Last week I saw a pigeon nest up high on a steel beam, at a train station, that had a mother pigeon in it. (I assumed she was a mother pigeon on eggs, because she was a full grown pigeon, snugged up in a nest). When we went to the same station the other day - the eggs had hatched! And now the nest was full of fuzzy, peeping baby pigeons. I don't care how you feel about pigeons - these were cute. And what a privilege to see! It's just something you don't see every day. They are no more than a week old.

So, yesterday I dragged my husband down to the station again to see them, this time with binoculars and a camera. It was amazing. Three babies, with yellow fuzzy heads, and pinfeathered bodies and wings . We really wanted to get some pics of them, but they were just too high up.

At one point I yelled to my husband, "HEADS!!" to alerrt him to the fact thqat the babies' heads had popped up, and some teenage rudeboy looking kid said, "tails". He had on the London rudeboy uniform -saggy track bottoms, baseball cap, tattoo on his neck, gold jewellry. I explained to him what we were doing and he jumped up, genuinely excited. "I love baby birds! I took pictures of some baby ducks the other day!" Then he said, "I'm going to take a picture" and like a shot he had climbed up this beam, like only a teenager can, and was hanging by one hand, peeking in the nest "Oh my days!!" he exclaimed (a saying I hadn't heard since I stopped teaching London teenagers). He even offered to take a pic for us while he was up there. His girlfriend, chewing gum, looking bored ( but used to this kind of oddness from him) said, "He's mental. He takes pictures of ducks."

He came down and wanted to show us his duck pics on his phone, but his train had arrived. "I may look like a thug, but I love ducks" was his goodbye. It was a most genuinely sweet moment. And he got the most excellent pic of one of the babies for us. 20 years ago, when I was fearless of danger, I would have climbed up there. Now, as a 30 something, it was out of the question. So I'm really grateful to this kid for giving us a view we wouldn't have had without him, and I mean that in both the metaphorical sense and literally because of this excellent pic he took:

Attached Images

babypigeons.jpg (117.2 KB, 16 views)

How adorable - Arty's going to love that picture too!

Isn't it lovely how people can surprise you? A thug who takes pictures of ducks

Thank you kindly Michele,
3 babies is highly unusual, very very rare.
This helped to put a smile on my face today.
Thank you so very much.
Arty

After I looked up how squabs are born, and read all about them, I kept reading that pigeon moms have TWO eggs. But both my husband and I swear we saw 3 heads! So maybe they are lucky pigeons.
I went back again today but they were very inactive - probably sleeping - whereas yesterday they were very active, stretching their heads and wings, etc.
I will keep you updated on their progress!