Hatching Day

Sunday 27th April 2014 - The last blog ended with Charm blocked in, alone, with her eggs on Saturday evening, and Hatching Day due on Monday. I unblocked her at 6.00am but she sat tight and all seemed well. But, a Big Surprise was in store for me! - at 8.00am I happened to observe Charm emerge from the nest with something in her beak .... an egg shell! Oh my goodness, has one baby or both hatched already? I must have got my calculations wrong.... Charm flew up to the roof to drop the egg, and I shinned up the steps. Two lovely gorgeous adorable yellow tiny babies, moving, alive and well! They must've hatched over-night, and thank goodness this wasn't the night when Lucky had stayed over!

At about 8.30am Lucky flew to the nestbox, and Charm swapped with him! He settled down on the babies and seemed quite content. I was a little perturbed.....but Snow White was nowhere to be seen, and better that Uncle Lucky stayed to keep the babies warm, than no-one! But what was I to do?  I kept watch, and fifteen minutes later Snow White flew to the entrance of the nestbox, and Lucky came out with no fuss. I didnt feel that I could block SW in now the babies were hatched, as I didnt know exactly when Charm would want to go back, and now my concern for the eggs to be kept warm, turned into my concern for the babies to be looked after properly - and the worst of it was that I was going to be out for the whole day, having been booked into a photography one-day workshop by my daughter for an early birthday present. Obviously I was looking forward to the workshop but didnt want to be absent from the garden in case Charm decided to neglect the babies, or Lucky caused more trouble somehow. All I could do was prime up hubbie and he promised that he would do his best - and I also gave him the box containing the electric hen to set up! (and here it is after he'd done so - legs can be raised or lowered - electric hen purchased from Home Farm Fowls  It cost about £30 which may seem to you to be a lot for something I hope never to have to use, but it has given me peace of mind. Of course it is for hen chicks so I don't know how it would work out if used for squabs.

Hubbie texted me several times throughout the day telling me that all was calm, and someone was with the babies, so that was reassuring but when I arrived back home about 4.45pm Lucky and Snow White were popping in and out of all the rooms in the cote, and ended up having a tussle on the hedge. I wouldnt call it a fight as I have seen doves really fight, beak and claw...... eventually they settled down, each in a compartment, with Charm in alone with the babies, and I bided my time. Just after 6pm SW flew off with a loud clap of wings - the doves always do this when leaving, the noise is loud enough for me to hear in the house....so I immediately went out and carefully approached the cote, watched by Lucky who was still there and peeking out. As I raised the feeder tray that I am using to block in with, he flew away and for a split second I panicked that Charm would follow him.... then the block was up and I could relax for the evening. Until I feel the babies are big enough to be left at night, then I must either block Charm in with them, or if that fails, then bring them into the house. These babies are very precious to me, and I will do whatever it takes to give them the best start.

Monday 28th April 14 - All went well this morning and I got another peep of the babies when Charm relieved herself but it was only seconds. Then when Charm swapped with SW at 9.00am I blocked him in while I went shopping. He doesnt seem to care, and it gives me peace of mind!

Below, Lucky, left and Charm, right

 I am dreading the start of the fence removal and the new one going up tomorrow - we havent had any further word that the work is actually going to start, but then again we havent had word that it isn't going to be on the day planned either. I wish it was 2 weeks later when the babies were bigger - having men traipsing in and out of the garden, noisily, all day (for 2 days!) is going to upset the doves I know it!

I was pleased to see a goldfinch in the garden - I see them on the farm but have never seen one in the garden before. At one time I tried to tempt them in with niger seed but it didnt work.

Later - Charm came in to let SW out at 3.15pm. You may wonder why I seem obsessed with times, but it is helpful for me, any time I have a problem, to look back at past blogs and see timings - so I know what's right and proper! SW flew to the roof, but soon came back to sit in another opening and guard the cote, mainly from Lucky - who is allowed in the back and sides, if he's good and quiet! But at 3.45pm I realised that both SW and Charm were eating on the ground and saw Lucky enter the nestbox. I didn't think he'd hurt the babies but I got the camera/steps so I could see what was going on.

You can definitely see it's Lucky from the tiny black marks on his neck

 Below, you can just about see Lucky bend towards the yellow baby

 And here you can see him feeding it - by allowing the tiny squab to place it's beak into his mouth to get the crop milk.

I cut and pasted this to explain - Some birds actually produce a substance similar to mammal milk. Pigeons are the best known producers of “crop milk” and both sexes produce it. Crop milk is produced by a sloughing of special cells in the crop and is very nutritious. Pigeon “milk” contains more protein and fat than either cow or human milk. It is the only food provided to the nestlings for the first several days after hatching. Crop “milk” is fed by both parents for a couple of weeks. As the babies get older, seed is included with the milk. Gradually, more and more seed and less and less “milk” is provided until the babies are receiving just the seed and liquid that the parents have consumed.

With pigeons and doves, the baby does not gape to be fed. Rather, it squeaks and taps its beak against the parent’s beak which stimulates the parent to “open wide.” the baby sticks its beak down the parent’s throat and literally sucks up to contents of the crop. Most of our songbirds do not have a true crop, which is essentially a sack capable of holding a large amount of food. Baby birds without a crop can only hold a small amount of food at a time and must be fed as often as every 20 minutes from sunup to sundown. Pigeons and doves, on the other hand, can hold a large amount of food which passes slowly through the digestive system. Even the youngest baby pigeon or dove can be fed no more than every couple of hours. 

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The interesting thing about this is of course that Charm doesn't think that Lucky is the daddy of these babies, and she and Snow White have done all the sitting on the eggs, but Lucky is obviously producing crop milk the same as the two parents (more on this below). Technically Lucky could be the true father of both or just one of the squabs I suppose.


Tuesday 29.4.14 – Our wedding anniversary – we have been married 8 years and that time has gone by very quickly indeed. The cote was a present from my mother and my late father – my mother’s gone now too but I think of them every day. Two of my first 4 doves were named after them – John and Irene (and the other two were Pax and Persephone). Lots of doves were interested in the cote this early morning, fluttering around, causing SW to be defensive.

In the first photo below you can see a dove with a black fleck on it's back - I call that one Fletch and he is really cute, quite small (possibly female) and has a small black pointed beak.

Here's Big Boy below, still coping excellently well - I target him with peanuts and corn as he finds it hard to pick up small grain or the slippery round peas. All the horrible mess round his beak has healed up, but it's still fore-shortened and not pointy which is what makes it difficult for him to pin-point small grains.

I managed to get a photo of my lovely fuzzy little babies!

 Below Charm and Lucky alone on the lawn

 Charm with the green ring

 And Lucky with beady eye outwards (he has mis-matched eyes)

This morning Lucky flew up to the cote at 9.10am, thinking he would changeover with Charm, but Snow White saw him and sent him off (but in a nice way!) By 9.15am I had blocked SW in and was getting ready to go out, but by half nine I realised I had blocked in Charm when SW and Lucky appeared back on the cote’s ledges (how did that happen??) So I unblocked Charm who held no grudge, and by 9.40am definitely SW was in the nest and blocked in and Lucky and Charm had come down to eat, then gone off together to enjoy flying or perhaps picking around on the farmland here.  A while ago I met someone who told me the doves were often on a particular spot in a certain field making me wonder if there were some sort of minerals there that they like.  I had hoped and prayed that the men wouldn’t turn up to do the fence today, and they didn’t! (thank you God!)- so the doves had a peaceful day  and I was spared the worry.

At this stage of development, the male dove should stay in the nest with the babies for most of the day but I unblocked SW when Charm came back to the garden about 1.30pm. She had no intention of taking over nest duty, and just enjoyed herself for a couple more hours or so.

 One of my robins - I have three I think and recognise this one by his 'white bits'. He will come into the kitchen if he doesnt get his soaked mealworms on time!

 I jot down notes when I see something happening, and my next ‘happening’ was 4.22pm when Charm swapped with Lucky. Poor Lucky, he only had seconds with the babies he considers his before SW came back to the cote –but he always gives in graciously and flies out, and SW doesn’t seem to make a fuss about it.

Next jotting was 4.50pm when Charm snuck Lucky in with her .....

and they had a snuggle with the babies for a long 7 minutes this time before SW noticed. Here’s Charm at the entrance of the nestbox, blocking the view, so that SW doesn’t spot Lucky in behind her with the babies – and possibly feeding them.

 In the bigger view of the garden you can see Snow White on the roof. The babies should grow up very big and strong with 3 parents looking after them ! – 4 if you count me!

The males left the garden fairly early today and Charm was blocked in by 5.45pm. The block is a square metal mesh feeder tray which just happens to fit under the lip of the top of the cote, making an effective barrier that still allows air in – but there is still some room at the sides and tonight it occurred to me that possibly there was enough room for a determined bird to squeeze through. Charm has always left her babies when they are about 4 days old and this time I am taking no chances. I got one of the metal grilles that hubbie made for me that I haven’t used so far, and slipped that behind the mesh tray, but it still fell forward leaving gaps, so I made two wedges from old flannels in roughly fat sausage shapes, held by rubber bands, and pushed them in at the sides. I checked my arrangements before I went to bed, and am hoping all will be ok in the morning.

Wednesday 30.4.14 - Would the fencers come today? I still hoped not, but had had no word either way. I was having my grand-daughter and normally take her to an art club, but today wanted to bring her back here as quickly as possible because of the fencing and the doves. I had unblocked Charm at 6.00am but as far as I was aware she hadn't left the nestbox and as I was planning on leaving at 7.45am to try to beat the traffic I hoped she would come out (as usual) to do her morning 'hen poo' and grab a bite to eat before I went - so I could block her in again while I was out (in case the men arrived and upset her enough for her to leave the babies). Fortunately she did this just a minute or two before I left. The journey was horrendous (Laura B and Linda you both know me, and you'll know exactly how far it is).....it took 2 hours 10 minutes to do the journey there and get back (due to foggy condition, the tube strike and local roadworks) - a journey that should normally only take 20 mins or so each way. Anyway, I didnt get back til 9.50am and poor SW was dancing about on the ledge of the cote, with Lucky, knowing that he should be in with the babies. I immediately unblocked Charm, and in he went like a lamb. What a good daddy! I then blocked him in - in case the fencers arrived. But they didnt.....

Here's Lucky in a side compartment of the cote at about 1.30pm when he arrived back in the garden, without Charm, thinking he would do some nest duty, but SW was blocked in and wouldnt have let him anyway.

 He stayed quite a while before getting tired of it. I had a look in my book 'Feral Pigeons' by Richard F. Johnston and Marian Janiga to see if I could find anything about my 'menage a trois' - but this was the only thing mentioned, with no more detail  - 'Occasionally, two males may form a bond triangle with a female, which may be a result of neither male being strong enough to drive the other away'.

I also found that 'when the male of the pair is separated from the nest but still allowed visual contact with its mate, the behaviour and physiology of the bird is nearly normal and cropmilk forms....' 

If something was to happen to Snow White then I have no doubt that Lucky would take over the complete daddy role.

This afternoon followed yesterday's pattern - at 4.30pm I noticed both Lucky and Charm together in the nestbox ......

and then Lucky alone (and feeding a baby) for a short time before SW came back and cut short his visitation rights.

Snow White is very calm and laid back so I was able to get up close to the nestbox and take this photo. According to my book, the squabs eyes open gradually and are fully open by the 4th-6th day after hatching. Doesnt SW look superblyt proud? I am so glad he has some babies after the terrible tragedy in January - he is a very good daddy and it wasn't his fault they died.

Again this evening Charm was blocked in and the babies were safe with mummy for another night.

We have all the odd bods visiting the garden in the early evening. A jackdaw was here in the group just before I got the camera but annoyingly flew away. A pair of collared doves came afterwards too - and the Mallards.

Thursday 1st May - 9.25am - The morning flock

I am writing this in real time. I have been watching for the changeover but didnt think it had happened, and from the ground I could see who I thought was Charm feeding the babies, so put a chair at a safe distance to take some photos. She seemed ok with it so I moved the steps to get a closer look, and it was Lucky! - as you can see....

Male dove - NOT the father - feeds 4 day old squabs

There is only one other white dove around, on the roof, and I can't see the rings.  Has SW conceded that Lucky is the father? No.... by 10am ish I could see Lucky had been outed and was peeking out the side of the cote.

And when I uploaded that photo, I could see it was SW - so why had he let Uncle Lucky have a whole half-hour with the babies? That was very kind of you SW!

I blocked SW in to avoid arguments, and keep the babies safe and warm with 'daddy'. It's a rainy day and no fencers - hurrah! Every day without disruption means the babies are getting bigger and I have more chance of handling/rearing them myself if the doves get too upset by the work. I must be the only person who is happy that their workmen have NOT turned up!

Here's a reason to feed feral pigeons

I have been forgetting to my mention my feather shop in recent blogs - so if you want to buy real doves and other birds' feathers for your life-style or craft projects please go to Feather shop on Groovy Cart which is an interesting umbrella website with lots of small craft and other shops.Sorry I sell to UK only.

Dove Blog -To be cont.....

Countdown to hatching day - Lucky makes it difficult

18.4.14 – Good Friday – I took Bertie straight home when he arrived at the reasonable time of near 9am. His ‘owner’ invited me in for a coffee. I don’t normally knock when I drop him off – just check no cars about and then open the door and off he goes! I also check no people about as I don’t want people to think I am dumping a cat! But today as I am dropping him home daily at the moment, I thought I’d knock and see how she was feeling about the current situation regarding him. She seems to be ok with it, and we had a nice chat.

Neither Big Boy nor Grace turned up for the morning feed, and I was missing them, but they were both there in the afternoon and Grace ate from my hand. Her rings are dirty, so I wonder if she is nesting somewhere..... it wasn’t Destiny after all, it was definitely Grace.

Cloud continues to do her ‘hovering’ flying and it is sweet to see her rise up from the ground, spinning like a baby angel learning to fly, but I do hope it doesn’t get more than that, or I will lose her like I lost Echo. She is not capable of looking after herself in the wild, and I’ve had her as a homie for 16 months now.

I decided to be a girl scout today and ‘be prepared’ in case of problems with the eggs/babies. I ordered a new tub of Kaytee Exact from ebay – this is hand-rearing food for baby birds. Sold for parrots but I believe can be used for any. My last tub had a third left in it, but it’s out of date so maybe not very nutritious now. I made up some balls of it though, so as not to waste it, but the pidgies wouldn’t eat it!!! I also ordered an electric hen! (will show it when I've got it) And lastly I ordered hand-rearing syringes and a pump. Once this lot has arrived, I will feel more confident if I have to take over looking after the little squabs. Once squabs are 2 weeks old then I am fine with hand-feeding them, but this is for babies younger than that. I hope it doesn’t come to that – the stuff is just to be on the safe side. Oh and while searching hand rearing a book popped up – can’t remember the title now but it was only a pound or so and I bought that too! Medihoney Anti-bacterial Wound Gel was another purchase (from Amazon) – I haven’t tried this before at all – it’s for humans but I might be useful for birds too. I will suss it out when it arrives. Snow White – I promise to do everything possible to keep your babies alive!

Easter Sunday 20/4 -  was a rainy day which suited me as I left both homies in the conservatory while I was out visiting my girls, and knew they wouldnt be getting too hot - the homies, not the girls!

Bank Holiday Monday 21.4.14 – Started misty but turned into a sunny day. All was going well until at about 9.30am when I was idly watching for the ‘changeover’ (when SW takes over nest duty and lets Charm go off), I saw the bird in the nest fly out and another go in. Thinking Charm was out I went out to feed her – as she misses the early feed which is now about 6.30-7.00am..... but Charm and SW were both on the ground......and it was Lucky in the nest! I assumed that one of the two parents would quickly rout him out, but they ate and then something or nothing startled them and the few pidgies that were around sending them all flying off.....not to return! Oh dear.... Lucky poked his head out, decided he didn’t want to babysit and flew off too! Oh no, my long awaited eggs now only about 8 days off hatching, have been left on their own! Luckily hubby had just gone off to his workshop so I could fuss and panic alone! I put the feather filled glove over the eggs and waited five minutes but no parents. It is difficult to know how long to wait – possibly they would be alright if left for a while, but I have no idea how long. I removed them from the nest and put them in a tub on the aga with various cloths (and even a beanie baby that a judged a suitable pigeon weight) over them. Then I put 2 plastic eggs in the nest so that a returning parent not spotted by me, would have an incentive to go into the nest.

 Real eggs above, plastic eggs below

As I had the chance, I experimented with putting up the grille for blocking in at night – and Fennie my blog reader’s ideas -  but I was distracted and couldn’t work out a good solution.

I kept watch, remembering how Sky used to leave the eggs.... and near 40 mins later two white doves appeared on the roof. What are you worried about, they seemed to say, it’s a nice day, we just went for a fly together! I dashed out with the eggs (carefully!) and grabbed out the plastics, and replaced the real ones. Seconds later a parent flew in, and settled down. Thankfully! The other stayed on the roof - It was Charm, so SW in the nest, as it should be.

I think I panicked too early – maybe I shouldn’t have brought the eggs in – I hope it didn’t do harm rather than good. I  looked back on my blog about when Grace and Valentine were left in a cold February, but still hatched (with some help from me and the aga!) – it was very stressful for me but makes an interesting read with photos of hatching babies. The mother at that time – Summer – was a good parent and quite tame/tolerant of me. I haven’t reached that stage with Charm or Snow White yet, and not sure how I got there with Summer. Different birds have different personalities and it just evolved.

Tue 22.4.14 – I saw the changeover at 5.10pm this afternoon – Snow White coming off, and Charm going in as usual but at 5.30pm I noticed something strange..... SW was on the ground eating, and TWO white doves were in the nest. Lucky had joined Charm!

He just can’t get used to the idea that this is not his nest. I kept watch and after a while saw Charm on the ground eating, and Lucky in the nest peeking out. SW flew away with the general flock, as usual, but by 6.10pm Lucky was still in there with Charm. Hubbie of course said let them get on with it, but it’s not as simple as that. The eggs are due to hatch in 6 days time and I am really looking forward to having new babies, hopefully, and don’t want anything to go wrong. I am writing this in real time, so am looking out the window and can see Lucky’s head and front body peeking out of the nest, with Charm presumably sitting, somewhat squashed, on the eggs behind him.

I am wishing that he will leave soon and let Charm just sit in peace, but if he doesn’t I am not sure what I will do. And what if he flies off taking Charm with him? It’s the sort of thing she would do..... I am debating whether to approach the nestbox carefully, block it with my hand, chuck him out and block her in for the night, but this is fraught with difficulties and might make things worse – or do I block them both in? Or just leave it.... Well, Lucky left the cote at 6.20pm, flew to the roof and soon flew away. Thank goodness!

Wed. 23.4.14 – A quiet dovie day, but look what I found in my grain bin when I went outside after only popping into the house for a minute!

I am getting more than a bit anxious as we head rapidly towards H Day! (hatching day) – which is Mon. 28th, if I have calculated right.

Thurs 24.4.14 – All seemed well. I saw the changeover at 9.20am, and was able to make sure Charm had grains and peanuts. She’s not my favourite by a long chalk, but she’s the mummy and must be treated as such. So Snow White was on the eggs, and I had nothing to worry about.....until I went outside with keys, shopping bags etc and found a white dove desperately trying to get into the cote, absolutely squeezed up against the entrance, and obviously disputing with the bird inside. From the ground I could see a green ring, which meant either SW or Charm wanted to get in, so why wasn’t the other one letting him/her? I got the camera and took a photo.

I got the steps and took another photo, and could now see SWs pink ring as well as his green one. If Charm was on the nest, which she shouldn’t be at this time, why was she not letting SW in? I knew something was up.....this is not normal behaviour. 

I grabbed a feeder tray which makes a useful blocker-inner and put the steps right under the cote and still SW didn’t move. 

My sixth sense was telling me that somehow Lucky was in the cote..... I grabbed SW, causing a flurry of little white feathers to be lost, and Lucky shot out, then I stuffed SW in and blocked the entrance. Lucky flew to the roof, and me and SW drew breath! When I had grabbed him, his eye looked unusually red, but he does have a pinkish look to the surround of his eyes anyway – I couldn’t, in the circumstances, examine him, but hopefully Lucky hadn’t hurt him or damaged the eggs. I peeked round the side of the block, and could see the eggs which seemed ok. My heart was hammering...... the stress these birds cause me! Lucky sat on the roof looking like butter wouldn't melt!

I do understand Lucky’s point of view, and for all I know he could well have fertilized these eggs, but if Charm says SW’s the daddy then SW IS the daddy, and Lucky can’t sit on the eggs! SW had definitely swapped with Charm, so had Lucky actually routed SW out? I wondered if any of this hassle had gone on yesterday when I was out at this time of day! I left the block up while I went shopping and came back in an hour or so. Oh good, I thought, the roof is empty – maybe I will unblock SW. But then I noticed Lucky sitting in one of the other nestboxes.

I went up the steps gently to observe SW through the mesh of the block and he seemed ok, sitting quietly – though was probably aware of Lucky in another part of the cote. Lucky flew to the roof, and soon flew away entirely but I didn’t unblock SW – he will be on nest duty for quite a while yet and hopefully will not be upset by the block. At least with the block up, I know the eggs are being incubated and no-one can attack SW. My Medihoney Antibacterial Wound Gel arrived from Amazon – I hope I will not have to use it on SW.

Mr. and Mrs. Woodie Duck haven’t been seen for a while, but their neighbours Mr. and Mrs. Mallard turned up for the first time ever today and made themselves quite at home.

Later – I unblocked SW as quietly as I could at 2pm, and he was ok, staying motionless on the eggs. The changeover was at 5.10pm and SW looked fine with no wounds. I did contemplate blocking Charm in, but I will probably have to do that around H day so didn’t want to spook her unnecessarily, and I am here to sort out any problems if Lucky decides to join her tonight. I had to gently remove the steps from under the cote, and that was accomplished without hiccup.

Fri 25.4.14 – Snow White stayed on the cote, guarding it from Lucky, while the other birds fed at the early morning feed – he wouldn’t come down at all.

 Above, SW on the entrance below where Charm is - and below, Lucky peeking out the back of the cote.

Only when eventually Lucky gave in and came to eat, so did SW. I am hoping we won’t have yesterday’s trouble but I have to get my grand-daughter so won’t be able to sort it out..... I will collect her and come back asap! Before I left, this is what Lucky and Charm were doing....

Came back and it all went like a dream come true – immediately I saw one white dove on the eggs, and Lucky and Charm both came down to eat. Super! So I knew it was SW on the eggs, and I crept up to block him in – and then we could both go off to enjoy the morning's Tumble Tots class!

It rained all day and was very miserable so I didn’t unblock SW til 3pm, but had to go off out to take my grand-daughter home, and didn’t get back til near 7pm. What I wanted to see when I got back was a calm garden and Charm in the cote..... what I actually did see was a calm garden and a rather full looking nestbox.... was that one bird in there or two?

Oh dear me, it was two..... but as I watched them, one merged to the front and I thought maybe it (or they) are hungry, so I threw down grain and Charm flew down to eat.  The other bird sat tight and even when I got the steps and peered quite close,  it sat there..... being or pretending to be Snow White! But was it Lucky? I honestly couldn’t tell – I couldn’t see Lucky’s black horseshoe on his breast. I should’ve checked out his eyes – as Lucky has odd eyes but I didn’t think of it. So, what to do? I didn’t want to pick the male up to check if it was Lucky, in case Charm flew back at that moment and the kerfuffle upset her.... so I just left him, and waited to see what would happen. Charm settled back into the cote alongside whichever male she’d got with her (it’s got to be Lucky methinks!) and I went inside to watch Emmerdale with one eye on the cote! By the first ads it was getting gloomy and my thought was what if the male decides to leave now.... or at sometime in the night.... Charm is bound to go with him, so the only thing to do was block both of them in immediately. So I crept underneath the cote, hoping the birds couldn’t see me, my hands trembling and my heart hammering as usual. I absolutely hate doing this, but I MUST do everything possible for these eggs which are so near hatching day. Having blocked them, I could peep round the side of the mesh tray and they were both sitting there side by side – very sweet really. There is plenty of room in each nestbox for two adult doves and they would have plenty of air through the mesh, and at each side. And there they will have to stay until the morning! I will get up at 6am to unblock – I hope I've done the right thing!!! What on earth would SW think if he knew? 

Saturday 26.4.14 – the early morning was very rainy and a bit windy, but I got up promptly at 6.00am to gently unblock Charm and the male – who very soon flew out of the nest-box and yes, of course it was Lucky! - Here he is, first bird on the roof...

The first pigeons arrived 6.15am so I felt I'd picked the right time for the unblocking. Now my next hurdle was to see the changeover and block SW in for the day. SW took his time, enjoying those last minutes before he had to sit all day – eating, pecking in the raised bed and having a drink from the puddles in the yard. Here he was joined by another pigeon and Lucky.

 Mirror, mirror..... who's the fairest of them all...... My Snow White of course!

From the yard, Lucky and SW then flew to the roof and started courting a young white female who just chanced to be around....

From 9.00am I watched constantly, but the doves can do the change in a blink of an eye and I somehow missed it, but Charm was on the ground, eating and Lucky was on the roof. When she flew up, he immediately joined her and started canoodling .....

 'I really do love you' says Lucky. 'Well, I love you too darling', says flighty Charm, trying to wriggle her way out of a difficult situation 'but Snow White was soooo persuasive that I just couldn’t help myself!' I would’ve liked to block SW in straight away but he was sitting in a position where he would’ve seen me so I had to bide my time. When Charm came down to eat again, Lucky made two separate attempts to get into the nestbox, but SW foiled him, and eventually by 9.40am I’d done the blocking and could get on with the day. All very stressful I assure you!

Later - Charm was blocked in, alone, this evening. The eggs are due to hatch on Monday! and, to make matters worse, and more stressful for me, the men are supposed to be coming to redo our fence on Tuesday - a 2 day job that will cause a lot of disruption in the garden I should think, and may cause the doves to leave the babies. I am praying that for some reason it will have to be postponed.

To be cont....