Yesterday when a friend and I went up to the 3rd floor staff room to take our break, we were surprised to see that two laughing doves had decided to nest on the window ledge.
We watched as the male would dive to the ground to collect twigs for his mate.
In this next picture you can see the twig in his beak. He hands it to the female and she tucks it into her nest.
A co-worker said she saw two eggs which is the common clutch size for doves.
I've become quite fascinated by the whole process and have watched several videos this evening about doves and their nesting practices. Their nests are always flimsy at best. The male incubates during the day and the female takes over at night.
This last picture was taken today. It doesn't look like much was added to the nest and I certainly don't know how that little gathering of twigs is going to protect the squabs if they do hatch. Plus, it's gotten so hot now -- up to 95 degrees during the day and they have no protection from the sun. It will be interesting to see what we find when we return to school on Sunday.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
19 comments:
So fascinating, Tammy! You are lucky to have such a close up view of the nesting pair :)They are such beautiful birds, thank you for sharing the pictures.
Wishing you a happy weekend.
Helen xox
I love doves. That is a skimpy nest. How will it hold babies. They must be frying in that heat. Maybe you could put an ice pack on the window for air conditioning. Just kidding.
I loved seeing the pics of the doves Tammy.
Linda
That certainly isn't much of a nest. LOL
You made some beautiful photos of the doves. Can't wait to see if the eggs hatch.
I sure hope the doves manage to care for their chicks there. Hopefully they know what they're doing. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Beautiful birds. I hope your bird watching is a good experience. I watched a pair of eagles on a webcam for several weeks and when the last eaglet died I cried for days. Just a note of caution, Tammy. Diane
Hopefully those doves know what they are doing, because that nest looks pretty meager!
Last spring a mama duck laid her eggs high up in a half-dead tree across the street from my house. The tree was marked for removal, so a neighbor put a big sign on it in case the tree crew came through while the duck was nesting. All my neighbors were worried about how the ducklings would get down to the ground safely when it was time to leave the nest. I watched some videos online showing ducklings leaping from a nest in a tree, and they landed safely on the soft forest floor, but there was concrete sidewalk underneath the nest on my street. I called a wildlife rescue place with my concerns, and they said "ducklings are pretty bouncy." One morning in mid-June we saw the mama duck in our front yard with all her ducklings lined up behind her, everyone safe and sound, no little duckling carcasses smashed on the sidewalk. I wish I had seen them jump, but I did get to watch them waddle away.
Wow, what a neat post, Tammy! Your photos are precious and the info about doves so interesting. Thanks! xx
Watching nature up close can be surprising and exciting, especially for a city dweller like me. I had a similar experience when a pigeon laid two eggs in my potted plant. (http://www.crochetkari.com/2013/04/a-tale-of-two-eggcentricities.html)
While watching the whole story unfold was fun, the stink was unbearable along with of course dirty looks from my husband. It was such a relief when they finally flew away.
Have a wonderful weekend. Love.
Ooooh, that's going to be hot on that window ledge. We have a pair who have built their nest in our chimney. I can hear their cooing down the chimney and we can see their little heads peaking over the top outside. I think we will be having babies soon. Hope your two on the ledge do okay. blessings ~ tanna
I hope the doves will be alright hanging out on that ledge. I enjoy watching all the different birds that visit my front porch for the birdseed I put out. :)
Mourning Doves are so sweet. ♥
They frequent our yard all winter and spring and I have some special feelings about them for a number of personal reasons. They're just very special.
Happy Weekend,
Linda
I love doves. They are truly my favorite of all birds, and I love birds! How wonderful that you get to witness the nesting process.
xo
Claudia
Oh the are so adorable and your pics are great Tammy. I hope the nest gets more comfy though - sometimes birds start more than one nest - for safety's sake I guess - so perhaps they have the McMansion version somewhere else! Anyway, if this is the bare bones cottage they choose - hopefully they'll remain safe and the weather will be kind to any offspring arriving later.
We have Carolina wrens building in the kitchen window box again this Spring.. . . . no eggs laid yet though.
Hugs - Mary
I love doves but they are terrible at building nests. I have a couple in my yard effortlessly trying to build a nest and never once succeed. I wonder how their species survives?
why do doves create such awful little nests? We had some one year that used to just lay eggs on a rock in the backyard!
How sweet that the male is building the nest for his sweetheart! :) I hope he finds more twigs and builds a decent nest before the eggs hatch. Great pictures Tammy!
Amazing photos Tammy. But it sure doesn't look like that nest would withstand a bit of wind.
Hope you see babies soon,
Meredith
Oh, I've missed a lot here in a week's time! Funny about doves and flimsy nests. We have a pair that returns here every year for a new attempt. They have gotten better over the years...the first one they built on our sloping roof, on a tile - nothing in front of it to stop it from sliding off in the first breeze. Second year it was put ON the middle of a palm frond - not in a crook where the fronds come out of the top of the tree, but ON TOP of the frond itself...same outcome. I don't think they are the smartest of birds, but they sure are pretty! XOXO
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