Mourning Doves in a Nest

[vintagejuls]

Thursday morning was like any other morning... mom and dad alternating feedings.

[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0237_197.jpg[/img]

But during Thursday afternoon, everything changed. The babies were left alone for hours.
[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0240_200.jpg[/img]

All afternoon, evening and into the night.
[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0245_205.jpg[/img]

Friday morning, they were still waiting but then suddenly seeing mom and dad in the yard, one by one they took flight to greet them.
[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0253_213.jpg[/img]

The fledgling doves needed a rest, so they roosted all afternoon. Right below them is a clay saucer full of bird seed. They had been watching mom and dad partake earlier.
[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0251_211.jpg[/img]

Late in the day only one fledgling remained. Roosting and watching the sparrows arrive to nibble and feed on the seeds.
[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0256_216.jpg[/img]

Roosting into the evening, until after nightfall he was gone.
[img]https://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt284/vintagejuls/Doves%20May%202009/DSCN0255_215.jpg[/img]

Midmorning today, Saturday 6/13, mom and dad were in and out of the yard... feeding, roosting but no sign of the fledglings. Maybe they're enrolling in college.

So the hanging basket nest has been cleaned out and watered; until the pair decide to nest again.

[wingdesigner]

So the chair is a bird feeder? And here I thought that was part of your good dining room set...

Astounding how fast they develop.

[cynthia_h]

Wow. Beautiful shots, and very engaging story-telling.

I haven't looked back through the thread, but it seems like they go from balls of fluff to fledging in 10 days???

Cynthia

[vintagejuls]

Thanks Wing and Cynthia for viewing my post and listening to my story.

Wing, Yeah, that chair is now a bird feeder because the doves cannot get to the regular feeders so I put a big red clay saucer full of seed in the chair seat which has chicken wire stapled in. Originally, a friend made the chair for me as a planter. I should redo it or another. Maybe I can find a chair at a garage sale...

Cynthia, Good guess on the 10 days. Close, it's about 14...

No new nest yet... I was out of town since Sunday, returned today and thought I would find a dove nesting but no one is home...

[wingdesigner]

I think mine are gone from the gutter, too. Thank goodness.

[applestar]

Vintagejuls, how are you dove family doing?

I've been meaning to post about this, and I finally had the chance to take some pictures. Shortly after your reports about the doves in your hanging basket, a pair of doves moved into nest in the remains of my bird feeder.

My expensive but old feeder literally flew off the post one pre-hurricane day last autumn and smashed. I rigged a platform feeder with a nursery bedding tray DIY'd with window screen, scrap wood, and wired on branches. It was serviceable and attracted many birds through the winter.

Some time in late spring, the roof which was being supported with rubber bands on the central post fell down when the rubber bands dried up and failed in the heat. The feeder stood empty except for occasional grubs and cabbage worms I tossed in, and the doves decided it was an ideal nesting site.

[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4696.jpg[/img]

Today, we caught sight of a pretty well grown chick in the nest:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4695.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4694.jpg[/img]

[vintagejuls]

Applestar,

Great Dove nest you have there. Who knew...?

No new nest; the last fledge was June 13th. Doves come in and out of the yard to feed from the seed I put out. I'd like to believe that some are the babies all grown up...

[plkelly]

I've so enjoyed following the mourning doves all this summer.

We had a pair in our yard last summer, but I would only see them hunting seed on the ground. Their nest must have been well hidden.

[jmoore]

I've so enjoyed following the mourning doves all this summer.

We had a pair in our yard last summer, but I would only see them hunting seed on the ground. Their nest must have been well hidden.

+1 Great story and pics.

We've got mourning doves literally by the hundreds in our neighborhood. I've got a huge pecan tree in my backyard and they love that thing. They are constantly in there cooing. It's very relaxing listening to them when we sit on the patio in the evenings.

[GeorgiaGirl]

Oh my goodness, I had missed this thread before. Love the photos and narrative! So amazing to see "coming of age" in action right in our own back yards.