Fairy toadstools and hopeless birds

 

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Billy-Bob, Bella and Ben have settled into a cosy routine. Each day, they’re outside the bedroom window waiting for me to feed them. At night, Billy-Bob and Bella cuddle up and Ben sleeps on the bathroom window sill. They rarely venture far, occasionally, they hang out on my neighbour’s roof or potter around the roof of her garage, but the majority of the time they’re on the ledges outside the bedroom windows.

A few days ago I opened the window and noticed that Billy-Bob was missing!

img_2181So, I checked the ledge outside the other bedroom window, and sure enough, there was Billy-Bob. But what on earth was he up too?

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Oh noooooooooooo……

an egg amongst a few twigs, call that a nest?????

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That honestly has to be the worst nest ever built by a bird! To think Billy-Bob has been wandering around with twigs in his beak for six weeks, only to come up with that abhorrence! I can’t see it keeping a chick warm, safe, or even in situ, and why breed at this time of the year? What were they thinking?

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The next day there was another egg sitting amongst twigs. I haven’t looked today but I suspect there are more. At the rescue we remove the eggs each day to avoid being overwhelmed; I haven’t the heart to move these as I don’t know when the first egg was actually laid.

I now have visions of hand feeding tiny chicks that have been blown off the roof!

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Toadstools are erupting all over the gardens.

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Deadly but gorgeous!

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Here’s one emerging, all white and fluffy, rising from the mossy lawn.

And Finally…

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One has even grown in front of the skeletons!

Happy All Hallows, beware that which goes bump in the night now!

I’m hoping it’s not a newly hatched chick or three!

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50 Comments

  1. Yes indeedy, a silly time to breed and the world’s worst nest….it will be interesting seeing how it all works out. At least they are sitting on the eggs day and night! Oh yes, I’d forgotten about Enid Blyton!xxx

  2. eek, not the best time to be laying eggs and thats definitely a rubbish nest!! You’ll certainly have to keep an eye on them now. Those toadstools are great, the ‘proper’ ones from fairytales and Enid Blyton

  3. That nest just proves the old saying right that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder since the pigeons think that nest is amazing! Those toadstools look like something out of a children’s fairy tale.

    • Poor pigeons eh, being proud of such a rubbish nest, I left good nesting material next to the nest but they ignored it! The toadstools sure are magical, I just love seeing them emerge each year.xxx

  4. They certainly are a beautiful bunch that you have there – but yes, rubbish at nestbuilding. They must be happy where they are or I am sure they would find somewhere else. Gorgeous toadstools, real fairy story ones.

    • They are a good looking bunch aren’t they? I do enjoy watching them hanging out on the roof, they come when I call them now, far too tame! Yes, real fairy story toadstools, I just love them.xxx

  5. Pigeons seem to have no regard for the time of year when it comes to rumpy pumpy. The pigeons in my garden are tireless. They never do anything else, apart from eating my brassicas and pooing on my washing.
    You have magic mushrooms! Wow! Don’ t try nibbling them or you may turn into an elf.

    • Our pigeons are the same, breeding all year round, tr sure seems crazy to me! Oh….sorry about your washing and brassicas!!! What disrespectful pigeons you have.
      Each year I seem to get more toadstools….I’m certainly not complaining! I shall leave well alone, I have no desire to be an elf!xxx

  6. These birds. Dina, they must just know that you will take care of their chicks so they don’t put enough effort into making a decent nest. Either that, or they just haven’t watched enough nest building videos.

    As with Linda, above, I didn’t know until recently that toadstools really looked as adorable in real life as they did in their ceramic counterparts 😉 Why oh why are they so cute when they’re deadly?

    • Oh….I do hope I don’t end up hand rearing the chicks! So far, both birds are turning out to be excellent parents, despite being awful nest builders! I must stock up on nest building videos!
      Toadstools are astonishingly beautiful aren’t they, it’s a shame they are so deadly.xxx

  7. Your piges remind me of the young ducks and such around the marinas. When they’re just learning the ropes, they’ll lay their eggs anywhere — on the dock, in cockpits, and so on. Maybe these are “learning eggs.” Once they get the routine down, then they’ll get serious about it — taking the training wheels off, so to speak.

    I’ve seen ceramic toadstools that look just like these. I didn’t realize that such a thing actually occurred in nature. I was going to say, “Well, I don’t eat anything red,” but that certainly isn’t true. There are cherries, strawberries, red peppers, apples… Still, fungi test my limits, and it sounds as though that’s a very good thing.

    • I am hoping that these are learner eggs, it is a crazy time to lay, but then pigeons here lay all year round but of their chicks end up in the rescue…..maybe these eggs are sterile.
      Toadstools don’t look real, they are far too pretty, albeit totally deadly! xxx

  8. Another lovely post, I love reading about your wildlife family … will you be seeing chicks … we’ll have to wait and see.

    The toadstools, though deadly, do look amazing, and so nice to see one in your Halloween display.

    Enjoy the remainder of the week and all good wishes for the coming weekend

    All the best Jan

    • Thanks Jan. Glad you enjoy hearing about all these critters. It will be interesting seeing how it all works out. Toadstools are such gorgeous fungi for sure!xxx

  9. Regards toadstools, you took the words right out of my ‘fingertips’. Will the four-legged animals attempt to snuffle them? You got a surprise package with your bag of bird (er hem, grass) seed.

    Would the birds move to an open-air aviary somewhere in your garden, that is, one with three rather than four sides, or, even one of those interesting bird lofts bird fanciers have? The birdie body clock does seem to be out of sync with the seasons, but then, have you had a mild spell through October? Dare I ask if the birds have had the correct genders attached to to them ❓ The nests are a bit scrappy, it’s as if they are paying beak service to an innate construction requirement they have no interest or real skill with. Or, is it too much for one particular birdie?

    With your careful surveillance they have no need to enhance what they should be able to do. Did you say these birds are the offspring of Special Pige?

    I wonder what the next animal adventure will be. Your life is full of interesting surprises. BTW, talking of surprises, how is the bathroom progressing?

    • I looking to build better homes for the birds, the chap doing them is over-worked at the moment, but hopefully he’ll get around to it. I am on the lookout for a dovecot but they don’t come cheap…I may have to have one built.
      I am fairly sure that Billy-Bob is a chap as I have seen him and Bella mating but I now suspect Ben the dove to be a she……she is playing the protective role of an aunt at the moment, surprisingly. The three birds seem to have a very close bond.
      I tried to help re the nest by placing some warm fluffy material next to it, the birds ignored it sadly, I didn’t want to interfere with thenest in case the birds abandoned it.
      The three white birds are the ones I released from the rescue, but SP’s three offspring and Laura’s racing pige have more or less joined the flock.
      Oh….thankfully the building work is almost complete. xxx

  10. It would be most unwise of those eggs to hatch at this time of year but maybe it’s an indication that winter won’t be too harsh? Those toadstools are amazing looking, reminds me of Big Ears house from my childhood books! Such vibrant colours – what a shame they’re poisonous! Cxx

    • I do hope we have a mild winter but the forecast is rather grim and it has turned cold of late. At least the birds are sitting on the eggs day and night. The toadstools are gorgeous, the colours are so brilliant, somehow they don’t look real!xxx

  11. Imagine, little Billy-Boblets. We likewise are sporting a forest of mushrooms in our lawn, only not as brilliant as yours. Happy All Hallows to you.

  12. Do you think you could find a prefab pigeon nest for your feckless pigeon couple?

    • I tried enhancing the nest, I left a load of fluffy warm material next to it hoping the birds would use it but they didn’t. I was to afraid to add it myself in case the birds abandoned the nest. They don’t seem to be the brightest of birds!xxx

  13. Amazing! I know you’ll keep us updated. The colourful fungi certainly add something extra to your spooky garden ornament display. Thanks for the blog visit and, yes, all booked, but will be blogging as and when. Take care. All the best to you and yours. xx

    • It certainly is going to be interesting seeing how this all plays out. I hope the weather stays mild for the chicks! So glad you booked your trip, have a marvelous time and take good care of yourself.xxx

  14. Oh my God! That poor thing Billy-Bob (are you sure is a male and not a female?)
    Well, actually I’m not much informed about sex&birds, but I guess the eggs are Bella’s…
    It really doesn’t look a cosy nest (maybe poor Billy-Bob was at his first experience); can’t you put some feathers inside to make it warmer?
    You said that at the rescue you take away the eggs, but I hope you put them inside a special case-breed with the warm lights. My Brother does that with the Kika eggs (she is an 90 years old turtle)…
    I wish I had the chance to have such lovely pigeons around my garden and house, they looks like a quite a special companionship.
    Have a lovely day Dina :-)c

    • I’m fairly certain that Billy-Bob is the father and Bella the mother, I think Ben may be a she though, as she’s always close to the nest and seems to be playing the role of protective aunt, the birds have formed a tight bond now. How lovely that your brother cares for an aged turtle, how I’d love one. I do enjoy having the birds as permanent residents, I am very fond of them and enjoy seeing the constant flashes of white and white feathers floating around.xxx

  15. That’s called bringing your work home with you. Billy Bob thinks why should I bother when mum will look after the chicks.

    • Oh dear, I do hope I don’t have to hand rear chicks. So far the birds are being excellent parents so fingers crossed….xxx

  16. It’ll be surprising if the eggs do hatch given the time of year. The topsy-turvy climate is causing all sorts of problems for wildlife isn’t it.
    Fascinating to see all the colourful fungii like these.
    Thanks, and to you too. xx

    • The climate is odd as you say, one minute mild, the next, severe. Pigeons do breed all year round here, they don’t seem to play by the usual rules. I do look forward to seeing the toadstools each year, they are so vibrant.xxx

  17. I do so love fairy toadstools…they remind me so much of very happy childhood days…beautiful…and as for the Billy Bob and Co…what a wonderful story this…- yes another children’s book:) They clearly love where they are and feel safe and protected by ‘you know who’ – why on earth would they ever want to move and yes I am quite sure you will get lots of little fluffy angels hanging on your every movement:)
    Sending love – images will be coming from Sunday on…….Janet. xxxx

    • I am curious re how this all plays out, to date the birds are proving to be good parents, I wonder which parent the chicks will resemble, fan tail pige or dove/pige….I wait with baited breath. I am enjoying having the birds hanging around, you get used to things surprisingly quickly, it seems as though they’ve always been there now.xxx

  18. Love the toadstools, so pretty as long as the dogs leave them alone!
    Your pigeons are certainly mixed up, would young even survive through the winter months?

    • Thankfully, the dogs having developed a taste for toadstools! I too wonder whether chicks could survive a cold winter, so far though, the birds are sitting on the eggs night and day.xxx

  19. Well, those pigeons definitely needed to stay and have your care and protection….nests like that would not have survived in the wild! Very late to lay eggs though….I wonder what prompted that?

    Have fun on Halloween!

    • I was surprised to see them breeding at this time of the year, goodness knows how this will all play out. They are proving to be good parents though, the eggs are being sat on day and night. These poor birds are far to tame and domestic, but they are as wild as they can be and seem settled on the bedroom ledges and roof.xxx

  20. You might have ‘grand-pigeons’ to look out for soon! I feel sorry for poor old Ben, sleeping on his own on the bathroom window sill! Love the Hallowe’en scene. xx

    • Yes, I suspect grand-pigeons are on the way, I hope they survive the cold. Ben is playing aunt to those eggs already, he seems to be part of the family. xxx

  21. Most interesting. Billy-Bob a bit of a character. Nice images.

    • Billy-Bob is such a funny bird to watch, he struts up and down the roof like a chicken, he certainly is a character.xxx

  22. Nature’s Way, my dear D! 😉 Full of surprises…. Hugs!!! 💕

  23. I know pigeons and doves can nest until late into the year but you would think they wouldn’t want to when the weather gets colder and darker. All those hours sitting still on a nest in freezing weather – brrrr!!
    The toadstools are beautiful but, as you say, deadly. The skeletons look as though they’re dancing around their one!

    • I’m always surprised to find pigeons and doves breeding so late, but they seem to breed all year round, we often get the chicks in the rescue throughout winter, why though, as you say, it does seem a little crazy.
      The toadstools are such a brilliant red, quite beautiful. xxx

  24. Goodness! Eggs this late in the year…can’t wait to see what loveliness comes of this! What do the pups make of all these bird events, or so they just ignore them?

    Great to see the merry skellies out and celebrating with the gargoyles…and beautiful toadstools. Looks like an interesting All-Hallows for you, Miss Dina.

    Blessings on all the mysteries coming and going at your charming home…and be careful of those things bumping in the night!

    Always an utter joy to read your posts; thank you so much.

    • Pigeons seem to breed all year round here, we often get chicks in the rescue throughout winter. The dogs do a great job of pretending the birds are not strutting about on the roof all day and night…..
      I must say, the toadstools are gorgeous and seem to multiply each year. We had a very quiet All Hallows this year, not a bump or bang! Lots of fireworks though which all the animals hate! Thanks Kitty, glad you enjoy my wafflings.xxxx

  25. How amazing of Billy-Bob – what is she like! I understand not wanting to destroy the eggs – they are kinda personal now. And what fantastic toadstools! Hugs xx

    • I am most impressed with those toadstools, each year we seem to get more. Billy-Bob and Bella are doing a great job of sitting on those eggs, they are never left unattended. I wonder who the chicks will look like, Billy-Bob or Bella….xxx

  26. You obviously haven’t got enough to do so they thought they’d provide some more chicks for you to coo over. That toadstool just finishes off your Halloween scene.

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