Hello from Bangkok!

Thanks. We've grown somewhat used to political turmoil these past few years. At least no one's taken over the airports like in late 2008!

And ... Woo-hoo! Maggie's back. She appeared this morning (Saturday morning). Fed her, and Henry of course let her eat. They also kept "doing it" out there. The wife is convinced our balcony is the only place they have sex. At one point, Henry had his way with her while she was eating! No foreplay or anything, just started rubbing up against her a little, then tried to climb on in back. She stopped eating for a moment, hunched down a little, Henry did his thing, and she resumed eating. Didn't even strut around a bit like she usually does post-coitus.

We fed them both a fair amount, and no other pidgees tried coming around. Then we had to leave for the day and did not return until after dark. They probably think we've left again!

I'm glad she is back. They probably have nest duty in a place away from your balcony.
They must be so relieved to see you are back. It must have felt like a long time to them.

It's great to hear that Maggie's back.

Yes, it must have seemed like a lifetime. We put the flower box back out. Maggie likes perching on it, but so there's far no interest in building a nest there. We wish they would. They've been going at it like teenagers again, so new eggs should be coming soon. Wonder where their nest is.

It's back to the old routine, with the couple coming around for breakfast and lunch. They seem oddly missing in the late afternoon, though. And no big flock now. Much more manageable. Scruffy and one of the Pretty Ones still come by to clean up the couple's leftovers.

I've uploaded some of the photos to my computer, but not the ones with pigeons in them. Will try to do that soon, then onto the website. Have gotten caught up in our own daily routine again.

Siam Sam wrote:

Yes, it must have seemed like a lifetime.

We put the flower box back out. Maggie likes perching on it, but so there's far no interest in building a nest there.

We wish they would. They've been going at it like teenagers again, so new eggs should be coming soon. Wonder where their nest is.

It's back to the old routine, with the couple coming around for breakfast and lunch. They seem oddly missing in the late afternoon, though. And no big flock now. Much more manageable. Scruffy and one of the Pretty Ones still come by to clean up the couple's leftovers.

I've uploaded some of the photos to my computer, but not the ones with pigeons in them. Will try to do that soon, then onto the website. Have gotten caught up in our own daily routine again.

Now that the flower box is back out, they just may begin to build a nest there, given eggs may be coming soon.

Please do keep us posted.

We'll be looking for those pictures.

I'm looking forward to the pictures.
Do you think the flock is smaller because of the round up?

Matilda wrote:

Do you think the flock is smaller because of the round up?

No, not at all. This is a very large city, and the round-up, which appears to have been unsuccessful anyway, was far, far away. I think they just gave up waiting and went elsewhere. But again, this is a good thing, because now it's more manageable.

And now: Vietnamese pidgees! Three shots, all taken in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, in mid-April.

This one is outside of Notre Dame Cathedral, which is off camera to the right. That's a statue of the Virgin Mary and her baby. The pidgees are on the ground. Okay, you can't see them very well, I know. I was going to take a closer shot when they all flew off, apparently because food had been detected some distance away.

This one and this one are clearer. The kind folks in the shophouse behind seem to have put food out for the pidgees during the lunch hour. This was in a small street near our hotel.

We saw only two or three pigeons in Hanoi, then nary a one until Ho Chi Minh City. There they were plentiful in the Dong Khoi area where we stayed, especially around Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House.

Meanwhile back home here in Bangkok, this time of year, the hottest, the sun comes blasting in until late morning, so we have to keep the balcony curtains closed until close to 11am. But sometimes Henry can spot us inside through the crack dividing the two curtains. Then he'll jump up onto the metal strip that the glass door slides along -- it forms a little ledge outside -- and flap his wings. It's a narrow space, and this causes his beak to tap on the glass a bit, too. Letting us know he's out there and has seen us, and do we have anythjing for him? Very cute.

Appreciate the update, Sam.

Loved the photos. I was going to as if those round dishes on the ground were filled with seed for the pijjies. That's really cool.

That is cute Henry let's you know he's ready for breakfast. :Yes:

Cool baskets put out for the feral pigeons.

Thanks! Yes, the baskets were put out specially for the neighborhood pidgees. There were many trees on that street too, and we saw lots of pidgees in the trees. We never see tree pidgees in Bangkok.

Siam Sam wrote:

Thanks!

* Yes, the baskets were put out specially for the neighborhood pidgees.

** There were many trees on that street too, and we saw lots of pidgees in the trees. We never see tree pidgees in Bangkok.

* I love it that those folks watch over the nearby feral flocks.

**

Thanks again for sharing your photos with us, Sam.

Come to think of it...there is a woman here that feeds pigeons that way. I wonder if she is from Vietnam? Bet so.

Thanks again for your kind comments.

The wife said yesterday evening (Wednesday evening), Henry tried to mount Maggie four times while she was eating, but she would not cooperate. Just wanted to eat. He finally gave up and flew away.

We had a huge downpour about dawn this morning, and Maggie looked drenched when she showed up today.

Siam Sam wrote:

Thanks again for your kind comments.

The wife said yesterday evening (Wednesday evening), Henry tried to mount Maggie four times while she was eating, but she would not cooperate. Just wanted to eat. He finally gave up and flew away.

We had a huge downpour about dawn this morning, and Maggie looked drenched when she showed up today.

Persistent little dickens, isn't he? :For Shame: :That\\\'s so f

Sometimes our ferals will sit right out in the rain. I wonder if that was the case with Maggie or perhaps she doesn't have a sheltered nest, wherever it is.

We've always figured their nest was on the balcony of a vacant unit in our building. The balconies on our portion of the building are probably the most protected, at least the area against the wall, but even then it's not 100%. On the other side of the building, they'd be wide open. Could be Maggie was protecting eggs or squabs from the rain?

We keep encouraging them to build their nest here, but they just don't want to. Henry tried staying here overnight once, and I think we disturbed him too much. I'm sure he wished we'd gone to bed at sundown.

Siam Sam wrote:

We've always figured their nest was on the balcony of a vacant unit in our building. The balconies on our portion of the building are probably the most protected, at least the area against the wall, but even then it's not 100%. On the other side of the building, they'd be wide open.

* Could be Maggie was protecting eggs or squabs from the rain?

** We keep encouraging them to build their nest here, but they just don't want to.

Henry tried staying here overnight once, and I think we disturbed him too much. I'm sure he wished we'd gone to bed at sundown.

Hi Sam,
* That's very possible. :Yes:

** You never know, at some point in time they may decide to nest on your balcony.

Well, an interesting development. Henry showed up yesterday (Wednesday) with what looked to be his daughter!

At first glance, we thought it was Junior again, but no, this one had a different head, although a Dalmatian body. We think it's a girl, because it has sort of a feminine face. Very young, the moustache is still not developed. Still flies and lands awkwardly. A cute and innocent face, staring out at the new world. She must have just recently started flying and followed Daddy here from wherever their nest is. Seemed to stay close to Henry, who oddly did not chase her away. What clinched that she's his kid was Henry gave her a feeding! I missed that, but the wife saw it.

She came around once this morning, too. Sits on the window frames and stares at the wide world below. Very cute. Will try to get a photo.

That'd exciting news and of course we want a

it's great watching the lives of balcony pigeons isn't it?

never a dull moment

rattyfied wrote:

it's great watching the lives of balcony pigeons isn't it?

never a dull moment

I think of it as my own private movie.

Appreciate the update, Sam.
Please do keep us posted.

Matilda wrote:

rattyfied wrote:

it's great watching the lives of balcony pigeons isn't it?

never a dull moment

I think of it as my own private movie.

Don't forget the :That\\\'s so f

Thinking of you Sam. I know there is alot of civil unrest and violence in the streets there.

Please stay safe.

Louise

Thanks. Yes, getting pretty hot out there now, and I don't mean the temperature. We're in a quiet, out-of-the-way neighborhood, though.

The daughter has started coming around regularly, and Henry seems attentive. Strange, because he clearly wanted Junior to go away, and Junior looked so much like him it had to be his son. Maybe he's partial to girls?

We thought he was cooing for Maggie yesterday, but the daughter showed up. Was he cooing for her? Or was he cooing for Maggie, and the daughter heard him and flew down? He feeds her from time to time -- I still haven't seen it myself, but the wife has -- and seems generally protective when other pidgees come around.

I'm a little worried about Maggie, as I've not seen her for a few days, and when I did see her last, she looked a little bedraggled. Not sick, but even more disheveled than usual. Almost like she was all wet even though it had not been raining at the time. The wife thinks she saw Maggie a couple of days ago, but it's odd she's not been coming around.

The wife took some shots of the daughter. Will try to get those posted soon.

Appreciate the update, Sam.

First and foremost, please stay safe.

Given your wife's description of Maggie, It does sound like she may not be doing too well.
I hope she comes to visit where you can get a good look at her.

Henry very well could be finding an interest in his daughter.
Our Mikko has two mates. His original, Pij'ette and his daughter Samantha.

Please keep us posted.