Dove Nesting On Ground

by Pam Buch
(Belmont Bay,VA)

Molly Our Ground Nesting Dove

This is the second time we have had a morning dove sitting to nest on the ground around our front porch.



It's been a few years in between, but I think it's Molly again. The last time I worried and would talk to her to say her housing choice was not the best.

While we were away on work trips we ask neighbors to just keep an eye and drop some food in the area.

Honestly the babies waited for us to get back before Molly let them fly off from the nest. It was quite something. They did come back by later in the spring too.

Now this time she is under our weeping cherry sitting on two quarter size whitish eggs where I found her as I bent in to weed. She just scooted over a little and when I backed out she went back to sit on the eggs.

We just hope we have the same outcome as last time since we leave tomorrow for a work trip and will not be back until Thursday.

It is possible she started in the weeping cherry in a nest this time and the nest didn't hold, but it's so thick we can't see in there.

My husband said the father will bring food, but how likely is she possibly a single mother?

It's cold and rainy today and we hate to leave her there chilly on the ground sitting on the two eggs. Hope she is here on our return.

Mourning Dove in the Crepe Myrtle

by Heidi B.
(Ponca City, OK)

This year is the beginning of my bird watching journey and I have been trying to create a bird haven in my backyard.

I have purchased a few feeders and birdbaths and have planted vegetation to entice them to spend time in my area.

My husband even bought me an Oklahoma bird guide.

I have been having a great time trying to identify all the different birds I see and what their habits are.

A few weeks ago I walked out my front door and was admiring the new blooms on my Crepe Myrtle tree.(Yes, I know they are usually shrubs, but ours was pruned to grow into a tree approximately 14 feet tall).

I looked up, and to my surprise, there was a mourning dove perched in a nest.

I called my hubby out to look at it.

He was amazed that it had made a nest so close to the front door.

The nest looked so flimsy that I was nervous that a good Oklahoma wind would blow it right out of the branches.

This piqued my curiosity so onto the internet I went.

So much information.....I found out that they only lay two eggs in a brood and the young leave the nest after 12-14 days.

WOW!! Seems like such a short time with Mom and Dad.

The male sits on the nest during the day and the female trades out for the night shift. Way to go Dad:)

We have been watching the nest for the last 10 days.

Today when I walked outside there was evidence of birds overhead by way of bird droppings all over the sidewalk below the nest.

I looked up and there they were, the adult and the two baby doves.

I worried that maybe they might get spooked as I swept off the walk but they never flinched.

The nest is only about eight feet off the ground.

I decided to push my luck.

Since the nest was above my head, I pulled a patio chair over closer to get a better look. They were too cute to pass up a picture.

I was able to get about three feet away from them and they never moved.

Above is a picture I took with my phone.

Our Mourning Dove Sanctuary

by Rebecca Phillips
(Dewey, Arizona, USA)

Starting in March 2012, my husband and I were thrilled to become part of a strange and wonderful new world.

Mourning Doves built a nest in our carport directly across from our kitchen window.

We had no idea how much we would learn from them and what great companions they would be.

After six successful little families (12 babies) were launched into the world we were very hopeful that they would come back in this March.

We were thrilled to see a new couple take over the old nest.

The parents nurtured two little baby Doves to maturity and spent two days trying to launch them into the world.

The hysterical problem with this little twosome was – they wouldn't leave the nest.

They looked through our kitchen window and sat on our porch and posed for pictures, but they would not fly away.

As is typical, we immediately had a new couple nesting.

The unexpected problem they had was that the two “old” babies wouldn't get out of the nest.

The new father-to-be spent the day keeping the two old babies at bay.

He finally gave up and the new, nesting Mom snuggled with two large baby birds in the nest with her.

In fact, all four of them sat on the nest until the "old babies" finally took flight.

The result was the birth of one, not two, baby doves.

The unhatched egg sat precariously on the nest until the new baby flew away.



Our nest is always full during mating season.

We feed them sunflower seeds in a feeder on the ground and we have doves all the time.

Doves Nesting On Covered Porch

by New Dove Lover

I started noticing twigs all over in a corner above our front door.

I kept sweeping them away only to discover more the next day.

Why I looked up I don't know, but there sat a beautiful dove. So my husband and I started watching.

We Checked on the internet to learn about their habits. We started watching and waiting for the babies.

Lo and behold one day I noticed a couple of little heads.

Soon they started getting larger until one day I just stood there and one flew away.

I was saddened to think the one was left by itself, not for long though. The next day the other flew off.

So before long, here the adults came again. Going through the same ritual.

Today 2 little doves are getting ready to fly away.

I am not a bird watcher but this has been a beautiful experience.

A Dove Family Again But Bittersweet This Time

by M.L. McCroskey
(Bloomington, IN)

I posted some pictures on this site and stories, last year! (I have Doves in a hanging Planter Too)

I thought I didn't want more doves on my porch, because last year I had two sets of babies born, and the planter was a different one, which was in the corner of my porch.

I sure had a lot of seed-looking little black baby bird dew to sweep up that Fall, when I finally cleaned the porch.

But then again, I missed coming out, seeing the baby birds growing up, and watching the mom and dad take turns and come and go :)

So this year, I got another smaller planter, and put just a few artificial flowers around the edge, and hung it towards the front of the porch, still under an eave so they would stay dry.

Sure enough, I noticed a bird flying away every time I opened the front door, and a nest slowly coming in there on top of the hanging moss, which was inside.

After a while, when you open the door, since it is farther away from the door, she just calmly sits there.

It will be easier to clean up there as well.

I am attaching a photo of the adult dove in the nest.

It's sunny out today, so she looks like she's in the shade a lot, but she isn't.

I hope I get to see the little babies.

I might have to be moving this summer, the house that I live in is owned by family, and we have all struggled to hold onto it, even after a couple of us lost jobs and some of us who couldn't find another.

I will miss this house if we have to leave, so this is kind of bittersweet.

It's been nice watching a little dove bring some new life into this world, while we might be leaving this life we have known for nine years now.


Wish us all luck, and we appreciate your prayers too--for the dove family, and ours! Thanks!! MM

Our Office Dove

by Jackie Balsinger
(Huntington Beach, CA)

We work on an oil well site in Huntington Beach, CA.

We have Palm Trees here and the morning Doves were nesting in them.

One has taken a liking to humans and hangs with all of us every day.

She will fly into the office, when the door is open, and hang on your desk or your head for a while.

She will follow all of us employees around the yard and make your day a lot brighter because she is in it.

We all here have adopted her and she us, we feed her now and watch over her.

It has been amazing how a little bird can brighten up my day like nothing else.

I enjoy her welcoming me and the other employees at work with her sitting on our chair, or head, or computer, or the like.


The pictures I have attached are of Birdie whom we all call her on my head and one on my computer.

Thanks,

Jackie

Doves Build Nest in Silk Tree with Lights

by Anne
(Webster, New York, USA)

This is our first year with Mourning Doves.

They built a nest in an artificial tree that we light with white lights to give a festive appearance to our back deck.

However, since they have been out here, we haven't been able to use our deck as they panic and fly away whenever we go out there.

Mom and Dad Dove have had two rounds of hatchlings so far this year. The first nest had two eggs.

One afternoon, I was outdoors and returned home when the winds began blowing heavily. I looked out to the deck and saw that the dove tree had blown over in the wind.

I immediately reached out (without touching the nest) stood it upright and secured it with chairs to hold it firmly.

Sadly, one of the eggs had fallen out of the nest onto the floor of the deck and cracked. :( The other hatchling was okay.

After several weeks, Mom and Dad took off for several days. I kept an eye on the baby and it seemed to be motionless.

Around the third day alone, the baby hatchling was gone.

Not sure if it had flown or been taken by a hawk. We have a lot of birds out here.

Mom and Dad got busy quickly after the baby was gone.

The next thing we knew, Mom was back to nesting again.

Soon after, two eggs appeared and now the second set of babies are in the nest. Mom and Dad take turns watching over the nest. They are amazing to watch.

Doves Nesting in Balcony Lamp Shade

by Evie
(Laurel, MD)

I've lived in my condo for many years. For the last few years, I've noticed a mating couple of doves use my lamp as their home.

They come back to it every spring season.

I have now watched them have three broods, 2 at a time.

Being home due to the Covid pandemic I've been able to watch them closely.

But sadly, now I think they're gone.

I found this site researching the mating season and how many times they might have babies.