Permanent Nesting Doves??

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Permanent Nesting Doves??

by Dr. J.D. Mayfield
(Paris, KY USA)

This May the weather was getting warm and my wife went to turn on the room a/c in her upstair's office. She turned the a/c on and nothing happened. I thought that was a little strange since the a/c was only two years old.

Checked the cord to see if was plugged in and it was. I proceeded to troubleshoot the unit by removing it from the window to check the motor and could not get it out.

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What could be holding it in? At an angle I looked outside the window and alas! There was a dove nesting on top of the unit. The bird had stuffed the nesting material into the vents of the a/c preventing the fan from turning and operating.

I used a ladder to the second floor from the ground to check the nest and there were two eggs in the nest. The dove had left the nest temporarily when I climbed the ladder.

It is now August and the dove is still nesting(over the last three months rarely absent from the nest). The temperature is reaching 90 degrees in my wife's office and cannot work there for the heat.

When will the bird leave? My wife needs the a/c? HELP!

Or is the dove a permanent resident and do we need to furnish heat an running water to our feathered friend for the winter?

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Permanent Nesting Doves??

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Aug 10, 2008
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3rd round
by: Anonymous

We have had doves nesting since May too! The 3rd set of babies are about to fly the coop. Wonder if there's a 4th found coming?

Aug 09, 2008
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Doves Are Smarter Than Humans(At Least Me!))
by: Dr. Mayfield

An earlier comment said, "Maybe successive doves using the same nest is the reason the nest has not remained empty." Duh! I thought it was the same ma and pa! Yes, the doves are sly little creatures. LOL!

I realized that the eggs are incubated about two weeks and after hatching another two weeks until the newborn leave the nest but I had not observed them that closely to realize that different families were utilizing the home.

To not disturb the present family I climbed my latter and built a platform a couple of yards adjacent to the a/c. Using sterile gloves(do not know if that matters) I moved the nest with one egg to the platform. About two hours later the mother(?) was back on the nest. I felt mission accomplished!

However that night we had a vicious storm. The next day from my window I noticed no egg or bird. Below I found a broken white egg on the ground under the platform.

I do not know if the storm blew the egg from the nest for the nest was still intact or maybe was it the noise from the a/c that startled the dove and she just pushed the egg out of the nest and evacuated?

That occurred four days ago and at present no dove is utilizing the nest.

I am sad with the failed outcome but I did try.

When any consolation my wife is enjoying her cool air conditioned office again.

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Aug 09, 2008
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Submitted by: Dr. Mayfield

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An earlier comment said, "Maybe successive doves using the same nest is the reason the nest has not remained empty." Duh! I thought it was the same ma and pa! Yes, the doves are sly little creatures. LOL! I realized that the eggs are incubated about two weeks and after hatching another two weeks until the newborn leave the nest but I had not observed them that closely to realize that different families were utilizing the home. To not disturb the present family I climbed my latter and built a platform a couple of yards adjacent to the a/c. Using sterile gloves(do not know if that matters) I moved the nest with one egg to the platform. About two hours later the mother(?) was back on the nest. I felt mission accomplished! However that night we had a vicious storm. The next day from my window I noticed no egg or bird. Below I found a broken white egg on the ground under the platform. I do not know if the storm blew the egg from the nest for the nest was still intact or maybe was it the noise from the a/c that startled the dove and she just pushed the egg out of the nest and evacuated? That occurred four days ago and at present no dove is utilizing the nest. I am sad with the failed outcome but I did try. When any consolation my wife is enjoying her cool air conditioned office again.

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Aug 04, 2008
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Im on Nest nest # 3 and should have a 4th!
by: Tina

Hi I wrote the story Dove Paniced Protecting Babies. That is the 4th story down from yours. This started for me in June than 4 days later they were back on their 2nd nest that was another month. All 4 babies lived and flew away, 4 days after I see a New smaller Dove in the same planter only this time they built a new nest of their own! So I got up their and threw away the 1st nest that was full of bird droppings. Its now August and these babies were just born! The 2nd egg just hatched yesterday. It takes 14 days of the Parents sitting on the babies and feeding them before they all leave. So each "New Nest" is a 4 week adventure! For 2 weeks they sit on their eggs and than the babies are born the 14th day after eggs are laid. They stay with the babies another 2 weeks and than almost to the day the Parents leave and so does the baby birds. No way can it be the same exact Dove for you since May! I also am in shock as we live in Az and I have had so many problems with our Cooler thats on the roof, read my story and see how they freak out if you try to get too near to the babies. So I "TOTALLY UNDERSTAND" about being TOO HOT because of the nests. I love this blessed adventure with nature though. Just like me I bet you have different doves that saw the other nest and decided to also nest in your AC unit too! The only thing you can do is make sure the Parents and Babies have left and take out their nest. GOOD LUCK!

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Aug 04, 2008
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Submitted by: Tina

Title

Comment
Hi I wrote the story Dove Paniced Protecting Babies. That is the 4th story down from yours. This started for me in June than 4 days later they were back on their 2nd nest that was another month. All 4 babies lived and flew away, 4 days after I see a New smaller Dove in the same planter only this time they built a new nest of their own! So I got up their and threw away the 1st nest that was full of bird droppings. Its now August and these babies were just born! The 2nd egg just hatched yesterday. It takes 14 days of the Parents sitting on the babies and feeding them before they all leave. So each "New Nest" is a 4 week adventure! For 2 weeks they sit on their eggs and than the babies are born the 14th day after eggs are laid. They stay with the babies another 2 weeks and than almost to the day the Parents leave and so does the baby birds. No way can it be the same exact Dove for you since May! I also am in shock as we live in Az and I have had so many problems with our Cooler thats on the roof, read my story and see how they freak out if you try to get too near to the babies. So I "TOTALLY UNDERSTAND" about being TOO HOT because of the nests. I love this blessed adventure with nature though. Just like me I bet you have different doves that saw the other nest and decided to also nest in your AC unit too! The only thing you can do is make sure the Parents and Babies have left and take out their nest. GOOD LUCK!

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Aug 04, 2008
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nesting doves
by: judy

Those eggs should have hatched ages ago. Are you certain it isn't a second nest? Two weeks is the incubation period for most birds....I'm fairly sure.

Good luck! Couldn't imagine life without total house air conditioning!

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