I live in an apartment on the 11th floor and have several planters on my balcony filled with herbs and flowers and whathaveyou. I love my garden and normally go out to water the plants a little every day.
On August 12th I noticed a little egg in my herb garden, and a second one on the 13th. After that, I would see one of the parents sitting on the egg so I decided to reduce the amount of water that planter got so that the "nest" (and it's generous to call the spot she laid her eggs a nest) wouldn't get wet and only watered every second or third day so I wouldn't be out there so much.
When I went out to water the plants on the 25th, I noticed one of the adult pigeons was in the garden and had some little brown puffs squirming around under her! So exciting... but then I felt like I had to water even less to try not to disturb them. (Many plants have died though...sad.)
After that, any time I saw the "nest" through my glass doors, there was an adult there. After about a week, they were there a little less, but wasn't super concerned about it. But for the last couple of days, they've been almost entirely absent. I've seen an adult pigeon out there, but it will sit on the edge of my air conditioner (on the other side of the balcony) or the planter and not go anywhere near the babies. They tweet like mad and the pigeon still doesn't go near them.
Could my presence have scared the parents away? They didn't seem to have a problem with me before (and I left pigeon feed for them to try and make them comfortable), but I'm getting concerned. And based on the babies' crops, it doesn't look like they're being fed.
It's also incredibly hot out there-- it's 25 degrees out there today (feels like 28) and they're in direct sunlight all day. And then it cools off at night-- last night it went down to 9 degrees and felt quite cold.
Shouldn't mom and dad be involved more than this? It's only been 11 days since I first saw the babies had hatched, so they're probably no older than 13 days at the very most. Would you recommend intervention at some point? Thanks!
On August 12th I noticed a little egg in my herb garden, and a second one on the 13th. After that, I would see one of the parents sitting on the egg so I decided to reduce the amount of water that planter got so that the "nest" (and it's generous to call the spot she laid her eggs a nest) wouldn't get wet and only watered every second or third day so I wouldn't be out there so much.
When I went out to water the plants on the 25th, I noticed one of the adult pigeons was in the garden and had some little brown puffs squirming around under her! So exciting... but then I felt like I had to water even less to try not to disturb them. (Many plants have died though...sad.)
After that, any time I saw the "nest" through my glass doors, there was an adult there. After about a week, they were there a little less, but wasn't super concerned about it. But for the last couple of days, they've been almost entirely absent. I've seen an adult pigeon out there, but it will sit on the edge of my air conditioner (on the other side of the balcony) or the planter and not go anywhere near the babies. They tweet like mad and the pigeon still doesn't go near them.
Could my presence have scared the parents away? They didn't seem to have a problem with me before (and I left pigeon feed for them to try and make them comfortable), but I'm getting concerned. And based on the babies' crops, it doesn't look like they're being fed.
It's also incredibly hot out there-- it's 25 degrees out there today (feels like 28) and they're in direct sunlight all day. And then it cools off at night-- last night it went down to 9 degrees and felt quite cold.
Shouldn't mom and dad be involved more than this? It's only been 11 days since I first saw the babies had hatched, so they're probably no older than 13 days at the very most. Would you recommend intervention at some point? Thanks!
