DAY 20 - 30 Days of Tumblr
DAY 20 - A HOBBY OF MINE
Gaining the trust of wild animals.
*Last image could be Daddy--bunch of feathers stuck in the beak! :P He was incessantly trying to get them out a few minutes later with his foot (resembles a cat scratches its ears very quickly with a paw), hee!
I have made a hobby out of making wild animals feel comfortable and safe enough to give birth to and raise babies on my balcony. :) This little squab was born approximately two weeks ago. You can see he still has some of his fuzzies left. So adorable! I would have taken pictures sooner but he was not visible until a few days ago. He is still half hiding behind a sheltered area on a table we have out there, but at least you can see most of his face now. I am going to take more pictures later and see if I can get the beak. He moves around throughout the day so I can get different views. The parents are so trusting. I took this pictures about ruler's length away from the little guy. Not only that, but the other pigeons freely walk around while I am out there walking around.
It is just such a neat relationship I have developed with these guys and I am going to be so sad when I move. It will be really hard to say goodbye. As for the squab, I am going to get as many pictures and as much video footage as possible when it starts learning how to fly. It is so, so amazing to watch and I have had the privilege to see it once before. Pigeons are very smart creatures and the reason you never see baby pigeons is because they built their nests in either very high or very secluded areas, unreachable to humans. To actually see one this close is rare, and to watch one learn to fly is even more rare. I am very excited to witness this process again. He has already started moving around the next area, so muscle is being developed. Eventually, he will start stretching his wings throughout the day and building up those muscles. Then comes the imitation, hopping up and down and desperately flapping but not yet taking flight. In a few weeks, the real magic will begin.
A short clip of the squab:
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