Dove Panicked Protecting Babies
by Tina
(Tucson, AZ)
I have learned so much about my doves here from all your wonderful stories! All the other sites just tell about incubation and nesting times.
My story is; I was in my backyard here in Tucson Az, I saw a bird fly out from under my patio.
I knew that was odd so started looking around and climbed on my table and looked inside my heavy Ceramic hanging planter. (no plant just potting soil, my plant had died) there it was, a very thin nest.
I was so glad the hard potting soil was underneath the nest to protect the baby birds I hoped would come.(My Mom has alot of nests that the doves leave and never have any baby birds).
Then within minutes hiding in my house the Dove returned and got inside the nest. I got online and read everything I could about mating of Morning Doves.
I wrote down the date I saw the nest on my calender. I never see the Male and Female switch but they are such good parents.
Just a day or two later I woke up early and saw the nest was empty so I climbed up there again and to my surprise there was one egg.
A day or so later again the nest was empty and up I go again to look into the nest and there was two eggs sitting right next to each other.
Here in AZ we have Mocking birds that are terrible killer birds they are beautiful but eat the eggs of all nesting birds, I noticed one flying in and out of my yard and I said No way is this bird getting my doves eggs.
Everytime that bird flew in my yard I ran out swinging a broom up in the air yelling "Get Out Of Here!" My Dove never moved and it was if he knew I was helping them. (Now I am sure my Neighbors think I am Crazy! LOL)
The next thing that happened was while I was at work a "Terrible Storm" hit. Severe winds and a day and half of pouring rain, My Doves never left their nest the whole time the basket was swinging so badly back and forth.
Plus they were both getting rained on. They are such good parents! Exactly 14 days later I could see they were sitting higher in the planter.
One morning they were gone again and I climbed up to see two of the cutest baby birds ever!
They were so still and quiet as if they knew to be still until Mom or Dad came back. I have a Cooler some people call a Swamp Box it was leaking very badly off my roof.
My Son had to get on the roof to fix it. THIS WAS BAD because the only way to get on the roof is right next to the Planter.
This was incredible what happened Once he climbed past the nest (yes the babies were born) The Dad went CRAZY started flapping on the ground with one wing out like he was injured and he was screaming!
I had never seen anything like it, then he flew on my block fence and still had his one wing out and was still in this fit of rage. Than to my terror he flew back to the nest and got back on the babies, but my Son was still on the roof and had to still come down.
My Son had his cell phone and he called me and said what should we do? I said just come down and don't even look at the nest.
This time the exact thing happen again! I think it was to bring attention to him like he was hurt so a predator would go after the Dad dove and not the babies!
We hid inside and waited about 5 minutes for him to get back to the nest but this time he sat on the side of the planter and looked at his babies for a long time before he sat back on them!
I'm pretty sure he was making sure the baby birds were OK. Well 2 weeks after the babies were born the Parents were gone a long time so I am so scared I did a BAD thing?
I thought they all had left the nest because the babies were getting so big I could usally see their little heads.
This day I could not see anything in the nest. Also it had been over 2 weeks since I knew they were born. I thought for sure they had all left.
Again I climbed up to see the nest and the 2 week old babies just flew away! They both flew like they had flown for years into my neighbors tree.
I have such bad guilt, and pray the parent doves found them. Does anyone know if the Dad and Mom have a way to find the older babies that were just in the tree next door?
Then to my great surprise 4 to 5 days later I see another Dove in the same basket! Thanks to everyones letters I am thrilled to find out these are the same birds on their 2nd Nest.
No where on any other sites could I find that they lay 2nd eggs so soon! Thank You Everyone! I am so happy to know they are the same Doves!
I again have written down the date. Plus when the babies are 2 weeks old I am not going to look up there again so I am sure they don't fly away without Mom and Dad!
The Cooler is again leaking but "not" very badly. So I decided to let my Doves have a easy way to find water because it is over 100 degrees here everyday. Their nest is shaded most of the day but does get direct sun an hour or more when the sun goes down. So I will just have a little higher water bill next month to pay but it will be worth it. I LOVE watching and talking to both of them and I check them 1st thing when I wake up and all through the day. Also I make sure they are fine when I get off work and before I go to bed! I am "Thrilled" to be able to watch this wonderful act of nature.
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