Tweaty and Pip

I'll just start this story off for Wendy as she is now the proud 'mum' to these adorable Woodies.

Tweaty was the lucky baby that Wendy rescued and successfully raised by hand. He, as they always do, stole her heart and so the decision was made not to release him into the wild as he had become far too tame to adapt.
Wendy arranged to have an aviary built in her garden so Tweaty could live safely but still be outdoors.
I too had found a fledgling Woodie at the poor sanctuary I visit, and she had obviously been hand reared as she flew to me straight away and squeaked to be fed when I entered the aviary she was in. Unfortunately she looked very malnourished and her feathers hadn't developed well. She was painfully thin as I don't think she had learnt to feed herself properly by the time she was put in there.
I knew they would just let her go, and I couldn't see how she would survive, so I kidnapped her and brought her home to try to try and improve her condition.

She was very greedy once she got feeding but her feathers were sparce and will take a good while to re-grow. Obviously she wasn't fit to release and also was far too tame to cope out there.

When I read Wendy's story and she mentioned getting a friend for Tweaty, it seemed an ideal pairing as they were the same age. I asked wendy if she wanted a little friend for Tweaty, and she said yes immediately and agreed to take her in.

So yesterday I packed this little one up, ( I hadn't named her on purpose so Wendy could do so), and drove up north to hand her over.

We got a lovely welcome and Wendy took us straight into the garden to see her new home and more importantly, her new house mate.

It is the most beautiful garden and setting for an aviary you could imagine. It looks right out onto open fields and the aviary is set so they are virtually living in the wild, whilst still in the safety of the garden. I was so jealous!!

Pip as she's now called came out of her cage quite happily although looking very nervously about. Tweaty was sitting on his perch looking down at her. He was not impressed when she flew up to a perch nearby, and pulled himself up to full height, giving her a very snooty look. Basically we don't think he knew he looked the same as this 'thing' that had invaded his space!!

Anyway, with a little bribery, ( watercress), they both got a bit nearer to each other and this helped to break the ice.

So eventually I had to say goodbye to Pip, but I know she'll be so well loved and cared for, and am looking forward to hearing about how these two get along.

I've taken some pictures to add to this post, ( but just need to find how to post them now!!) :Need some help

Janet

Sorry I've not posted for a couple of days. Back at work now after a few days off and it's been bedlam. Was up at 5am to start work this morning, but am now having a much needed break before it starts again this afternoon.

Tweaty and Pip are much loved by all the neighbours and the lady who lives next door to where their aviary is comes and sees them every day and she's even offered to give me broccoli leaves for me to shred for them.

They have now had three nights together and this morning were sat next to each other on the same perch. I was over the moon. When I feed them both, Pip comes along and takes what Tweaty drops (he's still a pathetic pecker!) and he just lets her. He's really taken to her and I think she's the boss really! He's not done his goose neck look for a day or so now.

I've shredded (in my food processor) some very green and thick leaved cabbage (don't know the name of it) which they seemed to really enjoy, but it's watercress which is the star food. Even Tweaty can get a big bit in his mouth and get it down without too much hassle.

I've just gone down to see how they are and both of them were on the ground (on the bark I've put down on the floor) basking in the sun and gave me a look as if to say "do not disturb"! But I did anyway as I was desperate for a little cuddle with both of them.

So far so good. Both are eating and drinking perfectly well and seem very settled, hardly being spooked at all by all the goings on around them (including barking dogs, lawnmowers, etc). I'll post some pics later when the day's quietened down a little bit.

Wend.

jamy wrote:

I've taken some pictures to add to this post, ( but just need to find how to post them now!!)

Janet

for sharing this wonderful story with us, Janet.

We would love to see some photos.
Here's how I post them.

When you click on reply, scroll across each box at the top with your arrow, a description comes up.
You want to click on Host an Image (which on this page is the third from the right).

Once you have clicked on Host an Image, the Upload an Image box should appear.

Click on Browse. From there you need to pick the folder where the photo is that you want to upload.

Click on the picture, then click OPEN.

Before doing anything else, click on the down arrow and choose the 320 px width (for blogs). This give a nice size photo.

Then click Host It.

The link you have chosen will appear in the middle under IMAGE.

Highlight that link, then right click and choose Copy.

Go back and click on the Host an Image box (that will close it).

Wherever you want the photo to go, right click and the click paste.

If you have any problems, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Hi Wendy,
Thanks for continuing on with this great story of Tweaty and Pip.
When time permits we would love to see some photos.

They sound very happy, I am so glad that they have each other as well!

Cynthia

Thanks for the advice Cindy, will try and post some pictures in this new post.

Wendy with Tweaty and Pip when Tweaty was trying to decide what this alien was that had landed in his new home. ( Pip not Wendy!!) Tweaty's on her right. :WHAT?:

[img][/img]

( I'll post some more but I'm having a bit of trouble posting the images, need to consult my computer guru, but she's doing her homework at the mo. Will try later !!).

Janet

Here are the two little darlings the day after they moved in. I need to get a bit of cover in the aviary in the form of some things growing in there like creepers and I may go and get lots of fallen leaves and sprinkle on the floor, because pigeons love searching for food in amongst things like that - after all it's what they would do in the wood!

Their aviary has a little shed attached to it which has been designed to have a roosting area and a porch for me to go in and out in safety (behind me in the pic above that Janet took). The roosing area doesn't have a door on it yet, but that's coming on Saturday. It will be designed to give them light, so they get the usual dawn and dusk, but will keep the wind off them at night. I usually shut them in at dusk and let them out about quarter to seven in the morning.

What a wonderful hobby this is turning out to be.

Tweaty and Pip are doing fine – no problems at all apart from them flying into the wire sometimes. I’ve screened my neighbour's side of the aviary with some greenhouse shading, which seems to help. I really must get the ‘extension’ sorted out as I think they need a bit more room to fly around now. They get spooked fairly easily, and I have to make sure I talk to them before they actually see me, so I don’t appear suddenly. They’ll get used to it though.

In the spring I'll have to find some creepers to grow over the aviary and maybe something to grow inside too.

As you can see from the pics, Pip’s plumage is really starting to improve now. Her chest area is almost identical to Tweaty’s now and I have to look twice and check which one’s which now. I can tell her from the blue and white appearing on her neck, which Tweaty doesn’t have yet. Pip absolutely adores warm sweetcorn so she gets fed that in the morning and last thing at night. Both of them have learned to peck at the spinach and watercress leaves now so I don’t have to break it up any more. I just hold the leaves for them and they peck little bits off. Pip also loves swinging on the swing I’ve made with a branch and two bits of rope. She’s up high and can see everything! One photo below was taken with her on the swing this morning. Her tail feathers need to moult to improve, but she’s not in bad nick at all now.

Tweaty is also feeding himself for most of the day ( ), just having a bottle top up at night to keep him going.

Yesterday, I was down there with them when it started to rain. It was about 5pm and Tweaty had had his bottle and I was holding the tray for Pip to have a feed when the rain came. She wasn’t bothered, but Tweaty sat on the perch over the water bath and lifted first one wing against the rain, and then put that back and lifted the other one. This is pure instinct and it’s what wild ones do. He looked so solemn as he was doing it and I found it hard not to shatter the peace and quiet by laughing. Then he got a bit twitchy and jumped into the water bath, proceeding to walk around ducking his head under and lifting his wings into the rain, which was now coming down in sheets. He stayed in there for ages just messing around.

Pip’s a fair weather bird – she’s sensible and just nips into the roosting area if it’s wet.

I’m having so much fun with them and watching them develop is fantastic.

Pip on the swing:


Tweaty and Pip in the roosting area (ignore mess behind, it was feeding time!):


Tweaty:

Oooooooooooohhhhh, aaaaaaaahhhhh, they are adorable, I'm really, really so jealous of your set up.

I can hardly recognise Pip with her plumage, that is such an improvement, I must post a picture of how she was when she came here if I have one to compare.

I did wonder when we saw the small white feather on her neck when I brought her up whether it was the start of her neck ring. So it looks as if it is.
Perhaps Cynthia can tell us when they normally appear as I don't know. Maybe Pip is a tiny bit older than Tweaty but just looked the same as she was behind in her development due to being malnourished at an early age.
It'll be interesting to see when Tweaty's white ring starts to grow.

Pip never did go for the water, (delicate child), Hopefully she'll learn how much fun it can be by watching Tweaty.

Lovely update Wendy, keep them coming.

Janet

I wish I could give the timescale for the appearance of the ring, but as you know my memory and record keeping are terrible and my wood pigeon book doesn't mention it.

Wendy, B&Q were selling turf quite cheaply yesterday so I bought some to try out in the doviary, if Irakles and M arch like it I will get some more for the aviary.
I don't expect it to last long, but it will give them a bit of variety and natural environment.

Watch out for the potted Christmas trees, they can be good additions to aviaries and aren't too expensive. I noticed last year that Homebase got fewer than they would need so they ran out early and there were no reductions!

Cynthia

Ahhhh - they have such a lovely place! What a shame that they cannot fly free any more but the safety of this lovely place and your loving care will make up a lot.
I especially loved to hear about your nice neighbours - not all neighbours are intolerant and ugly. I wished I had the same kind....


What a sweet couple you have got now. All the best for them...

jamy wrote:

* Thanks for the advice Cindy, will try and post some pictures in this new post.

Wendy with Tweaty and Pip when Tweaty was trying to decide what this alien was that had landed in his new home. ( Pip not Wendy!!) Tweaty's on her right.

[img][/img]

** ( I'll post some more but I'm having a bit of trouble posting the images, need to consult my computer guru, but she's doing her homework at the mo. Will try later !!).

Janet

* You did a great job, Janet!! I love the photo.
It's great to 'see' you Wendy. If you don't mind, we need to post this photo in the Crazy Pigeon People, Show us your face forum.

** That's cute.

Little Fledgling wrote:

* Tweaty and Pip are doing fine –

** Pip also loves swinging on the swing I’ve made with a branch and two bits of rope.
She’s up high and can see everything!

*** I’m having so much fun with them and watching them develop is fantastic.

* They are looking wonderful, Wendy.
Loved the photos. Many for sharing them with us.

** And what a great view Pip has.

*** They are such a joy to watch.
And of course we would love to see more photos.

I do remember Wendy saying this picture made her look as if she was asleep, I thought she looked great. Sorry Wendy if I posted the wrong one.

Feel free to post another one in Crazy Pigeon People Wendy if have one you prefer.
I've got another one of Wendy that I really liked with Tweaty and Pip, but I couldn't get it to post last time. I'll give it another go.

Janet

Cynthia wrote:

Wendy, B&Q were selling turf quite cheaply yesterday so I bought some to try out in the doviary, if Irakles and M arch like it I will get some more for the aviary.
I don't expect it to last long, but it will give them a bit of variety and natural environment.

Cynthia

Love to see you with the lawn mower in there !! :That\\\'s so f

I love that picture.

And there's me COVERING the grass up! I'll uncover a bit of it (covered with bark at the moment) and see if it regrows.

I've just been shopping for them (gawd, they are costing me a fortune ) and bought a brilliant flat square basket thing which is supposed to hang up full of large peanuts, but I've stuffed it with their greens which means they can peck at it and pull them through or just break of little bits and it lays flat on the ground.

They've also got some pigeon grit and a thing with what looks like grit packed tightly in a pot but apparently gives them nutrients. All specifically for pigeons.

If Janet can email me the pic I'll upload it. My hair wants recolouring and cutting badly, but I don't mind looking a mess amongst friends.

Little Fledgling wrote:

My hair wants recolouring and cutting badly, but I don't mind looking a mess amongst friends.

I wouldn't go and have it cut badly if I were you.!! :That\\\'s so f

Janet.

I'll have a go at posting it myself, if it won't work for me I'll email it to you as my guru is away for the weekend!

har har de har!

That was cute, Janet.

I love this picture of Wendy when Pip had just joined Tweaty in the aviary for the first time. She decided bribery was the best action to get them to sit near each other and break the ice. Amazing what they'll do for watercress!!



After seeing how Pip's plumage had improved today, I thought I'd post a picure of how she looked when she first came to me.



Amazing how she looks now after some tlc....

Great job Wendy.

Great pictures. I didn't realize that Wood Pigeons are so big.

Hey Wendy,
How are things going with Tweaty and Pip, the adorable duo?

Hi everyone!

I thought I could hear my ears burning

I'm SO SORRY for not being on here much lately. I've had a workload like nothing on earth and then my blinking computer blew up (literally..!). It also ruined two monitors and a new power supply unit. We've since found out there have been power surges in the village so now I've got a surge protector on my new computer. Thankfully, in the end (it took a good couple of weeks) I managed to get everything taken from the old computer and put on the new one.

I couldn't remember Janet's contact details (all stored on my old Outlook) and also couldn't remember the URL for this website - but managed to find it again after a good Google search. It's so debilitating and I've learned my lesson to back absolutely everything up in future. I felt so helpless and a bit scared actually as everything for my business was also on the computer. It's set me back rather a lot, but I've been working hard and have nearly caught up now.

Tweaty and Pip are doing wonderfully well still. Tweaty is feeding himself 100% at long last and Pip's plumage has almost replaced itself now and she's looking gorgeous - so different to the pic Janet has posted. I find it very difficult to tell the two of them apart now. They have both got their neck rings and Pip's favourite food is warm sweetcorn which she gets first thing in the morning to warm her belly and last thing at night. Tweaty is less enthusiastic, but still likes it. They both love to demolish spinach leaves if I hold them for them to peck.

I throw the old seed out every day onto the grass outside their aviary and all the local Woodies come down and feed. One juvenile even sits on the top of the aviary most of the day - it's that half-tame one I sorted out a while ago - and I feel like inviting him in!

I don't think, if I'm honest, that Tweaty and Pip are absolute buddies at the moment. They tolerate each other which makes me think they may both be males. They are certainly the same colour and a bit of research has told me you can tell the sex by the colour of their chest feathers. We'll give it a bit more time.

If one comes near the other they do their goose neck impressions, but I do get them sat on either of my shoulders quite happily. Pip makes me laugh as she (he?) tends to go to bed about half past three and when I try and pet her, she dobbs me one on the hand! Tweaty's started copying her. They never fight with each other though which is good.

I've just covered the floor of their aviary in fallen leaves and they love forraging for food in them all.

I'll try and get some photos over the next few days and apologies again for my absence.
Wend
x

Hi Wendy,

Thank you for a great update! I can just see Tweety and Pip doing the goose-neck at each other. Despite the fact that they are not best buddies I know that they appreciate the company of another woodie.

It sounds as if Pip found exactly the right place with you!

I must have a look at the breast feathers of my lot, and at their heads, to see if I can find something that indicates gender. It wasn't until this year, four years after her arrival, that we were able to determine that Littlewood is a hen, and that is because she layed eggs!

I am so glad that you didn't lose everything with your computer, I am very lazy about backup and lost some irreplaceable videos a few years ago. And I still haven't learnt my lesson.