Pigeon Surprise

We were very pleasantly surprised when the Pigeon had laid an egg in our garden, that too inside a pot!

Our garden, in the 5' x 12' balcony, is a small one but arranged reasonably well. We have a 3-step pot stand, a couple of hanging pots, and then some independent 2-level pot stands. The balcony is covered with safety grill. Since the time we moved in here, for the past 3 years, we have always found the pigeons visiting our garden. And when they come in, they pass time here -- they take a walk, drink water overflowing from the pots, eat seeds, pollen, insects and worms. Even though we have our garden chair placed very next to the pots, and we also spend time once in a while in this surroundings, the pigeons have never felt scared. They always like to visit our miniature garden in our small balcony.

But, we never expected that they will find our garden so comfortable to come in and lay an egg -- inside a pot that was kept filled with soil.


Immediately after that, the pigeon promptly started brooding on the egg as well. We were very happy to see a family grow up near us. Day-1 was on 9th November 2011.

Our building has a facade made of a few decorative pillars and beams which the pigeons loved to rest on. Whenever we go near the balcony the brooding bird will fly out and sit on one of the beams. And then it will come back within a few seconds after we leave from the balcony. We kept visiting or peeping out to the balcony to make sure that the pigeon is fine and is making progress with the brooding.

I told my wife to keep an eye on the safety of the egg. We instructed the servant maid not to disturb the egg while cleaning the balcony. I even discussed with my son about providing some shelter or cover for the bird to have some warmth during the cold nights.

Day-1, 17:59 - 19/Nov/11 Saturday

Day-2, 07:36

Day-2, 07:38

Day-2, 19:02

We were surprised on Day-2 evening to see a second egg laid by the pigeon. Our joy multiplied. We felt so very happy that we talked about the bird a lot. So much so that we were expecting a 3rd egg on Day-3!

We studied about pigeons egg patterns and habits. We learnt that the typical egg count or "clutch" is 2. And the time duration between the first one and the second one is typically about 27 to 40 hours. And it all happened exactly in our garden. We also learnt that the male and the female bird will take turns to brood. And we always found the other bird, it's couple, in the sun-shade just outside our balcony grill. We were very glad to see their natural living and family style in front of our eyes.

Days went one after another. Everyday I checked with my son and wife, as soon as I returned from office, or when I called from office, only about the pigeons and the eggs. We took a lot of care and made sure that no eagles (a few of them keep flying in the vicinity) or any other disturbance hurts the pigeon eggs. Some times I tried keeping some form of food, generally dry rice, on a plate. But they never ate it. We were not able to find the right food we could feed them. But we were sure they both took turns to go out, feed themselves, relax, and then come back to take turns to brood again.

We read that the eggs will hatch around Day-15 to Day-18. We were very eager to pass the time and see the chicks soon.

Day-3, 08:22

Day-3, 08:26 - Tried feeding dry Rice

Day-4, 08:18

Day-4, 22:38 - Late night, and he / she is sitting on the egg fine

Day-6, 07:47

Day-7, 08:16

Day-8, 07:37

Day-9, 08:41

Day-9, 08:42 - They went up there as we entered the balcony

Day-9, 08:43 - One came back to the balcony

Day-9, 08:45 - There he / she is

Day-9, 08:47 - And then they both are here

Day-9, 08:48 - See one of them exiting in that corner?

Day-9, 08:49 - The brooding continues again

Days 3 to 9 passed well. Suddenly, on Day-10 the bird was not found brooding. We were not sure why. We were concerned about their problem.

But then they returned to brood on the next morning itself. So we were happy again.

But then again, on Day-11 and Day-12 we did not see the birds around. We were puzzled. We felt there was some issue. And my wife inspected the eggs and the surroundings and found out that there were a a lot of red (tiny) ants! The birds were bitten by the ants!! My wife tried to clear off the ants by a couple of techniques including lakshman-rekha chalk lines.

But...

The birds never returned. Days 13 to 26 passed day after day while we kept on looking and waiting for them. They did come by. But when they came, they came, sat on the nearby sun-shades or facade beams, but never came on to brood. They ignored the eggs, and us, completely!

Day-12, 23:00 - We kept on waiting late into the night, but not seen

Day-13, 08:27 - Not seen still

Day-13, 08:28 - But he was seeing us from there

Day-15, 10:49 - The ants!

Day-15, 10:49 - Not seen

Day-16, 09:11 - Nope, not seen still

Day-18, 07:57 - We kept on waiting

Day-18, 07:59 - He kept on staying away

Day-20, 07:12 - No luck yet

Day-20, 07:14 - Still away from us

Day-22, 17:12 - Eggs alone

Day-23, 10:38 - And pigeons alone

Day-23, 10:40 - Sunshine, two eggs, and another big red ant on it!

Day-26, 06:58

Day-28, 07:11 - 16/Dec/11 Friday

We all know the Aesop's Fable where a Pigeon helped a drowning Ant by dropping a Leaf into the water. But here in our balcony garden, the Ants ruined the Pigeons' family!

Any suggestions on what we can do with the two eggs lying in our garden after 28 days now?

Update on 7th Jan 2012:

After about 21 more days from the last picture shown above... today, we see that the Pigeons have found their new shelter to lay egg again... in a neighboring balcony below our flat... and again, in exactly a similar plant pot there!

Two major differences:
      - They have arranged a lot of twigs and leaves formed as Nest in that plant pot!
      - The people in the flat of that balcony are out of country so there is no disturbance from people whatsoever!

We see the Pigeons are brooding their new egg there now!

We wish them all the best for hatching their young ones. 

See these two pictures yesterday, 6th January 2012 (Fri.) 9 AM.

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