Pages

▼

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Evil Pigeons Abandon Babies

Just an update: Mr Gingerbread and I have become adoptive parents. Mammy Pigeon hatched her offspring and promptly abandoned them. We couldn't get her out of the darned nest when they were just eggs, but now she's off gadding about with her paramours and neither she nor Daddy Pigeon seem to care very much about her two chicks.

It might be because they're not very attractive. Kittens and puppies, for example, have a certain endearing cuteness to them that makes you want to scoop them up and smoosh them; baby pigeons share a startling resemblance to feathery baby velociraptors. And they poop like a T-Rex: how such small creatures can produce so much poo is beyond me. We have their entire environ covered in plastic and as soon as they leave the nest, I'm going to get in there with my scrubbing brush, face mask and rubber gloves. (Mr Gingerbread won't let me evict the Pigeon Family now that they're orphans. He's beginning to empathise with them unduly: today there was a very dramatic summer storm and we went up on to the roof patio to watch Mother Nature batter our neighbourhood. "They must be feeling very frightened," he said sadly, nodding at the nest. I stared at him, agog.) As soon as I can, I'm going to scrub that wall with my industrial-strength disinfectant.

So for all of you who are wondering where all the baby pigeons are: the little blighters are here:

Wingèd Vermin At Home
at

10 comments:

  1. AlannahJuly 10, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    aaawwwwww.... They are soooo cute!!! lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. RachelJuly 10, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    You take a very good photo - it makes them look almost cute...

    Are you feeding them as well?

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Gingerbread LadyJuly 10, 2011 at 10:01 PM

    No, Rachel, we're not feeding them because they eat Mother Pigeon's chewed-up bits. In fact, I suspect those stains on the wall might be as a result of her spitting and missing.

    BTW - watch the post box towards the end of the week... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Annie CholewaJuly 10, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    The winged vermin are looking very much at home! But not cute, really not cute! No wonder Mother Pigeon took one look and left ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gracey is not my name....July 10, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    Not so cute, but they are babies! I have two birds...a pionus named Baloo and a rosella named Beeper...and yeah they poop A LOT!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Voie de VieJuly 11, 2011 at 12:11 AM

    Very endearing photo - I actually think they're a lot cuter as babies than when they're fully grown. (Ok, not a big pigeon fan.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. RachelJuly 11, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    Um, sorry to be pedantic here, but it sounds like Mammy Pigeon hasn't abandoned her babies at all, but is busy fetching food for them.

    ... and I'll watch the post box in eager anticipation :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Donna LeeJuly 11, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    I don't think adult birds are cute and babies are just plain ugly. Not cuddly. I picture them just pecking at my poor defenseless hands with their pointy beaks. I think I must have been traumatized as a child by a bird.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Cobblestone CreationsJuly 11, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    Weeeeeeel ~ not to put a damper on a good rant, but speaking strictly from a mass balance perspective, all that poo has got to come from somewhere. I do believe that is what Ma and Pa Pigeon have been busy doing ~ flying back and forth providing the stuff which allows the litle guys to produce so much.

    Hopefully they will all fly off soon and then the cleaning can begin. Good Luck! :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cindy MillerSeptember 8, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    Pigeons are delicate creatures.Baby pigeon care and their development need special attention. It is not an easy job.

    ReplyDelete