Hello from Bangkok!

I truly enjoy the ferals, but totally understand your 'overwhelming' feeling at times, Sam.

Wishing you and your wife a safe journey.
Hope to hear from you when you get back home.

I'm curious though about aging pidgees. Do their feathers start turning gray, similar to human hair? Or is the whitening we saw around the "old" one's eyes and nostrils just the pattern it's always had? It gave the impression of an elderly, graying pidgee, but perhaps that's anthropomorphizing a bit too much.

Be back this weekend!

Siam Sam wrote:

I'm curious though about aging pidgees. Do their feathers start turning gray, similar to human hair? Or is the whitening we saw around the "old" one's eyes and nostrils just the pattern it's always had? It gave the impression of an elderly, graying pidgee, but perhaps that's anthropomorphizing a bit too much.

Be back this weekend!

I hadn't really thought about that, but it's a very interesting subject.
Providing the pij is there when you get back home, could you try to get a picture of him?

So we're back. Henry and Junior both showed up in the afternoon today (Saturday), and we gave them a good feed. Before that, though, several of the grays we were hoping would disappear stopped by.

We heard there was a hellacious storm in Bangkok on Thursday night and wondered how they weathered that, but all seems well. Except we did not see Maggie or Susie today. Nor the Old One.

Appreciate the update, Sam.
I'm glad to hear you and your wife had a safe trip.

We will surely be waiting for an update on Maggie, Susie and the 'Old' one.
I hope they make an appearance to let you know they are OK.

Please keep us posted.

And Maggie has reappeared this morning (Sunday morning) with Henry. So all is well. No Susie, but she often disappears for days with her "friend."

The Old One is nowhere to be seen, but she (seemed small, so I assume female) appeared only once or twice.

Thanks for the update, Sam.
I'm so glad to hear Maggie's back.

I'm sure Sisie and the Old One are just fine.

On the way back home, we passed through the Thai city of Udon Thani, way up in the Northeast. It's customary in Thai cities and towns to have many of the same types of shops grouped together in one area, and we walked down a street in what turned out to be a pet-shop area. One had this beautiful cockatiel (I think) just sitting on the floor right in the doorway entrance. Just sitting there watching the world go by, not chained or anything. Obviously trained and the shop's personal pet. Would not budge from that spot, except for a couple of inches to inspect a passing insect.

Susie's back now, too.

That's very interesting about the Cockatiel.

I'm so glad Susie returned. At least you know she's doing OK.

Not much new going on. We've settled into a routine of Henry asking for food, and we give it. But we try to feed him only when he's alone, or almost so. Too many other pidgees hanging around hoping for a handout, and Henry gets tired of fighting them all.

We've had a couple of hellacious storms in the past few days -- this is the rainy season -- and we've not seen Maggie since before the last one a couple of days ago. Hope she's okay! Her regular disappearance usually, we think, signals her need to pay extra attention to the nest, wherever that is. And yesterday morning we discovered a piece of egshell out on the balcony. Blown here by the storm? Or carried here stuck to a pidgee's foot? Hope whoever was inside the egg hatched normally and did not have the egg broken by the storm. Maybe a new little squab or two will show up in the next month? Junior and Susie from previous batches still hanging around; we do slip them some food, too, if no one's around.

Thanks for the update, Sam. We always appreciate them.

This is our 'stormy' season as well. In fact, we are having quite a bit if wind and a short rain as I type.

I'm glad Henry is doing well. And hope that Maggie is also.

Thanks! Light rain this evening, nothing too heavy.

It was a year ago yesterday (Saturday) that poor little Bob died, mentioned in the first post in this thread. :(

That means Henry's been hanging around for about a year now. I don't know that we've ever seen a healthier-looking pigeon, and I'm sure it's all the bird seed he gets from us. They're all pretty healthy-looking in this neighborhood, but Henry most of all.

Our rain last night wasn't to bad either.


It's wonderful that Henry has stayed so healthy.
But for the fact you and your wife tend to him so well, he probably wouldn't be as healthy as he is.

Friday morning, and yesterday we saw an odd development: Henry being mercilessly bullied by a large gray male out on the balcony. What the ...? He was positively terrified and running for his life. He's usually Mr. Tough Guy. We chased the gray away.

It's the rainy season, and we've had some real downpours in recent days. Maggie showed up again yesterday, but then again this morning soaking wet. Wherever they keep their nest, it's probably not well protected. Gave her a good feed. Hope their squabs are okay if there are any; I still remember the eggshell pieces from last weekend.

Siam Sam wrote:

* Friday morning, and yesterday we saw an odd development: Henry being mercilessly bullied by a large gray male out on the balcony. What the ...? He was positively terrified and running for his life. He's usually Mr. Tough Guy. We chased the gray away.

It's the rainy season, and we've had some real downpours in recent days.
** Maggie showed up again yesterday, but then again this morning soaking wet. Wherever they keep their nest, it's probably not well protected. Gave her a good feed. Hope their squabs are okay if there are any; I still remember the eggshell pieces from last weekend.

Hi Sam.
Appreciate the update.

* I'm sorry to hear about what's going on with Henry.
That does seem odd given how you've described him as the tough guy. In fact, wasn't it Henry who used to chase the others away?

This might sound like a silly question, but is Henry showing any signs of illness? The reason I ask, is because when a pigeon is ill or even injured other pigeons sense that and will sometimes bully them. Thinking about it, when I've seen this happen the recipient of the attack is usually pretty much grounded and completely unable to fend for itself. But it's just a thought.

** Poor Maggie.
It sure does sound like her nest isn't well protected.
It will be interesting to see if a couple youngsters begin to show up.

I will be thinking positive thoughts for both Henry and Maggie.

Please keep us posted.

I agree with Cindy....Henry may be sick. Poor little guy.

No, he seems perfectly normal otherwise. Still attacks and chases others. Just this one seems to intimidate him. Maybe he was just taken by surprise? This happened once before with Blackfoot; Henry and Maggie both seemed intimidated by him at first, then one day they both finally started chasing him. (Blackfoot's been gone a long time now.)

But Junior finally learned the jumping trick! Yay, Junior! Well, he only did it once, and not on the outside strip the sliding door runs along, but rather onto the door itself. At the base of the glass, where it enters the metal frame. Not enough space to get a good grip on, so he dropped back down almost immediately. But he's finally learned ... maybe, as he hasn't repeated it. He's always stared at the spots where Henry jumps up like he's trying to figure out just what it is Dad does there to make us give him food. We gave Junior some food as a positive reinforcement.

But too many other pigeons hanging out here now for Henry's liking. Whenever we do try to feed him, he has to fight off the others, then there's that one now who can beat up on him. Our place has been "discovered." We're trying hard to limit feedings to only Henry and his immediate family, but what can you do when Henry hops up and stares at us so pitifully?

Hi Sam,
I'm glad Henry is OK.

I know what you're saying about feeding one and then all of a sudden there are a doz.
On occasion, there might be a single pij in the back so I go out to give him a little seed and bingo, there are several at my feet in an instant. I think they all have built in 'seed' radar.

For Junior.

I'm glad all is going well with you and the pijjies.
We always appreciate and welcome your updates.

We now know it's not Maggie who has been showing up recently after all, and the pidgee may not even be female. "She" looked a little different, but we thought it was just because she was so wet. But over a few days, we started noticing a diferent pattern in the feather design. Finally Henry showed up at the same time ... and started fighting with her! Or him, as he started fighting back strongly. We had to break them up. So still no sign of the real Maggie.

Henry remains intimidated, too, by that new big gray. But he's not sick; he acts like Henry at all other times. I wonder if he fought with the gray at one point and lost.

A new little pidgee has shown up, too. Seems to be just out of the squab stage. No yellow baby fuzz but still squeals a bit, especially when pecked at a bit by Susie or Junior or Henry. Can't tell if Henry's the father. It actually resembles Big Pidgee of old a bit, at least on top. Underneath it seems a bit whitish.

Henry has shown the big gray pij that he's intimidated and that's probably all that guy needed to continue with the bullying. I hope Henry will, at some point, say enough is enough and give the guy a wing slap or two.

I have several 'new kids' visiting with the flock. I'm guessing the majority are offspring following their parents.

Yes, we're thinking Henry got taken by surprise at some point and that put him at a disadvantage.

Meanwhile, the new little one mentioned beforee is a quick learner. It's started hopping up onto the windows! Junior's done it only the one time, but this new one tried several times on the middle door, then finally found the little shelf Henry uses. Smart little guy! I think this one may belong to Henry and Maggie, but the wife's not so sure.

And an even newer young one has shown up this morning (Wednesday morning) that is definitely Henry's. White with a pattern. I thought it was susie at first, but instead of a "mask" on the face, it's more like freckles. Very cute. And smaller than Susie, as they've both appeared together.

Henry and Maggie are populating the neighborhood with some fine-looking pidgees.

You really do have a few youngsters visiting, don't you?
I'll bet Henry and Maggie have enhanced the neighborhood with some good lookin' little ones.

I'm glad the flock seems to be doing well, especially health wise.

Will try to post photos of the new ones by this weekend. (Which probably means by month's end.)

Siam Sam wrote:

Will try to post photos of the new ones by this weekend.

(Which probably means by month's end.)

Will be looking forward to them.

I hear ya!! Whenever you get around to it will be great.

And Junior just now managed to hop up onto the little sliding-door shelf that Henry uses. He was staring in at me. I gave him some food for positive reinforcement.

Unfortunately, two or three others were waiting, including that big gray who keeps chasing Henry away. Junior didn't get much himself.