Flown the Coop

Know what this is? It's an empty (utterly disgusting) air conditioner. That's what this is. I went to bed on May 10th and Little was still curled against my window, I got up May 11th and there were no pigeons to be found (including splattered on the ground below... which I checked for).

They're still coming back and forth to hang out, but they have, ostensibly, fledged. Every now and then one of them will be hanging out, and an adult I've never seen before will fly in and attempt to mate with them. Sigh. Kids today... what happened to the days when a BabyPigeon could play with PigeonLegos and PigeonTonkaTrucks for a few years before sexual maturity...

In case you're wondering, I am having the A/C removed on Thursday, and a new one put in which I will guard with my life. And by my life, I mean my fist pounding on the window whenever a pigeon lands.

So, folks. This seems to be the end of our Baby Pigeon journey. Thanks for caring as much as I do.  If I see them again I'll say my goodbyes for you. And next time a filthy winged rat swoops too close to your open mouth, just think... that could be one of Lynne's...

One Is The Lonliest Number...

I'm way overdue. My apologies to [precisely no one] who is desperate to follow Little and Big's comings and goings.  At the moment, it looks like we're headed into some significant Goings.

Big has fledged. Sort of.  He's made it all the way to my other window ledge, about 4 feet from the A/C, as evidenced here. Hard to see, as always, but that's ParentPigeon on the right, and that's Big on the left, attacking ParentPigeon for food in this new exciting locale.

(And, in case you're curious, in the foreground, that's a book about bicycles on the left, a pen and ink drawing of my hometown on the right, and a tiny black bear figurine in the center.)

What's killing me right now is Little, still a couple days behind Big, giving my camera this sad state of affairs.

That's Little, all alone on the A/C, watching Big feed from Parent, and giving me the peeky-eye just to be safe.  Now, whenever a Parent flies to the second window, Big flies in to follow, and Little is left alone, peeping at both of them.  As I type, there are no parents around, just Big on the second window preening, and Little curled up against my window on the A/C, trying to avoid the rain.  I guess they finally got their own rooms...

Now, I am FULLY aware of the anthropomorphizing in which I am currently participating, but Little looks so sad, so alone. Thank goodness I have therapy this afternoon... this damn little pigeon is dredging up every memory I carry around about being a lonely little only child, or about watching other kids do stuff I wasn't ready for, or about any general mourning for changes in status quo.

I'll live. Believe me. But I'm hoping Little gets up the guts to try out the second-window-journey sometime soon - partially to ease my heartache, and partially so that I can finally get this A/C removed and replaced.

Speaking of... anyone have an HVAC professional they really like...?

The Trouble With Journalism

As always, the picture isn't stellar, but you can see, Big and Little are more and more pigeony every day.  This pose is one they spend a lot of time in - usually with Big plunking himself atop Little. There's a lot of cuddling that happens, and a lot of bodily pushing one another around the A/C that vaguely looks like cuddling, vaguely looks like an MMA battle.

Activities of late: wing practice, pecking practice, and awkward family photo time, which happens when ParentPigeons come back, and they all wind up in some odd configuration or another, usually with one or more of the children sitting on the parents' heads. Seriously.

Unfortunately, I've started to fear my overzealous picture- and video-taking is interfering with their pigeon activities, as evidenced by the "Who Dat?" video from my last post. I mean, if you know me, you know what I feel about food - the last thing in the world I ever want to do to is interrupt someone's meal. I'll still try to get some video - it won't be long now till they fly the coop - but I've got to ease off a bit and let them do their thing, fowl as it may be (har har har).

I did get this, though, more disturbing feeding footage, rendered ridiculous by the totally coincidental background music, Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd(!!)'s Desafinado.  Between the music, and the slightly sped up quality of the video, it reads like a misguided Benny Hill sketch.  He did like his chicks...

They Grow Up So Fast

You go away for five damn days and you've got totally different pigeons on your hands, am I right??

Little and Big have undergone quite an evolution.  Big is much bigger, Little is not too much larger than when I left last week, but both have feathered out much more - their little wings sprouting the recognizable pigeon patterns. I'm a tiny bit nervous about Little - he's significantly smaller than Big, but I'm hoping it's just from being two-or-so days younger.

Some of you may remember last year BabyPigeon used to peck at me whenever I'd come near the window.  BP was a feisty little bugger. This year, Big has taken over the Intimidate-The-Huge-Face-Creature duties, but instead of pecking, Big opens up its little wings, puffs up into a fluff ball and looks at me angrily. Little still seems to be more introspective, cocking its weird head quizzically at me.

They're walking around a bit, exploring their 2' by 3' environs. Hobbling is probably a more accurate term - they're not the most graceful creatures.

Speaking of gracelessness, I present these two videos. The first horror show I call "Consumption" - a warning, duel baby pigeon feeding is not attractive. The second I call "Who Dat??!" titled after Dad/Mom caught me checking out the feeding.

Siblings

As I sit here typing from my couch, every few seconds I see a tiny head pop up above the line of the window, sometimes two. My two little guys (girls?) are doing great. One is bigger than the other - I'm assuming the one who was born first - so I have very originally named them Little and Big. Both Little and Big have grown so much, it seems, they can keep themselves warm enough, long enough for Mom and Dad to fly the coup - so to speak - for hefty periods of time. Thusly, I took this shot yesterday.

It's hard to see any definition between the two, as their spiny, pin-feather fluff blends together, but you can see one beak at the top of the nest - Little - and then where that piece of hay is just below him is covering Big's beak.

Where their heads keep bopping up and down, I've decided they're having a little discussion, perhaps a sibling spat.

Big seems to be more responsive - poking its head up whenever I turn lights on or off, noticing when I walk up to the window. Little is the introspective type - where Big attacks Mom and Dad for food, Little hangs back a bit, waiting its turn.

What they have in common is a lot of sleeping, and a lot of very rapid breathing.

Babies!

Mom and Dad have gotten very crafty. It used to be, when the changing of the guard happened, there was a period of time - as long as a minute - where neither adult was on top of the nest, and I had a wide open view of the eggs/baby. I think, however, they figured out that whenever they leave the nest exposed, a large, wide-grinned predator suddenly appears on the other side of the clear wall, and clumsily flashes a metal box at them. So they've started to both squeeze onto the nest, until the relieving partner is fully situated, and then the first sitting partner gets off the nets.

CRAFTY!!!

But! I got 'em yesterday. Dad/Mom and I had a total stare-down. The babies are getting big enough that their heads pop up in front of the adult's chest. I sat at my window staring at the little buggers, with the adult staring at me. After a while, something changed, where I can only imagine the adult decided they were safe, and began feeding. I'm honored.

So, without further ado, a couple videos. The first I like to call "Sibling Rivalry" and the second I call, simply, "Feeding."

BP2.0#1 Is Here!!

So, after a long transmission-silence I was all prepared to do a post about how we're in PigeonLimbo right now, waiting for metamorphosis from egg to breathing creature, not much goin' on. And then I was going to write something melodramatic about how I feel like I'm in the same boat right now, in a slumped holding pattern, waiting for something. But then! The changing of the guard happened and look! Ok, the picture's terrible. But I think you can at least see the clearly cracked egg on the left, and the tiny yellow fluff in the middle, BP2.0#1! I'm very curious to see if the second egg hatches this year. From the look Mom/Dad gave me when I was racing around with my camera phone, my presence isn't necessarily helping BP2.0#2's process...

Here's hoping I'll make my way out of my egg as well. Happy Easter/Passover/Vernal Equinox, BabyPigeon(s)!

Now do something cute.

A Pigeon's Work Is Never Done

I managed to catch a neat little hour of pigeon behavior this afternoon, as the couple continues to develop their nest. I always thought, once it's built it's built. But they spent about an hour this afternoon with one of them flying back and forth, reappearing with new materials, while the other weaved. Wove?

A note on materials: their nest-making skills seem to have improved from last year. They have upgraded from discarded plastic bag ties and oddly sized twigs to an intricate braiding of solely hay. Yes, hay. Or ... at least it looks just like hay. I noticed one of our local empty lots is currently filled with a weed that looks a lot like what seems to be populating my air conditioner. Whatever it is, it's a much prettier concoction than last year's.

Here's Mom/Dad at work, mid-weave, not at all happy to see me.

There's a strange clicking noise coming from the nest, the source of which I can't quite pinpoint. I'm not sure if it's from the feet/claws of ParentPigeon, or if there's an escaping baby. Come out and play, baby!!! We're all waiting!!

Addicgeon

I had a hot second yesterday when both Mom and Dad were gone to get this direct shot of the two eggs. I have to say, the more pictures I take, the more embarrassed I am by the extreme filth level of my window, but, unfortunately, it's all on the outside where I can't clean.

So, relatedly, in case you're wondering, those spots on the eggs are not spots on the eggs. They're on the window. The pigeon eggs are perfect, smooth, white, oblong marbles.

I had a moment yesterday where I realized this interest may have jumped-the-shark... or pigeon, as the case may be. I was in the middle of a perfectly lovely conversation with someone I'd only recently met (so they weren't even prepared, yet, for my idiosyncrasies...) and completely lost my train of thought, as I caught a glimpse of two pigeons engaged in a food-offering ritual (where the male regurgitates food for the female in an attempt to get-it-on... I know - sexy).

They say one of the indicators of addiction is the subject effecting your ability to function in daily life...they also say realizing you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Anyone care to sponsor me...?

Family Photo -or- Crazy Pigeon Lady

I took this on Sunday, immediately after finally getting the clear shot of the two eggs; I think it makes me look sufficiently insane. Here are all five current residents of my home: me, ParentPigeon One, ParentPigeon Two and, only vaguely seen, Egg1 and Egg2.

If you look really closely, you'll notice a small white-ish tube in my hand. I was so excited when I heard ParentPigeon Two land, knowing the changing of the guard was about to happen, that I ran to grab my phone and make my way to the air conditioner mid-makeup-application. That, my friends, is dedication... and mild insanity. Not even clear-mascara-ing my eyebrows was more important than getting a shot of those damn eggs.

There's just something about having little non-human creatures around, watching them grow and change, seeing them go about their real tasks of survival...

You might respond, "Get a cat/life."

Agreed. But it's the fact that they're pigeons that gets me, I think. Usually we only get to see them do a few things: fly too close to our faces, peck at nasty sidewalk refuse, and occasionally dance around in circles trying to mate. But here, I (we) get to see real pigeon-ness in action.

Or maybe I've just become the crazy pigeon lady.

Finally!

I got it! And I was in for a surprise:

Two! Two eggs! Last week when I caught a glimpse there was only one, but apparently she laid a second. Last year there were two but only one hatched, we'll see what happens this year. That's dad on the right, I believe, with a new bit of twig for the nest in his beak.

After a little research, I've learned pigeons almost always lay two eggs, and generally one "squab" will hatch a few days before the other. Squab, being a rather unattractive word, is fitting for these little beasts - pigeon babies would never make it through a round of Anne Geddes casting, but they have their own charms, as we'll see in coming weeks.

If you're curious about the ins and outs of pigeon rearing, check out THIS article on Discover.com. Warning - the section on feeding is not for the squeamish (squabish?) but fascinating nonetheless.

This Is Getting Embarrassing...

I still haven't managed to catch a shot of the egg. I can't believe how long it's been. Unbelievably, despite my pushing my nose up against the window and shouting, "SHOW ME YOUR BABY... WHY WON'T YOU SHOW ME YOUR BABY???" ParentPigeon is nonplussed. S/he just tilts her head and dilates a pupil at me.

But, in the interest of photo content, I thought I'd show off my 10-Daily-Minutes-Of-Natural-Light as evidenced through pigeon halo.

Because the space between my building and the one next to it is only about three feet wide, I get my only natural living-room light between about 1:15 and 1:25 PM every day, give or take depending on season. So, here is ParentPigeon, in all its androgynous glory, enjoying 10 minutes of vitamin D, glaring pupil and all.

In other news, yesterday I had to make an emergency sweatshirt purchase at Brooklyn Industries (with whom, by the way, I disagree on the appropriate cost of a sweatshirt), the temperature having dropped beyond my tshirt's comfort zone. My purchase? Zip-up hoody with "Brooklyn" across the chest, and a little pigeon silhouette standing atop the "Y".

Yes, they Put A Bird On It. Seemed fitting.

Side View

I'm still waiting to catch the Changing Of The Guard - when dad/mom comes back and relieves mom/dad of egg-sitting duties - so that I can get a picture of the new egg. For your fun fact of the day: pigeons are monomorphic, which means both male and female look the same (as opposed to dimorphic where they look different), and the only way to tell them apart is through gender specific behavior. There also seems to be a trend in wildlife - though it's not always the case - that monomorphic species mate for life, and share nesting duties, whereas dimorphic species mate just for a season, only the female nests while the male collects food, and then they both go their separate ways once the kids arrive.

Know why I know this? Because I spent my first three summers in New York City after college working at the Queens Zoo doing children's theater and wildlife education. Yes, I did dress as a duck and yes that duck did, in fact, sing.

Back to the discussion at hand - I still don't have an egg shot, so I thought I'd share this instead. Here, in poor-quality-cell-phone-picture splendor, is the side view of my nursery, proving the existence of my air conditioner. The observant viewer may note that the distance between my building and the building next door is very small - I'm always impressed that this pigeon family found my prime real estate given this fact.

Crafty little buggers.

Spring Renewal

A few months ago, the cooing, scraping, peeping and wing flapping sounds of partner pigeons began to wake me in the morning again. Having the entertainment of BabyPigeon in the back of my mind, I didn't have the heart this time around to whack my window and send the happy couple flying for their lives.

And, frankly, between you and me... pigeon couples are really sweet together. And, fine, let's pause here and admit, yes... yes, I'm the crazy lady who's spent spent more than her fair share of time watching pigeon courting behavior and yes, my life is a little void of human courting behavior, but these pigeons have far more civil relations than some of the people-couples I know. They spend hours grooming one another, they sleep cuddled in plump little two-somes, they generally mate for life, and the male gives a food offering whenever he wants to get down to business - he DOES buy her dinner first!

So, not surprisingly, my tolerance with their presence has resulted in a brand new nest, which I found yesterday afternoon upon returning from a weekend trip. Graciously, she has built up her new home just to the left of my air conditioner vent system, unlike last year when she built directly on top of it.

(By the way, if you're wondering, unlike dogs, pigeons do crap where they eat. They crap where they eat, they crap where their baby is, they crap pretty much anywhere crapping might fancy them.)

I have yet to get a picture of the egg, but it's there, I saw it this morning, so as long as we don't have any colossal wind storm, or some neighbor cat manages to scale the air shaft I give you...

BABY PIGEON 2.0

In The Beginning....

Ask most New Yorkers their feelings on pigeons and the mode response will likely be, "Flying Rats." There's not a great deal of respect for the ubiquitous Rock Dove, and we come by it honestly - they poop on our streets and our hair, they'll dive bomb a stray hot dog and buzz your scalp in the process, and they just plain don't look that bright. Our children kick them, our dogs run after them, and our cats stare aggressively at them from barred windows.

In this New Yorker vein, for years in my Brooklyn apartment I have expended a great deal of energy banging on windows, keeping them off my sills and A/C, shouting, "Get off my lawn!" Occasionally, after weekend trips or even especially pigeon-prolific afternoons, I would come home to find the beginnings of nest assemblies, only to frighten away the builders upon their next return.

In June of 2011, however, I went away for a week, apparently the same week a certain pigeon couple decided it was time to set up shop. When I returned, I found little Lady Bird hunkered down on a fully developed nest. I banged on the window in my usual form, but this time Mom didn't fly away, just startled enough to give me this view:
At which point I likely said something like, "you've gotta be effing kidding me."

Here's the thing. I can't open the window this air conditioner is in. It was there when I moved in, and until I'm ready to cough up for someone to remove it or install a new one, it and anything on it is going to continue to be there. So, I rapidly cycled through the stages of grieving, and finally landed upon acceptance, which took the form of Facebook status updates.

It turned out I wasn't the only person fascinated by the comings and goings of BabyPigeon and family. I received numerous comments and likes to my posted pictures of BP's evolution, most (myself included) never having actually seen pigeon offspring in the flesh. In the ornery, ugly-but-cute, yellow-feathered flesh.

I laughed as the little beast started pecking at me through the window, found myself excited but apprehensive when BP started taking test flights from the A/C to the bathroom ledge and back to the A/C, and eventually felt down-right, no joke sadness the day I realized BP had made his (her?) final test flight, never to return.

Now, I look at pigeons on the street, especially in my neighborhood, in a very different way, always wondering if that was the one that took its first extra-egg breaths as my subletter.