Progress of the young Wood Pigeons in the nest on my terrace - 3

I have been trying to avoid going outside onto my terrace at the back of the flat to avoid disturbing the nesting Wood Pigeons.  However, I have needed to water my plants and went out there last Sunday.  I was able to take some photographs of the progress of the two babies - not really babies any more, of course, as they are now a few weeks old.

2 young Wood Pigeons in nest at the back of my large plant container

There are a couple of plant pots full of tall leaves in front of the nest, so I had to put my hand onto the leaves and push them out of the way to get a view of the youngsters - who were not too keen on this invasion of their privacy.

Wood Pigeon squab on nest behind the leaves

The young Wood Pigeon was staring at me and hoping I would leave it in peace.

Wood Pigeon youngster giving me the beady eye

I took a few photographs on the terrace and then went upstairs and opened the bathroom window on the floor above.  Below is a view from the window, with a youngster hanging out of the nest on the right hand side of the wooden railing and still staring at me with a beady eye.  The nest is on the edge of the terrace and there is an open space that goes down 2 floors between my building and the one next door.

Young Wood Pigeon hiding behind the greenery on my terrace.

Close up of the young Wood Pigeon on the nest - photo taken from above

Every so often, a parent would come and feed them - perching on a neighbouring railing before flying over to the nest.

Wood Pigeon parent waiting to fly over and feed it's youngsters

Wood Pigeon nest on my roof terrace - update - 2

I have not been out onto my terrace for a week since seeing a Wood Pigeon nest at the back of one of my larger containers.  It held 2 youngsters and the parent birds have been taking it in turn to sit with them.  I put photos on an earlier blog.

I just got back from a weekend away and, on inspecting the nest from a distance (out of my bathroom window on the floor above the terrace), I saw that the youngsters were on their own.  I got my camera and nipped quickly out on the terrace to find out how they had grown.

2 young Wood Pigeons at the back of a large plant container

You can see that the one at the back is larger than the one nearer the front of the photograph.

The larger baby Wood Pigeon is slightly puffed-up

When I put my hand through the leaves in the plant pot in front of the youngsters, the larger baby at the back tried to sit up and pumped out its chest.

In my first photos, shown in an earlier blog, the birds did not look as though they had feathers at all.  You can see that they now do have feathers and that the chest feathers on both of them are rusty-coloured - so they are quickly growing up and beginning to look similar to their parents.

I just looked out of the bathroom window again and it seems as though a parent bird is now back with the youngsters.

I do not really like having a Wood Pigeon nest on my terrace - but I am fascinated by it!

Wood pigeon nesting on my first floor terrace - 1

I spent the afternoon exhausting myself by walking all round London's Battersea Park searching for wildlife to photograph - during sunshine and showers.

After a well-deserved rest and a cup of tea when I got home, I decided to pot up some pansies that I had bought in the park.  I did this on my outside terrace, which is basically the roof of the shop extension that is at the back and below my flat.  There is a well on the side of the extension that goes down two floors below to the shop basement.

While I was working outside, I occasionally heard a deep-throated single note warning sound that I thought must come from a pigeon.  I looked down the well at the side of the roof terrace, but could see nothing - I had limited vision because there is a post fence along the edge of the terrace, so I could not lean over to look properly.

Below is a photograph, taken last year, of Agapanthus in two containers that are standing on a very large container, which is placed on the wall.  Below, on the ground, is a further pot containing white lilies.

Agapanthus and lilies on the terrace

I carried on with my planting and tidying up but, when I came to move a container on the floor in the corner of the terrace, a great big fat Wood Pigeon flew up from the back of the large container that is on edge of the terrace wall and gave me the fright of my life!  I could not see it because of the two smaller containers that were standing on the large one.  They now only contain leaves, without the tall flowers that are in the photo.

When I looked through the plants in the container, I saw two strange things that I can only presume are baby Wood Pigeons!  I quickly ran back into the flat and got my camera so I could try and take a photograph before mummy (or daddy) came back.

Baby Wood Pigeons at the back of a very large plant pot

As you can see in the above photograph, the parents have made only a little effort in making a nest, just having added a few sticks to the top of the soil in the container.

I could see the parent Wood Pigeon waiting anxiously on a neighbouring terrace, so I quickly finished off what I was doing and went back into the flat.  After I closed the door, it flew back to my terrace and sat on the fence for a while.  The photo below was taken through the safety glass panel in the back door.

Wood Pigeon waiting anxiously to return to her young

Later, I looked out of the bathroom window above the terrace and could just see that mum/dad was sitting with the babies and keeping them warm.

So I have got my own wildlife!  I won't be able to take any more photographs for fear of frightening the parent Wood Pigeon off for good.