Sparky, especially as the room gets like an oven later
on when the sun’s on it. I’d found him by 8.45am, he had found a little
upturned box and was crouched in it. I brought him out into his usual box but
he seemed listless and sleepy, so I made a hot water bottle and put in under
his box in case he was chilled, though his body seemed warm enough. I felt
guilty because he had been so lively the night before and I had been irritated
with him scrambling about in my hair, and now he seemed poorly. Now it is real
time and past 10am – Sparky has had a few pieces of soaked mealworm to eat, but
he is still listless and mostly has his eyes shut. One eye seemed a little
sticky, so I wiped it with a non-fluffy cloth dipped in tepid water (old well
used holey hankies are ideal for this sort of thing, and I always save them). I
fear he will probably die. You can see how poorly he looks....</div>
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Later – Sparky has died. He didn’t eat anything after about
11am and became more listless, with eyes shut all the time, and not responding
to me at all. At first I was checking him every half hour, but in the end only
once an hour as it seemed cruel to disturb him. I made sure he was warm and
safe, and that’s all I could do.... except read him a prayer from my Pet
Prayers & Blessings book (Laurie Sue Brockway & Victor Fuhrman). I feel
a bit guilty because I was irritated with him the night before for jumping in
my hair but he was so full of beans, the house seems quiet without him. I have
no idea why he died – was he too cold in the conservatory? I doubt it as all
the windows were shut and he was in a small cardboard box under a pile of other
boxes, and he was fully feathered. Also his body was warm when I found him this
morning. There is no point speculating.....He probably wasn’t meant by nature
to live. In the beginning, I didn't expect him to live..... but in the end, I didn't think he would die! I had him for two weeks, and loved him to bits, my tiny blessing.
Though so small, he has left a big gap. Rest in peace, darling Sparky.</div>
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Loving Shepherd of thy sheep,</div>
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keep him Lord in safety keep;</div>
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nothing can thy power withstand,</div>
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none can pluck him from thy hand.</div>
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I wasn’t surprised Selfie didn’t come out of the cote
yesterday with all that rain, but thought he might today as nice and sunny
again, but he didn’t. I took him out to have a look at him, and he seemed a bit
dirty in the nether regions and it suddenly occurred to me about fly strike so
I carefully checked and think he’s ok but I pulled out all the dirty nesting
material, which was also damp and with some of those horrible wriggling things
I hate! I made up the nestbox again with some nice dry hay but before returning
Selfie I put him on the ground for a short while. His legs didn’t seem strong
enough to hold him which was a bit worrying, but maybe he is ok....I hope so.
I’ll have another look at him tomorrow.</div>
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As I went over towards the island I was amazed to see a tall white bird..... is it an albino heron? I rushed back for my camera..... and luckily it was still there. I only got a photo of one, but there were a pair of them. Beautiful birds that I have never seen here on the river before - and I discovered they were Little Egrets.</div>
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Sun 26.7.15 – I took Sparky in his flower decorated box back
to the neighbours who had asked if they could bury him in their garden – and it
seemed appropriate as that was where he had come from in the first place.</div>
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It rained pretty well all day and was damp and miserable.
Selfie is now about 37 days old, and should really have fledged, but now I am
convinced there is something wrong with him (or her). I’m going to call him
‘her’ now as she feels more feminine to me. She should be flapping about
excitedly, trying to attract Lucky’s attention, or have fledged and be on the
roof but I fear that because she is not acting normally for her age, Lucky has
stopped giving her attention, and possibly is not feeding her. Lucky was
chasing Lottie again earlier, and they are quite often in the back nestbox.....I
feel they are perfectly capable of starting a new nest at the back of the cote,
while their baby starves to death at the front!
Of course, if our children won’t eat or are acting funny we ask them
what is wrong, and take them to the doctor, but pigeons just ignore their young
if they don’t conform! But obviously I will take over, and see what I can do
for poor Selfie. When Lucky left the
gloomy garden about 6pm without feeding Selfie, I took her out of the nestbox,
wrapped her in a cloth to keep her warm and dry, and hand-fed her a good feed,
plus encouraged her to drink water out of a shot glass. It had all been going
so well for Selfie.... but she’s still alive, and maybe is just a bit weak from
lack of feeding. But she does have
diarrhoea, which is not good.</div>
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Monday 27.7.15 – </div>
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Above, Chino waits in the raised bed for Sultan to finish eating and come and join her for some slap and tickle! - which he usually does!</div>
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A nice dry day, and when I’d done the usual
chores, I took Selfie out of the nestbox. I fed her, though she didn’t seem
very interested in food – another bad sign.
I gave her bottom end a tepid bath in the conservatory, and also removed
hard dried faeces from her feet - then gently blow-dried her. I didnt wash all of her because she would've got too chilled. Once done, I sat
her on a covered hot water bottle in the sitting room looking out of the
window. She seemed or rather looked fairly ok.</div>
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Later on, when it was sunny, I put her in the run, so she was protected from the unwanted attentions of other birds (she is female as I discovered when I put her on the grass!).... and so she got light and air, and could watch the others.<br />
But when it got chillier I moved her to Cissie’s unused crate in the conservatory. She can’t walk properly, isn’t interested in food and has diarrhoea so I am not really expecting her to live, though we shall see.<br />
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Above, Snowdon on the chair, is interested in my Grace - now nearly two and a half years old</div>
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Every hour or so, I took her Selfie a sip or two of water, and when I went to
feed the birds on the island, I went to
collect her so she could come with me. The paper under her was in a terrible
mess – oh dear, you need a nappy! So I put kitchen paper under her bottom,
wrapped her in a cloth and held her warmly next to me, while I fed the
others. Poor little Selfie, a bit of a daddy
Lucky lookalike with black smudges on her white feathers, died at 6pm aged only
38 days. RIP sweetheart. Like Sparky, I
have no idea why she got ill and it’s depressing to lose them both within a
couple of days of each other. I was glad I had given Selfie a bit of attention,
some sunshine and a change of view on her very last day. Lucky and Lottie, to
give them their due, did go back to the nestbox to see what was going on – but
having found the unsatisfactory squab gone, they happily went back to cosying
up together – no doubt with the intention of starting again. I want to give the
nestbox a good spray out first!</div>
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Tuesday 28.7.15 –
This morning Cissie didn’t come out of the nestbox into the main hutch at her
usual time..... and by 9am I was wondering....could the eggs or one of them
possibly have hatched? I wasn’t expecting hatching til tomorrow. I checked the
calendar – it was possible, but I wasn’t sure. Some info on the net says that
you count 18 days from when the 2<sup>nd</sup> egg is laid – which would make
hatching Thurs or Fri, but if I count 18 days from the 1<sup>st</sup> egg then
it is Wednesday, tomorrow. But of course one never exactly knows when the egg
was laid.....Anyway, I left it a while, then opened the front of the hutch, and
gently spoke to Cissie, though I can’t see her from the front, so she knew it
was me and wasn’t frightened. Then I carefully opened the nestbox part and
peeped in. Wow! There was Cissie looking up at me enquiringly.... with a broken egg
shell next to her! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PMV recovered pigeon hatches egg</td></tr>
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I took the photo, then felt I best leave her to it. It
wouldn’t be a good idea to remove her from the nest for her usual feed and
morning poop as she probably has a baby. I must let her decide when to come out. I didn’t attempt to try to see the baby or babies, but hope to
get a chance soon – maybe when Sultan takes over. If they manage to rear a baby
or two, then it will be amazing but I don’t count on it when a seemingly
healthy little wren and dove squab have both died, and they were both hatched
from ‘normal’ parents. But I AM excited!!!</div>
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To be cont.....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-63800038852901140742015-07-16T00:21:00.001-07:002015-07-16T00:21:08.583-07:00My new rescue - the tiniest thing you ever saw!<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Fri 10.7.5 - <o:p></o:p></u></div>
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There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it – we
don’t often get unexpected callers in the evening. It was our neighbours – the
ones we don’t talk to since their dog killed my flightless white dove, Jose. I
was so amazed to see them - it was the daughter and the husband - and
they had a small pot with the tiniest little bird inside it that you ever saw.
I didn’t pay enough attention to the details as I was so surprised to see them, but obviously they found it in
their garden, or their dogs did and though normally I would’ve
recommended putting it back for the parents to find and feed – I felt in the
circumstances it wouldn’t take much for the dogs to kill it so maybe it would
be better off with me.</div>
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At first glance I thought it was a robin, but soon realised
it was a wren, and had something wrong with one foot. I immediately put
mealworms to soak and then looked for better accommodation than a dish lined
with kitchen paper. I found a tiny basket and lined it with hay, and then put
that into a bigger box lined with hay – that I use for baby doves sometimes.</div>
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Obviously I had no idea when it had last been fed, but had a
go – feeding or trying to! – pieces of soaked chopped mealworms. It did take
some and later on when it did a poop I felt like it had done something really
clever!!!</div>
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You may remember just before my daughter’s wedding in mid-May
I had a nest of tiny baby birds to look after, and next day took them to the
WildLife Aid at Leatherhead. They were even weenier than Sparky and only
covered in fluff, definitely nestlings – whereas I feel Sparky is a fledgling,
fluffy with proper little feathers. I
know I mentioned to my online friends on Purplecoo that when I phoned to
enquire I found all these babies had died, but I think I forgot to say so on
this blog. So that was sad, and no doubt not the people at WildLife Aid’s
fault, but this time I thought I would try to look after Sparky myself. In case
you are wondering, I took the following from the RSPB website:</div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #414042; font-family: nexa_boldregular; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">It is legal to take in and keep most injured wild birds
for the purpose of looking after them and releasing them as soon as they are
fit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #414042; font-family: nexa_boldregular; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> (above
doesnt apply to injured birds of prey)</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The day light was fading but I didn’t want to put the
electric light on where Sparky was, as I wanted him to be governed by natural
light. The conservatory had the best light and I was in there with him – he was
in his tiny basket inside the box as before. I went out to get ready for bed,
and when I came back he wasn’t in his tiny basket..... or in the bigger box at
all!!! I was immediately fearful about
where he would be as I didn’t want to step on him! – but soon heard him
cheeping – he had obviously climbed out the basket, jumped out of the box and
was down the side of the wicker tub chair that his box was on! Feisty little
thing!</div>
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I went to bed about 10.30pm – in the spare room so as not to
disturb Hubby if Sparky needed me in the night. The room of course was dark and my new
baby was very quiet. I hoped he would survive but slept far
better than when I was panicking about
the nestful of babies (Bibberty, Bobberty and Boo I called them) because I had
decided what will be, will be. I had set my alarm for 5.15am so I could get up
to unblock my baby dove, Selfie but I was woken by loud ‘feed me’ cheeps at
5.07am. Well that was fine, I didn’t mind!</div>
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11.7.15 - Sparky and I settled into a routine quickly – he
cheeped to be fed about every 30-60 mins and ate 2/3 pieces of mealworm at each
feed. Later on I went out and bought some Nature’s Feast (brand name)high
energy no mess 12 seed blend with added suet pellets – having read up on
reputable websites about what wren’s eat. If you happen to be in this situation do be
careful what advice you take – I saw some dangerous rubbish on the internet
about feeding baby birds – do NOT squirt water into their beaks it could cause
death. This website is sensible - <a href="http://helpwildlife.co.uk/sick-or-injured-wildlife/babybirds/">http://helpwildlife.co.uk/sick-or-injured-wildlife/babybirds/</a>.
So by the afternoon, Sparky was eating
mealworms, a seed or two and a tiny piece of suet at each meal. When I rested
in the garden and read my book, Sparky came too – in his box and I took out his
tray with all his food and the tweezers etc. I needed my glasses to read my
book AND to feed him – he is so tiny I just wouldn’t be able to see him
properly without! See him here with a £1 coin so you can see his size (or lack
of it!) - and you can also see his bad foot.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwUK5A-G1jo/VadQ3C0KUVI/AAAAAAAAOjE/E203kK95MF0/s1600/racer.Sparky.10.11.15%2B031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwUK5A-G1jo/VadQ3C0KUVI/AAAAAAAAOjE/E203kK95MF0/s320/racer.Sparky.10.11.15%2B031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rescued baby wren - with £1 coin</td></tr>
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I went to see my grandson on a float at the local Big Event
and took Sparky with me in the car. The car would’ve got too hot, and I
wouldn’t have liked to have left him in there for too long so I took him to my
daughter’s house, and popped back every hour to feed him.</div>
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Our snake has returned - or probably been somewhere the whole time, but I saw it today on the heap that it calls home, which is just behind the fence separating our garden from the river.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass snake on it's heap</td></tr>
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Below, Cloud comes knocking! - or rather comes to peck the brick which she likes to do!<br />
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But shortly afterwards, there was a crash of white dove down by the coal bunker and she went to investigate. It was poor Bianca - she's the one nearest the bunker - who is suffering from PMV - and had somehow got down there and couldnt fly up. I rescued her and gave her some food by hand - but she can still fly and her mate was with her, so I released her. Unfortunately I havent seen her since then, so maybe she hasn't made it. I do feel bad about her, but I can't take in more birds!<br />
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Sun. 12.7.15 – Sparky didn’t wake me this morning, but I got
up on the alarm at 5.15am to unblock Selfie. There weren’t any doves or pigeons
around so I will be able to set the time later tomorrow, but it may have been
that the dove was rather gloomy – and anyway Selfie won’t need blocking in soon
really.</div>
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After I’d unblocked, fed the doves that started to arrive,
including Selfie’s daddy, Lucky – which is good he’s an early bird so that I
can make sure he gets fed, which in turn is good for Selfie! – I then went back
to Sparky at about 5.35am and gently parted the folds of his nest, hoping he
had made it through another night – and he had! – and was opening his mouth
wide for food! </div>
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Apart from sleep, cheep, eat and poop, the only other thing
he does is preen. You wouldn’t think it of such a tiny little thing.</div>
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Between feeds he likes to snuggle up to the fleece in the hood lining the box and go to sleep – adorable!</div>
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In the afternoon I added another thing to his buffet – tiny
little dead insects that had died in my conservatory. He found them perfectly
acceptable!</div>
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Mon. 13.7.15 – Again Sparky didn’t wake me up – I roused him
at about 6am. His routine continues as before. He is fed more or less on demand
when I am here– and if I go out, so far I have not been longer than an hour. I
read in my RSPB book that wrens fledge at 15-19 days old, and then are tended
by their parents for a further 9-18 days. Since he can't fly I have to assume that he is still under 19 days old, but I don't really know.</div>
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The routine of feeding him so regularly doesn’t bother me
but would be restrictive for many people. I am mainly here at home, and his box
is next to me on the sofa where I sit with my laptop so I just stop typing or
reading for a moment or two and feed him a couple of mealworms, a tiny dead fly
and a tiny grain from a pair of tweezers. How do I know how much to feed? I don’t! I
just offer him food until he shuts his beak, and normally he just goes to sleep
again! I start feeding about 6am and last feed depends on him – as the daylight
goes – say about 9.30pm to 10pm latest. He puts himself to bed by snuggling
deep into the corner of the box. I throw
any unfinished mealworms out for the robins and blackbirds and make up a fresh
batch for Sparky daily.</div>
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I plan to make a
little nursery pen for him outside under the bushes, so he gets used to being
outside and start to forage – but what I can make it out of I don’t know.....he
could slip between any normal bars. I hope to be able to eventually release him
but as to the future well we will take it as it comes. His bad leg – or rather,
foot, seems no better and no worse.</div>
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Tue 14.7.15 - Sparky doesn't seem to digest the little seeds/grains - they come out the same as they went in, so I am giving him less of those, but still a few. In the afternoon, he got quite perky and hopped around his box a bit, looking around. It is not ideal as he is learning about a cardboard box with an old fleece hood and some hay in it, not the outside world, but I can't really see what else I can do.</div>
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I was sent this inspirational pigeon rescue story by Hopeinparis who reads my blog and has rescued pigeons herself - the pigeon involved is called Fleetwood and how he overcame his injury is amazing - worth reading I promise you! <a href="http://www.pigeonrescue.org/2015/06/18/fleetwood/" target="_blank">Fleetwood's story</a></div>
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Cissie and Sultan are taking the new eggs more seriously than they did the first two, but Sultan still behaves like he did with Cloud - making the female do far longer on the nest than most daddy pigeons. Yesterday he didnt go on to the nest til 1pm whereas 10am would be more usual. I find it very annoying and frustrating as I like the bird in the hutch, on the nest, to be shut in safely - so I am always hanging around to see what he will do. But Cissie seems to be ok with it and we shall just have to see how it goes. If the eggs hatch it won't be til near the end of the month, but don't hold your breath - he is such a hopeless sitter and she is a PMV recoverer so what chance really have these eggs got?</div>
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My feather shop on Groovycart - called Real Birds Feathers - is doing really well, which always surprises me though I have been running it for about three years now. I started off getting the occasional order, then it crept up to about 6 a month. But now it's 19 or 20 a month, with people using the feathers for all manner of exciting projects. I always need feathers, and can't source them all myself just from my walks so if you keep birds and would like to sell their feathers - do get in touch. They don't need to be colourful feathers, all are useful. My contact details are in the shop. <a href="http://www.groovycart.co.uk/cart.php?c=3101" target="_blank">Click here for the Feather Shop (sell to UK only)</a></div>
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The little stock dove mentioned in the last blog that had obviously been caught by a hawk is doing well. I managed to take this close up of it's head - healing well.</div>
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Sparky in his box</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby pigeon and baby wren</td></tr>
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15.7.15 - This morning when I took Chino out to join the flock, I gently threw her towards the lawn from the door, as is my usual habit - but somehow she had the strength in her one good wing and she flew up and away! Oh no! I wasn't sure if she landed on the roof, and couldnt see her there....so searched the over-grown flower bed and the garden......but couldnt find her......but very soon I spotted her in her usual place under the hutch. Thank goodness!</div>
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Sparky got even perkier today - he is growing up fast. I made him a playground - can you spot him in it?</div>
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He explored a bit but didn't really seem very interested. </div>
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My grand-daughter thought he was cute, until he pooped on her hand!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rescued baby wren on my finger</td></tr>
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Little Sparky had a busy day as I took him to show to my grandson in the evening and then my youngest daughter, who was totally enchanted and allowed him to scramble up into her hair!</div>
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Since I've had Sparky his foot/leg seems to have got better. It's lost it's limp, crumpled appearance and is just like the other, which is all to the good.</div>
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Sparky's story and the rest of the dove blog will be continued soon!</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-40387104868435402502015-07-13T04:43:00.001-07:002015-07-13T04:44:16.628-07:00Cissie takes over Cloud's life!!!! <div class="MsoNormal">
The last blog ended with Cloud sitting on a plastic egg that
I’d given her for a replacement for the dud and Cissie and Sultan getting it on
in Chino’s box.</div>
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That evening about 9.15pm when it was getting gloomy I went
out to the kitchen and spied Cloud coming out into the main part of the hutch –
her vibe screamed ‘Rescue me!’, so I went out to her and found she had tottered
back to the inner part.There I found her sitting on the part that was <i>not</i> the nest - with the plastic egg tossed
out and rejected. I took her back inside the house to her normal night-box in
the spare room. If she is sitting on an egg, real or false, then the hutch is
pretty safe, but it can’t be as safe as the spare room, so if she doesn’t want
to sit she may as well be inside the house.</div>
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Wed 24.6.15 – First thing I sorted out the inside of Chino’s
box which Cissie and Sultan will use for a nest, if it gets that far. I laid
newspaper down, then put a low shallow medium-size box inside with a bit of
towelling in it, and a small piece of carpet on top. Over the top of the box I
draped an old bit of plastic tablecloth to make it darker and keep out the
damp, with another little towel over the top, as that’s what Chino stands on. I
intend to leave Chino there, as it’s her place really, unless Cissie and Sultan
are horrible to her – but I will probably have to put her in Cissie’s run when
I go out. That means Cloud and Chino would at least be safe – and if Sultan and
Cissie want to nest build then I will have to leave them to take their chance.
It’s not really a good place for a nest at all!</div>
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When Cloud was taken to the hutch, she went in and sat in
her egg-less nest – well what she does in the hutch is her decision, but she
will be taken out in the afternoon to enjoy the sunshine. She’s spent too many
hours sitting in the dark, on the route down a blind alley that didn’t lead to
motherhood.</div>
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Midday – I got home to find Sultan cooing in Chino’s box and
Cissie wandering around. Come on, he said, this can be a nice cosy little nest. Er, NO! said Cissie, why would I want the basement when I can have the penthouse? As
soon as I opened up the top of the hutch and put the ‘ladder’ up , she had
scooted up there and enticed Sultan in to Cloud’s old nest! So she’s not only
taken Cloud’s husband but she’s also taken over her home!!! Oh well.... poor old Cloud, she will just
have to take over the run for now. All this chopping and changing!<br />
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MUCH LATER - that entry was 24th June and now it is 12th July '15, and much has happened but though I kept notes earlier on, blogger or Word lost them again, or I didn't save or something, so I will have to just precis all that happened using my photos. So back to 24th June again, and this was what was inside Cloud's egg - an embryo that stopped developing - probably due to lack of sitting from Cloud/Sultan.<br />
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So Cloud's dreams came to nothing, and here's Cissie having taken over her man and her home!</div>
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Sultan, looking a bit guilty, and Cissie in the hutch</div>
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25th June -<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B50kOA7ebEM/VaLF_DT6e-I/AAAAAAAAOdo/pTN8NNv8yxA/s1600/Cissie.Sultan.25.6.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B50kOA7ebEM/VaLF_DT6e-I/AAAAAAAAOdo/pTN8NNv8yxA/s320/Cissie.Sultan.25.6.15%2B005.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
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Above, Dora, a little pigeon, ringed by me this year and below, Mr. Strong. His sweet mate, Frances, died or went missing some while ago now, and he teamed up with Blackie (white dove)</div>
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Above, flock on the lawn (some of them!) and below</div>
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Sultan mates with Cissie in the hutch, while underneath there is all sorts</div>
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of kerfuffle going on. You can see Chino, brown and Cloud, white</div>
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- while jackdaws eye up the situation for potential food.</div>
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Friday 26th June 15 - This is Lucky and Lottie's baby. I'm calling him/her Selfie as he is all by himself! He's about six days old.<br />
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27.6.15 - Selfie's sibling egg did not hatch and was left in the nest. Today I noticed it was sticky and smelly, so I removed it from the cote.<br />
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I cracked it - inky foul stuff, digusting!</div>
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When Cloud was Sultan's favourite lady, then Cissie wanted to take her place - now Cissie is there, </div>
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Chino is trying to muscle in! Sultan talks to Chino through the mesh for a while.....</div>
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But, sorry, love, he says - I have to go back to Cissie and the egg!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6YeUXI3GiAo/VaLJsgn7FII/AAAAAAAAOew/TVWoF-__XtI/s1600/dud.egg.27.6.15%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6YeUXI3GiAo/VaLJsgn7FII/AAAAAAAAOew/TVWoF-__XtI/s320/dud.egg.27.6.15%2B004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A pigeon turned up with severe lumps or cysts - with some bleeding. I treated it with the special gel I use. You can't really see the extent of the state of it here - but it could eat and fly - I just grabbed it while it was feeding, so I didn't keep it as I really have enough to do anyway. I saw it again two days later, but not since.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gFbVGb9wHQk/VaORPMSLlXI/AAAAAAAAOfA/NRzJCXCyGbc/s1600/lumpy.pigeon.27.6.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gFbVGb9wHQk/VaORPMSLlXI/AAAAAAAAOfA/NRzJCXCyGbc/s320/lumpy.pigeon.27.6.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sun 28th June 15 - </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y-J5mwcGrzU/VaOSOBkl98I/AAAAAAAAOfM/m675NRPAAlU/s1600/babySelfie.LPS.Chino%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y-J5mwcGrzU/VaOSOBkl98I/AAAAAAAAOfM/m675NRPAAlU/s320/babySelfie.LPS.Chino%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Above, Selfie in the nestbox about 8 days old</div>
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Below - Three's a crowd!- Chino (brown) tries to get involved with </div>
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Sultan and Cissie's nest. I had to remove her!</div>
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Below - Sultan</div>
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Below - Pandora - if you look closely you will see how her beak curls up from her</div>
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injury two years ago - but she can eat perfectly well.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8QVD-OEsODA/VaOSQjrpDJI/AAAAAAAAOfk/f96hugNxUQ8/s1600/babySelfie.LPS.Chino%2B039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8QVD-OEsODA/VaOSQjrpDJI/AAAAAAAAOfk/f96hugNxUQ8/s320/babySelfie.LPS.Chino%2B039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I was feeding on the island, a little bird turned up with an injury that made me gasp. She's a little stock dove and had obviously somehow got away from a sparrowhawk or other predator. Her feathers had been stripped off her head and there was some bleeding/damage to her skull, plus feathers stripped from her body too. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5vySYNSUsw/VaOTlHeH7SI/AAAAAAAAOf4/zrpbXlM62ZI/s1600/jackdaws.stock.scalpie.29.6.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5vySYNSUsw/VaOTlHeH7SI/AAAAAAAAOf4/zrpbXlM62ZI/s320/jackdaws.stock.scalpie.29.6.15%2B006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I didn't attempt to catch her as it would probably have been impossible as these are shy birds, and not necessary as she could fly. I felt the best thing to do would be make sure she got some food, as she hovered on the outskirts of the feral pigeon flock at first. But over several days, recovered her spirits, and started to make a good recovery.<br />
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Above is the chimney in the spare room - with draught excluder as you can see. I went in there for something, just by chance, and heard a rustle which made me wonder if a pigeon had fallen down the chimney. It's awkward to push the draught excluder up - and extract a pigeon, but I did it. Cinderella here - given a drink of water and a green ring before release - was a lucky one. I don't think she'd been there long. One bird died down that chimney as I didn't realise it was there. Two others were rescued from the chimney in the other spare room. It sounds a lot but only Cinderella, Peace and one other - plus the one that died in the 11 years I have been living here.</div>
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Cissie laid an egg today and by the evening of 1st July another one. I saw Cissie in the outside part of the hutch, and her attitude told me something was wrong, so I went to have a look. One egg had somehow got smashed in the nest - maybe it only had a thin shell, I don't know. I cleaned up the nest, put a bit more hay down, and placed the other egg there but she had been totally put off and by the next day the egg had disappeared.....where has it gone?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Id_IikLRAZM/VaOY5ZQmQyI/AAAAAAAAOgk/3MYQtAywBRU/s1600/hidden.egg.2.7.15%2B022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Id_IikLRAZM/VaOY5ZQmQyI/AAAAAAAAOgk/3MYQtAywBRU/s320/hidden.egg.2.7.15%2B022.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I found it tucked away in the side under the towel! Obviously hidden on purpose.</div>
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3.7.15 - </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6oS7LiFh-XM/VaOg6y4-v0I/AAAAAAAAOh0/fSpop0968Ts/s1600/green.parrot.feathers.groovycart.3.7.15%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6oS7LiFh-XM/VaOg6y4-v0I/AAAAAAAAOh0/fSpop0968Ts/s320/green.parrot.feathers.groovycart.3.7.15%2B015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackdaw - perfectly alright, just sunbathing on one of the hottest days of the year<br />
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4.7.15 - Cissie's egg has been hidden, ignored and abandoned - what a shame..... it's such a perfect little egg</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LgEGSKlUR98/VaOhi3kuvfI/AAAAAAAAOh8/Ulzqnmelpeg/s1600/LPS.4.7.15%2B025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LgEGSKlUR98/VaOhi3kuvfI/AAAAAAAAOh8/Ulzqnmelpeg/s320/LPS.4.7.15%2B025.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I cracked it.... then disposed of it</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xAl9R7Lfv9I/VaOhwVDoR5I/AAAAAAAAOiE/c3FaoTyQJpA/s1600/egg.scoobydoo.5.7.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xAl9R7Lfv9I/VaOhwVDoR5I/AAAAAAAAOiE/c3FaoTyQJpA/s320/egg.scoobydoo.5.7.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Selfie again, developing nice little feathers - an odd one or two with black markings</div>
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Scalpie, the stock dove, Lumpy with the cysts and Cinderella have not been the only birds with problems. Two pigeons died on the second hottest day of the year - though plenty of fresh water in my garden and always topped up. Another bird arrived with sticky black industrial tape round it's foot - I threw down peanuts then grabbed it so I could remove it before it did any damage. A white dove somehow got in the conservatory - and smashed some of my cacti pots but was none the worst itself!</div>
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A little racing pigeon was on the patio one evening - obviously exhausted and probably hungry. I took her in for the night, fed and watered her - and she's stayed around, probably thinking this is a better deal than having to fly miles in the heat without finding food!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YLAAAmI-sy8/VaOet9SdadI/AAAAAAAAOg4/E0us5TommoY/s1600/racer.Sparky.10.11.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YLAAAmI-sy8/VaOet9SdadI/AAAAAAAAOg4/E0us5TommoY/s320/racer.Sparky.10.11.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Little racer, this year's bird - bottom on the roof - and then a close up<br />
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Below - Selfie's getting big and curious - about 3 weeks old</div>
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Below - see the smudge of black on him - just like Daddy Lucky!</div>
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He has very pretty markings<br />
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Friday 10th July 2013 - I fell in love! ....... more in the next blog which I will be publishing asap!<br />
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To be cont.......</div>
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Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-15835240456754451642015-06-23T12:57:00.001-07:002015-06-23T12:57:09.047-07:00Cloud's (and mine) Trials and Tribulations<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday - 14.6.15 – I got up at 6am and Cloud was fine after
her night in her nest. I took her out and fed her and put her in the
conservatory with the other homies for about ¾ hour, but when Sultan was around
I put her back in the hutch. He collected a few sticks and brought them in, but
didn’t seem very enthusiastic about it and when the weather turned dull and
gloomy by 8.30am he had gone away. Cloud sat in her nest and seemed fine, but
she is not sitting on the egg, which is still covered up in the corner and so
far hasn’t laid another. I really don’t think now this will all come to anything
but you never know.</div>
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By lunchtime I had gone and collected my grandchildren and
brought them back here. The afternoon was sunny, the kids played, the birds did
their thing and I was able to keep an eye on all of them. But the problem of what to do about the birds
while I was away for the night was looming. This was what I decided to do,
though it wasn’t ideal at all – leaving a lot of risk to the homies. I decided
NOT to take Chino or Cissie with me, though I could’ve done I suppose - but to
leave them in the conservatory for the rest of the afternoon, the night and til
I got home. That was fine, as Chino can feed herself, and Cissie was fed before
I left and had a pot of food to keep her amused even if she couldn’t pick up
much of it – the problem there was how hot the conservatory might get before I
got back. Hubbie checked the forecast for me and it wasn't due to get too warm. I left the roof window open, and the side window, and hubbie promised
to leave the door into the house open but I
was still concerned, but nowhere else I could safely leave them – I
didn’t want to leave them shut up in their small night boxes in the spare room. But the main
problem was Cloud and her nest. According to the ‘book’ she would lay another
egg in the afternoon, and in the morning Sultan, her mate, would want to come
into the hutch. I took a massive risk, not seeing what else I could do – I shut
her up when I left, having given her a good feed, and then asked hubbie to open
up the hutch when he went to work in the
morning– thus allowing Sultan access. I also asked him to put up the gutter
ladder so if Cloud went down, she could get up again. But obviously this
arrangement was very risky for Cloud, leaving her and the egg/s open to
predators, for several hours.</div>
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In the evening I didn’t need to worry about the birds, but
by morning, and at the time I knew hubbie would’ve left for work, I was very concerned but I just don’t see
what else I could’ve done. The very worst terrible scenario would be that Chino and
Cissie would over-heat and die in the conservatory, and poor Cloud would be
caught by the hawk or something. The morning was chilly which was good, as far
as I was concerned – I had to take my grandson to school, then my
grand-daughter to nursery – then go back to the school for grandson’s sports
day because my daughter and son-in-law couldn’t be there. They’d asked me to
have the kids overnight before Christmas so they could go away for their
anniversary, and of course they didn’t know when they booked their break that
the school would have sports day on the Monday – and Cloud having an egg was
something I had never had to consider before! Anyway....after it all, I was driving home
just before noon, and by then it was very sunny and I was imagining the
conservatory like an oven..... I screeched into the yard, jumped out of the car
and rushed into the garden. Cloud was there – alive and well, thank God –
sitting on the dropped down part of Chino’s section of the hutch. I had a quick
peek in the nest-box, Sultan was inside, but there was a sticky mess in the main
part of the hutch – a smashed egg! I then ran to the conservatory but hubbie
had remembered and left the door to the house open, so though it was warm it
wasn’t like an oven and Chino and Cissie were both fine. They have boxes inside their crates for shelter and shade. Obviously, I took them
both outside straightaway – and in retrospect I really think I should’ve taken
them with me, however awkward.</div>
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Once they were settled I went back to feed Cloud and
investigate the hutch. She obviously HAD laid another egg, as I could see one
under Sultan but one had definitely been taken – probably by the jackdaws – the
runny sticky yolk was in the hutch – and there were pieces of shell in the
raised bed.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-13nKQGpzBec/VYmuUpMsZhI/AAAAAAAAOZs/yr3HYCdbfNQ/s1600/fake.eggs.realbirdsfeathers.groovycart%2B021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-13nKQGpzBec/VYmuUpMsZhI/AAAAAAAAOZs/yr3HYCdbfNQ/s320/fake.eggs.realbirdsfeathers.groovycart%2B021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I was not surprised..... and felt one egg was a small price to pay
for my homies being ok, but I wish there had been another way. Later on, when
neither bird was on the nest in the hutch I was able to check the egg – it was
the first egg laid as I drawn a little cross on it. I would’ve preferred that
egg to be taken and the second one left, as I felt the second one had more
chance. When my flightless dove Jose and her mate Happy
laid eggs in the (old) hutch, the first egg was stolen, and Jose went on to lay two
more (but only hatched one) so I am wondering if Cloud will lay another to
compensate for the loss. I doubt if the egg with the cross on will hatch.... I
would be amazed if it does.</div>
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Of course, Cloud and Sultan’s nest is very interesting but
we have Lucky and Lottie’s nest too, in the cote, with eggs due to hatch around the 21st.
Their first egg together came to nothing, so I am really hoping they do better
this time.</div>
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In the afternoon, I had the gutter ladder up and Cissie went
up and down,very interested in the nest and the egg – but I seem to feel that
she disturbs Cloud and Sultan, and in the end I had to remove the ladder and
leave her down. The situation is awkward enough without her interference though
I feel sorry for her as I believe that after her girlie relationship with
Cloud, and a few matings with Sultan that she thinks this is her egg too!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tues. 16.6.15 – Early this morning, when Cloud appeared in
the main part of the hutch, I took her out to do her morning poop (which is
enormous) and feed her. I checked the egg when I put her back, and either she
had moved it out of the stick nest onto the towel part, or it had rolled itself
but it was stone cold – but an hour or so later on she had moved it under her
again. If she <i>was</i> to lay another egg,
I suppose it would be late afternoon/early evening today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to go out in the morning, but I had to wait for
Sultan to come in for nest duty. Lucky came down for a drink – which he always
does prior to taking over in the nest and then went into the cote at 10.00am
and I hoped Sultan would follow suit. He came down to the raised bed, also had
a drink, fiddled around and then went back to the roof. I got on with chores in
the kitchen, keeping one eye on the window, and eventually at 10.45am he flew
to the raised bed – so I went out to open the hutch for him. He picked up a
stick and flew in – a bit like a husband late home from work with ‘sorry’
flowers! I waited to see what would
happen, but soon Cloud emerged into the day part of the hutch, having swapped
with Sultan, so I made sure it was shut up safe and was free to go out!
Although I don’t think this first egg – laid last Friday – has any chance of
hatching, I can’t know this for sure but it has been treated very haphazardly.
But I don’t want to stop the birds doing their thing – and if another egg is
laid that might be the one to hatch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the early afternoon, I released Cloud from the hutch and
also Cissie and Chino from their confines. It was perfectly obvious that Cissie
wanted to be up in the hutch – she kept craning her head and making little
unsuccessful jumps to try to get up there. It’s sad to watch her, but as I said
before the situation is complicated enough. I am hoping she will soon forget
about it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wondered how long nest duty would last – I need to know so
I can plan my days. Sultan came out at 4.10pm, having done just under five and
a half hours on the nest. Lucky came out of his nest a minute or two after.
Later, Sultan wanted to go in again – and did another short session on the nest
from 6.00-6.28pm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Loretta, Solo’s mother, has returned – I’ve seen her here
the last few days. And my Autumn, who was here regularly for a while, has gone
off again.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed. 17.6.15- My youngest daughter has now been married a
full calendar month – where did the time go? This morning I was a bit
disappointed that there was no replacement egg for the one that was stolen.
Cloud had obviously been sitting all night on the egg as it was warm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thurs.18.6.15 – Sultan’s routine is a bit restrictive for
me. He likes to go in around 11am and today wanted to come out early at 3.30pm
– then he likes to go in again for a while. Today it was 5.12pm -6.12pm. I do
feel I must be mad trying to help these two as I am convinced the egg won’t
hatch. </div>
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Fri.19.6.15 – Today was very exasperating. I wanted to go out as soon as Sultan arrived,
which I hoped would be shortly after 11am, but I waited and waited and he
didn’t turn up. Poor Cloud wandered out into the main part of the hutch at
11.40am, but as he wasn’t there, she had to go back again. She’d been sitting
all night of course, and her only break had been about 6.30am when she’d
probably heard the flock, and come out, like she usually does at the moment, so
I’d taken her out to do her poop on the patio and hand-feed her quickly before
back to the egg. So Cloud and I were both waiting impatiently and I’d pretty
well given up on what I wanted to do in the morning – and eventually Sultan
came into the hutch, which I’d left invitingly open – just to eat! And then he
went out again! The other two homies were out in the garden so at 12.10 I let
Cissie have her heart’s desire and put the gutter ladder up, which she scooted
up quickly, so she could be with the egg – which she has a great interest in.
She went into the nestbox and Cloud wasn’t too sure, but wasn’t too upset, and
basically I was thinking well if Cissie sits on the egg then at least someone
is, and Cloud can have a break! But while the two females were deciding what to
do......I pinched the egg, and candled it. It was laid a week ago, and, if
there was a developing baby in it, I would’ve expected to see a bit more vein
development, but all I could see was a vague pinkiness and pale yellowishness.
I put it back anyway and I could see that it was obvious that Cissie wasn’t
going to sit on it, but I left her in there with Cloud anyway..... and then
Sultan came in... and seemed surprised to find Cissie in the nestbox! So I
removed her and by 12.30 he was doing his nest-duty. This sort of time is most
inconvenient for me! I can just about cope with 11am, though 10am would be
better. I was very nearly at the point of taking the egg away, but I don’t want
Cloud to be upset, and of course I can’t be absolutely positive at this stage
that it won’t develop – though I am nearly sure! Anyway, I then went out and
Sultan stayed on the egg til 5.10pm. The last three days he has sat approx 6
hours, 5 hours 50 mins, 5 hours 30 mins and today 4 hours 40 mins so getting
shorter by the day. When you think that there are 24 hours to egg-sit, then you
can see that poor Cloud is doing far more than her fair share! – and all for an
egg that won’t hatch..... I don’t know what to do for the best.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat 20.6.15 – After Sultan had done his nest duty, I devised
a method which allowed Cissie to be ‘king’ in the hutch and defend it against all
comers, but keeping her (and them) away from Cloud and the egg. Cissie was so
proud, she loved it! - strutting up and down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The grille and the brick prevent her getting in to Cloud on the egg</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was so feisty the only one who dared to go in and
get some food was Sultan. I can’t see much point in taking the egg away from
Cloud as then they would probably just start over – and we have some events
coming up that are going to mean I will be away for a full day so probably
better they sit on a dud egg than that a good one gets stolen or something.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end of the day I wondered if Lucky and Lottie’s
babies had hatched. There were no shells around, but I saw Lottie doing – I
think! – the chucking up motion that means she is feeding. This is very pronounced
when the birds are feeding bigger squabs but this was very gentle, so maybe
they have hatched! I am so excited and pleased, and do hope all is ok. Solo was
hatched on 28<sup>th</sup> March 15 and I’ve been waiting since then for more
babies! I had marked them down to hatch tomorrow but it is perfectly possible
they hatched late today. Ooh!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday 21<sup>st</sup> June 2015 – the longest day, and the
day my poor little Yorkshire Terrier died 5 years ago. Rest in Peace darling.
He was such a sweetheart and I do miss him greatly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I went to a car boot
but was back before 11am for Sultan – who then proceeded to keep me and patient
Cloud waiting until 1.28pm precisely before he went to sit on the poor doomed
egg! Earlier on, I had taken both the
egg and Cloud, under my arm, into the kitchen to candle it again. She seemed interested
in the proceedings! There <i>did</i> seem more to see than when I candled
it 2 days ago and having so little experience I wouldn’t like to take it away
in case it was viable. I wish I knew for sure!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lottie came out of the cote at the early feed – she only
does this when she sees me throwing food in the raised bed close to the cote. I
zipped up the steps and saw one tiny blonde baby and one unhatched egg – but of
course it may have hatched by now. I am delighted that there is at least one
new baby anyway.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*** I am always forgetting to mention my Feather Shop. In case you didn't know I sell dove feathers, and many other real birds feathers in my Groovycart shop called Real Birds Feathers. Do have a look if it's of interest - <a href="http://www.groovycart.co.uk/cart.php?c=3101" target="_blank">Real Birds Feathers online shop</a> It's actually doing well at the moment and recently I have supplied feathers for a medieval arrow making scene in a film, for a lady making a natural wind-vane, to a school for lessons, to a milliner for an old-fashioned military style hat and white dove feathers for a funeral - plus many more ***. The photo below is of a Sebastopol Goose - they are unusual long ribbony feathers - for sale in the shop!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Um-i3y2aXeA/VYmzxIJJZ7I/AAAAAAAAOa4/6C2r5I9rtCE/s1600/Sebastopol.geese.real.birds.feathers.groovycart%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Um-i3y2aXeA/VYmzxIJJZ7I/AAAAAAAAOa4/6C2r5I9rtCE/s320/Sebastopol.geese.real.birds.feathers.groovycart%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sebastopol Goose - feathers in online shop Real Birds Feathers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sultan came out at 5.50pm after 4 hours 20 mins on the nest.
This means that Cloud is doing NINETEEN hours 40 mins on the egg at the moment!
I feel so sorry for her, and really am in a terrible quandary about it all and
wish we hadn’t started!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday 22.6.15 - Cloud didn’t come out into the hutch part at
the early feed so I went and collected her from the nest – the egg had either
been pushed or rolled out again and was cold. This is the second time this has
happened and I don’t know if it is deliberate on Cloud’s part or an accident.
This time I didn’t put it in the main nest part but left it where it was on the
side. I let Cloud to her big morning ‘hen poo’, fed her and put her back – and a couple of hours later
when I checked her, the egg appeared to be under her again. It’s a bit of play
egg this one!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lottie came out of the cote and so I was able to check her
nest. It is very deep and quite hard to see into – good for the baby as it is
nice and snug. There was still only one baby and the egg – which I should think
doesn’t have a chance if it doesn’t hatch soon. The first egg was def in the
nest on Tue 2<sup>nd</sup> June and the
second by Thurs 4<sup>th</sup> June so 2 days difference which is normal I
think so maybe it will hatch. If not, we will have another singleton, like
Solo, and I will have to think of another name – I had already thought of names
for ‘twins’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cloud made the most of the lovely sunny afternoon and her limited free time off the nest</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
She wandered lonely as a Cloud!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Then came to the step.....</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
to peck in the crevices, as many of the birds like to do!</div>
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Tuesday 23.6.15 – Cloud’s egg was rolled out and cold again
this morning. It really is a dud but I am reluctant to take it away from her as
I don’t know how she will react or feel. She went back to it after I’d fed her,
which makes me think she still wants it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lottie came out and again I checked – still no hatching with
the other egg, but one sweet little baby is good. I must try to get a photo
next time.</div>
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Below, some of the pigeons sit around in the grass - which they like to do in June - and Cloud, to the right, preens.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
In the afternoon, I decided to take the bull by the horns
and ring Lottie, as it is so awkward not knowing for sure my mummy dove, unless
I actually see her fly out of the cote. So when I was sure it was her on the
nest and I’d seen Lucky out and about, I crept softly and out of sight to the
steps, and once I could reach blocked the entrance with my hand and brought her
out. She struggled of course and I felt terrible but it’s for her ultimate
good! I put a pale pink ring on her right foot and then took her
straight back. She went in right to the back to get over the stress, but didn’t
fly out and away which is a good sign – she must recognise me after all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sultan went in at 11am – much earlier than the last few days
– and wanted out at 1.40pm. Cloud had of course then to go back in – though of
course she is not forced to sit on the egg!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once Sultan had come off the nest, he immediately continued his growing interest in Cissie. And both of them 'defended' the nest - as you can see below a jackdaw is waiting his chance to get at the food bowls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Then there were two - one on the open door of the hutch, the other on the raised bed</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And eventually they get in - but Cloud is blocked in with the grille and therefore safe from attack - and they would!</div>
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At about 3pm when I wanted to feed Cissie and Cloud, I knew
where Cloud was and could see Chino, but couldn’t see Cissie anywhere.
Hmmm...... guess where I found her? Yes, the faithless Sultan and Cloud’s former lesbo-friend Cissie were huddled
up together in Chino’s box!!! Chino stood on top - see her little feet - and tried to ignore them. The
plot thickens!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And while this intrigue was going on, Cloud sat unsuspectingly in her nest</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Sometime later when Cissie was out again, I fed her, and
also had to take Cloud away from her egg to feed her too. </span><span style="text-align: center;">Hubby had a look at the egg (candled) and said
it was definitely a dud – well I knew it, and probably Sultan does too. This is
what it looked like candled.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fzN9v8hhPY/VYm4ANUxWMI/AAAAAAAAOcM/rYYHymtwPW0/s1600/Cissi.Sultan.23.5.15%2B021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1fzN9v8hhPY/VYm4ANUxWMI/AAAAAAAAOcM/rYYHymtwPW0/s320/Cissi.Sultan.23.5.15%2B021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dud pigeon egg - candled day 10/11</td></tr>
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I didn’t replace the dud egg
but gave Cloud a plastic one instead – since the egg is not going to
hatch it doesn’t really matter what she sits on and I wanted to see what was
inside the egg. Today is day 11 – or could be day 10 depending on when you
count from – I expect Cloud will give up on the ‘egg’ herself soon, but if not
I will let her do the full time..... I suppose.....I just don’t know. And now
it looks like Sultan is starting again with Cissie! The ‘nest’ this time will be Chino’s box in
the lower section of the hutch, which, fortunately, Chino never uses, except to
stand on. I put it in there to give her a hiding place, but she never goes in
it. I will allow the love-birds to make a nest in it if they choose but of
course it is far more unsafe than the top part of the hutch and I couldn’t really
allow Cissie to stay in it all night. I will make it a bit more cosy tomorrow
by taking the brick out and putting a bit of carpet inside a removable small
box or something – then if she did lay an egg I would just have to pick up the
whole thing with her inside it on the egg, and put it in the hutch for the
night if Cloud is no longer sitting – or maybe bring it in the house.....??? I
will cross that bridge when I come to it. But I couldn’t leave Cissie in that
lower part – a fox might decide to dig a tunnel underneath! Cissie wanted to
stay in it tonight I think, but I brought her in at 6.10pm and poor Sultan sat
around on the roof til 7.30pm wondering where she had gone! I didn’t feel too
sorry for him – I even saw him mating with Chino today too – where does he get
the time? Oh yes, I know, he doesn’t do full duty on the egg!</div>
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Feeding time on the island</div>
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Below, Lucky - my daddy bird - who's got a brand new baby then?</div>
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<o:p> To be cont......</o:p></div>
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Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-82357061140799856692015-06-13T13:09:00.000-07:002015-06-13T13:09:09.662-07:00Cloud surprises me!<div class="MsoNormal">
Wed. 10.6.15 – I came home in the late afternoon and allowed
Sultan in with Cloud – they spent time cuddling up in the night section, but I
also made sure Cloud had some time down in the garden. I brought Cissie and
Chino in at about 6pm, but let Cloud stay in with Sultan – though keeping an
eye on the hutch in case he wanted to leave or anything happened. At 7.30pm
Cloud appeared where I could see her so I nipped out and brought her in to the
conservatory, as would be usual for her at that time. I left the door of the
hutch open, so Sultan could come out and fifteen minutes later he was up on the
roof – and I shut the hutch up. I don’t like birds staying the night in the
hutch unless absolutely necessary as I don’t want to attract foxes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know how Cloud and Sultan’s love affair will
continue. I have no idea if having the PMV virus has left Cloud infertile and
if she was to lay a fertile egg or two would she be able to cope with the
sitting on them routine, and feeding babies. I have now had her in as a homie
for two and a half years and she is probably institutionalized.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11.6.15 – Sultan was there with the others on the island to
be fed, and when I brought Cloud out to feed her I had opened the hutch and he
was already in there, waiting for her. Normally after the morning feed at 7am
she would go into her crate in the conservatory for an hour or so, the same as
the others, but I put her straight into the hutch. Sultan immediately went to
the night box – which no doubt he sees as the nest – and started cooing. As I
sat and ate breakfast I saw Cloud pop out to the front part a few times. I’m
not sure she’s that bothered. Sultan is reasonably ‘tame’ – obviously he, as a
racer, is somewhat institutionalized too. I doubt he has ever built a nest in
his life, as I believe racing pigeons are provided with little lined nesting
bowls. I will probably leave things as they are for now, but if Cloud did
happen to lay an egg then I would add some straw to the little piece of carpet
they are sitting on!</div>
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Sultan and Cloud cuddling up</div>
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The situation is interesting, but eggs would make things
awkward. When I had Jose, my flightless dove (that I ‘stole’ from Claremont
National Trust lakeside as she was just sitting there, unable to fly and get
food.....and dying) eventually she teamed up with a white dove I called Happy,
and they started a nest in the old hutch, and reared one baby, Pearl. It was
great fun seeing a baby reared at close quarters, but awkward for me as I had
to be around to let Happy in and out for nest duty. But there was nothing wrong
with Jose, except she couldn’t fly and Cloud as a recovered PMV sufferer,
though stable, is somewhat disabled in the fact that she can’t always hold her
head in the right position. Well. we shall see.....</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I took Cloud out of the hutch to feed and was
able to see from Sultan’s ring that he is a 2014 bird – I was pretty sure he
was too big and confident to be a this year’s bird. While I sat on the edge of
the raised bed, feeding Cloud, he jumped out of the hutch, found and picked up
a small stick. Blimey! I thought....he does know how to build a nest. Sultan
arranged a few sticks, then got bored and when I put Cloud back in the hutch
again, they had more snuggle time. I do want her to have time down in the
garden though, so later on, I took her out and put her down. I’m afraid Sultan
will have to work round me – he seems a calm bird.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again I left Cloud in the garden, but in the hutch with
Sultan, later than usual, but brought her in at 7.15pm. If she is going to lay
an egg I hope it won’t be in the next few days as I have to sleep over with my
grandchildren on Sunday night and can’t see much alternative but to take the
homies with me – or at least Cloud and Cissie who can’t feed themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday 12<sup>th</sup> June 15 – Sultan was waiting this
morning near the hutch when I got up. He seems to be fine with the unusual
arrangements. I fed the flock, fed Cissie, then collected Cloud who was
scrambling about the garden – fed her, and put her into the now open hutch –
Sultan had already gone in. I wonder how many ringed racers like him decide to
turn feral?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went out for a long morning and when I came back at 1pm,
Sultan was keen for the hutch to be opened. As I was staying in, I let all the
homies out. Currently they are having as much as five free hours in the garden
which is lovely – as opposed to often only half an hour on a wet cold day in
the winter. Sultan continued his stick bringing..... Here he is showing his offering to Cloud, with Chino and Cissie in the lower part of the hutch.</div>
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Cloud seemed pleased,
sometimes staying in the rather scrappy nest and sometimes hovering around in
the hutch, except when I put her down in the garden. I decided that she needed
a ladder! I looked around the junk at
the back of the house, and found a bit of old guttering – it was grotty and
dusty but I decided that would give footholds so didn’t sluice it down. I fixed
it to my satisfaction, picked Cloud up, put her on it and she immediately
jumped off! But almost straight away, Cissie walked determinedly over to it –
and look.....I was impressed!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So then I picked Cloud up and this time she walked up it too
– though I didn’t see either of them use it again during the afternoon, and
Chino certainly didn’t.</div>
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While Cloud was having one of her ‘sitting in the night-box’
sessions, Cissie made eyes at Sultan and they ended up mating. Dear oh dear! It was a warm sunny afternoon
so just right for taking flirting a bit further! But then, at some point, I was
checking the whereabouts of the homies – Chino – tick! Cloud -tick! But where
was Cissie? And guess where I found her – yes, in with Sultan!</div>
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Later on, at about 6pm I brought Cissie and Chino in, and
left Cloud in the hutch to do as she pleased, while Sultan searched around for
more sticks.</div>
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This was the nest as I saw it when I brought Cissie and
Chino in.....</div>
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And then at about 7.15pm, it had become a little gloomier
and was raining a little, and as Cloud was in the main part of the hutch I went
and collected her to bring in to the conservatory. I do feel a little bad about
Sultan as he probably can’t understand why she disappears and reappears, but to
be honest I am not sure what to do about this rather strange situation. Sultan
stayed around for a while, then I saw him on the roof and went to shut up the
hutch. Just in case it <i>wasn’t</i> him on
the roof, and not wishing to shut him in all night if a mistake had been made,
I checked the nightbox – and WOW! What a surprise! You could’ve knocked me down
with a feather! There was an egg in the nest! I went to get my camera so I
could show you.</div>
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Obviously Cloud laid the egg in the time between 6pm and
7.15pm and if I’d realised I might have left her in the hutch, but the first
egg is commonly left until the second egg is laid so it will actually be ok,
and at first I was going to leave it in the hutch, but then I thought I didn’t
want a rat or something breaking in and taking it, so I removed it and will put
it back early tomorrow morning. It is not ideal at all because I have to spend
Sunday night away and won’t probably get back til midday on Monday so it looks
like I will have to try and persuade hubby to get involved. I will take it all
one step at a time, and one egg doesn’t mean we will have babies. Sultan, as a
racer, would’ve been vaccinated against PMV so I am not worried about him, but
does Cloud carry it – or having had it, is she now immune? I found on the internet that pigeons vaccinated
regularly for PMV pass this immunity on to the young in the nest so hopefully
if there are any babies, they WILL be immune. But will Cloud be able to cope,
will she be able to feed them? Cloud is actually a bit of an older mother! She
was known to me for eight months before she became ill, and was already
sexually mature as she was first seen with a partner so probably at least six
months old then – and now I have had her in for two and a half years approx so
she must be at least 3 years 8 months old. As I’ve said before, from what I’ve
read, feral pigeons don’t usually live
longer than 5 years or so in the wild but probably this is more down to all the
dangers they encounter – disease, predators, lack of food etc..... anyway,
we’ll see what happens.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It says in my pigeon ‘bible’ – Feral Pigeons by Richard E.
Johnston and Marian Janiga that ‘three hours after the first egg is laid, the
second is ovulated and it then spends about 41 hours in the oviduct prior to
being laid’. If this proves to be the case with Cloud, then I would expect her
to lay a second egg on Sunday.... .but I am not counting on anything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sat. 13.6.15 – I was out in the garden by 6.30am and Sultan
was waiting. I laid an old muslin nappy with a small towel over it in the
uncarpeted bit of the night box (now the nest) to make it more comfortable if
both birds want to sit in there – then I added hay to the nest and replaced the
egg. Cloud was hand-fed of course, then put in the hutch. She seemed quite
pleased to go and sit on her egg, and Sultan started wanting to bring more
sticks, so I had to leave the hutch door open. At 10am I needed to go out, and
wondered what to do – should I leave Sultan in or out? I decided on ‘in’ but he
decided ‘out’ and flew to the roof, so he had to stay out til I got back at
11.30am. When allowed back in he went straight to sit on the egg, and Cloud
came into the day part to sit, as would be usual for her at this time of day anyway.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My vibe told me that Cissie might like to go into the hutch
too, and might well lay also. Although this wouldn’t be a problem in some ways,
it is obvious that the male, Sultan, couldn’t do nest duty on two nests. I will
open up the hutch in the afternoon, when I can keep one eye on the happenings,
and put up the ‘ladder’. If Cissie does lay an egg, then so be it.....I will
leave Sultan and Cloud to sort it out. Sultan’s a very big boy, and Cloud is
quite feisty so they may not be having any of it – and of course Cissie might
not want to lay anyway!!!</div>
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As you remember, Cissie and Cloud had formed a girlie
relationship and this is discussed in my book. This can happen in the absence
of males, and though a nest may be built and eggs may be laid, they are of
course infertile and abandoned after a while. According to my source,
individuals in a uni-sexual relationship abandon one another when one of the
females is attracted to an unmated male BUT in some cases, both females appear
interested in forming a pair with the male – and this might be the case with
Cissie, Cloud and Sultan (poor Chino seems to be left out in the cold, though technically,
as just a flightless pigeon, she would be the best one to become a mother as
she has no other disability).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as the piece of gutter ladder went up, Cissie was in there - causing an altercation with Cloud. Come on girls, you like each other really!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cissie and Cloud settled down and Cissie did a bit of sitting in the nestbox, and tried to get Sultan interested in her again, but he was more concerned about bringing bits of straw and stick into the hutch. At one point I went to see if anyone was in the nestbox and at first couldnt see the egg, but it was tucked away at the side, and had been covered with nesting material - a bit like hidden treasure! I took it out and put it central in the nest but later on one of the birds had moved it away and covered it again, so that's the way they want it. Maybe something is wrong with it - which wouldnt surprise me.</div>
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Cloud and Cissie both use the 'ladder'. It is obvious that though these birds have physical disabilities resulting from the PMV illness, their minds are perfectly sharp!</div>
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Sultan spent some time 'driving' Cloud round the garden - though this behaviour usual precedes the laying of eggs.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1T2eNYY3Jj8/VXyMpHPKv9I/AAAAAAAAOZY/_VTE015JR0k/s1600/Cloud.egg.12.13.6.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1T2eNYY3Jj8/VXyMpHPKv9I/AAAAAAAAOZY/_VTE015JR0k/s320/Cloud.egg.12.13.6.15%2B006.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Above, you can just see the pair of them up near the conservatory door, and below, Sultan looks pretty determined but Cloud can run fast!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJfuY8lzYAk/VXyMo6QHQaI/AAAAAAAAOZU/h_alnzckbqo/s1600/Cloud.egg.12.13.6.15%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dJfuY8lzYAk/VXyMo6QHQaI/AAAAAAAAOZU/h_alnzckbqo/s320/Cloud.egg.12.13.6.15%2B015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I brought Cissie and Chino into the house about 6.15pm but left Cloud as I have done the last couple of days. When I went to see her about 7.45pm she was sitting in the nestbox - though not on the egg - and flapped her wing up at me, crossly, saying Go Away! I really don't like leaving her outside, though this new hutch is very strongly made, but what can I do? She thinks she's got a nest, she may want to lay again and she wants to be there..... so I left her, and before dark draped the hutch with blue plastic sheeting, as I've done in the past, held down by bricks. I just hope she'll be ok. Just in case a fox is prowling around later, I put down some cat biscuits under the hedge at the other side of the yard though I doubt a few biccies would keep hunger pangs at bay for long!</div>
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My camera is playing up - it's very old, so it looks as though I might have to get a new one as I don't want to miss out on taking important dovie photos!</div>
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To be cont....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-91081153438373438662015-06-10T13:00:00.002-07:002015-06-10T13:00:26.520-07:00Lucky becomes unlucky.....again! - and Cloud has 'news'<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sat 23<sup>rd</sup></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">May – </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">8.30am There are two white doves in the front nestbox – Lucky’s nestbox
– and neither of them are Lucky! I don’t know for sure which is Lottie, but it
looks like another male has taken over – poor old Lucky, there will be ructions
when he gets back!!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Lottie (left) and the male intruder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">9.15am – Lucky came back. He didn’t realise anything was wrong, I fed
him peanuts and he had a leisurely walk round and a long drink to sustain him
for the day on the nest. Lottie – I assumed – was by now hovering on the ledge.
She flew off, and Lucky entered – to find the alpha intruder! As they tussled
inside the nestbox, I nipped up the steps quickly – fearing the egg would be
crushed – and grabbed a bird......I checked it was the naughty one, and by heck
didn’t he struggle! I brought him in for ringing – purple, right and orange,
left – and that was hard as he is a strong male (but very beautiful!)</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Another Snow White methinks! I released him, throwing him towards
the roof, and he sat on the ridge, preening himself. I am reluctant to block
Lucky in while I go out but am thinking about it. I wish now that when I had
the intruder – as yet not named – and Lottie in the nest box that I hadn’t
caught and ringed both. But at least I know the other male now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Later – I didn’t block Lucky in – it wouldn’t be right. He’s an
experienced bird and what will be, will be...... but when I got back all seemed
well. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The other male, bearing no grudge to
me, was around at feeding time and I, wanting to name him as a tribute to Snow
White (who had acted in similar fashion to Lucky),</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> have called him Snowdon. I do sometimes wonder when I ring a white
dove – if it was to go back to its original cote or owner, what they
think???? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Above, Snowdon</div>
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and below in the middle on the roof</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Sunday 24<sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">May – an ordinary-ish dovie day but
Lottie spent her free time with Snowdon, and in the evening just at 9pm when I
could still see the cote, out of the window, but the dusk was gathering, I saw
what I thought was Lottie peeking out of the nestbox. I hoped she would settle
back in, but then I saw the dark spot on the breast and knew that it was Lucky!
He was anxiously looking out, waiting for Lottie to come back to do her nightly
nest duty, but she – even flightier than Loretta – had betrayed him and her
unhatched egg and obviously gone off with Snowdon! I waited to see what Lucky
would do, but he came out of the box, stayed on the roof for a few minutes and
then left! Oh no.... the poor egg. If it was a new egg then I wouldn’t care so
much, but it could be due to hatch in only a week’s time. I somehow didn’t have
a good feeling about this egg from the start...but you never know.... so I
brought it in and put it under the electric hen. The egg didn’t feel very warm
to the touch.....but as I say, you never know. I like to give things a chance.
I managed to remove the egg from the cote, and replace it with a plastic one,
just in case Lucky did come back, without disturbing Solo in his little
section.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o33oMnhybwM/VXdF-Cw-lUI/AAAAAAAAOQQ/A3yfgEqBk8E/s1600/Snowdon.Lottie.24.5.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o33oMnhybwM/VXdF-Cw-lUI/AAAAAAAAOQQ/A3yfgEqBk8E/s320/Snowdon.Lottie.24.5.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Snowdon (top) and Lottie</div>
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Below, Solo relaxes on the grass with varied friends</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Bank Holiday Monday 25<sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">May – I got up at
5.30am to put the egg back, but Lucky, Lottie and Snowdon were already in the
garden, along with a few pigeons. The egg, having been under the electric hen
all night, seemed too hot to me...... but I don’t know..... the electric hen
was the same temperature for the baby bluetits or whatever they were.... and
they survived. Anyway, I swapped the real egg for the plastic one, and went
back to bed. I don’t know why I am doing this – I am sure it is hopeless and I
have probably cooked the egg.....horrible thought, poor little doomed baby
dove. When I got up again the three key players in the game were either scrapping
on the hedge or round the cote, or sitting calmly on the roof. Lottie sometimes
jealously guarded the doorway of the nestbox but seemed disinclined to sit. I
had to go out and when I came back, Lucky and Lottie were on the hedge
together, and soon enough Lucky went in to the nestbox and sat, more or less,
all afternoon. I just don’t really know what to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Later – Lucky left the nest at 7.10pm.....Lottie hadn’t come back of
course. Solo had already gone to bed, but he got up again with his daddy and
they both sat on the roof.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I collected the egg and hubby – who has experience with pheasant eggs in
the past – ‘candled’ it for me with a torch. He said it was a fertile egg but
reckoned it had been dead a while. I could see red veins and dark patches, but
there was a whole blank area – to be honest I didn’t really know what I was
looking at or looking for! </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In case you are
interested, this is how you test to see if the chick inside the egg is alive.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Take some thick cardboard and make a hole roughly the size of the
egg, for the egg to rest in. Place the cardboard over the light of the torch,
and place the egg in the hole – sideways not upright. Then you can see the
veins etc. It doesn’t look like there is a chick in this one, so I wouldn’t
know what a live egg would look like. Hubby said you might as well chuck it and
then they will start again sooner – he knows I am sad about the loss of the
egg. I said I wasn’t sure I wanted them to start again, until they have sorted
out who is going to be with who! Last year we had lots of babies.... this year
Solo really is solo. I put the egg back in the nestbox for now but it’s
possible a predator might take it. Solo’s now back in his section with his poor
unhatched probably unformed and certainly dead baby half-brother or sister in
the nest above....... very sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qJqClcs1ZM/VXdHKxq87PI/AAAAAAAAOQg/RDk3T1w2UQA/s1600/chino.embroyo.dove.table.26.5.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qJqClcs1ZM/VXdHKxq87PI/AAAAAAAAOQg/RDk3T1w2UQA/s320/chino.embroyo.dove.table.26.5.15%2B002.JPG" width="159" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-as-DGZq6EDc/VXdHNucARZI/AAAAAAAAOQw/hKEPofFjL2k/s1600/chino.embroyo.dove.table.26.5.15%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-as-DGZq6EDc/VXdHNucARZI/AAAAAAAAOQw/hKEPofFjL2k/s320/chino.embroyo.dove.table.26.5.15%2B003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candling pigeon egg</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tuesday 26<sup>th</sup></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">May 15 – The egg was still in the cote,
stone cold of course – nobody was with it, so I removed it and cracked it open.
It looks like hubby was right and something had stopped the baby developing a
while ago. Below is what I saw...... it didn’t smell nasty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Lucky checked out
the cote a few times, but seemed ok about it. I didn’t want him to waste all
these lovely sunny afternoons sitting on an egg that won’t hatch. Now I know
that the baby obviously stopped forming a while ago, I feel better about the
loss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Wed. 27.5.15 – I grabbed Solo at the morning feed and gave him a big top
up of about 25 peas and peanuts as I will be away tonight babysitting my
grandchildren, and I wanted to make sure he is well fed! I haven’t hand fed him
for a week or so now he can eat big grains but I didn’t want him to go hungry –
he is still my baby, and still quite babyish to look at. He has spent every
night in the cote since he started sleeping outside and I don’t think he flies
far as he is very often on the roof.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The loss of the egg means that Lucky is once again thinking of starting
again. Lottie seems to be hanging around with Snowdon..... though they are not
fighting for the cote (at the moment). My Grace (hatched in the cote two years
ago and offspring of Sky and Summer) seems to be interested in the cote and
Lucky...... wow, wouldn’t that be handy? A mummy dove who is already ringed,
already a special dove of mine AND flies to my hand for peanuts! Let’s hope it
works out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Below, Grace checks out the cote</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Thurs 28.5.15 - My bluetits fledged - I almost missed it, I think this was the last baby to come out! Adorable!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_qdH_orik4/VXiDLZAoCOI/AAAAAAAAOR8/yb3V87izd1M/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_qdH_orik4/VXiDLZAoCOI/AAAAAAAAOR8/yb3V87izd1M/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lucky, above and below, showing his odd eyes!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ur6zZ5A_Uiw/VXiDK_jKlhI/AAAAAAAAOR0/pytS3VlL1PU/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ur6zZ5A_Uiw/VXiDK_jKlhI/AAAAAAAAOR0/pytS3VlL1PU/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below, you can just see Lucky on the ledge of the cote </div>
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- and who are those two down on the raised bed?</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HsS7hhncU-U/VXiDNAlOzjI/AAAAAAAAOSE/qn3JjjBMixM/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HsS7hhncU-U/VXiDNAlOzjI/AAAAAAAAOSE/qn3JjjBMixM/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's Snowdon and Lottie - looking suspiciously like a pair!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKehiAzcoog/VXiDN89HC-I/AAAAAAAAOSM/EmderjhK1JM/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fKehiAzcoog/VXiDN89HC-I/AAAAAAAAOSM/EmderjhK1JM/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and Lucky doesn't look best pleased!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JYUDQPqNGFs/VXiDPUCb9yI/AAAAAAAAOSU/lrFzjhbPGlI/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JYUDQPqNGFs/VXiDPUCb9yI/AAAAAAAAOSU/lrFzjhbPGlI/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and now Lucky and Snowdon chase Lottie up the roof </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m2E3-bHKDMc/VXiDTpMLSEI/AAAAAAAAOSc/kkNMMpX4pTE/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m2E3-bHKDMc/VXiDTpMLSEI/AAAAAAAAOSc/kkNMMpX4pTE/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wonder if Lucky remembers - like I do - when this happened before (with Snow White and Lucky's first wife, Charm)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xdOR4v1p8s8/VXiDUNqxMGI/AAAAAAAAOSo/RUhNA8bHE9M/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xdOR4v1p8s8/VXiDUNqxMGI/AAAAAAAAOSo/RUhNA8bHE9M/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oh Lucky, surely you are not going to lose out again?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7umySxIKDA0/VXiDUaSgOpI/AAAAAAAAOSs/cNdISQ8S5rY/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7umySxIKDA0/VXiDUaSgOpI/AAAAAAAAOSs/cNdISQ8S5rY/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Dolly struggling out of the bath</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YnzqeQuv_jI/VXiDWi-bz-I/AAAAAAAAOS0/ZWb5Lw0Crw4/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YnzqeQuv_jI/VXiDWi-bz-I/AAAAAAAAOS0/ZWb5Lw0Crw4/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Don't look at me! she says modestly, I'm not dressed!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gBcdpjHcfDM/VXiDYdYmfTI/AAAAAAAAOS8/yKaluVefyWg/s1600/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gBcdpjHcfDM/VXiDYdYmfTI/AAAAAAAAOS8/yKaluVefyWg/s320/bluetits2.Dolly.bath.28.5.15%2B047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Monday 1st June - Well I am pleased to say that Snowdon backed down allowing Lucky and Lottie to patch up their differences - and Lottie stayed the night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tue 2nd June - We have one new egg, and by Thursday there were definitely two. I so hope these eggs are ok. I want more babies in my cote!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wed 3rd June - Solo is 68 days old and has always slept in the cote - but tonight a white dove tempted him out 'after bedtime' and he flew to the roof with it.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBHn0pHy5EQ/VXiKKg1F0AI/AAAAAAAAOTc/dQjAe7c1ByU/s1600/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBHn0pHy5EQ/VXiKKg1F0AI/AAAAAAAAOTc/dQjAe7c1ByU/s320/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When he flew back to the cote, the dove went too (Lottie didn't seem worried)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLXFbVSDqXY/VXiKJJAkO9I/AAAAAAAAOTI/wMrwnnMbD5o/s1600/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLXFbVSDqXY/VXiKJJAkO9I/AAAAAAAAOTI/wMrwnnMbD5o/s320/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B004.JPG" width="207" /></a></div>
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But as you can see Solo eventually tucked himself away, and the white dove left. I was quite relieved as I like my little Solo staying safely in the cote at night. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PjYzr_gfmoY/VXiKJaEAWSI/AAAAAAAAOTM/WDFcwGnYui8/s1600/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PjYzr_gfmoY/VXiKJaEAWSI/AAAAAAAAOTM/WDFcwGnYui8/s320/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B005.JPG" width="219" /></a></div>
Thurs. 4.6.16 - Beautiful Baby Nero - growing up rapidly - relaxes on the low roof<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h1fZDs87F-E/VXiKMKoHk6I/AAAAAAAAOTY/780265EI4v8/s1600/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h1fZDs87F-E/VXiKMKoHk6I/AAAAAAAAOTY/780265EI4v8/s320/solo.white.dove.3.4.5.15%2B008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6th June 15 - The homie girls, Cloud, Cissie and Chino have acquired a 'minder'. He's a big ringed racing pigeon who appeared from nowhere and he seems to like spending time with them.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uChIZq-qEqo/VXiM2AyrbmI/AAAAAAAAOTs/iNiMG0QjnhU/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uChIZq-qEqo/VXiM2AyrbmI/AAAAAAAAOTs/iNiMG0QjnhU/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My lovely and unusual pigeon, Seagle has a shower</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nLf_DXTC8No/VXiNRhhLfLI/AAAAAAAAOUA/PY8on5yATjU/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nLf_DXTC8No/VXiNRhhLfLI/AAAAAAAAOUA/PY8on5yATjU/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wxS_mVgjDsI/VXiNRr7Du5I/AAAAAAAAOT8/3QX3r8vT3Ww/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wxS_mVgjDsI/VXiNRr7Du5I/AAAAAAAAOT8/3QX3r8vT3Ww/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qfZxjJT4hi8/VXiNRlXeABI/AAAAAAAAOUI/w6aAFI7odZ0/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qfZxjJT4hi8/VXiNRlXeABI/AAAAAAAAOUI/w6aAFI7odZ0/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another new favourite also has unusual colouring - the young bird I call Dotty</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KjFpp7sMIdA/VXiNTc218vI/AAAAAAAAOUQ/lRWeY-2glkY/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KjFpp7sMIdA/VXiNTc218vI/AAAAAAAAOUQ/lRWeY-2glkY/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCJsF54348A/VXiNU39t45I/AAAAAAAAOUY/2iLC9l6VF08/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cCJsF54348A/VXiNU39t45I/AAAAAAAAOUY/2iLC9l6VF08/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I am calling the homies minder, Sultan. He was chasing round all of them - his harem - </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">but has now singled out Cloud as being his favourite.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0_OzOSL-UM/VXiOtBfNprI/AAAAAAAAOUg/mlCl7B_8RRU/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0_OzOSL-UM/VXiOtBfNprI/AAAAAAAAOUg/mlCl7B_8RRU/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Chino watches as they take over her place</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_DZkEHM-sP0/VXiOyQZOlCI/AAAAAAAAOUs/3K6xHs6wldU/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_DZkEHM-sP0/VXiOyQZOlCI/AAAAAAAAOUs/3K6xHs6wldU/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey, get a room!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XFxp3227LbU/VXiOxkkfb0I/AAAAAAAAOUo/FQedmYdpikU/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XFxp3227LbU/VXiOxkkfb0I/AAAAAAAAOUo/FQedmYdpikU/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sqfz7xr_5UM/VXiOzVNtxeI/AAAAAAAAOU4/YPvKZLpJBC4/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sqfz7xr_5UM/VXiOzVNtxeI/AAAAAAAAOU4/YPvKZLpJBC4/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But they don't</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8jaNHTohbo/VXiO3JP08OI/AAAAAAAAOVI/HedLLIguF9o/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8jaNHTohbo/VXiO3JP08OI/AAAAAAAAOVI/HedLLIguF9o/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They snuggle up in hers!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7cfJsdt3W4/VXiO16-QwbI/AAAAAAAAOVA/4uZN_2hpgJo/s1600/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7cfJsdt3W4/VXiO16-QwbI/AAAAAAAAOVA/4uZN_2hpgJo/s320/doves.bath.Cloud.boyfriend.Dotty.6.7.6.15%2B059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">7.6.15 - This evening, cheeky Solo and friend decided to come and tap on the sitting room window - Where's our supper?</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fL6hwoAZGLw/VXiRH1PuiII/AAAAAAAAOVU/z6Ah_aOUYH4/s1600/Solo.peekingwindow.7.6.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fL6hwoAZGLw/VXiRH1PuiII/AAAAAAAAOVU/z6Ah_aOUYH4/s320/Solo.peekingwindow.7.6.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took these photos from inside of course - Shows how much the windows need cleaning!!! Of course I got up, went outside and fed them. Solo is still the little prince - he wants, he gets!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yJMTMU7vTSM/VXiRH4vt9AI/AAAAAAAAOVY/eRXynsNLB64/s1600/Solo.peekingwindow.7.6.15%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yJMTMU7vTSM/VXiRH4vt9AI/AAAAAAAAOVY/eRXynsNLB64/s320/Solo.peekingwindow.7.6.15%2B003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Monday 8th June 15 -</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Sultan arrived and I opened the hutch to see if he would join Cloud - and he did! Here you can just see him walking into the nightbox part where she is hiding! (and if you can't find me, she says, I'll be in the night box!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1l8cx_1ysdQ/VXiSYaEAfCI/AAAAAAAAOVw/Kv2d8-jRgh0/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1l8cx_1ysdQ/VXiSYaEAfCI/AAAAAAAAOVw/Kv2d8-jRgh0/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
But later, when the homies were having play time, he seemed to be talking to Chino, while Cissie sat on the dropped down door of Chino's section.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bSO0TM6YS4/VXiSYSY2_7I/AAAAAAAAOVo/gp5GSLagI4M/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bSO0TM6YS4/VXiSYSY2_7I/AAAAAAAAOVo/gp5GSLagI4M/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see his racing ring in this photo. I don't feel bad about him being here - he is free to fly back to his owner or loft if he wants to.</div>
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I think maybe it's Chino making eyes here</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qSL6OHNjI4/VXiScrpemkI/AAAAAAAAOWA/ATKCGM7mR-Y/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9qSL6OHNjI4/VXiScrpemkI/AAAAAAAAOWA/ATKCGM7mR-Y/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B004.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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But Sultan doesn't say no!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HzmXa9jIVEM/VXiSis-gjZI/AAAAAAAAOWQ/6qD-GwK1j9E/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HzmXa9jIVEM/VXiSis-gjZI/AAAAAAAAOWQ/6qD-GwK1j9E/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B005.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IH4z8rQy5CM/VXiSiue4fOI/AAAAAAAAOWI/rOgpDvw3T1E/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IH4z8rQy5CM/VXiSiue4fOI/AAAAAAAAOWI/rOgpDvw3T1E/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Though he takes a moment or two to preen</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkP48p3LBCg/VXiSiuMnQHI/AAAAAAAAOWM/NgERALL0DE8/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NkP48p3LBCg/VXiSiuMnQHI/AAAAAAAAOWM/NgERALL0DE8/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ja5XtczgQfU/VXiSoGdwU2I/AAAAAAAAOWg/Ov36KncOY1o/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ja5XtczgQfU/VXiSoGdwU2I/AAAAAAAAOWg/Ov36KncOY1o/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then they go all the way!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jy_u0_RN4Lk/VXiSqZC8KjI/AAAAAAAAOWs/ATUOyx2BoDc/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jy_u0_RN4Lk/VXiSqZC8KjI/AAAAAAAAOWs/ATUOyx2BoDc/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey Sultan, if Cloud finds out she'll sue you for breach of promise!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plwHmCFowzQ/VXiSqcwvyUI/AAAAAAAAOWo/CpdzwC_cjsM/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-plwHmCFowzQ/VXiSqcwvyUI/AAAAAAAAOWo/CpdzwC_cjsM/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And it looks like Chino has another admirer!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYOp99DEkUw/VXiSrW_OH1I/AAAAAAAAOW0/1UpuQnx3aAE/s1600/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYOp99DEkUw/VXiSrW_OH1I/AAAAAAAAOW0/1UpuQnx3aAE/s320/Sultan.Chino.8.6.15%2B012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">9th June 15 - </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">A close up of Seagle - I think she's female; the most amazing bright light grey with stunning pale, almost pink eyes</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dL3SkRRacvQ/VXiVFQd_CZI/AAAAAAAAOXE/0pSnIkAiVUI/s1600/Sultan.Cloud.9.6.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dL3SkRRacvQ/VXiVFQd_CZI/AAAAAAAAOXE/0pSnIkAiVUI/s320/Sultan.Cloud.9.6.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Free range eggs from the poultry farm (where I get grain for the birds, and where the homies go on holiday if I need them looked after)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GRIH-rMS8ro/VXiVH0JBZzI/AAAAAAAAOXQ/cR-Ix4ryFs4/s1600/Sultan.Cloud.9.6.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GRIH-rMS8ro/VXiVH0JBZzI/AAAAAAAAOXQ/cR-Ix4ryFs4/s320/Sultan.Cloud.9.6.15%2B002.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free range eggs, every one a different colour!</td></tr>
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Since Sultan came into her life, Cloud has spent much time just cosying up, alone, on her little piece of snuggly carpet in the nightbox part of her hutch. Maybe she dreams about starting a nest?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOiWPj8MnQY/VXiVHQiBZ-I/AAAAAAAAOXM/vhfsF2R34Oc/s1600/Sultan.Cloud.9.6.15%2B027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NOiWPj8MnQY/VXiVHQiBZ-I/AAAAAAAAOXM/vhfsF2R34Oc/s320/Sultan.Cloud.9.6.15%2B027.JPG" width="317" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">To be cont....</span></div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-66395946725516495152015-06-08T13:37:00.003-07:002015-06-08T13:37:54.911-07:00Solo. Lucky and lots of goings on<div class="MsoNormal">
My last blog went up to the 28<sup>th</sup> April I think, and since then I have been keeping notes on Word like I usually do – well, somehow, I have either wiped the file or something has happened and all my notes have just disappeared! I did try to restore them, but it didn’t work. This is SO annoying because lots of little things have happened, and now I will just have to use my photos as prompts and do the best I can. I used to work directly on to Blogger but had a few probs doing that... oh well.</div>
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I'm sure you remember that poor Cloud got caught by the hawk but now her feathers are growing back</div>
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1.5.15 - Here you can see Solo being cute and joining in with the homies - </div>
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this is the first time he's ever done this!</div>
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Sunday 3.5.15 - A yellow ringed white dove turned up, that I thought I should recognise..... but couldn't. I looked up a couple of birds I thought she might be but with no luck..... I know I ringed her - don't ask me how I know, but I know!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw12bu5Kzco/VXNNjHQ2f4I/AAAAAAAAOII/i6x43TypZWs/s1600/deisreeorsummer.3.5.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw12bu5Kzco/VXNNjHQ2f4I/AAAAAAAAOII/i6x43TypZWs/s320/deisreeorsummer.3.5.15%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below - Chino (brown) in the bath with Cloud</div>
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My pretty but flightless Chino</div>
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Henry, the pheasant, becomes my new best friend....</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOipFBWPCoY/VXNPMZOuVoI/AAAAAAAAOI0/NqiQlPcN-ck/s1600/Henry.pheasant.3.5.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOipFBWPCoY/VXNPMZOuVoI/AAAAAAAAOI0/NqiQlPcN-ck/s320/Henry.pheasant.3.5.15%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the unknown yellow ringed female attracts attention....</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5_awpjlMtk/VXNPLz0G5pI/AAAAAAAAOIs/Mrs0-7nde6g/s1600/Henry.pheasant.3.5.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5_awpjlMtk/VXNPLz0G5pI/AAAAAAAAOIs/Mrs0-7nde6g/s320/Henry.pheasant.3.5.15%2B006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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4.5.15 - Solo is 38 days old today. He is still being fed by his daddy Lucky - and having top ups from me.</div>
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Solo</div>
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Below, Solo sits with his daddy, Lucky</div>
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There are several new young pigeons - one of my favourites is a black one I call Baby Nero. (I had a beautiful black pigeon a few years ago called Nero)</div>
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5.5.15 - Lucky in the top nestbox with little Solo in his compartment</div>
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6th May 15 - Having lost my notes (and as I write it is now a calendar month since this happened!) I can't remember exactly, but there was a little very sweet soft grey young pigeon that didn't seem to be managing very well. I hand fed, ringed and named her Dora, and she (or he) stayed close to the homies area under the hutch, until I re-captured her and put her on the roof to be safer.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvaRQdNtPoI/VXNVOfO0YpI/AAAAAAAAOKM/HS788tnq5tM/s1600/littlepigeon.6.5.15%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvaRQdNtPoI/VXNVOfO0YpI/AAAAAAAAOKM/HS788tnq5tM/s320/littlepigeon.6.5.15%2B004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sunday 10<sup>th</sup> May – How often does everything happen perfectly? How often do you find the exact thing you want, exactly when you want it, and the price you can afford? As my birthday is coming up, I said to hubby ‘If you repaired the hutch for me, it would be a great present and not cost you anything’ but he had a look at it and said ‘It’s as rotten as a pear, darling – it can’t be repaired’. Well, I’ll have a look on Gumtree I said...... and there was an ad for the perfect hutch, in great condition and being sold by someone in our home town, not 10 minutes away. I measured it out and it would take up roughly the same amount of space, but was two-storey! Very convenient. I replied to the ad and we went over straight away, and within an hour from first seeing it, were back here with the new hutch – voila!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrktjOrm_SU/VXNYG5Nh4cI/AAAAAAAAOKY/y-DnSRSgnQk/s1600/Solo.new.hutch.9.10.5.15%2B017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrktjOrm_SU/VXNYG5Nh4cI/AAAAAAAAOKY/y-DnSRSgnQk/s320/Solo.new.hutch.9.10.5.15%2B017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see the state of the old one!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2kwwPFwxds/VXNYHKw_aiI/AAAAAAAAOKg/LE37HiZIHLQ/s1600/Solo.new.hutch.9.10.5.15%2B018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2kwwPFwxds/VXNYHKw_aiI/AAAAAAAAOKg/LE37HiZIHLQ/s320/Solo.new.hutch.9.10.5.15%2B018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and we cut down the pampas grass too</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Kn1LamzXU0/VXNYHGoosaI/AAAAAAAAOKc/2NVsnTX52RI/s1600/Solo.new.hutch.9.10.5.15%2B019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Kn1LamzXU0/VXNYHGoosaI/AAAAAAAAOKc/2NVsnTX52RI/s320/Solo.new.hutch.9.10.5.15%2B019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hubby and I moved the hutch into place quite easily. The top and the bottom are two separate pieces making it quite easy to move.</div>
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Monday 11<sup>th</sup> May – The first day for Cloud and Chino to go in the new hutch. Cloud in the top as that is what she is used to, and Chino in the bottom – with Cissie staying in the run as before. The only thing I felt was a shame was that the new hutch didn’t have the outside part that we’d created for Jose – but Cloud never used the facility much anyway, except to go to the water bowl (and now of course the water bowl would have to be inside). Cloud investigated the new arrangements and seemed ok with it. Then I brought Chino out and she settled really well – far better than in the crate+box which she was in previously.</div>
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Lucky spent the day dragging long fronds of the cut pampas grass to the nestbox. His new wife (Mrs. Lucky number four!) Lottie, helped from the inside.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nLj5P5WXJU/VXXuTJ-cvrI/AAAAAAAAOLc/27IO9_cBeMQ/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nLj5P5WXJU/VXXuTJ-cvrI/AAAAAAAAOLc/27IO9_cBeMQ/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lottie</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a74946mZwUA/VXXuTdo3C4I/AAAAAAAAOLg/-FoUpQYdLzA/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a74946mZwUA/VXXuTdo3C4I/AAAAAAAAOLg/-FoUpQYdLzA/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When they had finished or got bored with it, I went to have a look Pampas grass is lethal stuff – will cut your hand if you’re not wearing gardening gloves and I wasn’t sure it would be great for little pink naked baby doves to hatch out onto. It also has a sticky quality to it – not nice at all. I got a handful of nice dry hay and patted it down on top – much more cosy! I wondered if Lottie would stay the night..... but both she and Lucky left the garden quite early.</div>
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Above, Cloud and Chino are calm and happy in their new quarters. Below, Cissie gets lucky!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eVAQBztgmAs/VXXu6Va3p6I/AAAAAAAAOLw/z3hO8DYAf0E/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eVAQBztgmAs/VXXu6Va3p6I/AAAAAAAAOLw/z3hO8DYAf0E/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Grace, who seems to like sticks, straws and grasses carries her new acquisition round for a while<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0viZ8FB4200/VXXu6KJ_6zI/AAAAAAAAOLs/s7Dv4y01V70/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0viZ8FB4200/VXXu6KJ_6zI/AAAAAAAAOLs/s7Dv4y01V70/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XWDPYaPpwuo/VXXvBBVwvWI/AAAAAAAAOMI/PJLH2C6vsW4/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XWDPYaPpwuo/VXXvBBVwvWI/AAAAAAAAOMI/PJLH2C6vsW4/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below, the blue ringed one is Sausage - still doing well</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a6eIjo8VLoY/VXXvAljpE2I/AAAAAAAAOME/tWhiQ0LYEH0/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a6eIjo8VLoY/VXXvAljpE2I/AAAAAAAAOME/tWhiQ0LYEH0/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Below, left is Blackie and right is Dolly - who was hatched in the cote more than 2 years ago<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg-zyNUOiJ8/VXXvB8qgMoI/AAAAAAAAOMU/K9eKkTsxDyY/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yg-zyNUOiJ8/VXXvB8qgMoI/AAAAAAAAOMU/K9eKkTsxDyY/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Blackie and Mr. Strong have teamed up since Mr. S lost his mate, Frances</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJdZu2Oz4Ak/VXXvHsaLdDI/AAAAAAAAOMk/vSd0YsfLTAI/s1600/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJdZu2Oz4Ak/VXXvHsaLdDI/AAAAAAAAOMk/vSd0YsfLTAI/s320/Solo.Lucky.Mr.S.Blackie.11.12.5.15%2B041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Solo is 45 days old today but still in some ways seems small and babyish to me, but he manages very well, flies over to the island now with the others and generally seems a happy little bird.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tU7qoSFZJE/VXNaKp_LYZI/AAAAAAAAOK4/XyWxp1hpJas/s1600/Solo.island.12.5.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1tU7qoSFZJE/VXNaKp_LYZI/AAAAAAAAOK4/XyWxp1hpJas/s320/Solo.island.12.5.15%2B002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Solo on the island bridge</div>
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He has such pretty colouring</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e_OidzKWu5c/VXNaK5OkQQI/AAAAAAAAOLE/gQiIuIgKFso/s1600/Solo.island.12.5.15%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e_OidzKWu5c/VXNaK5OkQQI/AAAAAAAAOLE/gQiIuIgKFso/s320/Solo.island.12.5.15%2B008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was worried in the first few days that he'd fall in the water or get blown in!!!</div>
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Solo has slept in the cote every night since I first decided not to bring him in to the house any more, and I still give him a small hand-feed top up supper and block him in til I go to bed (just to keep him in and other birds away) and then I unblock him when I go to bed – so now I’m not having to get up so early, like when I was unblocking him before Lucky arrived in the garden.</div>
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12<sup>th</sup> May 15 –</div>
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In the afternoon, there was a peaky looking little pigeon which I netted in the raised bed, hand-fed, ringed with a white ring, and then released. It flew to the roof, so I hoped it would be ok, but in the early evening it was sitting, pathetically, in the path. I netted it again and popped it in the hutch, after hand-feeding it again. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FOFyY0hd8v4/VXXw1tEFkFI/AAAAAAAAOMw/ATDZFkCarPc/s1600/nest.baby.birds.13.5.15%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FOFyY0hd8v4/VXXw1tEFkFI/AAAAAAAAOMw/ATDZFkCarPc/s320/nest.baby.birds.13.5.15%2B003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then later, when I had moved the homies to their bedtime boxes in the spare room, I smuggled it in to the conservatory for the night – without hubby seeing, as he is not keen on having more birds in the house. I’m out tomorrow, but after a feed, it can go up onto the roof, like Dora did, and hopefully be ok for the day.</div>
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Luckily hubby hadn’t seen me smuggle it in because in the late evening, my youngest daughter rang in distress, to say that her cat had knocked a nest out from a bush or tree, and some of the babies were still alive. I felt it was little point telling her to put the nest back as she wasn’t sure where it had come from, and of course the cat would only find it again – and they said they couldn’t catch him to bring him in. So I incurred hubby’s displeasure when he heard me talking on the phone saying bring them over. I don’t understand his point of view – after all, how does me looking after a few birds affect him? But he doesn’t like them in the house and that’s that. It doesn’t stop me though! I got the electric hen ready and went out to the yard to meet her when she drove in. The babies were even tinier than I expected, and I told her that it would be a miracle if they lived. I really took them from her because she is getting married on Sunday and doesn’t need any more stress! I removed the two dead ones – making sure they really were dead - and put the others in the nest under the electric hen. More I can’t do tonight. I have no idea what kind of birds they are – the nest is tiny. I don’t think they are robins.</div>
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Wed 13<sup>th</sup> May 15 - Hubby left at 6.30am and I got up shortly after. The little pigeon in the conservatory was crouched up in the box in Cissie’s crate, but I went straight to see the tiny babies in the nest and..... amazingly they were still alive! I had had a restless night dreaming about them – sometimes they were alive and I was trying to feed them.... and sometimes they were dead and I was still trying to feed them....horrible! But the reality was that they had survived the night – no doubt due to the electric hen. I wasn’t too sure they were alive when I first looked at them, but when I gently stirred them, they woke up and started to gape.</div>
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I collected the soaked mealworms I had ready and my tweezers. I had never fed babies this tiny and delicate before and was beginning to think they must be blue-tits. I had read that baby birds are fed constantly throughout daylight hours and I desperately wanted to keep them alive until I could get them to the Wildlife Aid at Leatherhead, which is local to me. I decided to feed them in rotation, and quickly start recognising them – one was the largest and most lively, then the next one was a bit smaller and a bit less lively – and the third one was far smaller than the others, more delicate and looked less likely to survive. I called them Bibberty, Bobberty and Boo!</div>
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I had to leave home to get to my grand-daughter at 8.15am and therefore was rushing to get everything done – feed the homies, and the flock, look after the poorly one and feed the tiny babies in between. I grabbed a mug of tea, but got no breakfast myself! I was feeding them about every 10 minutes and they appeared to go to sleep in between. Sometimes Boo wouldn’t take any food, and sometimes they spat out what I gave them. But I saw them all wriggle their little naked rear ends to the top of the nest and do their little poops, so that gave me confidence that they were all getting some nourishment. Despite being in a panic to feed and look after them properly, it was very interesting to observe them.</div>
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The little pigeon was taken out of the conservatory and hand-fed. It seemed to have no substance to it at all and I could see it wouldn’t be ok put out on to the roof for the day– so I partitioned off Chino’s bottom section of the new hutch, and put it in an side-turned little square shape bucket with food and water, til I could get back. At least it would be safe.</div>
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I took the babies in their nest, in the old hood (placed in a box) with me in the car – with a jar of soaking mealworms and the tweezers – and my camera. Halfway through the journey, I stopped the car in a quiet side-road and fed the babies again.</div>
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My three year old grand-daughter was enchanted with them – for about 10 minutes....</div>
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then she got bored and wanted me to play with her. I rang my daughter (the one who found the babies) as I knew she wasn’t working and she came over to see them – so so happy that they had survived. We were both surprised to see Bibberty trying to preen himself – such a tiny new little thing, and trying to preen, it was amazing! </div>
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I must admit if things had been different – i.e. if she hadn’t been getting married on Sunday and if hubby was more agreeable to me having little birds to look after – then I would’ve been tempted to keep them and try to rear them myself but in the circumstances it wasn’t practical – so me and my grand-daughter set out to the Wildlife Aid – stopping twice on the way to refuel the babies! At the first stop Boo wouldn’t eat, but he did at the second. I felt more confident that they would all survive. In the Wildlife Aid car park I fed again, and then we carried the babies in. When you take in a rescue there you have to ‘sign them over’ to them. The lady was very efficient – the nest was popped into a tiny little carrier and then taken off to the ‘team’ (they have vets and volunteers there) while the paperwork was done. We then gave a donation and left – with some relief on my part as I am sure the people there will be able to look after them.</div>
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We then drove back to my home – to find the little pigeon hadn’t made it, so we picked forget-me-knots and gave it a river funeral.</div>
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Here Grace insists Solo and a pigeon admire her new stick!</div>
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Evening – Lottie stayed the night for the first time in the cote – so must be thinking of laying. I wondered if Lucky would prevent Solo sleeping in the cote, but he didn’t – and Solo put himself to bed at about 8pm. I would’ve liked to give him a top up feed as I have done every night since he’s been sleeping out, but I felt I wouldn’t be able to take him out of the cote without disturbing Lottie, so I didn’t. He is 47 days old, so a big boy (or girl!) now and shouldn’t really need it anyway. One thing I am totally grateful about is that there are no babies that need my attention in the cote, or babies just about to fledge, as we will be away all Sunday and the night too (for the wedding).</div>
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Thursday 14<sup>th</sup> May 2015 – My birthday – I am 58. Horrible rainy day and so bad in the afternoon that we lit the fire in the sitting room and I brought the homies into the conservatory far earlier than usual. This morning Lottie left the nest box and I zipped up the ladder – we have one new egg! Solo stayed in his little place in the cote for much of the day, due to the weather. At one point he was out on the hedge and I wondered if Lottie or Lucky had forced him out – but later he was back in it, and L & L seemed tolerant of him. But then later again, he was sitting miserably on the roof with all the other bedraggled pigeons. When he eventually came down to eat, he landed on the table, and on impulse, I grabbed him and brought him in to the kitchen for a really good top up feed, and to dry off in a tea-towel.</div>
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His main body still felt warm but I should think little young birds like him can get chilled quite easily. I know I am pampering him a bit but he is still very young, and so many young birds die in their first year – and I don’t want him to be one of them! Then, I wondered what to do with him – it was still raining and it was possible that he wouldn’t be allowed into the cote tonight, so I decided that though it wasn’t much past 5pm, I would put him in his room in the cote and block him in. I’d given him in a drink, so I felt he was all set up and it wouldn’t do him any harm and might be beneficial in the long run. I tried to approach the steps of the cote quietly but Lottie is not used to me, and it caused her to fly out. I wasn’t too worried as she is not sitting in earnest yet..... and anyway she came back pretty quickly. Of course this does mean that I can’t really unblock Solo til the morning for fear of disturbing her at night and will have to get up before 6am to do so, but never mind. It is now 5.30pm and I am writing this in real time – and it’s so gloomy it could easily be 8pm.</div>
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Friday 15.5.15 – I duly got up at 5.50am to find that Solo was sitting on the ledge outside his compartment! – he had obviously been strong enough to push away the metal grille plate and half brick that I had put there to keep him in - goodness! He must be stronger than I thought – I mean a proper half house brick! Lottie was on the roof – whether because she had wanted to be or whether Solo’s heaving and the crashing off the brick had frightened her I don’t know! They were the only two birds around, so I threw some grain and nipped up the steps to look in the cote – still only one egg! - and then went back to bed.</div>
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I rang the Wildlife Aid in the afternoon to find out about the babies – the lady said their card said they were ‘finches’ but not what type. They are all still alive, and she suggested I rang back in a week or so when they will be bigger. I may ask if I can visit them when I ring next time.</div>
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Baby Nero</div>
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5.45pm and both parent birds out of the cote – I had another peek. Still only one egg.</div>
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7pm – I saw Solo put himself to bed in the cote. Lucky had left the garden a while ago.</div>
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Sat. 16.5.15 – No-one was in the cote so I checked again but we still only have one egg. This was laid Wednesday night, so it looks like there is rather a long gap and maybe it will be the only egg this time. I have never had only one egg laid before – it’s always been two, though quite a few times there has only been one baby hatched. It is possible of course that another egg was laid and pinched by the jackdaws.</div>
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Loretta, Lucky's faithless wife no. 3 and mother of Solo, is still around the garden with two white admirers....</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJvgwxE3gYc/VXX3Zwf_ZXI/AAAAAAAAOOY/HGnBfLxOHVo/s1600/Solo.Loretta.Dolly.Blackie.15.5.15%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJvgwxE3gYc/VXX3Zwf_ZXI/AAAAAAAAOOY/HGnBfLxOHVo/s320/Solo.Loretta.Dolly.Blackie.15.5.15%2B004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
You can't see that clearly in the photos, but Loretta's the one with the brown markings<br />
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Tomorrow is my youngest daughter’s wedding day, so I took the homies, Cloud, Cissie and Chino to the Poultry Farm to be looked after. I will be away all day of course, and tomorrow night, and not back til midday on Monday so they will need feeding. The PF has a big barn that is locked up securely at night, and I am not worried about their safety, but I hated leaving them there. I felt quite bereft on the way home. I’ve got someone coming in from the Surrey Ark to feed the flock – and the only one I am really a little concerned about will be Solo, but hopefully he will manage and if I can I will grab him in the morning for a top up feed before we go!</div>
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Sunday 17<sup>th</sup> May 2015 – The day we’ve been waiting for – the Wedding Day! And sunny, thank goodness. As far as the doves are concerned, an ordinary day. Again I was able to check the nestbox and only one egg still. Looks like we will have another ‘Solo’ if things go well. I managed to catch my Solo and fed him 30 grains and peanuts – much more that I usually do as I normally just give a 10 grain top up.</div>
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Here's my beautiful daughter and handsome new hubbie!</div>
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<o:p> 19th May 15 - Cloud and Cissie have started a little girlie lovey-dovey relationship.....this is not unknown in the pigeon world</o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uF-0cG_7i9E/VXX4Y8m8JwI/AAAAAAAAOPE/SpXjBbsMwZI/s1600/Cloud.Cissie.billing.Paul.Glaister%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uF-0cG_7i9E/VXX4Y8m8JwI/AAAAAAAAOPE/SpXjBbsMwZI/s320/Cloud.Cissie.billing.Paul.Glaister%2B001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJDzHpSl0yg/VXX4Zatg8AI/AAAAAAAAOPM/4TJCb-mZVqc/s1600/Cloud.Cissie.billing.Paul.Glaister%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJDzHpSl0yg/VXX4Zatg8AI/AAAAAAAAOPM/4TJCb-mZVqc/s320/Cloud.Cissie.billing.Paul.Glaister%2B009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpjSy0I3l6E/VXX5NNfXVwI/AAAAAAAAOPU/Sq9f_dOpL6c/s1600/Chino.kingfisher.feathers.groovycart%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpjSy0I3l6E/VXX5NNfXVwI/AAAAAAAAOPU/Sq9f_dOpL6c/s320/Chino.kingfisher.feathers.groovycart%2B001.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
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<o:p>Hey, Chino, how did you get up there?</o:p></div>
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Fri 22<sup>nd May 15</sup> – Solo has started eating big grains on his own at last! He can eat grain and peas, but can’t get the hang of peanuts yet! My baby is grown up!</div>
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I will end this blog here - as something dovie-dramatic then happened..... so the next blog will carry on and will be published asap! I have been so lax about blogging, what with the wedding and everything, and am paying the price of having to do a massive catch up!</div>
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To be cont.....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-123381715985705902015-04-28T13:24:00.001-07:002015-04-28T13:24:58.169-07:00Mainly about Solo - and what happened to Cloud<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday 9th April 15 - 6.35am – There was a male and female white dove in the garden and I wondered if
it was Loretta and another male, but it wasn’t. Lucky didn’t turn up til nearly
7am and Loretta not til 8am. They were very slow in feeding Solo and he didn’t
get fed til 8.45am, when they both fed him. Once I know he’s been fed, I can
relax! I feel that I have to take some responsibility for him, and if the
parents didn’t feed him, or didn’t come back for some reason, I would have to
make other arrangements. Now he is nearly two weeks old, I know that I could
cope hand-feeding him if I had to. But all is well at the moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Solo in an old hood of mine, with his cuddly toy!</div>
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Friday 10.4.15
- There was a hawk kill in the garden this morning. I surprised it and I think
the victim was already dead as she picked it up and flew off with it. It was a
pigeon – I hope an unknown one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So a bad
start to the morning, but a nice surprise in the afternoon. I was digging over
the raised bed and a pair of sweet white doves, definitely a male and a female,
sat on the wire above me. Somehow I felt that they were ‘new’ or different in
some way to my most known white doves. When they came down to eat, I was amazed
to see the female had a blue ring, and was eating in a funny sort of sideways
motion .... Bianca! Truly, I could hardly believe it as the last time I saw her
was in February and I thought she had PMV. I looked back over my blogs and
found that it was on the 17<sup>th</sup> Feb that I last saw her .......caught
and hand-fed her. I released her because I just can’t look after any more
birds, and when I didn’t see her again I felt terrible, thinking she had
perished. But here she definitely was, with a nice looking white male partner.
Good news indeed! So for nearly two months she has managed to find enough to
eat... I obviously worry too much. Bianca’s been around for at least a couple
of years now – she used to be with a male I called Dirty Ricky, whether this is
he or A.N Other I don’t know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Male white dove, with the blue-ringed Bianca</div>
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I haven’t
seen Loretta since the morning and don’t think she is feeding Solo, but I saw
Lucky feed him 7.30am and twice during the afternoon. I think he needs a feed
before bedtime and as I write this in real time it is 5.30pm so hope Lucky
comes back and gives him one. It’s quite normal for the male birds to do the
feeding at this stage. If he hasn’t fed him by 6.30pm then he’s probably not
going to, so I will give him a top up. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing to do,
but this baby does seem to be getting less feeds than is usual. The last feed
Lucky gave him must’ve been before 3pm – so it will be a long long time til
breakfast if I don’t. It’s always a worry to me to know what to do for the
best.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky didn’t
return and I took Solo out for a little top up feed. Although the early evening
was warm, I kept him covered while I did it. I offered him the shot glass with
tepid water and he had a little drink – clever little thing. But I hope I did
the right thing! I took the chance to weigh him – before I fed him - and he
weighed approx 249g and according to my Feral Pigeons book (Richard E. Johnston
and Marian Janiga) that is near spot on for his age (250g) – so I was pleased! I put
him back in the nestbox afterwards and will bring him in as usual, about
7.30-7.45pm. He’s such a cute funny little stripey thing and I think he is
beginning to know me. I love him!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sat. 11.4.15-
I have a feeling that Loretta isn’t around. The bird that I always think is
her, as it is so similar, is actually a male – and there might be more than one
Loretta lookalikes. The male ‘Loretta’ could actually be a nest-sibling as he
is so similar, but when I see the real one, I know her and she was not there at
the morning feed. Lucky fed Solo at 7.30am and then 10 mins later I happened to
notice that an adult was in the nestbox and I waited for it to emerge hoping it
was Loretta, but it was Lucky feeding again. I do trust him to look after Solo,
but it seems a shame if Loretta has already disappeared off the scene.
Originally I got the impression that she came from a long way away, and maybe
she has gone back there, leaving Lucky to bring up Solo. I last saw her on
Thursday. Lucky is also doing a lot of flirting with other females, though the
male birds do this anyway whether they have a female or not. I have also seen
him mating with Chino and Cissie, but not Cloud (who is a grumpyguts anyway!).
He doesn’t treat the homies badly, so I don’t mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Above, Lucky visits the homies - he's in front of Cloud in the hutch, with Chino standing on the run, and Cissie still inside it.</div>
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Loretta was
back by 8.15am, ate sparingly like she always does, and then flew off when the
others did. I get the impression she is done with Solo!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky came
back and fed Solo at 1.15pm, and surprisingly stayed in the nestbox with him
for quite a while. This was nice to see as Solo spends many long hours on his
own, without even a sibling to observe and snuggle with, so I was glad Daddy
Lucky was giving him some attention. Maybe he’s saying ‘Mummy’s gone fly-about
so it’s just you and me little buddy!’<o:p></o:p></div>
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He fed him
again at about 3.30pm but after that I didn’t see him feed - I will probably
top him up about 6.30pm but won’t bore you from now on with an endless feeding
schedule!<o:p></o:p></div>
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When all the
birds have left, even the last pigeon stragglers, the garden is very quiet and
it starts to get chilly. Little Solo is then all alone, in a big dovecote, on
his baby ownio, without mum, dad or sibling – so I go out with my straw-filled
box and bring him in to spend the night in the spare room with my homies. He’s
two weeks old now, so soon he will have to spend the night outside, but I will
‘tuck him in’ then and in the meantime I am happier with having him in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5J2b3X26wZs/VT1B7EEaEQI/AAAAAAAAOAU/DOp2TYJZfdI/s1600/Lucky.Bianca.11.4.15%2B022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5J2b3X26wZs/VT1B7EEaEQI/AAAAAAAAOAU/DOp2TYJZfdI/s1600/Lucky.Bianca.11.4.15%2B022.JPG" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
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Above, my Grace eats from my hand</div>
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12th April 15 - Solo, about 16 days old - he has pretty markings, don't you think?</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bqTjOjfmM8E/VT1FiyZjeLI/AAAAAAAAOAk/q0tTQ_tMogs/s1600/Solo.12.4.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bqTjOjfmM8E/VT1FiyZjeLI/AAAAAAAAOAk/q0tTQ_tMogs/s1600/Solo.12.4.15%2B001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gYK_a1D4gWw/VT1FiYYndHI/AAAAAAAAOAg/KCv5pgvC5zI/s1600/Solo.12.4.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gYK_a1D4gWw/VT1FiYYndHI/AAAAAAAAOAg/KCv5pgvC5zI/s1600/Solo.12.4.15%2B005.JPG" height="320" width="286" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1d4AgmmGuI/VT1FlSYtJCI/AAAAAAAAOA4/8hIkj7CBiA4/s1600/Solo.12.4.15%2B007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1d4AgmmGuI/VT1FlSYtJCI/AAAAAAAAOA4/8hIkj7CBiA4/s1600/Solo.12.4.15%2B007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tuesday 14<sup>th</sup>
April – Lucky is being a good dad and I am pleased with Solo’s progress. I
thought Loretta might have remembered that she had a baby because she flew to
the ledge on the nestbox this morning.... but didn’t go in, and I realised it
was only because another male was hassling her. He continued to do so when she
went to the ground again, and Lucky was watching but ‘Ho hum, I’m not bovvered’
he says ‘these females are such flibbertygibbets, but I’ve got MY BOY!’</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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At lunchtime,
the only two birds around were Lucky and Mrs. Blackbird – both looking for food
for their babies. Lucky stood on the patio for quite a while, and I crouched
near him and spoke to him, telling him he’s a special bird. He is not tame like
Grace is, flying to my hand, but he knows and accepts me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nAGn7GsDmI8/VT6I655VgSI/AAAAAAAAOBQ/yMCt-yDIGPM/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nAGn7GsDmI8/VT6I655VgSI/AAAAAAAAOBQ/yMCt-yDIGPM/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B001.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bianca and
her mate are still around in the afternoons, and my Autumn has come back again. I am so so thankful she wasn't involved in the cull. Here she is......<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIwZk4hBbo8/VT6JRY3oIiI/AAAAAAAAOBc/Fw__cze0BCo/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIwZk4hBbo8/VT6JRY3oIiI/AAAAAAAAOBc/Fw__cze0BCo/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B016.JPG" height="302" width="320" /></a></div>
Autumn - my oldest surviving 'baby' hatched in my cote (that still visits) - 3 years old this summer<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qQIx0rq5Ts0/VT6JRJKrsjI/AAAAAAAAOBY/ZNuwKm_89ow/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qQIx0rq5Ts0/VT6JRJKrsjI/AAAAAAAAOBY/ZNuwKm_89ow/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B023.JPG" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
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And below, Dolly, another special 'baby' - 2 years this spring</div>
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Sometimes, I just have to get my camera as I think .....what if this was the last time I ever see this bird......<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1TIq-f_t2A/VT6JoSJUdQI/AAAAAAAAOBo/e-LhHq_krFA/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1TIq-f_t2A/VT6JoSJUdQI/AAAAAAAAOBo/e-LhHq_krFA/s1600/Autumn.Dolly.14.4.15%2B030.JPG" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
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15.4.15
- All baby doves and pigeons when they
get to a certain age will rear up and ‘hiss’ at you if you approach the nest,
in an effort to protect themselves from predators. Solo is the only baby I’ve
ever had who doesn’t do this to me – instead he flaps his wings and says ‘Feed
me, feed me!’ – and I say ‘No Solo, only a top up in the evenings after Daddy’s
gone’, because I want him to get his main food from Lucky of course! – but a
little snackette at 6.30pm after Daddy’s left the garden is ok!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thursday 16<sup>th</sup>
April 15 – I had such a lovely surprise this morning! I had Cloud in my hands
as I had just fed her and the flock had flown off in a panic for some
reason..... when something walked through the open garden gate....I couldn’t
focus for a moment, then I saw it was Mrs. Mallard Duck with her brood of
little babies. Amazing! I flew into the house, dumped Cloud into her crate,
rushed to get the camera and outside again.....but couldn’t see them..... but
yes there they were, crossing the flower bed and walking towards the gate to
the island.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-073mCmQs-38/VT6LZa-jffI/AAAAAAAAOCM/zO36QtEEVmA/s1600/Ducklings.16.4.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-073mCmQs-38/VT6LZa-jffI/AAAAAAAAOCM/zO36QtEEVmA/s1600/Ducklings.16.4.15%2B001.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fZbPhRjZZnk/VT6La-Ei2fI/AAAAAAAAOCU/41OonbS-G5M/s1600/Ducklings.16.4.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fZbPhRjZZnk/VT6La-Ei2fI/AAAAAAAAOCU/41OonbS-G5M/s1600/Ducklings.16.4.15%2B005.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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My photos are a bit fuzzy but it was just a case of taking some quick snaps!</div>
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I kept my distance as didn’t want to frighten them, and at one
point Mrs. Duck seemed to hesitate and turn back, but then she decided to carry
on, with the tiny babies waddling behind her. I let them get through the gate
then I followed. Mrs. Duck had done a sharp right and obviously just jumped
into the water, and the babies were following......they looked so cute with their legs sticking out at funny angles, and with no fear whatsoever about the drop! - Mummy must know best!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FITaL47e2EE/VT6L5uJaC9I/AAAAAAAAOCc/N1ycQS7dQ0A/s1600/Ducklings.16.4.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FITaL47e2EE/VT6L5uJaC9I/AAAAAAAAOCc/N1ycQS7dQ0A/s1600/Ducklings.16.4.15%2B006.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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As they hit the water one
by one they were all obviously swept into the swirling water of the little
weir, and my heart was in my mouth, but they all met up further downstream. My
camera ran out of charge and the ones I got weren’t very good but I was so
happy and privileged to see them.</div>
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Later - well I
thought things were going well with Lucky and Solo, despite Loretta’s
disinterest but the situation deteriorated today. I saw Lucky feed Solo first
thing, but unless he fed him again in the morning when I was out I am pretty
sure that was the only time. In the afternoon, when I was gardening I thought
I’d wait til 3pm (bearing in mind little Solo had only been fed at 7am) but
Lucky didn’t feed, so I gave a small one and some water, and hoped Lucky would
come back – which he did at about 3.45pm. He came down to the lawn, ate a bit,
then something startled the birds and off they all flew. Poor little Solo! So
this time, I thought I’d wait and see if Lucky came back by 5pm – which he
didn’t, so Solo got another little feed. I kept popping out, and looking out, and
eventually was quite surprised to see Lucky about 6.00pm but.... the same
happened as at 3.45 – he ate a bit himself, got startled and flew away. So it
pretty well looked like Lucky only fed his baby once today. I gave Solo more of
a proper feed at 6.30pm and put him back in the cote – though I will be
collecting him to bring into the house about 7.30pm. These happenings reminded me of another time,
with other babies, when for some reason I did all the feeds one day because the
parents couldn’t or didn’t – and then the next day things were back to normal.
I very much hope that this will be the case with Lucky and Solo. Although I
enjoy interacting with baby pigeons, and don’t mind feeding them, it is far
better for them if the parents do it. Also I have a problem with knowing how
much they should drink. You must NEVER squirt water into a bird’s beak or down
their throat by the way – so I offer little sips of tepid water from a small
shot glass and hope that the baby will take enough. I can’t find any info on
how much they should drink.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what’s the
reason for Lucky’s neglect today? Of course, I just don’t know. Maybe he spends
a lot of time flying to wherever he got Loretta from, thus taking him away from
the garden..... maybe he’s not interested in Solo because Loretta has lost
interest in him.....I really can’t think that it is because there is something
wrong with Solo – (and parents obviously
neglect ill or deformed chicks) as he is an obviously healthy baby. Maybe
Lucky’s feeling unwell or feeling his age – since his daughter Dolly is 2 this
spring, Lucky must be at least 2 years 9 months and is probably 3 years old or
more. I read somewhere that feral pigeons live 3-4 years, and somewhere else
that they live 5-6 years – so if 5 to 6 is ‘old’ then Lucky must be middle
aged! Of course, pigeons in captivity, well looked after – can live to 15 years
or more. In my 9 or so years of dove and
pigeon keeping/observing I have not known a free bird be around here for longer
than three years. It makes me feel anxious when the parents don’t look after
the babies properly. Of course, I will do whatever I can for Solo, and it’s
lovely having a tame baby, but it’s not so good for the baby – they need their
parent/s – Oh come on Lucky, buck up! Solo needs you!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thurs 16<sup>th</sup>
April 2015 – I got up at 6.10am and brought Solo in his
box through to the kitchen. Lucky arrived in the garden before 6.30am and as
soon as I saw him I popped Solo back in the nestbox. Lucky had had a bit of
food himself and left by 6.40am – not having fed Solo. I mentally dithered, not
knowing what was best to do, and eventually fed Solo at 7.10am – but typically
Lucky was back 5 minutes later, and eventually fed Solo at 7.30am, so I
should’ve waited. I could see from the ground that Solo was totally forgiving
and pleased to see his daddy again, and Lucky stayed in there with him for a
good 4-5 minutes, making it a good feed – I hoped! He then stayed on the roof
for 15 mins, but when he’d gone I went out to feel Solo’s crop so I would know
how much is a good crop full! So, all is well for now – with Lucky eventually
feeding his baby 24 hours after he last fed him (but luckily Solo has a
dove-grandma!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Friday
17.4.15 – Today was better – Lucky fed at 7.30am, 1pm and 3.30pm. I fed Solo at
6.30pm. Hopefully Thursday was just a blip. Loretta was here briefly on the
patio in the afternoon – it seems she and Lucky are divorced already!!!! – he
is definitely not lucky in love! I never see her with Lucky and she was being
‘driven’ by a white male. At about this time, when the baby, or more usually
babies, are 2-3 weeks old, the pair are usually looking to have more eggs – but
unless Lucky finds a new female – or Loretta comes back and is forgiven – then
it doesn’t look like that will be
happening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJTDK2d3NV8/VT6NwpwLKAI/AAAAAAAAOCo/PtU2EMZVaXY/s1600/17.4.15%2B024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rJTDK2d3NV8/VT6NwpwLKAI/AAAAAAAAOCo/PtU2EMZVaXY/s1600/17.4.15%2B024.JPG" height="244" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Mandarin Duck on the lawn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Saturday
18.4.15 – Another not so good day. It started well with Lucky feeding Solo at
7.30am and 1pm.... then.... nothing..... I was gardening all afternoon and was
pretty sure Lucky was not even around. I
was on edge all the time. Eventually I gave in and gave Solo a little feed at
5pm, just so he could have something and I could give him a drink. Lucky
eventually turned up at 5.50pm with some pigeons, and a white female he seemed
to be interested in. I threw food down but none of the birds came to the lawn,
and it is now 6.05pm and I am typing and watching the cote at the same time. I
went out to look at the roof at 6.15pm – and they’d all gone! Solo was peeking
out of the cote - If you saw that little face waiting at the window it would
break your heart. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqxhdzWxHVI/VT6OmcEom5I/AAAAAAAAOCw/96ZIDqrX1Hc/s1600/silver.ash.trendy.sindy.18.4.15%2B045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DqxhdzWxHVI/VT6OmcEom5I/AAAAAAAAOCw/96ZIDqrX1Hc/s1600/silver.ash.trendy.sindy.18.4.15%2B045.JPG" height="320" width="221" /></a></div>
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I went out at 6.30pm, wrapped him in a warm fleecy blanket,
and gave him a good feed. I am still bringing him in at night so will collect
him in an hour.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whatever
happens, whether Lucky feeds Solo or not, on any particular day or time, I will
keep to the routine for a squab of his age. So he will stay in the nestbox all
day, and only taken out for feeds if I have to. After this weekend, I must bite
the bullet and leave him outside at night, so he gets used to it. I’m hoping
that Lucky will show enough interest to help him to fledge, but if not then I
will have to do my best, like I did with Santa.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sunday – 19<sup>th</sup>
April 2015 – My routine for the last few days has been – get up on the alarm at
6am, put Solo back in the nestbox, go back to bed and get some more sleep til
7am when I get up and feed the flock. Lucky was there and later on when he went
to the water bath and took some water I was pleased as that’s what he always does
before feeding – he fed Solo at 7.35am, and shortly afterwards with Lucky still
on the roof I went to feel Solo’s crop. Honestly, I couldn’t really feel
anything, and I knew Lucky hadn't eaten that much himself. I waited til the
birds flew away then took Solo out for a slap up breakfast! After 9 grains, I
remembered that I had wanted to weigh him, so took him inside – 270g approx
which means he has put on weight which is good. He’s about three weeks old now
and I fed him about 25 grains total. I put this info down not so much for you,
but for me if I was re-reading and needing to feed another bird – it’s all
useful info.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I didn’t see
Loretta at all at this morning feed. She was obviously bowled over by the
attentions of a persuasive older man, allowing herself to be rushed into an
hasty marriage and the laying of eggs. But as she whiled away the hours sitting
on them, she had plenty of time to repent at leisure. This is jolly boring, she
thought, and now a screaming brat to look after..... I think I’ll get a quickie
divorce! Thank goodness, she can’t take half the dove-cote – ha ha!! So I very much doubt if we will see any more
babies from these two as a pair, and Solo may end up being Lucky’s last baby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky fed
again about 1.30pm but that was it – he seems to think two feeds are day is enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Below, Cissie - wearing a fluffy feather has a hat!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lydyqTGbwlY/VT6PzoPA0tI/AAAAAAAAOC4/zZkcyKyhcz0/s1600/Colony.HK.clothes%2B021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lydyqTGbwlY/VT6PzoPA0tI/AAAAAAAAOC4/zZkcyKyhcz0/s1600/Colony.HK.clothes%2B021.JPG" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
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Monday
20.4.15 – I noticed an adult white dove at the cote and knew straight away it
wasn’t Lucky so went out to look. It peeked in the nestbox and I chased it away
but it came back few minutes later. I
might have to block Solo in when I go out, as I have had a couple of
experiences with aggressive doves in the past and can’t risk his safety. The
bird went up a third time and I blocked the entrance even though I am here at
the moment, so as to give Solo peace and the bird an indication that this is
not a good nesting site! Mr. Strong was there too, and I gave the few birds
around, including the pheasant! – some grain to distract them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was going
out so decided to leave Solo blocked in til I got back. I would be an hour and
a half – back at 1pm, and hoped to be back before the earliest time Lucky has
fed Solo recently i.e. 1.30pm. The worst that could happen would be that Lucky
would get back early and be bewildered by the block, but I knew he would
forgive me, and better that than an aggressive dove entered the nestbox while I
was out. When I got back there were no white doves around, and Solo had neatly
pooped a few times on his nappy paper – which I changed! It’s good for me to
see his poops as I know then he is getting enough food and water.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Solo - about 3 weeks old - in the nestbox with some little grains to experiment with</div>
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Afternoon –
As you know, I let the homies out in the afternoons when I am around. Sometimes
I garden, but other times I am in and around the house, constantly checking
that they are ok. Today I had been inside for some minutes and when I checked –
oh God no! .... there was the hawk on top of a white dove, which I knew
instantly was probably Cloud. I had been lax and now the hawk had got my
special girl! And Cissie was running round the lawn in circles like a mad
thing! I rushed out and the hawk flew away. Cloud was wounded but alive, and
tried to escape from me, but I soon picked her up, shooed Cissie into the shed
kitchen, and shut the door on her. I knew that Chino would be under the counter
in there, where she always hides – and with the door shut they would be totally
safe. I took Cloud into the kitchen, and wrapped her in a towel, so I could
calm and examine her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Thankfully,
it wasn’t too bad – I reckon the hawk had had her for no more than five minutes
– though that’s a long time when a hawk’s got you! I am SO sorry, so sorry,
Cloud, I kept apologising to her. I washed the wounds with warm water, then
applied the Veterinus Derma Gel I bought for this sort of purpose (I also have
a spray). I am pretty sure she won’t die, the wounds are only fairly
superficial. When she had been anointed, I took her into the conservatory so
she could be in her safe crate. The conservatory gets warm in the afternoons
and I felt that would be good for shock! Then I removed the other homies from
the shed kitchen, putting Chino in the run and Cissie in Cloud’s hutch.
Then I checked Solo! – even though I knew he would be ok! There were feathers
over the path.......</div>
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and blood all down my T shirt. What a mess! But Cloud has
survived and that’s the main thing, and a lesson to me to be more careful.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course the
hawk strike meant that the flock scattered, and daddy Lucky left without
feeding Solo. He’d fed at 7.30am, I had fed at 9.15am and 2pm. I hoped he would
come back but knew if he didn’t then I would give Solo a nice big supper.
Usually I do this about 6.30pm but was a bit earlier tonight at 6.10pm – which
proved to be fortunate – as an hour later, when all the garden was pretty quiet
and I was watching tv inside, I noticed a flurry in the cote, and went out to
look. Was that just Solo flapping about or what? But it was Lucky in there with
him, having come back so late to feed his baby. I reckon Solo must be
absolutely stuffed!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday
21.4.15 – My usual routine with the homies first thing is to put Chino in the
conservatory – as she is nervous – and then take Cissie and Cloud into the
garden to feed the flock and give them their hand-feed breakfast. But today I
took them out separately as I needed to treat Cloud gently. She is ok, but she
had diarrahoea which is unusual for her, and no doubt due to the trauma, and
later on when I put her in the hutch, she stayed in the hidey-part most of the
day – poor little thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky is now
not in my good books AT ALL! He fed Solo first thing and again a while later,
which was not usual for his routine at the moment but I was pleased..... then
he disappeared and was not seen all day. Of course I fed Solo at appropriate
times, and hoped Lucky would come back to feed him in the evening, like last
night. I popped out after we’d had supper, and yes, Lucky was there, with
another white dove and one pigeon..... it was well after dovie-feeding time,
about 7.15pm – and Lucky gobbled down a lot of grains, which of course I threw
him because I thought he was going to feed Solo – but he didn’t! He just ate and
left! I had fed Solo at 6pm-ish and felt I’d probably given him enough, so I
left him in the cote til just after 7.30pm in case Lucky came back – and then
brought him in for the night. I feel I am pampering him a bit but haven’t left
him in the cote as we have had a couple of light frosts. Tomorrow night I do
plan to leave him outside – I can tell he doesn’t want to come in as he digs
his feet into the nesting material and clings on. Below - Solo today - he still retains his 'baby' yellow down on his head.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Wed. 22.4.15
- Lucky fed Solo in the morning, and I
managed to get back with my granddaughter at 1pm to give him a feed, then I was
out again til 5. I very much doubted that Lucky had fed him at all, so I gave
him another one – and water of course which is very important (and in fact now
he sups from a little glass very well!). I hoped Lucky would come, but in vain.
So I took Solo out of the cote at 7.10pm which was the latest I thought I could
leave it, and gave him a good supper. Lucky didn’t come back at all, and
obviously, if it was not for me also feeding this baby he would’ve withered
away and died – or if not died been very very little and peaky. I feel this <i>must </i>be because Loretta went away –
although in a reverse situation, like when Glory, the male, was killed by the
hawk when his babies were only a few days old, his mate, Hope, brought up two
babies entirely on her own – with me making sure she had plenty of food of
course. I think it must be a male thing. I am not really cross with Lucky –
this is his third breeding season in the cote, and his third mate – and he is
an interesting bird. He obviously doesn’t understand, and probably just
remembers Solo when he is here himself in the mornings. Well, we
progress.....Solo is doing quite well and that is the most important thing.
Tonight I stuck to the plan – Solo was put back after the late feed and went to
the back of the nestbox. I tucked him in with a bit of extra hay, a cashmere
glove stuffed with feathers (pheasant) for a ‘duvet’, and a small rolled up bit
of fleecy fabric at the entrance – which I then blocked with the little grille
that hubby made, and the half brick so it stays in position – whew! I am pretty
sure he will be warm enough, and that enough air is getting in – but I do
worry. I will get up and unblock him about 6.10am before the birds are back in
the garden.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Solo is
getting far more interested in the world outside the cote. He is about 26 days
old and technically could fledge in a couple of days, but it would be more
usual for him not to fledge until he is 32-35 days. In the normal way, there is
a period of under-feeding by the parent/s that promotes fledging – well, Lucky
could hardly underfeed as he is hardly feeding anyway – and I have no idea how
much is underfeeding. I would prefer Solo not to fledge yet, as he will have
more of a chance of survival the longer he is in the nestbox and the bigger he
is – but I just have to see how it goes. Usually I ring the babies well before
Solo’s age but as he has distinctive colouring and is the only baby I haven’t
yet done so – but I will because if he grows up and survives I would always
want to know him. The trouble is I don’t like my new rings much – they are too
chunky and I can’t find the smaller ones I used to have.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thurs 23.4.15
– Cloud’s wounds are healing but the effect on her psychologically has been
terrible. She is now too scared to wander about the garden, and is only happy
when she is hiding or in my arms or in the conservatory crate, as below. It
will take a long time before she forgets what happened, and the other homies
aren’t as happy as they were either.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky fed
Solo first thing and tried to encourage him out onto the hedge – though he is
young yet. I fed him at about 11am as we were out for lunch and some of the
afternoon. We got back just before 3pm and as the car drew up I noticed a dark
pigeon sitting on one of the cote ledges. I hoped it hadn’t been interfering
with Solo! But then I saw Lucky in the back nestbox....... until I looked
closer and realised it was a Lucky-a-like! A white dove with a black smudge or
two. But Lucky <i>was</i> there – on the
roof and Solo was fine. It looks like maybe we will have new birds in the cote,
unless Lucky won’t allow them to stay.</div>
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I don’t mind who comes, pigeon or dove,
as long as they don’t hurt Solo. It was a lovely sunny afternoon and the birds
stayed around. Lucky fed Solo at 3pm, 5pm and 6pm! Goodness! He is in Good Daddy mode! Solo spent much time
hovering on the ledge or sitting peacefully watching the pigeon world go by
under his window.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sat.25.4.15 –
Amazing! Lucky arrived this afternoon bringing Loretta with him! I can now tell
her apart from the Loretta-a-like who has very similar markings indeed, but
Loretta has dark eyes (what they call ‘bull eyes’) while the other has amber
eyes with dark pupils (Lucky, funnily enough, has odd eyes – one of each!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other
birds interested in the cote haven’t been around for a while. I forgot to say
that it is now some weeks since Claro and Tommy who were fighting for a place
in the cote both flew away. I have no reason to think either of these young
males – both hatched in the cote last summer – are dead. I just think they’ve
gone looking for adventures and mates! I hope to see them both again one day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sun 26<sup>th</sup>
April 15 – Today I took the opportunity to ring and weigh Solo. He weighs 265g
which I think is slightly less than the last time, but he seems ok and I have
picked up adult birds that weigh less. I wanted to ring him so I would always
know him, but as he is quite distinctive anyway I didn’t need an outstanding
ring – and I am always worried that the brighter colour rings will attract the
hawk’s attention – like a red rag to a bull! – so I ringed him in pale blue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our adopted cat, Loopy, appeared at the gate - the pigeons seemed unconcerned. She's a funny cat - she'll sit and listen to me speaking to her, but I haven't touched her for about two years (so she's pretty feral and probably has fleas).</div>
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Late aft –
despite gloomy weather and only a few pigeons around, Solo was still on the
ledge of the cote, looking to me like he was waiting for supper! I never know
whether to feed him or not – and when. I
did feed him about 6pm and if Lucky comes back later, then so be it. It’s not
an ideal situation at all, the whole thing has been a little tricky, but it is
most important that Solo gets a good supper to see him through the night in the
cote. After I’d fed him and given him water, he went and settled down, so I
think he was waiting, poor little thing. I do put little grains on his ledge
and I see him pecking at them, but even if he was managing to pick them up, it wouldn’t
be enough to sustain him. My current routine with him is to let Lucky feed or
not feed until the time when Lucky flies away with the others in the morning-
which is usually a while after the morning feed, and then I take him out to
feed him, knowing that Lucky won’t be back til 1pm ish at the earliest
(usually) – and then I don’t feed him again until supper. I saw Lucky feed him
a couple of times today, but he doesn’t seem to feed him much – in quantity I
mean. Lucky didn’t return, though a white dove was circling at 7pm but I soon
saw it hadn’t got Lucky’s black streak in it’s tail, and it was, in fact, Mr.
Strong – so fortunate I did feed Solo or he wouldn’t have had any supper.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mon 27.4.15 - Solo fledged today........ I didn't see him fly out of the cote, but there he was, in the raised bed....</div>
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As soon as I realised he was out and about, I stayed outside to keep guard of him, and after a while of pecking, he tried to fly up to the nestbox but landed - plomp! - into the pampas grass - from where I rescued him and put him up in the cote.</div>
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Below, Lucky - Solo's daddy - looking a bit startled</div>
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In the afternoon, I saw Lucky and another male, chasing a female I took at first long distance glance to be Loretta - but I soon saw she was a very pretty white and brown ringed pigeon.</div>
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Lucky tried to jump on top of her - not the actions of an officer and a gentleman, Lucky! - and I could tell she was poorly or exhausted, though was trying to eat. I let them get on with it, and a few minutes later when the flock flew off, I found her still there on the path, and easily netted her. I couldn't find any injury, but she seemed thin and I got the impression she was tired. When I examined her I found pink staining under her wings, which I had never seen before - I mean like something painted on.</div>
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As well as her ring number, she had a phone number, so I rang. The gentleman who answered did not speak English as his first language, but we managed reasonably well. He lives in Streatham which is South London - and about 25 miles from here. I agreed to keep the bird and see how she was tomorrow. I put her in the hutch for the rest of the afternoon, with food and water - as Cloud was out in the garden anyway. </div>
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Safe, she was able to have a little doze</div>
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Then later, I put Chino to bed early, and brought the racer into the conservatory for the night. She seemed to have runny green poops - which can mean the bird hasn't had enough to eat and also probably signifies some illness. </div>
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Tue 28.4.15 - But she was reasonably ok in the morning, and went back to the hutch, and after I'd done feeding the flock and sorting my birds, I opened it up and she flew to the roof - so far, so good.By that time, Solo had also flown to the roof - so the racer's at the bottom, Solo's in a diagonal line up to the left - and Lucky's one of the two on the top right.</div>
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It didn't take Lucky long to find the pretty racer - but ignored eager little Solo</div>
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Poor Solo - daddy's only interested in chasing girls!</div>
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It's a week since the hawk attack on Cloud, and now I have stopped putting on the gel. Her wounds are healing well, and she is far happier in herself and will wander around the lawn again.</div>
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Solo gave himself his first bath!</div>
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Sometimes it seems that little Solo doesnt have a friend in the world, except me. Lucky is paying him scant attention, and certainly doesnt snuggle or preen him, like I have seen other daddy birds do to their babies. But he is still giving him some food - either on the ground or in the nestbox, and Solo is starting to pick up little grains himself. I watched extremely closely and he is getting them and eating them - clever boy! Though I did see him struggling with a small stone - you can't eat <i>that</i> Solo! I am also giving him a small morning feed, after Lucky has left, and then a good supper in the evening after Lucky has gone.<br />
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Henry, the pheasant, now comes running to get his peanuts</div>
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To be cont........</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-91725739404854276192015-04-08T12:59:00.001-07:002015-04-08T12:59:55.491-07:00Ockie - and hatching day arrives<div class="MsoNormal">
Thurs 26<sup>th</sup>
March 2015 – If you read my last blog you will know that I am looking after a
little collared dove, found on the road, and brought to me to care for. He had
a pleasant day yesterday, sitting outside in the warm sun, protected by being
in the run, but still able to enjoy the fresh air. I was glad that he had had
that time because when I went in first thing this morning, poor little Ockie
was dead. I was saddened but not surprised. I had done what I could but it was
not to be. I think he was one of the sweetest little things I have ever looked
after, but who knows what was wrong with him or why he was unable to look after
himself. There’s no point speculating. RIP little brown angel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Vistors on the patio! - and no I didn't feed them - there are hungry enough mouths already!</div>
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Now, what is this white blob below?</div>
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It's Cloud on walkabout, tiptoeing through the daffodils!</div>
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Four pigeons were sent out to fetch her back!!!</div>
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Sat. 28.3.15
– The eggs are due to hatch this weekend, and of course I am looking forward to
it. I took the grain over to the island to feed the flock first thing and when
I came back there was a part egg shell on the patio – I’m sure it hadn’t been
there when I came out! Ooh, Lucky and Loretta might have a new baby or even
two!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Later – No
more evidence of hatching, and because Loretta is a new bird to me, I daren’t
go too near the cote to investigate. Although Lucky would probably tolerate me
mounting the steps and having a peek, it is not worth the risk in case it did
upset him. I don’t want anything to go wrong with my first babies of 2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sun. 29.3.15
– Lucky and Loretta are good parents; not leaving the babies alone even for a few
seconds, which obviously they shouldn’t do at this age. I did stand on a chair
at a distance from the cote when Lucky was on duty, and I did see him bending
his neck down and making the sort of head movements that would indicate that he
was feeding. I wonder what the baby or babies will be like? As Lucky and
Loretta both have darker patches in their white feathers, the babies could be
very pretty.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Regular
readers will remember that my last mummy dove, Charm, was very inclined to
leave her new babies too early, causing me much distress, worry and complicated
arrangements to try to ensure their survival. I am hoping that Loretta will
spare me all this but I can’t be sure of it – these doves are not ‘homed’ to
the cote and I have no idea what kind of mother she will prove to be. Charm
used to leave the babies at night at four days old (when they shouldn’t be left
until fourteen days really). All I can do is check that she is on the nest when I go
to bed, and hope she stays there all night. Last year, something happened and
Charm who was definitely on her nest when I went to bed, most unusually left
the dovecote in the night or very early in the morning and her babies died –
and so did the baby, and one unhatched egg of the other young mother dove in
the cote. I still haven’t really got over that incident, and can only pray that
all is calm and quiet for Loretta while the babies are so little. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wed 1.4.15 –
We’ve had a couple of extremely windy nights – more worry for me in case the
cote should blow down! I don’t know how I manage to sleep sometimes. But all
was well in the mornings. I still have not managed to have a peep at the babies,
though I have tried several times more, but only when Lucky’s on the nest.
Today when I was up there, I was pretty sure that I could see an egg – which
would mean that one egg didn’t hatch, as it is unlikely to be an eggshell.....
I think. I couldn’t see a baby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I try to be
around for the morning and late afternoon changes – when Lucky and Loretta swap
places. This means that I can ensure the safety of the parent that is out,
while it feeds, and also know that the babies are not left alone. The late afternoon
change has been about half five and when Loretta didn’t come back I was
concerned. I could tell that Lucky was agitated as he kept peeking out, and I
wondered if he was hungry. It was nearly 6pm. There were a few pigeons still
around so I threw some grain on the ground fairly near the cote, and of course
the gannets came down – and Lucky came out to eat. I quickly grabbed the steps,
moved them to under the cote, scrambled up for a look – only one baby, yellow
and plump, and an unhatched egg. Lucky gobbled some peanuts and then.....flew
off! Oh no Lucky! – your baby! I dashed back into the cottage, said to hubby
‘Loretta has not come back, and Lucky has left the nest’ – ‘Oh my God’ he said
– which was not meaning oh my god, the poor baby but more oh my god now she
will be fussing about the baby and bringing it into the house etc. I went and
got my ‘electric hen’ machine and plugged it in, and fished out the fake nest
which is an old hood of mine with hay in it. I’ll wait 5 minutes only, I
thought, then I will bring it in. As I looked out of the window, there was a
white flash of wings, and Loretta flew into the cote – thank heavens! Had Lucky
gone to find her? Did he know she’d come back? Well, who knows, but I was so
glad she was back to take care of their one baby. I’m not sad there is only
one, as I am so pleased that there IS one! I had thought of some names for the
pair, but now they are not appropriate so my one singleton baby dove will be
called Solo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thurs 2nd - In the
afternoon, when it was a little warmer, Lucky left Solo for a few minutes and
came down to the ground for some food, then he flew to the roof but was back in
the cote before I was worried. I managed to get you a photo of the first baby
of the season.</div>
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You can see the unhatched egg too. I didn’t remove it because –
1. It’s not mine to make a decision on, and Lucky is perfectly capable of
chucking it out if he wanted to. 2. I have read that an unhatched egg gives the
baby the support it would’ve got from its sibling. This is not the first
singleton baby I have had in the cote. Flash and Omo in 2012 I think it was hatched only one
of their first two eggs, and that was baby Fairy. My flightless dove, Jose, who mated
with that wonderful intelligent white dove, Happy, also only hatched one of the
two eggs – baby Pearl. My last baby of the summer, last year, Twinkle, did have
a sibling but it had obviously died after only a few days, so Twinkle was
brought up alone but unfortunately he wasn’t long for this world either. I hope
Solo will grow big and strong as he has no-one to share the care of his parents
with – which should benefit him, I think.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Without
bothering to eat, as far as I saw, Loretta flew into the nestbox to relieve
Lucky from his baby sitting duty at 5.25pm tonight – no wonder he was worried
last night at nearly 6pm. Now she is in, I can relax, but just before I go to
bed, I flicker the torch – first round the garden so she sees the light and is
not worried, then for a split second on the cote, to at least make sure she is there
before I go to bed. I have to remember that Loretta is not Charm – with her
upsetting habit of leaving the babies alone at only 4 days old. And of course
Lucky is not Sky – that dreadful father I had a couple of years ago who would
leave the eggs or babies on a whim at any time. I do so want all to go well
with baby Solo – and Lucky deserves a healthy baby. This is his 11th baby. In
Spring 2013, when he was with Charm (his true love), his first babies in the
cote were Fennie and Dolly – and Dolly is still seen every day. So she is two
years old, and Lucky must be at least 9 months older than his daughter and
could well be a year or more older, so he’s now about three years old (or
older). The next two eggs that Charm laid were duds, but in July 13 Lucky and
Charm had Harlequin and Columbine, and then Alpha and Omega in Aug 13. These
two - my darlings Alf and Meg - were peaky – probably due to them nearly dying through Charm’s neglect and
my inexperience – and I had to practically hand rear them. In January 2014,
Lucky and Charm were still together and hatched eggs in January – the ill-fated
babies that were left in the night or early morning by Charm, and were dead
when I found them. I named these Hayley and January. After this, Charm was
enticed away by Snow White and Lucky was ‘divorced’. He helped to rear the
babies hatched from the eggs Charm laid, because he just couldn’t understand
that he wasn’t the father – he tried to do his turn sitting on the eggs, and
fed the babies whenever he got the chance. These babies were Fern and Fleur and
I honestly wouldn’t know if they were Snow White’s biologically or Lucky’s, but
Charm considered SW was the father. Lucky eventually teamed up with Loveday and
they hatched Desiree and Chance later in 2014. Loveday laid more eggs after
that but they came to nothing. If you read my blogs regularly you will know
that Snow White, Charm and many other of my flock, including Loveday probably, were all culled by the owner of wherever they were roosting at night at the
beginning of this year – leaving Lucky alone again. But now he’s with pretty
Loretta, and baby Solo is his 11th baby in my cote (not counting dud eggs and
the possibility that Fern and Fleur were his!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a new and unusual addition to the flock - meet Seagle! So called because she has the proud demeanor of an eagle with the colouring of a seagull!!!</div>
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Seagle is the palest grey I have ever seen. Remember those 'his mum doesnt use Persil' ads, when you saw one kid in greyish football kit and his friend in sparkling white? - well, that's how Seagle appears against the white doves. She has very pale eyes too. Her looks have ensured that she gets regular peanuts! I am pretty sure she is female, and already a favourite with Lucky! He's got an eye for a pretty and unusual female.</div>
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Good Friday –
3.4.15 – I hadn’t seen my magnificent pigeon, Silver Shadow for a couple of
days and had mentally put him on the missing list. About 6pm when all the
pigeons and doves had left, and Lucky and Loretta had switched places half an
hour before, I opened the back door to go out to the shed kitchen as we are
cooking in there now the aga is not lit – and he startled me by flying down
from the porch roof where he had been waiting. I was so glad to see him, and he
ate peanuts from my hand, and then grain from the patio – really stocking up
and having a hearty meal. He is twice the size of the usual pigeons, and about
100 times more beautiful!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Easter
Saturday 4.4.15 – Baby Solo is a week old today! I have only seen him twice,
but that’s more than fine, as it means Lucky and Loretta are keeping him close,
warm and fed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But this
afternoon, I could see him from the ground, craning up to Lucky to be fed. I
got the steps and had a look as Lucky is pretty tolerant, but Solo was tucked
underneath again – I could just see his little bottom with some tiny white
feathers already! Lucky is also keeping the egg with him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Easter Sunday
5.4.15 – I was heading off to Mass but threw some grain to Lucky and some
others on the patio, and Loretta came out of the nest to eat too – so I had
another quick look at Solo, but again he was facing away. I noticed now that he
has quite a lot of dark patches, which is not surprising as both his parents
are not pure white, and we definitely will have darker colouring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I came
back Lucky was on the nest, but again came out for some food, so I grabbed the
camera and got the first proper photo of baby Solo, now about 7/8 days old.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEsPnyLbILg/VSWESi4iz8I/AAAAAAAAN98/tX1kaglbJkk/s1600/Solo.Maisie.5.4.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEsPnyLbILg/VSWESi4iz8I/AAAAAAAAN98/tX1kaglbJkk/s1600/Solo.Maisie.5.4.15%2B001.JPG" height="266" width="320" /></a></div>
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We were out
in the afternoon and didn’t arrive back til 6.30pm – obviously still light.
Pigeons, Grace and Lucky on the roof – No Loretta..... oh dear. Well I fed the
birds that were there, and quickly checked Solo who was content and warm with a
full crop, and within ten minutes Loretta had arrived back, wanting food
herself. While she wasn’t there I had whizzed around, getting my fake hood
nest, preparing a box, putting on the kettle for a hot water bottle, just in
case. But Loretta ate, then walked calmly to the water bath had a drink, then
flew to her baby. I was relieved as Solo is too young to be left at night, so I
would’ve had to bring him in which is always stressful, and also means getting
up very early to put him back in the cote before the parents come back. So far,
touch wood, Loretta and Lucky have been excellent parents to their one new
baby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Easter Monday
6.4.15 – Turned into a warm sunny morning, and Lucky and Loretta left Solo
alone in the cote for short periods – which is fine – and sunned themselves on
the roof, or pecked around the garden. As long as they – or one of them – stays
close to the cote then Solo is now big enough to be left on his own for a
while. He has all the beginnings of his white and darker feathers now and is
getting a big boy! (or girl).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky and Loretta alone on the roof - and on the patio</div>
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5pm – we came
home after the afternoon out. I checked Solo who was alone but fine, then
brought Cloud and Cissie in to the conservatory, where Chino had been left. A
few pigeons came down and were fed, but no mummy and daddy for Solo. About 6pm
two white doves circled and I could see from their tail feathers that they were
Lucky and Loretta, but though they came down to the roof, they didn’t come to
the garden and they didn’t go to Solo. I am now writing in real time - It’s now
nearly 7pm and though he has a very full crop (despite me not feeding the flock
this afternoon) and is warm, if Loretta doesn’t come back soon, I will bring
him in for the night. It just gets too cold and I get too worried. I don’t like
them being left at night til they are two weeks old, and remember Solo doesn’t
have a sibling only a cold egg which doesn’t have much snuggle factor!<o:p></o:p></div>
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7.30pm – I took
a call on my phone and while on it, went into the garden in the vain hope that
Loretta might be there..... and yes, goodness me, a white dove appeared on the
roof but the light was failing and I couldn’t see if it was her. It definitely
wasn’t Lucky, but I wouldn’t expect it to be.... I threw some grain onto the
garden table, and came inside so as not to distract or upset her... if it was
her. She didn’t come to the table but
.....yes, she flew to the cote, waited on the ledge a few seconds, and then
went inside. Good, good, good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tue 7.4.15 –
I removed the egg from the nest today as it seemed to have a crack and I didn’t
want it making the nest messy. Also, as Lucky and Loretta are leaving Solo
alone a lot now, I didn’t want the jackdaws
trying to pinch the egg and upsetting Solo. I cracked it – and there was
no real embryo at all....just a bit of a lumpy thing<o:p></o:p></div>
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I took Solo
out for the first time to have a good look at him – funny little thing!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_FerhtTqi0/VSWF1ReqpfI/AAAAAAAAN-k/UD1uMn7eAh8/s1600/doves.solo.homies.7.4.15%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_FerhtTqi0/VSWF1ReqpfI/AAAAAAAAN-k/UD1uMn7eAh8/s1600/doves.solo.homies.7.4.15%2B009.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below, L to R the homies, Cloud, Cissie, Chino enjoy the freedom in the garden</div>
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Pandora, below, still manages to eat with her beak which grew back twisted after an injury more than 18 months ago</div>
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And later on, the homies tired of pecking round the garden, rest in a sunny corner.</div>
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I had a
feeling Loretta wouldn’t come back tonight. She was around about 6pm, had some
food, flew to the nestbox, checked Solo briefly and then flew away with a
determined clap of wings. I got things ready to bring him in, but waited til
7.45pm as she had come back at 7.30pm last night. It was getting dark and
chilly when I brought him in and he had retreated to the far back of the
nestbox. I really think it wouldn’t do him any good to be left alone all night,
especially without a sibling to keep him warm. He doesn’t have warm enough
feathers, poor little thing – though probably well developed for his age. He’s
currently in the hood, which is in a bowl with a hot water bottle in it, and
the whole thing is in a (partially covered by a rug) deep box! Before I go to
bed, I will change the usual bottle for a microwave one which will stay warm
for most of the night I hope. I’ll be getting up early to put him back in the
nestbox hopefully before his parents know he’s been snitched!</div>
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8<sup>th</sup>
April 15 – I set my alarm for 5.45am to be on the safe side...... but woke up in
a panic when I ‘heard’ what I thought was hubby’s alarm (in the other room) and
I knew he was getting up for work at 6.20am. I grabbed my phone – it said 6.18,
I thought, so I pulled on a fleece and rushed to get Solo, think OMG the
parents will be there, they will have found him gone etc etc, panic, panic. But
with Solo in his hood nest, I arrived at our cottage door to find it still
really dark....so I checked the time and it was only 5.20am! The ‘alarm’ had
all been in my head! So I put Solo back and went back to bed – til my alarm
really went off at 5.45 and again too dark so another 15 mins in bed. At 6am I
got up and made tea but it was twenty to seven before two pigeons arrived on
the roof. I had Solo in his nest in the kitchen by then, and I warmed up a big
smooth stone and made a hot water bottle for the nestbox in the cote. I’ve done
this before with babies and you all probably think I am mad! – but I didn’t want
Solo to go back into a cold, possibly dampish nest! At quarter to seven two white doves appeared
on the roof – one was definitely not Lucky, but the other was possibly Loretta –
so I popped out straight away, chucked out the stone hottie, checked with my
hand that the hay wasn’t too hot, and popped Solo in. I think it was Loretta
and soon afterwards Lucky turned up, and many of the others from the morning
flock. But before feeding had really started, and definitely before Solo had
been fed, there was an attempted hawk strike in the garden. I had just gone
round the side of the house – and there was a brown and grey kerfuffle – and the
hawk and its pigeon victim both flew up and away in front of me! I was pleased
the pigeon got away, but the incident meant that the rest of the flock were
spooked and they all flew off. Lucky had come back by 8am but I had to leave at
8.15am and just had to hope that Solo would get fed sooner rather than later.
One thing pleased me when I cleaned up Solo’s night arrangements – the microwave
bottle was still warm. 10pm to 8am so ideal for pets, in fact I bought it
originally for my little doggie. So for the next few days at least, I will bring Solo in at night - but I don't think I will need to get up quite so early!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky's the one doing the kissing in the photo below. Charm was the love of his life, he totally adored her and took it really hard when she went off with Snow White. He only paired up with Loveday so he could have the babies his heart craved for - but now she's gone too and he's found love again with Loretta and he really does seem to care for her. Already his mind is on new eggs!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rwZKj9txcDI/VSWHwLRf-eI/AAAAAAAAN_g/UCFZBn5Eaxo/s1600/doves.solo.homies.7.4.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rwZKj9txcDI/VSWHwLRf-eI/AAAAAAAAN_g/UCFZBn5Eaxo/s1600/doves.solo.homies.7.4.15%2B006.JPG" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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To be cont......</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-73391213022518238262015-03-25T12:22:00.001-07:002015-03-25T12:22:24.235-07:00Our first eggs of the year! - and a rescue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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9.3.15 –
Lucky and Loretta are proud to announce that they have a brand new egg! And
I’ve never even seen them mating! In the previous few days, Lucky augmented the nest Snow White started with extra sticks, and when the birds were not around I added some nice dry hay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMT0V1kM5qY/VQ3jvhjxBsI/AAAAAAAAN5c/t1LaewWhXXk/s1600/LLegg.sindy.9.3.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMT0V1kM5qY/VQ3jvhjxBsI/AAAAAAAAN5c/t1LaewWhXXk/s1600/LLegg.sindy.9.3.15%2B001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Below - another short-lived romance for Chino</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nC2gX6z2Vok/VQ3kW_IyeoI/AAAAAAAAN5k/zyhGrHqHgig/s1600/ebay.sindy%2B045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nC2gX6z2Vok/VQ3kW_IyeoI/AAAAAAAAN5k/zyhGrHqHgig/s1600/ebay.sindy%2B045.JPG" height="242" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ooh, I think this tall dark stranger likes me!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5IrhQ58ZaOg/VQ3kXev27jI/AAAAAAAAN5o/wcbQXelthQA/s1600/ebay.sindy%2B046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5IrhQ58ZaOg/VQ3kXev27jI/AAAAAAAAN5o/wcbQXelthQA/s1600/ebay.sindy%2B046.JPG" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
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And he's a good kisser!</div>
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But it fizzled out before it'd begun.....</div>
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10.3.15 –
Still only one egg.<o:p></o:p></div>
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11.3.15 –
When Loretta popped out of the cote, I popped up the steps! – yes, we have two
eggs now! How exciting! If all goes to
plan, they will hatch at the end of the month. I do hope Loretta will prove to
be a better mother than Charm. Loretta is now Lucky’s 3<sup>rd</sup> ‘wife’.
When Charm dumped Lucky for Snow White last year, he mated up with Loveday, but
I am pretty sure she was also killed in the cull. She was an ok mother, but
their babies were rather peaky. I know Lucky is fertile and a good father, but Loretta is unknown and these may well be her first eggs. This
evening, Loretta was in the cote with the eggs, and Tommy was in his side
nestbox, alone – and as it got dusk, someone zoomed into the bottom front box –
I reckon it was Claro.<o:p></o:p></div>
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14.3.15 - Lucky on the roof with his two minders!!</div>
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20.3.15 - Partial eclipse of the sun today, but all that happened in our garden was that it got very gloomy. My only concern was that Lucky, on the eggs, would somehow think it was night, and that he shouldn't be there, and would leave the eggs - so I put on the lights in the kitchen, sitting room and conservatory to make a glow that he could see - and he was fine, and probably would've been anyway! It only lasted a short while and then we were back to normal.</div>
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23.3.15 - The nice man from the poultry farm where I get some of my grain for the doves phoned about 4pm to say someone had brought a collared dove in to him - could he bring it to me? He turned up shortly after with this tiny little thing in a carrier. Apparently found by a driving instructor and brought to the poultry farm, it had had nothing but water since 10am. The first thing to do is check for injuries of course - but I found no evidence of any and the baby felt reasonable warm (you must never try to feed a cold bird). I had prepared a box, with food and water, but when I saw the tiny size of it, I realised that the normal pigeon grain would be like us eating cannonballs! Here is baby Ockie ( so named as the poultry farm is in Ockham)</div>
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He is a collared dove and fully feathered, but possibly newly fledged - I don't know. I quickly read up on the pigeon rescue site I always use and found that these particular birds can get stressed very easily if they feel trapped and even die from it - <a href="http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/thecollareddove.htm" target="_blank">collared doves</a>. I attempted to give him a little drink of water, but then I thought best to leave him for a little while and see how he was in half an hour.</div>
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He's adorable, isn't he?</div>
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I whizzed round for half an hour doing things, and made up some of the Kaytee mix into little balls, mixed with tiny grain that I give to the blue tits and robins. Then I thought I better feed him, unless I see he is feeding himself.... which he wasn't. I wrapped him in the towel again and made a baby bundle on my knee. He seemed happy to be hand-fed like I feed the squabs sometimes and hopefully a bit of food will do him good. He struggled out of the towel and perched on top of it, alert and quite happy. Afterwards Ockie closed his eyes and appeared to be asleep, but I didn't feel the box, though lined with cloth and paper, was very warm and comfortable for a bird that still seems like a baby, so I brought an old fleece lined hood of mine, lined with dry hay and made a nest for him. Another half an hour or so went by and then I offered him another drink from the little glass, and he had a proper drink which pleased and relieved me.</div>
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The homies are currently coming in from the garden to the conservatory between 4-5pm, depending on the weather, and then they go to their night-boxes in the spare room about 6pm. The conservatory gets pretty cold at night, and I certainly wasn't going to leave baby Ockie in there - so I put his hood nest into a deep box, with a hot water bottle underneath, inside the carrying box and put him in the spare room too. I am writing this at 8pm and we go to bed about 10pm so just beforehand I will do the microwave bottle that keeps hot for up to 6 hours supposedly, and replace the normal bottle. Hopefully, Ockie will stay warm and survive the night....... If he does I will weigh him tomorrow and think out arrangements for him properly. The trouble is, according to the website, these young birds can get attached to humans and can never be released..... well, let's see how he goes....one step at a time. I don't know the circumstances under which he was found, but it would've been best if the finder had first observed the little bird so see if any parents were around - but maybe they did or maybe the bird was on the road..... anyway, it's too late for that and now he's with me.</div>
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24.3.15 - Please Lord let my baby be alive..... and he was (thank you, Lord). I brought his inner box into the kitchen while I fed the flock and the homies, then I hand fed him - which he again accepted, though he didnt drink much. There was a little normal-ish looking poop in his night box, which is a good sign.He stood quietly on the scales while I weighed him - 98g - so very very light. His weight will hopefully help me to work out how much food he needs. I feel sorry for Ockie, he has been taken out of his environment and the best I can hope for is that he survives and considers himself a 'pigeon' and joins in with the rest of the flock. But apparently collared doves are not flock birds, and like to be alone or with their mate. When the homies go into the garden, I plan to quickly clean and sort out Cissie's crate and put him in there for the day - there is plenty of space if he wants to move around.</div>
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By half ten Ockie had perked up quite a lot. I'd been shopping and then came in, took him out and held the little glass so he could have a drink - which he did. Then I put him back in his nest.... but after a while I could hear little noises and went into the conservatory to find he had come out of the box part and was doing a little pecking, and a little preening - a good sign!</div>
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Ockie had a good day and seemed well, though of course I don't really know. He did have a little diarrhoea but hardly surprising as he wouldn.t be having his normal food. I did see him pecking at the food, but didnt see him manage to actually eat anything on his own. I fed him by hand three times and offered water. I don't really know how much he should be eating and haven't been able to find it, but I am satisfied that he had enough to eat and drink today.</div>
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25.3.15 - By this afternoon, Ockie was attempting to get out of Cissie's crate. I was reading to my three year old grand-daughter in the conservatory and it was really distracting.</div>
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I opened the door of the crate and he perched on the side, then fluttered up to a nearby box. I could tell from this that he<i> can </i>fly, though maybe not strongly or for long distances.</div>
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'I think maybe we better put him outside' I told her. 'But a naughty one might eat him!' she said. 'We'll put him in Cissie's run' I reassured her. So that's what we did, first having removed Cissie to Cloud's hutch and separating them with a wire grille as Cloud doesn't like sharing! Ockie, in the run, seemed determined to try to get out of that too but I reckoned he was safe enough and I had to drive her home so her mum could take her to her gymnastics class. I was back in little over an hour to find Ockie had settled himself and I was able to let the homies out too. Here's Chino on a brick, and the little brown blob beyond the plank is Ockie.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-laEvEH21RM0/VRMJXEdZm3I/AAAAAAAAN7s/VxIZPBpGRlA/s1600/Ockie.day3.25.3.15%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-laEvEH21RM0/VRMJXEdZm3I/AAAAAAAAN7s/VxIZPBpGRlA/s1600/Ockie.day3.25.3.15%2B011.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile rescue collared dove<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />The run gets sun most of the day, and there are shady parts in there too. I had sprinkled some food for him to find, but I am still not sure if he can eat alone. <br /><br />When the sun goes down over the roof, the garden gets chilly quite quickly, and like it or not, Ockie was coming in for the 3rd night in my house. First of all I gave him a little drink and attempted to feed him, but he doesnt like being fed and resists. The following comes from the pigeon and dove rescue site - </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; text-align: left;">W</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; text-align: left;">ild collared doves can become easily stressed. They don't like feeling trapped, being enclosed in small cages and can hurt themselves by battering against the bars...and they can die of a heart attack if they become stressed while being handled. So if you are handling a wild collared dove and it starts to open its mouth and gasp, put it down immediately and leave it somewhere quiet to recuperate.</span></span></td></tr>
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Ockie was doing this (and has done it before - see photo below) so I had to leave the attempt and let him be. He was put in his hood nest in an upturned box in the conservatory - not back in Cissie's crate because she was in it by then. Ockie settled down in his nest although if he had not wanted to he could've flown out of the box (which would've been awkward). This was about 4-4.15pm I think and he stayed where he was until I removed him for another drink and then into his nest into a deep box which I put in the spare room in a covered domed wired box - it's all very complicated!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FlCvR7Ug-1A/VRL8T34UyUI/AAAAAAAAN7E/usZQWv3mMrA/s1600/Ockie.day3.25.3.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FlCvR7Ug-1A/VRL8T34UyUI/AAAAAAAAN7E/usZQWv3mMrA/s1600/Ockie.day3.25.3.15%2B001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young rescue collared dove with open beak, possibly stressed</td></tr>
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He was 'in bed' about 5.50pm which is earlier than the others, who stay in the conservatory now til about 6.15pm - it all depends on the light. I was relieved that he didn't make a fuss about coming in, as last night we had a light frost and it was going down to zero tonight too. If you saw how tiny weeny he is, you would understand my concern. I will have to put him in the run tomorrow, so Cissie and Cloud will just have to share again or I will have to think of something else. I can't risk leaving Ockie in with Cissie, as she might hurt him.</div>
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To be cont....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-5257654389981232672015-03-17T14:37:00.002-07:002015-03-17T14:37:57.542-07:00Moving on with Lucky and Loretta<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<br />
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Tommy, side, and Loretta, front</div>
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The birds on the patio</div>
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Above, my Lucky</div>
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and his new pretty wife, Loretta</div>
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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.<o:p></o:p><br />
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A sweet visitor, but never seen again</div>
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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....<o:p></o:p><br />
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The house from the island - you can just about see the pigeons on the roof</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h7cB9XyBNFA/VQiOvydZTXI/AAAAAAAANzU/dE4B9lglrXg/s1600/decoyisland.16.2.15%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h7cB9XyBNFA/VQiOvydZTXI/AAAAAAAANzU/dE4B9lglrXg/s1600/decoyisland.16.2.15%2B009.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Knitted decoys!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3YnbDNZp3U/VQiOv-h5amI/AAAAAAAANzY/lHMw9gisXl4/s1600/decoyisland.16.2.15%2B011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3YnbDNZp3U/VQiOv-h5amI/AAAAAAAANzY/lHMw9gisXl4/s1600/decoyisland.16.2.15%2B011.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
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.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XPiYWzABV0U/VQiPsnRkGfI/AAAAAAAANzs/AFLve1JjR2w/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XPiYWzABV0U/VQiPsnRkGfI/AAAAAAAANzs/AFLve1JjR2w/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B016.JPG" height="255" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Chino, preening after giving herself a bath</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
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)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fL5GAL_l4ZI/VQiP_cfHrfI/AAAAAAAANz8/l-NHTJZR1qA/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fL5GAL_l4ZI/VQiP_cfHrfI/AAAAAAAANz8/l-NHTJZR1qA/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B026.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1voSqu_jizY/VQiP_c_UA8I/AAAAAAAAN0A/StpQpF2fspc/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1voSqu_jizY/VQiP_c_UA8I/AAAAAAAAN0A/StpQpF2fspc/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B027.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Below, Lucky and Loretta, at the end of the day, in the evening sun</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B1edhecfrl0/VQiP-iCh2aI/AAAAAAAANz0/-XlP-t_2vco/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B1edhecfrl0/VQiP-iCh2aI/AAAAAAAANz0/-XlP-t_2vco/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B083.JPG" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtzRUktnwHY/VQiQAlQHVsI/AAAAAAAAN0Q/AErMBqCqKOA/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtzRUktnwHY/VQiQAlQHVsI/AAAAAAAAN0Q/AErMBqCqKOA/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B085.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KlIlpaxiQlg/VQiQAmQIA8I/AAAAAAAAN0M/nSiBD7yA-GE/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KlIlpaxiQlg/VQiQAmQIA8I/AAAAAAAAN0M/nSiBD7yA-GE/s1600/doves.cote.LuckyLorettaroofeve.pigeonsisland.17.2.15%2B086.JPG" height="273" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
18<sup>th</sup>
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
20<sup>th</sup>
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!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
21<sup>st</sup>
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.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-InBgpYrV3-E/VQiSBPmldaI/AAAAAAAAN0o/7boDL2qvetM/s1600/Claro.Tommy.21.2.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-InBgpYrV3-E/VQiSBPmldaI/AAAAAAAAN0o/7boDL2qvetM/s1600/Claro.Tommy.21.2.15%2B001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i1FusL7oycs/VQiSAQ6RVcI/AAAAAAAAN0g/1_kna_Cavz0/s1600/Claro.Tommy.21.2.15%2B004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i1FusL7oycs/VQiSAQ6RVcI/AAAAAAAAN0g/1_kna_Cavz0/s1600/Claro.Tommy.21.2.15%2B004.JPG" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Sunday 22<sup>nd</sup>
Feb 15 – It’s going well with the majority of the afternoon flock going over to
the island to be fed.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4HAr7KVu4U/VQiSkWNe1DI/AAAAAAAAN00/_sX-Y8-Tb7M/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4HAr7KVu4U/VQiSkWNe1DI/AAAAAAAAN00/_sX-Y8-Tb7M/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The bridge to the island</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf-OvPnQFFk/VQiSkXVajxI/AAAAAAAAN08/zSu3ZJva6rY/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf-OvPnQFFk/VQiSkXVajxI/AAAAAAAAN08/zSu3ZJva6rY/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B002.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The swirling water that I don't want to fall into!</div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-AjE3G0vEQ/VQiSlk-bc1I/AAAAAAAAN1E/x1F-ihPpD7c/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o-AjE3G0vEQ/VQiSlk-bc1I/AAAAAAAAN1E/x1F-ihPpD7c/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B005.JPG" height="320" width="254" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Above, a couple of brave pidgies, and below, the rest gather on the house</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FRm_nl1Dc3w/VQiSnXdxJbI/AAAAAAAAN1Q/jMKD9Izu4HM/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FRm_nl1Dc3w/VQiSnXdxJbI/AAAAAAAAN1Q/jMKD9Izu4HM/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B006.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7sWA3T_U4lk/VQiSoD9jKOI/AAAAAAAAN1c/CDJpq0cEFQw/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7sWA3T_U4lk/VQiSoD9jKOI/AAAAAAAAN1c/CDJpq0cEFQw/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The date on part of the bridge - hubbie replaced the wood walkway</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_w2jIgGN-g/VQiSoT6I9kI/AAAAAAAAN1Y/28GOs0sOkt0/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_w2jIgGN-g/VQiSoT6I9kI/AAAAAAAAN1Y/28GOs0sOkt0/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B009.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Come on pidgies...... and below, flying back from the island</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qinlOKcRvA8/VQiSpPcFaCI/AAAAAAAAN1o/2PIwgeCLpjU/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qinlOKcRvA8/VQiSpPcFaCI/AAAAAAAAN1o/2PIwgeCLpjU/s1600/island.birds.SF.21.2.15%2B019.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
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.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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.</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
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! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.....<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kprGikbKnj4/VQiW2mAhWWI/AAAAAAAAN3M/BvYams2T7K8/s1600/Autumn.24.2.15%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kprGikbKnj4/VQiW2mAhWWI/AAAAAAAAN3M/BvYams2T7K8/s1600/Autumn.24.2.15%2B003.JPG" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<sup>th</sup> 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<sup>th</sup> Jan, but by the 23<sup>rd</sup> I had written ‘No
Autumn’. The cull happened some time around 27<sup>th</sup>-29<sup>th</sup> 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. <br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sU1fOWvcOs4/VQiUBz0qcwI/AAAAAAAAN10/nPebmUsJRDw/s1600/SpringAutumnringed.Pearl.15.8.12%2B052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sU1fOWvcOs4/VQiUBz0qcwI/AAAAAAAAN10/nPebmUsJRDw/s1600/SpringAutumnringed.Pearl.15.8.12%2B052.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6FJuYwXvrQ/VQiUB9eyGhI/AAAAAAAAN14/QK2LQzJa-2M/s1600/SpringAutumnringed.Pearl.15.8.12%2B053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6FJuYwXvrQ/VQiUB9eyGhI/AAAAAAAAN14/QK2LQzJa-2M/s1600/SpringAutumnringed.Pearl.15.8.12%2B053.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-97q7nnv544g/VQiUgIQxS3I/AAAAAAAAN2E/KQGnPIGzIvQ/s1600/Pearl.Sp%2BAu.25.8.12%2B006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-97q7nnv544g/VQiUgIQxS3I/AAAAAAAAN2E/KQGnPIGzIvQ/s1600/Pearl.Sp%2BAu.25.8.12%2B006.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And above, about a week after ringing, Autumn on the right</div>
</div>
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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!<br />
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Cissie, grey and Cloud, white</div>
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Then joined by Chino, brown</div>
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My 'homies'</div>
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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!<br />
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A pigeon housing estate!</div>
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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.<br />
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26.2.15 -<br />
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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.</div>
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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.....<br />
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So I went out to see if I could help..... but then I realised she wanted to hold it!<br />
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It was her special stick and no-one was going to take it away!</div>
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She flew to the roof with it.....</div>
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Oh no, where's it gone!</div>
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But eventually lost interest.... what was all <i>that</i> about, Grace?!!!</div>
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It's that time of year again, and all the female birds get attention.....</div>
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Above, Claro chases Cloud, and below, Cissie receives a courting gentleman at her door!</div>
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Lucky and Loretta</div>
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.To be cont....</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2119986262111403412.post-82357797549732479972015-02-12T13:44:00.001-08:002015-02-12T13:44:23.116-08:00Taking the cote down..... or not. And, after the cull, life has to go on<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>Thursday 4<sup>th</sup>
Feb – Today I remembered another bird was has gone – Fletch. A sweet little
white dove with one black fleck on her back and an unusual black beak. I am not
coping well and spent the afternoon in tears for my lost birds.</div>
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Above, left is Frances, Mr. Strong's mate and right is Blackie</div>
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Unknown brown pidgie with them</div>
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Chino and Cloud choose to have a bath together</div>
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The next two photos are Pandora - if you look closely you can see her crossed over beak - which has grown that way since being damaged about 18 months ago</div>
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Friday 5<sup>th</sup>
Feb – Having discussed it with hubbie, I have made the decision to take the
cote down. Then over the next while – long while I expect – I will attempt to
reduce the pigeon flock. Eventually, in a couple of years, maybe, I will have
the cote put up again, and re-start with new white doves under a homing net –
like I did originally. This was not such a hard decision as you might think.
Hubbie suggested that we just leave the cote where it is and block the
entrances. He said he likes the look of the cote in the garden. I said that I
wouldn’t be able to stand it – seeing Lucky and other potential parent doves,
trying to get in and not understanding why they can’t. I do feel sorry for
Lucky – but realistically he is the only one who is going to be put out by
this, as the other parent doves are all gone – Snow White and Charm, Mr. Moon
and Star Light, and even Lucky’s mate, Loveday. If it’s going to be done, it’s
got to be done quickly before Lucky recovers and finds another mate – so it’s
coming down this weekend. The pole will stay up as it is too awkward to remove,
sunk into the ground as it is. To be honest, I don’t know if I will ever want
the cote up again – but I might I suppose. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The main
reason for having the cote down is that if I don’t have cote doves, with
babies, then I can feed less, and won’t have to worry about ‘my’ birds and the
babies. At the moment, I still have my favourites and can’t not feed them –
though hubbie would rather I stopped feeding altogether (so as to get rid of
the pigeons). It is all so difficult – our lawn has been wrecked – partly due
to the all the mole hills and partly due to the pigeons, and me walking around
on it twice a day feeding them. He cares about the lawn – I don’t particularly,
I have to say.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am sorry
for Lucky – and Clara has an interest in the cote too – I saw him go into one
nestbox today and Lucky was already in and routed him out! Lucky has had a
pretty rough deal, and now has to be the one upset by the cote coming down. He
might fly away, I don’t know. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My daddy
doves have always had a rough deal – here they are from the beginning and in
the order they came:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pax – flew
away soon after his mate, Persephone died.<o:p></o:p></div>
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John – After
his mate Lily died, he came home later and later, and one night didn’t come
back at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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(There was a
long gap..... and then one day, out of the blue sky, two white doves came to
the cote....Hope and Glory, a white feral pair) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Glory –
killed by the hawk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Flash –
killed by the hawk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sky – went missing,
came back, seemed ‘funny’ and then just didn’t turn up one day. I think he flew
away because he was sick of nest-sitting the whole time!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky – still
here!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Snow White –
probably culled with others en masse by a barn owner<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mr. Moon –
disappeared before the cull, but may have been involved in it<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was another
very special daddy dove – but he never nested in the cote. He mated with my
rescued Jose, and nested with her in the hutch. I called him Happy, and he flew
away after she was killed by the
neighbour’s dog. I hoped he would settle with Cloud (who was well and free at
that time) as he had a dalliance with her – but he didn’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My first cote
doves – Pax, Persephone, John and Irene arrived by special carrier on 15<sup>th</sup>
June 2006 – so I have been keeping doves for nearly 9 years – wow, I didn’t
think it was as long as that. Pax and Persephone turned out to be a true bonded
pair, and had babies, Lily and Columba, while they were all still under the
homing net. I thought they were so clever! I didn’t know at the time how
pigeons/doves have babies after babies after babies!!! Pax was the dominant
male, and not very nice to John! The other pair, John and Irene, were named
after my parents but were not bonded, and it wasn’t that long before Irene
disappeared. Eventually John bonded with Pax and Persephone’s daughter, Lily,
and they had babies too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Saturday 7<sup>th</sup>
Feb – Lucky was very keen on the cote today – popping in and out of the
nestboxes and settling in the front favoured one for quite a long time. Oh
Lucky.... the cote is coming down tomorrow.... Then Clara turned up and was
keen on the cote too! I think I will have to change his name. I’ve discovered
that the Latin is Clarus – meaning ‘clear, bright’ but I don’t like the way
Clarus sounds, so he will be Claro – if I remember!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I sat in the sitting room looking out
occasionally at the cote – I wondered how many times over the near nine years I
have done that. It is automatic for me to glance at the cote every so often to
make sure nothing untoward is happening. How will I feel when it is no longer there...<o:p></o:p></div>
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Later on in
the morning, I saw Lucky at the cote with ‘someone else’. Lucky was allowing
the other bird to investigate the cote, making me wonder if this was a female.
I went out to look.... the bird was a dovey-pigeon, very pretty – white, with
touches of grey and pale coffee and a dark beak. Oh Lucky, have you found a new possible
mate? </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NA8YIhW_OLM/VN0bK7_YN8I/AAAAAAAANvE/kt_rs1Ww0p4/s1600/Lucky.cote.newfemale.Liv.dolls.7.8.2.15%2B002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NA8YIhW_OLM/VN0bK7_YN8I/AAAAAAAANvE/kt_rs1Ww0p4/s1600/Lucky.cote.newfemale.Liv.dolls.7.8.2.15%2B002.JPG" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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Claro turned up again, and all
three were in the cote.... In the photo above, it's Lucky in the cote, Claro on top and the new one on the side.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But I still
couldn’t be sure that the pretty one was a female, brought here by Lucky, until
I saw them together on the roof....<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QHf5bNd4Ts/VN0a-E5oYgI/AAAAAAAANu8/AwP8HSabL3I/s1600/Lucky.cote.newfemale.Liv.dolls.7.8.2.15%2B009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QHf5bNd4Ts/VN0a-E5oYgI/AAAAAAAANu8/AwP8HSabL3I/s1600/Lucky.cote.newfemale.Liv.dolls.7.8.2.15%2B009.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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‘Oh Lucky’ I
said, as I watched them billing and cooing, looking incredibly sweet ‘How can I
take the cote down? ....... ‘You can’t’ he said........<o:p></o:p></div>
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At lunchtime,
when Hubby came home, I said to him ‘Can I change my mind about the cote and
leave it up? – ‘Of course you can, darling’ he said ‘Start a new dynasty!’ <o:p></o:p></div>
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Lucky has had
a bad time. I can’t make it worse for him by taking down his nesting place.
It was ok in the beginning when he and Charm rented a room at the back of the
cote from Sky and Summer in 2013, I suppose it was, and then when Sky left, Lucky and Charm fought
Summer for the right to the cote, and won. So Lucky was top bird for quite a while. Snow White came along and had that
fated nest with Rose Red in Jan ‘14 But when Rose Red was killed by
the hawk, he was with Star Light for a very short while, before taking Charm
away from Lucky. This was Lucky’s worst time – he just could NOT adjust to the
idea that Charm was not his mate any more, and when she hatched her babies, he
thought they were his, and fed them too! Eventually he rather half-heartedly
set up a nest with a new female, Loveday – but it looks like she was killed in
the cull as he has been alone for the last week. But I’ve noticed before that
the birds recover quite quickly from disaster – a day or so ago he was hunched,
alone on the roof, today he had found
new love. And I am so glad, and so hope it works out for him. I have been
noticing him particularly today and suddenly as he flew down to the raised bed
where I had thrown grain, I thought I saw something under his wing. I have
never had occasion to pick him up before, and he is not ringed, as he has
distinguishing marks, so doesn’t need to be, but I just swooped down and picked
him up – and carried him in to hubby. This is what we saw.....<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H98vGFHr3bE/VN0bfQ1Md2I/AAAAAAAANvM/xJV_t6FJhtQ/s1600/Lucky.cote.newfemale.Liv.dolls.7.8.2.15%2B015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H98vGFHr3bE/VN0bfQ1Md2I/AAAAAAAANvM/xJV_t6FJhtQ/s1600/Lucky.cote.newfemale.Liv.dolls.7.8.2.15%2B015.JPG" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hubby said it
was a pellet wound, and felt it confirmed my suspicions of the birds being
shot. The wound was healing up and didn’t smell and Lucky is obviously managing
very well, so I didn’t anoint it and just released him. Oh Lucky, I hope you
don’t go back to that place.....<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sunday 8<sup>th</sup>
Feb 15 – Quite a mild sunny day. Lucky didn’t bring his female to breakfast –
oh dear, did she find the cote lacking? The birds flew off and I decided to
scrub the cote. It desperately needs repainting, but never gets done because
the doves always need it or the weather is bad. But at least I can scrub some
of the green off. It is not an appealing job cos the water splashes down all
over me. I’d only done about an eighth before Lucky came back with his
girl..... so I stopped. I don’t want to put them off! <span style="text-align: center;">Frances, Mr. Strong’s
mate, was around so I gave her some grain – and of course the inevitable few
pigeons were there too..... but then I saw </span><i style="text-align: center;">another</i><span style="text-align: center;">
white dove on the roof and it looks like..... could it be.... Tommy! I </span><i style="text-align: center;">so</i><span style="text-align: center;"> hoped so and went to get the camera
because I couldn’t see his ring properly but when I take a photo I can often
tell from that when it’s enlarged. When I returned seconds later the dove had
gone – but was found again in Mr. Moon and Star Light’s old nestbox, which
Tommy had always favoured. Lucky zoomed in there and the two started
fighting..... oh for goodness sake Lucky, can’t you let him have it? Sky and
Summer let </span><i style="text-align: center;">you</i><span style="text-align: center;"> have a nest box when
you first turned up. I let them tussle for a short while, then I gently removed
Lucky. I am ecstatic to have Tommy back – he has been gone for a week and a
day, according to my notes. </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">But he is
not a miracle back from the dead, surviving the cull, as I saw him on what was
probably the day after – or the one after that..... anyway I last saw him on
Friday 30</span><sup style="text-align: center;">th</sup><span style="text-align: center;"> January. He is such a wonderful big strong, partly tame,
young male – I am so thankful that he wasn’t killed. Hopefully, Snow White and
Charm’s genes will live again through him. He is now 178 days old
approximately.</span></div>
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There has
been an injured racer visiting since the cull – whether he was caught up in it
or not, I don’t know. He only has one good leg, and uses his wings to balance.
I have targeted him for food so he doesn’t have to fight with the others and
can stay in one place to eat, and he’s been getting a bit tamer, coming close
to me on the table. Today I picked him up, quite easily, just plucked him up
from the table. His bad foot is curled up, and I found underneath his body he
had a wound which is drying up. Both his feet were a bit clogged up, so I washed
them in the water bath. His metal racing ring is on his good leg, but on his
bad he had a coloured plastic ring and a strange sort of rubbery, sticking
plaster type thing which I have since discovered is probably a race ring. I removed both as they certainly weren’t helping his bad
leg and would be weighing it down. I also felt the rubbery thing was dangerous
to him; liable to get caught up in something. I didn’t bother to note his ring
number or keep him in as he is probably perfectly capable of flying back to his
owner if he wants to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Below, Lucky peeks out of the nestbox at his pretty new girlfriend</div>
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What a charming little female!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Zjbe8uXNys/VN0cI-yNYZI/AAAAAAAANvc/jp2pNBg4RcM/s1600/Lucky.Tommy.maybe.8.2.15%2B003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Zjbe8uXNys/VN0cI-yNYZI/AAAAAAAANvc/jp2pNBg4RcM/s1600/Lucky.Tommy.maybe.8.2.15%2B003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mon 9.2.15 –
I saw Lucky morning and afternoon but was out for the mid part of the day, so
don’t know if he brought his female back then – I didn’t see her with him. I do
hope she likes him and will settle down in the cote with him. I remember, years
ago, when my poor dove John was left alone when his mate Lily died, he became
such a grumpy old man, sitting in the cote, day after day, with nothing to live
for.... but one time he managed to persuade a female home, but it ended up just
a one night stand, as she didn’t stay and eventually, as I said above, he just
flew away, never to be seen again. I saw Tommy again today too, but not Claro.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tue 10<sup>th</sup>
– I am watching Lucky and his girl flitting around the cote this morning.
Fingers crossed! Later on – The female went in the cote with Lucky, but at the
end of the dovie day, he had left her in the cote and flown away! She seemed a
bit confused..... where’s he gone?<o:p></o:p></div>
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And soon flew off.<o:p></o:p></div>
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During the
day I caught a poorly pigeon and put it in the hutch while I was
shopping......you can see the runny poop, not a good sign – it also smells a
bit sour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Later, I secretly put it in the back bedroom where
the birds spend the night- don’t want hubbie to know I’ve got another
bird! I will see how it is in the
morning, but I am out for much of the day, so will probably leave it in the
conservatory, in Cissie’s crate, with food and water so it is safe, until I can
assess it properly tomorrow afternoon. It may be that it just needs a rest and
feeding up – or it could be really ill or dying. You may wonder why I would
allow a possibly ill bird in Cissie’s crate etc but I will clean it out
afterwards and I just don’t have enough room and ‘hospital space’ for every
casualty or poorly pidg to get their own little nook. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Poorly pidgie</div>
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11<sup>th</sup>
Feb – The poorly one had died in the night. It was sitting quite comfortably
facing the front and looked like it had just passed away in its sleep. I much prefer finding them like that, rather than looking as if they have been flapping about.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am calling
Lucky’s new girl, Loretta. Today I saw her come down to feed with the others
for the first time. She seems rather apprehensive and when Lucky left her
behind, the same as yesterday, she eventually flew off. Lucky came back later
and was the last bird in the garden – Oh
Lucky, you silly boy, you will have to stay with her, if you want her to
settle! Methinks this might be a long courtship I have not had the heart to
empty Snow White’s sticks out of the front nestbox, and Lucky will probably
just take it over anyway. The doves are not that great at making nests – any
scrappy old thing will do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7qrJ9t1lMwU/VN0d8kGIp-I/AAAAAAAANwU/cq0aLIwd0uY/s1600/Lucky.alone.11.1.15%2B001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7qrJ9t1lMwU/VN0d8kGIp-I/AAAAAAAANwU/cq0aLIwd0uY/s1600/Lucky.alone.11.1.15%2B001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Above and below, Lucky alone</div>
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12<sup>th</sup>
Feb – Lucky and Loretta are spending time in the cote this morning – and so is
another white dove in Mr. Moon’s old nestbox. It may be Tommy. Now I have seen
him again since the cull I am not worried about him – he’s big and strong and
can probably look after himself. Lucky is not fussed by him being there today, thank
goodness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A white dove
arrived with PMV this morning, but I had no opportunity to catch it. Poor
little thing, it’s so sad to see them. I had hoped that the illness was 'over' for the season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be cont...</div>
Faith http://www.blogger.com/profile/04672728248961388984noreply@blogger.com3