# **&%$!! pigeons sneaked another one by me!



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Not so long back there was 'Sneaky', who hatched on my balcony from an egg laid during my absence and which was too far developed to change when I returned.

This time, I could swear my feral pair had two plastic eggs - so how the heck did they hatch another yellow fuzzball? Magic pigeons, I guess 

Guess this one is 'Oopsie' - another mistake on my part. As you see, s/he is no bigger than the plastic egg alongside

John


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Oh my goodness is she ever cute!!!!!!! Is there anything cuter than a newborn pigeon?

Why are you trying to prevent your ferals from reproducing? Just wondering.


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## elvis_911 (Apr 26, 2004)

LOL cute!

elvis


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

I cracked up laughing after reading about your new arrival. Pigeons, you just gotta love 'em.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

They are smart little guys.
The baby is adorable. Good names, BTW.

Reti


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

*pigeon birth control*

Hi MM -

Pigeons are not popular round the apartments. I had one heck of a run in with a couple of residents and the management some years back about my previous feral pair, who raised a lot of little ones. I had no idea about plastic eggs then.

I don't want to draw too much attention to the pigeons who roost here, and especially this pair who live in a home-made 'cave' well out of sight. They have been here for a year now.

Apart from unwelcome attention, for them and for me, I don't figure that increasing the numbers too much is a good plan, given that in a cosy setup like this they could readily produce all year round. It just means more and more competition for food and shelter, for one thing, and I am so often not around that I could not look out for them all the time.

So, I'm attempting to be part of the solution instead of the problem.

John


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

This is a wonderful mistake John! Could the parents know how to recognise the fake eggs and throw them apart?
Suz.


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## Pete Jasinski (Jan 2, 2005)

That is the sweetest lil one! Keep us updated on her progress


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## rena paloma (Jan 30, 2005)

*squabbie squab!*

wow, cute little cutie! i dont think there is anything cuter than a squab. my ferals had one, just one, and i hang out with them (from a distance, healthy distance) every day, daddy comes to get the seed i throw, and mommy was cleaning him. he even steps to the side of the nest to poo! anyhow, enough about mine. yours is fantastic.


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Yes, that "backing off the nest to poo" instinct is ingrained -- pretty cool, eh?


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## poco (Mar 20, 2005)

*Oopsie is beautiful!*

Your new baby is cute and beautiful! Wow  
Thank you for posting the photo.
Poco


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## zoo keeper (Oct 3, 2004)

I laughed when I read your post. These darn birds, they are so smart and you just gotta love them. They still the hearts of everyone.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

What an adorable little fluff-ball! I had my first "oops" this spring, too. I check every nest every day but somehow missed an egg right up to the day when I felt in the nest and there was one wooden egg and one chick! First time it's happened to me. They are sneaky, aren't they.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

The little guy is 10 days now. I keep a dish of pigeon mix right at the back of the 'cave' for the parents, so they still get to eat when I'm away for the week or a weekend. I filled it tonight, and as I reached over baby, he reared up, clicked and attempted to destroy my hand with his little soft beak 

In the pic, he is glaring at me (or the camera) with a "watch it, mister, or you'll get some more of that" look

John


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## Garye (Feb 20, 2005)

That's about the cutest picture of a squab I've seen. Usually they're ugly to me. Good picture.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Thankx Garye. They are always, to me, like funny little dinosaurs 

John


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

He's so adorable with his little grey feet and the white dot right at the end 
of his beak. Too cute  .


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Wow, what a difference ten days makes! And what a beautiful picture!

Linda


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

John,

What a sweetie! Glad to know he has a survivor's attitude! 
What is the nesting material? It looks quite comfy!

I've noticed several pictures with babies with a light tip to their beak. Have you noticed any correlation between this and eventual adult coloration?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Terri,

The nest stuff is actually a couple of felt nestbowl liners from the pigeon supply store. I put them in an old oven dish lid. First thing the pigeons do is tear at the material and fluff it up and spread it out, then put a token four or five twigs on it 

The light tip to the beak is a device whereby the adults can more easily see baby's beak in a dark cave (their natural 'wild' nesting places) to guide it into their own beak for feeding, when baby's eyes would still be closed. I think maybe it is more pronounced in some than others, through 'inheritance'. Don't know (may be wrong) that it foretells anything in adulthood.

John


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