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.

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...?

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.