Roll Call + New Babies (Blog 2 - read Blog 1 first)

23rd May '12 - continued

Unfortunately I don't think I have the hang of blogger, and I couldnt upload more photos, so had to start a new blog to solve the problem. If you haven't read Blog 1 with the same date, then please do as this is a continuation, thanks.

 Here's a shot of the garden with some of the birds feeding, with the cote at Jose's table and hutch at the back. The hospital was moved while we cut the grass, but has been moved back to it's place near the fence on the right.

In the last blog, the last photo was Cloud's tummy which at the time was still healing. She and her pigeon mate, Storm, were coming every day for feeding, and as Cloud was still limping I made sure I threw extra peanuts right near her, so she could get them easily. One day they separated themselves from the rest of the flock and started resting on the top of the shed at the back of the house.

 It's a sheltered warm spot, and the other doves and pigeons rarely go there.

Storm and Cloud come down to eat

There's a grassy path, then the garden opens into a small area of lawn, where I have my washing line as you can see. I started feeding Cloud and Storm separately there, and for about a week, they came - afternoons only - and had a bowl of peanuts and another of mixed grain to share (plus a dish of water of course). I enjoyed doing this with them, and the other doves and pidgies didn't catch on and it was our little secret! The jackdaws knew about it though! they are canny, and any food left over was soon gobbled up by them and the jays.

Storm had been very patient, I think, waiting for Cloud to recover. But nature takes it course, and one day I was lucky enough to have my camera in my hand when I was passing the conservatory, and caught them mating. The photos are taken through the windows. The female crouches down during mating, so luckily less pressure was put on Cloud's bad foot - she seemed fine afterwards anyway!

 Miss Squirrel and Mr. Rat search the for left-overs. I don't mind if there is only one of each- they're like garden pets!! but I don't want to be over-run with them!

 The garden sees a variety of wildlife - heres my lovely Robin after the rain, collecting up his mealworms. The other day when I left the back door open, and was making an urgent phone call, sitting on the sofa, he hopped silently through the kitchen, up the step to the sitting room and appeared on the carpet before me - because I had forgotten his worms!!!
Below, I caught a shot of the rat, the pheasant,  a blue-banded feral pigeon and one of the gentle brown little collared doves, all together.

Faith (white dove) feathered feet

On my birthday in the middle of May a little white dove, with feathered feet, who was new to the garden (I would've recognised her feet as that is fairly unusual) seemed to want to shelter in Jose's hutch. I named her Faith and took Jose in early to give her the chance to stay if she wanted to. Sure enough, she put herself in the hutch for the night, and I shut her in (and barricaded it up a bit!) to keep her safe from predators. In the morning, I ringed her, and as she seemed ok and could fly I released her again. 

Faith, uncertain, in the hutch for the night

Last day for Faith

RIP Faith - and a watery grave below

Faith spent the day hunched up on the roof, and it torrented with rain at one point, I felt so sorry for her poor little thing. The other doves came down to feed, but she didn't so I got the feeling she wasn't going to make it. In the late afternoon, when the other birds had flown away, she had disappeared so I went out looking for her, and found her crouched on the ground, round the building next door to us. I swung my net, but missed and she flew up to the roof - I was so annoyed with myself as I had been clumsy, missed the bird and scraped my knuckes on the brick wall as well! Later that evening, I couldnt see her on the roof, and this was about 9pm so I went round the back of the building, and could see her crouched in a corner. I took off my garden clogs, and tiptoed, my heart beating, and this time successfully captured her. I put her in the hutch with food and water, but in the morning, found her dead. At least, she had a peaceful death, and didn't make a fox a nice supper. It can be hard to tell if doves are just a bit poorly, or in fact, old or dying. Below is Cloud looking very sprightly despite her injuries when she was found at the beginning of April - so it's certainly worth giving all a chance.

The new babies in the dovecote are two weeks old as I write, and so big and beautiful! I think they deserve a blog to themselves, so I will get that done as soon as possible. There's something different about them, so come back soon to find out what!!