Fledgling

The flower pot is beginning to look small. Edgar seems restless, but he's not quite there yet. Here's the next three days. Getting ready to make the leap.

Recovering Nicely

After his latest traumatizing ordeal, Edgar seems to be recovering pretty well.

He Made It!

It was touch and go for a while. Of course, I debated intervening - but decided that I had no right interfering with the natural order of pigeon survival. Turns out, Edgar didn't need my help anyway. That's one tough squab.

Downpour!

There was one day in August that it rained more in one day than the average amount of rain for the month. This presented a dilemma for little Edgar because the flower pot started to fill with water. I was afraid he might drown in his pot.

Click to enlarge

Squab - Days 16 and 17

When is this guy gonna fly? He's getting really big.

Day 16

Day 17

Squab - 15 Days Old

At just over two weeks, Edgar is starting to look pigeonesque. He still has some yellow baby hair on his ugly little head, but he almost has a full coat of downy feathers.

Feathers

August 9, 2011

Edgar is finally starting to grow some feathers.

Squabbatical

August 8, 2011.

Loyal Squabsters... The wait is over! More squab photos. I know it's been a while, so here you go - a twofer.

Edgar has really grown. These are both from the same day. Still ugly.

Become a Squabster!

You know, I have so many people say to me, "I really enjoy www. squabspot.blogspot.com. How can I be a part of it?"

 Well, for one thing, you can become a Squabster!

It's easy. Just tell all your friends to visit www.squabspot.blogspot.com.

Add squabspot.blogspot.com to your favorites and check in daily for exciting deals on all kinds of squabaphanalia and to learn all the latest news about the elusive New York City baby pigeon.

 For example, today you can see that Petunia has completely disappeared in just three days - circle of life, I tell ya. And Edgar is losing his bright yellow baby fur and starting to grow hideous spiney feathers.

Penguin - No Squab

A departure from the daily squab. Enjoy this video, submitted by an avid squabster.

Squab - Week 1

August 5, 2011.

Edgar's been through a lot his first week: heat wave, death and dissolving of his sister (Petunia is barely visible having almost completely decomposed). It's amazing that just a week ago he was an egg.

Edgar - Week 1

(Petunia stinks, by the way. I have to keep my bedroom window shut.)

Rapidly Dissolving Squab

August 4, 2011.

I spent all day getting up the nerve to scoop Petunia out of the flower pot. I figure it's like picking up a piece of raw chicken. At least that's what I kept telling myself.



I planned on putting a plastic bag over my hand, reaching in past Edgar, grabbing up Petunia and then folding the bag over her. As far as disposal, NYC trash cans have seen worse.

But when I got home from work, I found that Petunia had pretty well started dissolving into the dirt. I didn't really plan on this.

Click here to see how Petunia has started to decompose - Warning - Gross

How do you solve a problem like Petunia?

Now the problem is that Edgar has to grow in a flower pot next to his deceased sibling (poor Petunia). Do I reach in and scoop her out? I don't think I could suppress the gag reflex.

Click here to see the flower pot
Warning - Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

R.I.P. Petunia

August 3, 2011.

Petunia didn't make it.

Another hot day

August 2, 2011.

The observant reader will notice that I am about a month behind when it comes to posting, so when I refer to the heat wave, I am doing it from memory. Today, August 25th, everyone in New York is getting ready for hurricane Irene. 

It's been a tough first week out of the egg for these guys. And it doesn't get much better. 

Coming soon... tragedy strikes the flower pot...

Click to enlarge

More heat

August 1, 2011.

Still a brutal heat wave. Edgar and Petunia are out there all day with no cover. You can see that their eyes are fully open, their beaks look more developed, their wings are coming in and their skin looks darker today. Pigeon development.

Click to enlarge

Heat wave - fried squab

July 31, 2011.

Edgar and Petunia don't look anything like pigeons yet but they are developing quickly. They have bright yellow fur. This summer has been pretty mild so far, but this day the heat and humidity kicked in.

Hot squab

Francine - Squab Sitting

July 30, 2011.

Most mornings I am up too late to see Francine. By the time I get up she has already flown off to find food, leaving Edgar and Petunia alone. This morning, though, I happened to catch her before she went on her rounds.

Click to see larger picture

Squabart

Squabs. Out of the egg - day two.

July 29, 2011.

They made it through the night. Today they are a little more alert. Pink with yellow fur. Their beaks look almost full grown.

Click for close up

And to give you an idea of scale:

And then there were two

July 28, 2011.

Introducing Petunia

Click picture for close up

Cute?

Meet Edgar

July 27, 2011.

Strange. This morning when I looked outside, Francine did not fly away.

Closer inspection reveals why.

Urban myth no more - we have squab. 

Meet little Edgar.

Tomatoes and Basil

Every morning, I poke my head out the window to water my plants. I am growing tomatoes, basil, cilantro and peppers on my fire escape... or I should say, trying to grow. Actually, one of my tomtatoes is looking pretty promising, and so far, basil seems to be easy. Cilantro, not so good.

So, I noticed that every morning when I would open the window, a pigeon (whom I now know to be Francine) would jump up from my left onto the fire escape.

That's when I noticed the eggs.... July 23, 2011. Still eggs...

I can't take the suspense!

Musical Interlude

I've been getting a lot of grief for not posting quickly enough, so until the next post (eggs? squabs?) enjoy this classic:

Pigeon eggs - Nest contents

July 21, 2011.

Still eggs. What you see here is a typical pigeon nest. Feathers, eggs, and RF cable connectors.

Coming soon at Squab Spot: Emergence

Meet Francine

 July 20, 2011.

I noticed these birds hanging out on my fire escape. I never did figure out his name, but that is Francine on the right.

And here is the first sight of the pigeon eggs.

Once thought to be a myth: The Elusive Baby Pigeon

This summer a pigeon laid eggs in a flower pot on my fire escape. Every morning I have been photographing the nest - check in daily for new photos.