# more balcony babies - pics



## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

*more balcony babies - pics *now with faces**

Apollo and Luna's eggs have hatched, i think it was earlier this week

here is the proud father Apollo, he is wary & moves away when approached so it's easier to photograph on his shift 









Luna is a great mum, very protective - so less of a photo-opportunity with the babies when she's in charge









and a few other pics:
Luna arrives for her shift
Apollo and baby bums
Apollo on the nest
the feral flock

i have seen the babies' heads but i'll have to catch Apollo just as he arrives to stand a good chance of a photo...watch this space


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Great close-ups 

Luna looks like a hen who will take no nonsense from Pigeon or Man  They do look a really fine pair - be interesting to see what plumage they produce

John


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Very Cute!! Can't wait for future pictures. Its great that you let them have there babies on your balcony. Do you help mom and dad with food and water so they don't have to go very far to forage? Just curious. Good job. min


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

a little bit of patience + babies getting too big to hide = baby face pics

Luna being a protective mum









proud father Apollo









little face peeking out









up close & personal


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Great pics of the parents and babies. May they all live long and happy lives!

Terry


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

Saturday afternoon Apollo went off duty for a little while...which was great for photos


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Very cute, can't wait to see the colors they are going to be. min


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

Mindy said:


> Very Cute!! Can't wait for future pictures. Its great that you let them have there babies on your balcony. Do you help mom and dad with food and water so they don't have to go very far to forage? Just curious. Good job. min


hi, no i don't put out food as there is plenty around where we live & i have to be careful because of the neighbours, i do put down water but it is ignored
tomorrow i am going to start housekeeping as there is too much poop and not enough ventilation

tuesdays pics:


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Very Cute, Do they both come back everynight? Or just mom? min


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

dad Apollo turns up around lunchtime
then mum Luna takes over early evening
now that the babies are bigger they are by themselves at breakfast time and late afternoon - those will be my chances to clean


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

rattyfied said:


> dad Apollo turns up around lunchtime
> then mum Luna takes over early evening
> now that the babies are bigger they are by themselves at breakfast time and late afternoon - those will be my chances to clean



Cleaning will be good. Also put down an old towel or timothy hay so they will have something to grip with their toes. Having such helps avoid the dreaded splay leg syndrome.


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

thanks for the advice Charis i'll try to get hay tomorrow

today i worked from home, which gave me a chance to clean the nest corner and while i was out there of course the camera was with me; 
little squab 1
little squab 2
little squab 8
little squab 9
big squab 3
big squab 4
big squab 5
big squab 7
dad 11
dad 12
dad 14























my 6 faves of the day can be viewed in better detail on my flickr photostream


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## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

LOL.... Daddy seems none TOO happy with you! lol... But it makes a world of difference to him I'm sure! Cute pic's!


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

You really don't need to go out and get hay, plus it gets alittle messy and your neighbors might not like it, I would just use an old towel, or t-shirt. loved the new pic, mindy


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

Mindy said:


> You really don't need to go out and get hay, plus it gets alittle messy and your neighbors might not like it, I would just use an old towel, or t-shirt. loved the new pic, mindy


thanks for the tip - they have 4 bits of towel now so i can clean regularly

light hasn't been good everyday, i did take pics most days but they were not always clear

yesterday was clean up time again so much better opportunity

the squeakers have such different personalities, Sora interacts with me - wouldn't go as far to say that he likes me but he waggles his wings & explores my hand with his beak
Tsai Yun is a madam just like her mum - she goes through the whole repertoire of defensive & attacking behaviour....stands tall, inflates her crop, makes huffy noises, draws her head right back before pecking me and the other day she wing-slapped me...none of this hurts me, but i hope it might make any future enemies back off

i haven't seen Luna, that's a week now...but Apollo is working hard 

having spied Sora right in the middle of the balcony i modified their corner to prevent a confrontation between pij & postman, plan is to allow them to walk along but not across

it was fascinating watching Apollo work it out the next morning...he walked along the board i had put there a few times, considering it carefully; then he jumped up onto it looking into the nest, flew to the balcony rail to look down from a different angle;
then back to the balcony floor to pace up & down a bit more before jumping onto the board and diving into the gap to the nest

all the time dad & kids where talking to each other  
seems he is very dedicated, and to my untrained eye the babies are looking good...yesterday's pics:

looking very grown-up now
sister & brother
"we can turn our heads right round"
Sora wiggling his wings at me

eye contact









lovely markings









saturday's video
after a bit of flapping and hopping out of the tray they will sit quite patiently for me to clean


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

Very cute, they look really good, but I'm an untrained eye also. I think its nice that you have a light one and a dark one, easier for you to tell apart thats for sure. Loved the pics. min


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## rattyfied (Aug 30, 2009)

well i'm totally hooked on pijies now

yesterday i found the binoculars and have been taking a sneaky look at the roof-flock opposite
whilst doing this i noticed that somebody has put mesh








the guttering was being cleaned the other day- that grass has gone...guess they did it at the same time; 
there is a few feet of board near the front not covered though and i have seen pijies disappear just there

today i worked from home so i popped out to clean the nest area at lunch time
camera came too of course & i was pleased with the photo shoot
Sora is such a poser - i have loads of pics from today
Tsai Yun was not quite as obliging but i'm pleased to say that she is still delivering a healthy wing-slap

you've got that camera again









i'm still not sure about this









more:

Sora - nearly adult plumage
Sora - after a wing stretch & flap
Tsai Yun 1
Tsai Yun 2
Tsai Yun 3
a word in your ear
Sora & Tsai Yun in their nice clean nest
Sora & Tsai Yun 1
Sora & Tsai Yun 2
Sora & Tsai Yun 3


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

I LOVED all the pics. They are both so cute. That brown one Tsai, is going to be a really pretty bird, they both are but I just love his colors. Keep the pics coming. min


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