Mainly about Solo - and what happened to Cloud

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.

Solo in an old hood of mine, with his cuddly toy!

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.

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^th 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.

Male white dove, with the blue-ringed Bianca

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!’

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!

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.

Above, my Grace eats from my hand

12th April 15 - Solo, about 16 days old - he has pretty markings, don't you think?

Tuesday 14^th 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!’

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.

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......

 Autumn - my oldest surviving 'baby' hatched in my cote (that still visits) - 3 years old this summer

And below, Dolly, another special 'baby' - 2 years this spring

 Sometimes, I just have to get my camera as I think .....what if this was the last time I ever see this bird......

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!

Thursday 16^th 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.

My photos are a bit fuzzy but it was just a case of taking some quick snaps!

 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!

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.

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.

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!

Thurs 16^th 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!)

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.

Mr. Mandarin Duck on the lawn

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. 

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.

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.

Sunday – 19^th 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.

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.

Lucky fed again about 1.30pm but that was it – he seems to think two feeds are day is enough.

Below, Cissie - wearing a fluffy feather has a hat!

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.

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.

Solo - about 3 weeks old - in the nestbox with some little grains to experiment with

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.

 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.......

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 must 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.

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.

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.

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 was 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.

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.

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!)

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.

Sun 26^th 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.

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).

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.

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....

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.

Below, Lucky - Solo's daddy - looking a bit startled

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.

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.

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. 

 Safe, she was able to have a little doze

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. 

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.

 It didn't take Lucky long to find the pretty racer - but ignored eager little Solo

 Poor Solo - daddy's only interested in chasing girls!

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.

 Solo gave himself his first bath!

 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 that 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.

 Henry, the pheasant, now comes running to get his peanuts

To be cont........

Ockie - and hatching day arrives

Thurs 26^th 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.

Vistors on the patio! - and no I didn't feed them - there are hungry enough mouths already!

 Now, what is this white blob below?

 It's Cloud on walkabout, tiptoeing through the daffodils!

 Four pigeons were sent out to fetch her back!!!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 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.

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!)

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!!!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Lucky and Loretta alone on the roof - and on the patio

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!

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.

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

I took Solo out for the first time to have a good look at him – funny little thing!

Below, L to R the homies, Cloud, Cissie, Chino enjoy the freedom in the garden

 Pandora, below, still manages to eat with her beak which grew back twisted after an injury more than 18 months ago

 And later on, the homies tired of pecking round the garden, rest in a sunny corner.

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!

8^th 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!

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!

To be cont......