Christmas is coming - and I remember the birds of the year

6th Dec 2013

My last blog was 2nd November so another month has flown by and we are in the lead up to Christmas. If I had been writing my blog regularly I would've only been able to do one-liners - like 'the sparrowhawk was here today but didnt kill' and 'Dolly flew up to the dovecote where she was hatched - I was so surprised' - as nothing much has happened.

During November I was doing a roll-call to see which doves were still around. The following list probably means more to me than it will to you and at long last I have got myself organised and have it saved on my pc in alphabetical order!

Autumn, Banana, Bandit, Bianca, Black (green ring), Blackie, Black Lace, Cassidy, Charity, Charlie, Charm, Checker, Checker2 (blue yellow ring), Destiny, Dolly, Fennie, Fletch, Frances, Grace, Jet, Joseph - black, Lucky, Mr. Strong, Pandora, Phoebus, Pigeon-toe, Rose-Red, Snow-White, Spokespigeon, Winter, Wooden-eye

Obviously there are many many more doves and pigeons than those named - and many more that I recognise.

Unfortunately since doing the roll-call, both Charlie and Cassidy have completely disappeared - at more or less the same time too. I sense bad forces at work here - maybe they were shot when I kept hearing them shooting on the farm. This happened a couple of weeks ago, but I havent got over their loss and miss them both terribly. Charlie had been visiting since Feb 2012 when I rescued him from the sparrowhawk and ringed him. A while after the attack he developed a neck problem and there afterwards always had a problem with eating so I used to feed him with a little deep pot placed on top of the hutch. He knew when I had filled his pot and would come to my whistle! I very much fear that poor Charlie - if not shot - would perish anyway - away from my garden - as with less natural food around, the weather getting colder, and not being able to pick up food as easily as the others, what chance does he have? What a shame... I've known him for one year ten months. Here he is on top of the hutch, with Cloud inside, and below. Really miss him, with his beautiful white wings. Here for so long, and now suddenly gone.

 

 

 



Cassidy - my lovely Cassidy with only one leg! - turned up in the spring as a hesitant little bird, but soon became one of the quickest after the peanuts, and a great favourite with me. I am so sad that he's gone, but if, maybe, he turned left instead of right and went of with another flock, then at least he has as good a chance as the next pigeon.





The doves have been taking a great interest in the cote - Lucky and Charm - and another big white male, Snow-White, that I ringed a while ago. One day I saw him and his mate in the front nest box, playing houses while Lucky and Charm were out of the way, so I sneaked up the steps and went to put my hand over the entrance..... SW escaped but I caught his mate, and took her out of the cote to ring. I ringed her with bright pink and yellow rings, and then released her back outside, hoping I had not upset her too much - she actually was quite docile in my lap. I pondered on a name for her..... the only one of the seven dwarves names that I like is 'Happy' and, to me, Happy will always be Jose's mate..... so I thought again, and decided on 'Rose-Red'. I don't know if you have heard of it, but there is a story about another Snow White and her sister's name is Rose-Red http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow-White_and_Rose-Red.

Above and below, Lucky and Charm in the nestbox and Rose Red on the left side 

 Lucky, left, and Charm - you can see Lucky's right 'beady' eye



And now here's the other pair - with probably Snow White (the male) in the nestbox, and Rose Red peeking at the side.

Below, the new pair, SW and RR, on the table looking for peanuts - I like these two and wouldn,t mind if they took over the cote as I found Charm a rather inefficient mother, leaving poor Alf and Meg at night at only a few days old - I reckon that was the start of their problems. Finding them so cold that day was one of my worst dovie days this past year. Re-read that harrowing story here http://faithsdoves2.blogspot.co.uk/2013_08_01_archive.html

 



It's coming up to a year since I first captured Cloud who was suffering from paramyxovirus. I see from my dove calendar that I brought her in on 17th Dec 2012. I hoped she would fully recover, but she hasn't and never will - so she has to be a 'homie' and I will look after her for the rest of her life. Although she can't fly, and mostly can't hold her head up properly, there is nothing wrong with her mind, and I try to give her the best quality of life that I can - here she is with my grandchildren.



At this time of year we remember family and friends who are no longer with us - and I remember my doves too. Last year Sky anbd Summer just didn't stop having babies and my precious little babies, Santa and Snow were hatched around this day last year. They were their parents' fifth lot of squabs and had a very difficult start to life, being born at totally the wrong time of year.Snow died at only 26 days old I think it was, poor little scrap of birdie that he was - but believe it or not I still grieve for him (or her).... and for Santa, who I reared with very little help from S andS and who eventually flew away at 81 days old, and never made it back again.

 

Santa, left, and tiny Snow



 

Poor little deformed baby Snow, a day or so before he died

and below, Santa, in January this year

 

 

and one of my last photos of him

 





Sky and Summer, in 2012, had Elizabeth and Olympia, Lizzie2 and Pip, Spring and Autumn, October and November, and Santa and Snow. Then they carried on to have two more lots of squabs at the beginning of this year - Valentine and Grace, and Destiny and Liberty. Out of these 14 baby birds, only Autumn, Destiny and Grace have survived to be seen recently. I had thought that both Autumn and Destiny had gone too - but they both turned up. Autumn on the 24th November '13,  and then Destiny the very next day. Both stayed for one day only, but it really cheered me to see them and know that they are surviving on their own, wherever it is they live. Autumn's about 18 months old now and Destiny must be eight months or so. Grace is so lovely - she's a bit older than Destiny, so about ten months - she also had a bad start in life, with the feckless Sky as her father, always leaving the nest, never sitting properly, and then abandoning the eggs while they hatched - if you remember Grace and her sibling, Valentine hatched on top of the aga - read the story here http://faithsdoves2.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-big-surprise-and-patiences-progress.html but what I'm getting at is that even with such a bad start it is possible for the doves to survive - (and Grace is now quite tame and will eat from my hand, if I hold it out down on the lawn with peanuts as a bribe! In fact she has even flown to my outstretched hand when I am standing once or twice)..... so when I think about Alf and Meg, and grieve for them, I do try to think that I did my utmost to rear them and there must've been something fundamentally wrong with them - because if Grace and Valentine can survive being so neglected..... Oh I am getting so muddled here, but you know what I mean... I hope!

 

Alf, left, and Meg - cute little things that failed to thrive



The cote was taken over by Lucky and Charm and they have had four sets of babies - Fennie and Dolly, then some unformed babies that didnt hatch, then Harlequin and Columbine, and lastly Alpha and Omega (my most darling Alf and Meg). I am so thankful that they didnt do what Sky and Summer did and continue having babies throughout the autumn and winter - it was so stressful for me last year. Out of these babies, only Fennie and Dolly were strong - and I am still seeing them both. Dolly is a white dove, probably a male but I still don't know. Fennie is totally pigeon with nothing of a white dove showing in him or her - I doubt if Lucky fathered him, but Charm was definitely the mother. They hatched about the 9th of May so are 7 months old now. I know that Fennie's name-sake my blog reader, Fennie will be glad to know that I saw him today, as will Jane (Hopeinparis) to know that Dolly is well.

Lucky and Charm seem quite complacent about Snow-White and Rose-Red popping in and out of the cote. There have been a few minor tussles but they have settled down quite happily together now - BUT of course it is not proper nesting time and so we will have to wait and see what happens then. I was keen to ring RR because it is so much easier when the nesting doves are ringed and I know who's who!

Pandora, the bird who had a broken beak, is sometimes here and sometimes not. When she arrives I am always overjoyed and rush for the peanuts. She is a success story from this year - and so is Patience the bird I brought in with a hole in her chest after a hawk attack in February. I havent seen her for ages - maybe since July when I see I marked it on the calendar - but even if she only lasted from Feb to July at least she had 5 more months of life.

Patience, as found - and below, having struggled to her feet, being offered a drink



 

Patience - recovering - and then Pandora, with her dreadful broken beak, who also recovered



Does anyone remember this injured white dove from the summer? Un-named as I knew that when the injury healed I wouldnt recognise her (or him). Anyway, she is still visiting, with the injury now appearing as just a discoloured patch on her wing



Another interesting bird from the past twelve months was little Huckleberry Finn - the adorable baby jackdaw. Once released back into the wild, I never saw him again - so can only hope he survived.



 

Baby Huck above, and then about 10 days later, released outside - on a good day of course.



Bertie, the cat, continues to come in and out whenever he pleases though we havent seen him for two days now. We know from his 'owner' that he goes under at least three other names - Babar, Eddie and Elvis - used by the people he visits! Another one-liner would've been 'Bertie nearly caught Cloud!' - what happened was that Cloud was on the ground having a short wander in the morning when I was feeding the flock - I turned my back for an instance when Bertie came bounding up the path, full of his usual exuberance - the flock scattered, he spotted Cloud - and he and I both made a dash for her, arriving at the same time - with the loss of only one feather for Cloud and a bit of a shock! Note to self - be on the watch at all times! In the photo Bertie is cuddling up to my left thigh in a very loving way!



9.12.13 - I saw the sparrowhawk again today, and I fear one poor pigeon that is showing symptoms of paramyxo will be an easy target. I noticed the pigeon a day or so ago, and today managed to catch it without too much difficulty - so I could hand feed it. I ringed him with a bright pink ring so that he's easily spotted and I will do my best for him, but I can't take in every bird with the virus.

10.12.13 - I caught the pigeon again today, and again fed him. I havent even named him yet. Grace too is showing some symtoms but nowhere near as bad as this other one. I saw Pandora again today - she's not here every day, or even every week, so it's always a treat to see her, and I rush for the peanuts (which she expects!)

11.12.13- No poorly pigeon.....

Oh well I think time to close this Christmas blog, and let's close on a cheerful note, Jane (Hopeinparis) has told me that little Chieko the pigeon she rescued from the Paris street where she was being ill-treated, has grown up at last and is now independent and Jane can enjoy her Christmas break away from home without worrying about a little feathered person!

Blessings from me and the doves, many thanks for reading my blog over the last year and I hope you have a very peaceful Christmas.

Faith xxx

 

Photo is Fennie and Dolly as squabs in May this year

Two gorgeous babies that have made it to December!



 

(To be continued in the New Year)

Autumn weather - two old favourites return - and who is Elvis?

1st November 2013

I haven't blogged for nearly three weeks..... I think I lost my blogging mojo after the babies died and the weather changed. Now, some days, dovie-wise, it just seems to be me and Cloud..... the other birds are around of course, but the huge flock of the summer has gone - died, dispersed....I don't know.

My last blog left Bertie, the wandering cat that doesn't below to us, on the doormat eating a rabbit. In the morning there was absolutely nothing left - not one messy blob. In the garden I found a very short piece of leg or something, and that was all - thankfully! (more about Bertie in a minute)

I still go to the poultry farm to get the bag of mixed wheat/flaked maize I like there, but I am saving money on all my grain as I'm using about half the quantity I was. I buy my free range eggs here too - I like picking my own! See the small blue one (45g) with the huge one alongside - that biggie weighed 115g but I was a bit disappointed it was only a double-yolker!

 We had some very pleasant October days and the tree of paradise turned red and gold...

and Lucky and Charm starting billing and cooing again! Here Lucky gets henpecked!

 They even cosied up in the front nestbox together and made me wonder if we might be in for more eggs - now hang on a minute - a few sunny afternoons doesn't mean it's nesting time!

 Lucky and Charm getting a drink

Charm then decided the back nest box would be better and stayed in there for hours on end on several days running - but nothing happened and I wasn't sorry. I don't want more babies at this time of year. Last year Sky and Summer reared babies in the autumn, but Summer was a better mother than Charm.

 

On Sunday 27th Oct we were predicted a terrible storm and I was worried about how the birds would suffer. I know some parts of the country were badly hit, but here in my little corner of Surrey it wasn't too bad in the end.Very windy and a few local trees down - plenty of debris of branches etc - but my cote stayed up. In the morning only about 88 birds were on the roof - sounds a lot to you maybe, but far far fewer than normal. Grace, Charlie, Cassidy, Dolly and Bandit were some of the regulars who made it - but Fennie, Lucky and Charm were not there.

 

The birds - morning after the storm

 

Monday 28th - The one day in the year I had to go to London and it would be after a storm with trees on the line and cancellations. But it was my sister's 60th birthday tea at The Ritz so I had to see if I could get in, and actually the train was only delayed 8 minutes and I got into London early - so stopped off at Trafalgar Square to say hello to Nelson, and visit The National Gallery. For me, visiting Trafalgar Square can never be as enjoyable as it was when I was growing up and then again when my girls were little and you were allowed to feed the pigeons that crowded there. According to Wikipedia there were 35,000 pigeons at their peak, but sale of grain was stopped in 2001 and the feeding of the pigeons was banned entirely in 2003 - due to the birds being considered a health hazard. The day I went there were a few pigeons - amusingly sitting on the statue of the blue cockerel which is the current artwork on the Fourth Plinth - but looking rather miserable. I walked past some jumping into the rubbish bin to look for food, and had to turn my face away as it wrenches my heart to see them. We had so much to eat at The Ritz that I wrapped a piece of cake in my hanky, and crumbled it surreptitiously on Waterloo station for the few pigeons that fly in and out there.

 

The storm, the wetter weather and the shorter days have meant that Lucky and Charm are no longer considering having a new family. They came back a day or so after the storm, along with some of the others who were missing, including Fennie.

 

Thursday 31st Oct - Halloween. I was ridiculously pleased to see a bird that I didn't recognise at first - who is this dark pigeon with a red ring? Of course! Wow, it is Pandora! I haven't seen her (or him) for weeks (literally) and she is obviously managing excellently well. For any new readers, or if you have forgotten, Pandora arrived in my garden in August, with dried blood all down her front and a horribly broken beak - but she survived, with a bit of help from me, and I am so happy, really so happy, that she is still alive, and managing to eat perfectly well with a somewhat shortened beak.

 

Remember Patience? The pigeon who had a hole eaten out of her by the sparrowhawk - I'm not seeing her now, or Autumn or Destiny - both birds hatched in my cote and seen up to this summer. But I don't give up hope of seeing them all again.

 

Saturday 2nd November - another 'lost' bird was with the morning flock - white dove with a blue ring - it can only be Bianca! I haven't seen her for many weeks too! Maybe dirty Ricky was with her and no longer dirty as I didn't see him, but he was only recognised by his very grubby front and the fact that he was always with Bianca; he had no ring. I wonder where these birds go to eat when they don't visit my garden, and where do they spend their time?

 

Back to Bertie - on 17th October the lady who 'owns' Bertie stomped up the path..... He's not here, I said (because he wasn't).....she handed me a piece of paper, and stomped off again. The letter she gave me made me furious - I was spitting feathers, if that is not sacrilege to use as an expression on a dove  blog! I spent the whole evening composing a reply! She accused me of tempting Bertie away and more besides....and described herself as a 'lonely old woman' (she's only 67 and perfectly fit) It wouldn't be right to copy the letter out here, though it makes interesting reading, so I will refrain. I took my carefully worded reply to her house the next morning, and dropped it through the letter box. I was hoping it would be enough to stop any more unwanted visits from her, but no, two days later on a pouring wet Sunday she again turned up on the door-step to enquire if he was with us. I let hubbie answer the door - he is 6'4 and big too, and standing on the door step looking down he probably looked intimidating to a small woman, and I don't think he was particularly welcoming!

 

The truth of the matter is - Bertie does visit and I don't turn him out when he comes in to see me. Sometimes he will stay for a quick stroke and then he just turns round and goes away again, and sometimes he stays for a few hours. She has asked me not to feed him, and I don't but that doesn't stop him visiting. I would say I see him every other day - and sometimes several days in succession. This last week he seemed to be with me quite a bit - on Wednesday morning I was up early ready to leave the house at 8.15am to go to look after my granddaughter, and Bertie arrived at 7.30am. When I left the house, I made sure the door from the kitchen through to the rest of the house was shut, and therefore he only had access to the kitchen. As I walked down the path, I turned to see his little face pressed up against the cat flap - from the inside. Oh well, I thought he is bound to go home as I am out all day. But at 3pm when I came home, he was still in the kitchen - despite no aga on or any home comforts like a snuggly chair, so I thought I'd better take him back to her. I put him in the travel box and drove to hers, but there was no answer to my knock, so I thought I'd drop a note through the door saying I'd brought him back so she realised hopefully that I am not trying to keep him - which as I pointed out in my letter, I could've done when he was first 'lost' by not putting up the ad on the lost pet website. Anyway, I found I had no pen in my bag, and as I'd seen a lady in the next door house looking through the window, I thought I would just knock on her door. I had now released Bertie (or Babar as she calls him) from the travel box, and he followed me up the next door's path. Two ladies opened the door......and Bertie walked in, without a by your leave.....'Is that Elvis?' one of the ladies said. 'Umm well the lady next door calls him Babar' I replied. 'Well' she said 'Some people round here call him Elvis.... it's definitely Elvis!'   I explained why I had knocked - that I was bringing him back because the lady 'owner' was getting upset about him visiting mine all the time. 'Oh' said one of the neighbours 'He's not hers anyway, he belongs to a neighbour at the back here!'.... Well I didn't end up finding the truth of it all.... Bertie/Babar/Elvis is a wandering cat and no doubt will continue to visit me (and I hope he does) even though next summer he might prove a great nuisance with the nesting doves.

 



 I bought some lovely turtle-doves today - not birds, gloves! from a super online site. These gorgeous fingerless gloves - some cashmere, some not - are great for this time of year, and all made from recycled jumpers. They will even make your own old holey cashmere jumper into turtle-doves for you for FREE - you just pay the postage. Do have a look - they make great gifts, and easy to post too (and no I'm not on commission, I just love them!) - useful soft fingerless gloves

I will definitely come back and write at least one more blog before Christmas, but at the moment there is little to write about.

To be cont....

Alf and Meg......and rather too much of Bertie!

Friday 4th October 2013 - continued.

By 3.30pm today I was totally fed-up with Bertie. He had scared the birds all day, made it difficult for me to give the babies freedom and had been sick in my spare room! I didn't know he was even in there til I heard a noise and went in! Yuck! I bundled him into a carrier and drove him home! His devoted slave wasn't in, so I deposited him in the front garden and drove home. The traffic was so slow, I almost expected to find him on the door-step when I got back! Meg came down early and wanted to go in the run - believe me I can tell what she wants! so Alf was left alone - and when she inched down the roof at last, she wouldn't come down far enough, so I had to climb on the coal bunker and net her - not easy and rather dangerous for me! Naughty Alf!

Sat. 5.10.13 - Today has been a blissfully Bertie-free day. Don't get me wrong, I do like Bertie - he is a beautiful velvety cat with a lovely nature, but he's very much a cat, and the birds were here first! And I don't have a moment's peace with him around.  I put the babies straight from cote to run this morning as I was going out for a couple of hours. When I can back the weather was mild with a hint of sunshine so I gave Meg a bath - afterwards she went right to the back of the run and hid from me!

 

 I gave her a few minutes to recover, then I decided to give her a peanut boost, so I perched my bum on the wood of the run so I could feed her. Unfortunately I was too heavy, there was a mighty crack as the support broke and I ended up going through, with my jeans ripped and a long scratch in a delicate place! I was more concerned about my jeans as they are my only comfortable pair!Then I put Meg up on the top of the cote, with Alf, to dry off properly.

 Meg, left, says 'I am so sleepy, Alf, I can hardly keep my eyes open!'

'Mmm' agrees Alf 'I know what you mean - let's have 40 winks!'

My sweet sleeping angels

 

Meg came down with the stragglers from the flock at the end of the day and fed herself (but I still top her up at bedtime) - then she flies back up again. My clockwork dove, Alf, sees no reason to come down....... You'll feed me, won't you? Yes, Alf, I will but it would be better if you learnt to feed yourself!

 

Bedtime was easy, as Meg was with Alf. She takes the lead so when she flew down to the top of the hutch, Alf followed soon after. They were fed and in bed by 6.15pm. I feel like my daughter when she's got her little ones to bed - whew! Now I can enjoy my evening.

 

 

Sunday 6th Oct 13 - Bertie was here first thing - not at all cross with me for having taken him home on Friday. Having broken the run so it's not safe, I had to shut the babies in the hutch while I went to the car boot and leave poor Cloud in the conservatory. It had turned beautifully sunny by the time I got back and the pigeons were all relaxing on the grass - you can just see Alf and Meg still in the hutch.

 

 

But they were allowed out on the lawn (no Bertie) and Cloud was given a bath and put in her hutch. I'm glad we've cut the tree of paradise back a bit as it gives Cloud a lovely sunny corner. The babies pecked around a bit - even Alf taking an interest in feeding herself - and when Meg flew to the roof, I picked Alf up and gently tossed her up there too. She hasn't the strength, the ability or the inclination to fly up from the lawn yet.

 

Bertie stuck around all afternoon, lounging on the warm top of the sleeping quarters of the run - keeping the birds away. The small group of white doves that come in the late afternoon - which include the pair Mr. Strong and Frances - who I think have young ones - waited patiently on the roof, and eventually came down even though Bertie was still there. I tried to feed them quietly near the kitchen door, as far away from Bertie boy as possible! Meg came down with them, and ate the small quantity that she manages on her own. When the others went back to the top of the roof,  where there was still some sunshine, she stayed near the edge of the low roof, flapping her wings in a baby-like way when I talked to her, and closing her eyes as if she was tired. I knew what she wanted! - so I went and got the steps, took her off the roof and fed her! She had exactly 27 grains/peanuts before she felt she had had enough, and then flew off my lap and to the top of the roof again - where no doubt she'll stay til bedtime. Alf of course didn't come down at all! As Bertie was there I had to be very very aware of what the birds were doing, and when some white doves came down I went to see and found Alf had roused herself to come too - I threw some small grains and she was pecking at them, while the others gobbled up the peas and maize, and then I saw Bertie, crouching and creeping up the path!..... I threw myself forward and just managed to get my hands round my darling little dove as Bertie reached her! I'm surprised she didn't die of fright - I nearly did! Oh Bertie, what I am going to do with you! Well, after that, it was sippers of water, a good feed and early bedtime for Alf - at 5.15pm Mummy that's too early! Never mind, Alf, you have a new bedroom....... I decided when I got them up this morning that they looked a little crowded and if they slept alone they would have more room and could sit down and spread out if they wanted to..... I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.... So Alf was put in one of the side compartments of the cote, and Meg will go in the old nest box. I actually fed Alf in the kitchen as Bertie was eyeing us in the garden, and it occurred to me to weigh her - 213 pitiful little grams. So very light, like thistledown - there is no substance to her whatsoever - but there is still that vital little spark of life! My precious angel!  I am getting very little done at this time of the day as I was petrified Meg would come down and be caught by Bertie if I turned my back..... but soon she flew to the top of the hutch, was captured, and put to bed. These babies need me so much - and my whole life is currently arranged around them. I promised I'd take my little grand-daughter swimming tomorrow, while mum and big brother (who's only 3!) - are going to London for his first trip there - so my own little babies will have to stay locked in the hutch. I don't like doing that to them but that's the way it has to be for now with Bertie visiting. I wonder if I can get some high protein or high fat food or something for them to build them up - complan for dovies!

 

It was a year ago today that my flightless dove Jose was killed by the neighbour's dog that broke into our garden. I can never forget Jose, stroppy madam that she was - here she is in the snow, November 2010. For new blog readers - briefly - I picked Jose up at a National Trust property as I realised she couldn't fly and was in a bad way - named her after the rescued San Jose miners - sneaked her out, brought her home,  and looked after her. Eventually she had a mate in Happy, who brought sticks to the hutch where she lived and made a nest for her, when he realised she couldn't fly away with him - and they reared baby Pearl in there. She never flew, but had, I hope, a full, interesting life, until she was snatched away from me.

 

 



 

 



 Monday 7th October 13 - The babies are 7 weeks old today - at least Meg is.....When I went to them first thing this morning, Alf was dead. My sweet fluffy little clockwork dove had gone in the night, and of course I blamed myself for putting her to bed on her own, without Meg's warmth. Whatever made me think that was a good idea.....? I wrapped her in a cloth and laid her on the hedge while I dealt with Meg, then she had an early morning river burial with a pink mallow from the garden tucked under her wing. RIP Alpha...... my little flower, lent not given, to bud on earth, and bloom in heaven. Gone to God's Garden .... I wish I'd spent more time with her yesterday..... I wish I hadn't put her in the cote alone for the night. But at least it was lovely and sunny yesterday, and she spent her day on the roof. Here's a photo from a few days ago - it's hard to believe this sweet thing is now dead. I knew she couldn't live very long but I didn't think it would be so soon - I feel numb about it to be honest ... I haven't even shed a tear for her, and I had tears trickling down my cheeks when little Snow died at only 26 days old, and Alf was the tamest little bird I've ever had - but I knew that was only because of her failure to thrive.

 

4 days later, poor little Alf died

 

Meg had to spend a long boring day in the hutch. Although I came back at lunchtime I couldn't let her out, as I had to go out again shortly after for a long while....... I rushed back as soon as I could and it was 5.20pm, so I reckoned she could have 45 minutes out before bedtime. There were still a handful of doves and pigeons around, hopefully waiting for a feed, and so Meg joined in with them and stretched her wings. I could feel she was grumpy with me when I took her out of the hutch, but hoped she'd forgiven me as she came down for me to feed her. Then she flew back to the roof - it was 6pm ish and I was still dithering about where to put her to bed. Should I put her in the cote as usual? or should I put her in box in the conservatory..... would that be warmer? Or even in the spare room. I prepared both and decided that if she managed to put herself to bed in the cote, then I'd leave her there, but put something in to keep her warm - but if she didn't then I'd put her in the conservatory.... or spare room. But then it got later, and dusk fell, and at 6.40pm here she is still on the roof. I was still hopeful she would fly down but by 7pm she hadn't moved.... and there was no way I could reach her there. We do have a long ladder, and I did fetch it, but it's so damn heavy I couldn't manipulate it on my own, and even if I had managed to set it up against the roof, I'm not sure if it would've been safe to go up there. I can hardly risk doing myself a mischief for a little dove. She's not the first squab to spend the night on the roof, but she could be the frailest, and a night out will do her no good at all. I can only pray that we have a mild night.... I've been out every half hour to see her but she hasn't moved. Poor silly little thing.....I now go to bed with a heavy heart, and hope she's still alive in the morning.

 

 





 

Tuesday 8th Oct - 5.00am - I woke up with a start and felt impelled to go out and see Meg. Still in the same position, and the early morning felt mild. Thank goodness - I went back to bed! By 7am she had roused herself and walked to the top of the roof. But when the flock came down for breakfast, she stayed where she was. During the morning, there was not one single pidgie on the roof, and I was worried about Meg, but she had flown or walked across the adjoining roofs to the furthest one - little Meg, she's growing up! - Can you just see her there on the roof?.... and then close up in the photo below.



And in the afternoon when the flock flew off the roof she went with them, circling round in the sky, and I could pick her out, as she's the smallest. Below Charm on top and Lucky in the cote - thankfully they show no signs of wanting to start another nest.



At 4pm Meg at last came down to eat with a few white doves, and after she'd pecked a bit, but was still concentrating, I carefully bent down and picked her up so I could hand feed her. She'd never be able to eat enough to keep going if I didn't. Afterwards, she flew to the box on the hedge, which I only keep there as the pot of water on top seems to be her preferred drinking place - I've never seen her drink anywhere else by choice. At bedtime I might see if she can get into the cote on her own - I don't want to scare her off, as I very much hope she will choose to sleep in the cote rather the roof - especially as they say the temperature is going to drop quite a lot by Thursday. Well, seems like I have messed it up again.....Meg was on the box and had been there for about an hour or so when at 6.15pm I crept up to try and get her to put her in the cote, as she wasn't looking like going in there on her own. She was asleep, but woke up and I just missed her .... again she flew to the roof but that's far safer than staying the night on the hedge.

 

Above - Meg on the box (and Cloud in the hutch) before my failed attempt

at catching her



Wednesday 9th Oct - Looks like this may well be Meg's last day..... she didn't come down for breakfast, and I was off out and didn't come back til 2pm ish. Lots of pidgies around, but only one or two white doves, and no Meg anywhere I could see. Although later on a few more white doves came back, she wasn't among them and I expect she just flew off with the flock.... and goodness knows how far they travel and where they go..... she doesn't have much of a chance, being so little and light and not really able to feed herself unless the exact right small grains are thrown down right in front of her......oh my poor little babies..... I did go out looking for her but didn't really expect to find her. well if she is not here tomorrow I think I can assume she hasn't made it. Harlequin has never come back, and he was stronger than Meg. It's heart-breaking losing my darling little birds.

Thursday 10th Oct 13 -  Today has been a complete change - in every way. The temperature has dropped, no babies to look after - so I cleared up all their 'stuff' and even moved the steps away from the cote - and I've realised that the bin is still a third full of grain. Normally by Thursday I'm being very careful with what I've got left until my delivery on Friday morning. So of course this means there are far less birds - a good thing for my wallet I suppose. Meg of course didn't turn up and although I kept looking for her on the roof, I know I am looking in vain. I wonder if someone, on a field or path somewhere, found a little dead white dove flecked with grey, with an orange ring, and wondered where she came from. There is very very little chance she could survive as she was so underweight. I thought about why the babies were so underweight, especially as I was feeding them properly - or as properly as I know how - and in fact both of them kept losing weight - and I just don't know what was wrong with them, but I don't think it was anything I could do something about. I found an old piece of paper with their weights scribbled on it - Alf was 265 and Meg was 253 - and the date was 'Sunday 18'....... I presumed it was September, but looked it up and Sunday the 18th was August! Yet on Sunday 6th Oct Alf only weighed 213g - despite my feedings - and I was giving them the same amount of food I give Cloud. Although I am desperately sad that my very special tame babies didn't make it, I very much enjoyed looking after them - and remember them this way.

 

 



 

 

Today, dove/pigeon wise it has been deadly quiet - seemed to me to be just me and Cloud. But Bertie has spent most of the day in and out of here, and I haven't minded as my precious babies are gone. In fact he's sitting curled up next to me while I type this evening - and here he is earlier on in the day. Do I feel bad about his official 'owner'? - well not really.....he's a free spirit and I don't compel him to be here. I'll be going to bed in an hour or so, and if he's still there then he will be put in the kitchen where there's a little bed under the table if he chooses to stay there on this blustery rainy cold night - but no doubt he will trot back to his other home - or maybe he has several! I noticed he had a tick on his jawline, so will ring his owner to make sure she knows about it and gets it removed. I don't particularly want to speak to her, but it's in his best interests.

 

Recently there have been a small group of birds coming for a late afternoon feed at 5-6pm but today only poor old Wooden Eye was there. Very bad pics of her/him but you can just about see her gunked up eye - the other eye is ok and that's how she manages. It has been such a lonesome dovie day for me, that I was delighted to see her and of course she got lots of peanuts. If you remember I did catch her in the summer and try to clean up her eye but it is just as bad now.

 

 

 

Friday 11th Oct 13 - I counted the flock on the roof this morning - less than 100 birds, which sounds a lot but I am used to 300 or so. Fennie hasn't been seen the last couple of mornings - but Dolly yes. I also haven't seen Autumn, Destiny or Patience for a while - but saw Pandora a couple of days ago. Miserable day and raining heavily by lunch-time. Poor Cloud it's not much of a life for her on these kind of days, and we are getting into the kind of weather where I don't even bring her out of the conservatory - which at least is light, and sometimes quite warm. 10 months now since I first brought her in. A small group of pigeons turned up just now and I wasn't going to feed them, but then saw Pandora was with them - she used to turn up with a huge number of mates - today there were only about 8. I can see that I will be pushed to find something to blog about, and I doubt I'll be writing one a week as I have been.

 

I spoke to Bertie's owner about the tick and she thanked me etc, but reiterated that I am not to feed him or allow him in our house. Really? That would be like saying to an old friend or neighbour that they can't pop round on the off-chance to see you and have a cup of tea!

 

Missing my babies, I picked up a skinny young pigeon with bad eyes and gave it a peanut boost. I ringed it so I can recognise it, but there wasn't much point as it won't survive poor little thing, but at least it won't be hungry tonight.

 

Sat 12th Oct 13 -  The little pigeon was here again today, but not looking good.

 

 



 

Sunday 14th Oct 13 - Appalling weather - raining heavily and so gloomy it was not worth putting Cloud out in the hutch. Bertie spent most of the day in and out of here. Sitting on the lap top so hubbie couldn't play his card game.

 

 And watching through the cat flap in the kitchen for unwary bedragged pigeons!

 

By early evening we thought he had gone home, but he came back through the cat flap at 10pm, bringing with him a dead baby rabbit - poor little creature. We chucked it out into the garden, and he followed, then we turned the kitchen lights off, so hopefully he will think we have gone to bed and won't bring it back. I don't particularly want to find a jammy mess in the kitchen tomorrow morning!

 

To be cont.