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Rita & Chaka are coexisting peacefully, on their separate planes. 🐕🐦🥚 
Tom (finally) showed up, to give Rita some relief and take the afternoon shift. 🐦🥚🐦
This rainy day is not for the birds, especially my temporary neighbor, Rita. Her two eggs are doing fine, thanks to her patience. Tom doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight, thus far. #pigeons #AlbanyPark
I unexpectedly learned of a tragic incident in Rita & Tom’s past, when talking to my downstairs neighbor yesterday. Earlier this year, they nested on my neighbors’ balcony, also laying two eggs🥚🥚, which hatched 🐣🐣🐦🐦 1/ #pigeons #AlbanyPark #Chicago
Happy Father’s Day to Tom, one-half of my current fave pigeon couple. Also, belated shout-out for #NationalPigeonDay!
Happy to share first pix of Rita & Tom’s hatchlings, Billie & Chet! Took this when Tom briefly left the nest to remove a large piece of eggshell (to compost?) #pigeons #AlbanyPark #Chicago
Whoa, these babies grow fast! Noticeable difference in just one day! Tom may not be on the nest as much as Rita, but he’s definitely pulling his weight on the feeding front. #pigeons @KathleenMRooney @EmmaAndEzra1 @PetsPigeon @a_london_pigeon @53viroqua @shylobisnett
Good Morning, Billie, Chet & Rita! Keep eating and growing, kids! #pigeons #AlbanyPark #Chicago @a_london_pigeon @PetsPigeon @EmmaAndEzra1 @shylobisnett @53viroqua @KathleenMRooney
Sad news - I’m fairly gutted to share that I returned home on June 30, after a few days out of town, and discovered that Billie & Chet were dead, maybe attacked by the same crows that killed their sibling? Ever determined, I’ve already seen Rita & Tom scouting new nest sites.
Thanks for the condolences, all! Life goes on... I took this photo this morning. #pigeons #AlbanyPark #Chicago #RitaAndTom
Pigeon news: Rita is back on the nest! It wasn’t an easy path, though... We weren’t that excited about sharing our relatively small balcony with multiple pigeons for more than a month, now that the weather is nicer. So...
We didn’t see Rita and Tom very much, after things went bad, but they just couldn’t quit our balcony. They kept coming back, clearly ready to try again.
When they started scouting new nesting sites, we knew what we had to do...
We resorted to non-violent defensive measures, such as anti-pigeon-nest metal skewer stakes in a planter that they had been trying out. It didn’t work. Rita and Tom shoved the skewers aside and spent the day building a nest in it anyway.
It soon became pretty clear that Rita was ready to “drop her new single” and we were essentially trying to close down their chosen birthing site. Nature was clearly on the side of the pigeons...
We did our best to manage the outcome, moving their nesting materials to an unused planter. Rita quickly laid her 🥚, then took off! Egg lay there alone, all night. I thought we had an abandonment situation. But they came back later the next day, and here we are. #pigeons
Good news (for now.) On August 10, we got to witness the moment when Popcorn busted out! Tom was on the nest, and seemed a bit nervous (could’ve been the camera) #pigeons #Chicago #AlbanyPark 🐦🐣
Popcorn’s little wing. 🐣🐦
Rita is not losing another baby without a fight! Slo-mo video of her badass defensive moves. #pigeons 🐣🐦 @PetsPigeon @a_london_pigeon @KathleenMRooney @shylobisnett
Rita needed a nest break before Tom showed up for his shift, so I got a good look at week-old Popcorn. 🐣 #pigeons #Chicago #AlbanyPark
Popcorn is working hard on feather growing. Still not looking very pigeon-y. 11 days old. #pigeons #Chicago #AlbanyPark
Popcorn stretching her legs, on her 13th day in the world. She may be growing some white feathers, like her mum. #pigeons #AlbanyPark #Chicago
Day 14 for Popcorn. We’re not seeing Rita & Tom very much, these days. #pigeon #palomita #AlbanyPark #Chicago
Feeding time for 15 day old Popcorn is brief and intense! Thanks for dropping by, Tom! #pigeons #palomita #Chicago #AlbanyPark @a_london_pigeon
A mostly soggy day 17 for Popcorn. Haven’t seen Rita hardly at all for a few days, just Tom. #BabyPigeon #palomita #Chicago #AlbanyPark
Day 18: Popcorn is a typical teenager - doesn’t want me coming around to take photos and video. #pigeon #Chicago #AlbanyPark @a_london_pigeon
Days 20 - 23 for Popcorn are relatively mundane. Rita and Tom’s visits are so brief and infrequent. She could really use a sibling right now. Popcorn is super freaked out every time we are anywhere near her. I’m sure she’ll be glad when our 3-day weekend is over! #pigeon
Video of Popcorn from Day 22 showing that she has mom’s defensive moves. #pigeon #Chicago #AlbanyPark
Breaking news: Popcorn has left her nest! And, she may be a little bit less lonely, too. #pigeons #Chicago #AlbanyPark
Popcorn, 4 weeks after hatching. Sorry for the orientation of the video! #pigeon
Popcorn, queen of my patio, now in her second month of life. A few traces of the Boris look remain. I’ve seen a few short, low flights, but only from one side of the patio to the other. Haven’t seen her get higher than the seat of a chair. Rita visited yesterday! #pigeons
Hmmm... it sounds much different on my phone than on Twitter.
I put five week old Popcorn up on my balcony ledge, so she could get a glimpse of the bigger world, and maybe be inspired to check it out. Curious, but not ready yet, apparently. #pigeon #Chicago #AlbanyPark
39 days old Popcorn gets so excited when Rita comes around to feed her. Today she even caught some air! #PigeonLife
Popcorn, day 39: Important sign of progress! Looked outside tonight and discovered that she is moving on up - hanging out on one of our chairs. Not off the balcony yet, but we’ll take it. #PigeonLife
Popcorn did some serious flying, when Tom dropped by this morning! Day 41... #pigeon #pigeons #PigeonLife
Popcorn, Week 8: Now that she has demonstrated her flying skills, Operation Empty Nest begins. 🐣🐤🐦👋 #slomo #pigeon #palomita #SoMuchPoop! @KathleenMRooney @MartinSeay @a_london_pigeon @shylobisnett @EmmaAndEzra1
Operation Empty Nest 🥚🐣🐤🐦👋: Popcorn flew around for a bit, and spent some time up on the roof, but eventually returned and took refuge under the grill.
Operation Empty Nest, Phase 2 🥚🐣🐤🐦👋: Introducing Sandy, (plastic) peregrine falcon and defender of the balcony. #PlasticPredator
