Start the weekend with a d’awwww
A couple of weeks ago, I watered the window boxes in the office, turned my back for a moment, and when I turned around again – an egg! Why this daft pigeon decided to lay an egg in wet earth, I don’t know, but it’s not quite as bad a spot as it sounds. There’s a roof overhang, so it stays dry when it rains and she’s relatively protected under all those geraniums.
She laid a second egg two days later. Eighteen days it takes to incubate a pigeon egg and I’ve been watching her cautiously. Sometimes, the male (I assume) comes and sits and gives her a chance to rest and feed. It’s easy to spot the difference: she’s got a dark gray head with white speckles and he’s pale gray.
I hardly ever see the nest without a bird on it, but yesterday she stood up and – behold, baby pigeon! (bottom right). It must have hatched moments before, because it’s still wet and the shell is still there.
Baby pigeons are ugly mutant looking creatures, so I won’t give you a closeup of the little bugger, but I love the look on her face. She’s probably just startled and I’m anthropomorphising, but she looks like a proud mama to me.
By Monday, we’ll see if the other one hatches or is a dud. Good weekend, all!
Posted: June 10th, 2022 under animals, birds.
Comments: 3
Comments
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: June 10, 2022, 6:43 pm
Okay, ya got me.
Awwwwww! Sweet 😛
Comment from Armybrat
Time: June 11, 2022, 1:28 am
A year or so ago, my brother noticed a nest on his back porch. He decided to have some fun and mounted a camera to live stream the action. A robin laid 3 eggs. We all checked in every day and breathlessly awaited the hatching. The day number one hatched we were all treated to the spectacle of a red tailed hawk swooping in …and chick number one was no more. The next day we were all treated to the spectacle of a rather large king snake pilfering the other 2 eggs.
Gotta be comfortable with nature if you’re going to watch nature.
Comment from Veeshir
Time: June 11, 2022, 2:29 am
Mmmmmmm Squab!
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