Bean laid an egg and Frances is going places

Bean laid an egg!

I've had Bean since SHE was a couple weeks old. At first I thought she was a she but soon she was strutting and claiming a nest box like a little cock bird. Bean was single for a long time and none of the other pigeons courted her until Blanco showed up and fell madly in love with Bean immediately. By the time Blanco showed up, I was sure Bean was male. In fact, Blanco moved into Bean's nest box. The cocks always handle the house hunting. I've never had a single hen claim a nest box on her own. I thought Bean and Blanco were my little gay pigeons. They've been together for a couple of months and Bean could never lay an egg and so I give them fake eggs to sit on. Just the other day I decided that I had proof that Bean was a cock because, when Blanco's on the nest and Bean is out and about in the loft, none of the other cocks court Bean (which they do all the other hens, whether married or single).

And then this morning, I saw that Bean laid an egg. Little Beanie is just a very butch little hen. Bean!

Frances had an exciting July. Mouse over the pictures for captions (most but not all have them).