Day 11

Today I tried a new vantage point. Much more precarious than up the nearby tree that I have been using so far.This time I placed my step ladder about 10 feet from the base of the pigeons tree and balanced as near the top as I could. Not the best of situations for taking good photo's but I'm not disappointed with the shots I got.

The wing feathers are now quite progressed. In fact, in the last photo, one of the fledglings moved to the edge of the nest. I thought he might be getting ready to try his first flight, but he soon moved back inside again. Seeing 'all' of him for the first time, I was really surprised at how big he is already.

Day 8.

Not a lot of activity but I was lucky enough to catch them awake. I love the way they are top'n'tailed, facing in opposite directions. Is that a look-out strategy I wonder, or just because they fit better like that? There's certainly not much room for mum in that nest. I understand the fledglings don't leave their nest until about 28 days after hatching. It's amazing to consider just how big they will be by then.

Day 7

Day 7 and it's amazing how fast these chappies are growing. I'm struggling to get any meaningful pictures because they spend all their time screwed into little fluffy balls. However, as can be seen from the first of these shots, they are very alert. I walked to within a few feet of the tree and made a sort of clicking-clucking sound to attract their attention. Mum already had her beady eye on me, but it was a hoot to see one of the youngsters pop his head up to see what or who was disturbing his siesta.

From my higher perch, the second shot (into the nest) shows that the young are now too big for Mum to sit on, and she has to perch on the edge of the nest. It's also interesting to see that the 'balls of fluff' are showing a good covering of feathers already.

Having fun with art.

Any of you who have visited my blog in the past will know about the Picture Puzzle run by my Art Forum. For the rest of you, this is what it's about. We take a picture, which could be a famous painting or a photograph, and digitally slice it into squares. These squares are then distributed to various members who each then paint their own square. The painted squares are returned back, and the picture is gradually reassembled. The members do not know what the completed picture will be until it starts to finally take shape. It's a great way of sharing your art with your friends, and it's fascinating to see the different artists styles sitting next to each other in the same picture. The attached picture is the current 'puzzle'. If you're interested to know what it is, pop back from time to time and watch it unfold.

Day 4

Finally, a few photo's.
If ever there were grounds to chop a branch out of a tree, it must the one that stands dead-centre of all my photo's. Virtually ALL the action takes place behind that stem. Anyway, out of the hundreds of shots taken so far (God bless digital camera's), here are 5 that haven't come out too bad.

A Happy Event - Day 1

Yes, we have a happy event. When I checked the nest this morning I saw a hungry little head on a very long neck making his need for food plainly clear. Though already late for the office, I grabbed my camera and rushed up to my perch. By then Mum had half-covered him with her wing and it was hard to see anything other than her sitting on her nest as usual. Light was awful and focusing is difficult at the best of times, so I failed to get a good photo, however, enlarging one of my shots did reveal the first evidence of a fledgling.

ANY TIME NOW!!!

Though I don't know how old the eggs were when I first discovered them, that was on Aug 16th .... 18 days ago. According to most references I've found, the incubation period is around 17/18 days. Even assuming the eggs had only just been laid moments before I found them, we have to be right on the brink of a happy event. I'd like to report that I'm pacing up and down my perch like a pregnant dad, but one step in either direction isn't a very recommendable move.

Stand by for an announcement very soon.