CUTE CHICK

..Or Baby Dove

AS PROMISED, here is the first picture of proud mum and one chick ... I think the second is hidden behind this cute little fluffy yellow baby dove
at the bottom left of the shot.

CLICK & CHICK: If you look closely this curious little

dove is sticking his beak out from underneath his mum

He or she is far too young to sex, and in truth judging from the other fantails in the dovecot I haven't a clue how to tell the difference anyway.
However, we can all be sure that the white fantail in the picture is female and she looks a lot less frazzled than she did last week.
 In fact if you look closely I'm sure there's almost a hint of a smile around her visage or am I just imagining it?
 I'm told the chicks will remain safely tucked away for the next two weeks and will be fed from a dilute solution produced from the parents' crop called Pigeon Milk.
 Apparently the father will share the duties of rearing the fledgling pair although I've not seen any evidence of this so far; and I'm not sure who is the daddy, either!
 In about 10 days time the chicks will develop porcupine-style quills and by about four weeks they should be old enough to feed on their own.
 Then, apparently, the frisky parents will be ready to start the whole process all over again! Oo-er, I've a feeling that if the rest of my doves begin to pair off there could be a population explosion of white doves in the Borders.