This is the 3rd round of baby doves to arrive since May. All have nested in our hanging plant.
Baby Doves in Our Planter
The first time around we didn't see the parents switching places on the nest, but since then we have seen the parents change their shifts of sitting on the nest.
It seems that the dad is thinner than the mom or has a longer neck.
It is amazing how they will not leave the nest once the eggs are ready to hatch and when the babies are born.
Before the eggs hatch, they do fly off when we leave the house.
The nest is just a foot from our den window and about 2 feet from the front door in my hanging plant.
I thought by now they would have become accustomed to us. Sometimes I'll leave a little pan of water for them but not sure if they use it or not.
I wonder if they will come back next year.
This is a photo of baby doves numbers 5 & 6 :-)
Comments for Doves Nested 3 Times This Summer in Hanging Plant
I'm so depressed. Had a planter with baby doves that were probably a week away from fledging the nest.
Thought it was well camouflaged. This morning I kept hearing the parents cooing which was odd so I went out to investigate and one parent was on the ground and flew at me and then I saw one of the babies on the ground running toward a shrub.
She was obviously protecting her baby.
I was worried so looked in the planter and there to my horror were the partial remains of the other baby.
Half of the body was gone and feathers were everywhere.
The last time I saw the babies was at sunset last night so I have no idea what attacked the nest.
Whatever it was did it without causing my nest cam to record anything so it was stealthy.
I'm so sad and the parent doves keep returning looking for their baby. Nature is tough.
They were so close to making it. I hope the other baby dove somehow manages to survive but clearly it jumped out of the planter during the attack to get away.
Jun 10, 2017
Baby doves by: Anonymous
Our baby doves left the nest about 8 days ago. They have stayed in our courtyard since then.
They hide behind a large pot. They come out towards the evening and sometimes fly away but are back the next morning.
I gave them some millet and they chased away any other bird. They have a fountain to drink from.
Is it normal for them to decide to live in my courtyard? I believe their mom has begun to nest again there.
Aug 02, 2016
Chick On the Ground by: Dan So Cal
We have a Mourning dove nest upon our wooden fence shielded by a hedge on it's third two chick brood.
The previous two broods successfully left the nest. I saw them flying away.
Yesterday I noticed no chicks in the nest, and momma was not around.
And, there was hard evidence that a chick had been eaten/attacked by a predator of some sort.
I'd guess they are/were about five days old.
This morning I saw momma and one chick in our side yard hanging around the trash cans (to hide by?) about thirty feet from the nest.
At first, the chick was on top of a trash can, and momma was close by. Just now, the chick is on the ground.
Do you think this is a case of the chick learning to fly? Or, should I return it to the nest? Or, do you think the predator will return to the scene of the crime?
I've closed off the side yard to keep our dogs away.
Jul 26, 2016
Not Sure by: Gene
No one can say whether the male would have finished or not. What you did was a good decision. It's difficult for a single adult to raise young alone and often the males don't do a great job.
Feel good about your decision.
Jul 26, 2016
Mamma bird died in nest.. by: Anonymous
We have been watching a morning dove that made a nest on our neighbors hose holder right outside our window.
Two little white eggs hatched and it seemed the Mom was always on the nest.
Yesterday we looked out the window and realized the mom had died in the nest and one of the chicks was still alive...
I didn't know that the male also does a shift and thought the baby bird would die so I took it to a wilderness animal rescue where they said that although it had a broken wing, it would be just fine!
Now today, we looked out the window and saw much to our surprise that there was another dove (the Dad) sitting in the nest with the dead Mom...
I never would have expected that they take care of the birds together... Does anybody know more about this?
Would the baby chick survive just by the care of the Male?
Jul 24, 2016
Worried by: Anonymous
I have two . But they don't want to sit on the nest any ideas of why they are doing that..I'm very sad to think that the eggs will not hatch 😢
Jul 14, 2016
Water for doves by: Anonymous
They will indeed drink the water you leave out for them. They come to our birdbaths daily.
Jul 01, 2016
how to protect your baby doves from bird predators by: Anonymous
You can go Amazon.com and buy a crow decoy. It costs about $24.00 and is covered in real crow feathers.
If you hang the crow decoy upside down with the head towards the ground, no crow or hawk will come near the dove nest.
If you don't want birds on your property, then hang the crow decoy right side up.
It comes with black strings attached on the head and at the tail to hang in which directions meets your objective.
May 30, 2016
Hawk by: Gene
Sounds like a Sharp-shinned Hawk or a Coopers Hawk.
They tend to pluck the feathers off before taking them back to the nest to feed to their young.
Dove squabs that have recently fledged sometimes stay on the ground for several days. This makes them ideal targets for many predators.
May 29, 2016
Doves disappear from nest by: Anonymous
We live on the second floor. I have seen a couple cats, there are hawks and plenty other birds around.
On our back Veranda, which is fairly secluded, we have a fridge. A pair of doves made their nest and had two chicks.
They were pretty good size but hadn't started flapping wings yet.
They stayed like statues when parent left them which had been more and more often the last few days. Leaving for a couple hours at a time.
When I went to get something from the ice box (The mother wouldn't fly away when I came within a couple feet-got used to me to a certain extent) the chicks were gone.
At first I thought they were being taught to fly but since there are lots of nests now, I looked at a couple the same size and they hadn't took off.
Anyway, I noticed the parents seeming to look for them and I saw her keep looking at one spot on the cement floors corner. There were about 10-15 baby feathers that look like they'd been pulled out in a little pile.
There were so many that at first I thought it was a chicks tail hiding behind a earth bag we have in the corner of the veranda. Any Ideas of what may have happened to them?
May 21, 2016
Maybe Cats by: Gene
Since they stay on the ground after fledging sometimes. That makes them easy targets for cats and other predators. They also move up to trees, so yours may be fine.
The male continues to check on them after fledging and trains them to find food and learn about predators. This time period may last a week or two.
May 21, 2016
Babies are gone by: Anonymous
We made a wood shelf under our front door awning. Mr and Mrs sat for weeks on one or two twigs! All of a sudden there were two huge "babies".
A week later, the babies are gone and Mr and Mrs seem to be sitting for the next set. I'm worried about where the babies are.
There was a bird-like skeleton on the driveway recently....could have been one of them unfortunately.
Lots of cats and grackles around. Better luck with the next clutch hopefully.
May 16, 2016
Morning Doves by: Anonymous
The past 5 weeks a morning dove has been nesting on two white eggs - yesterday when I came home the dove and eggs were gone.
I live on the third floor and the dove was nesting in my flower box which no one can reach - I thought I would see the baby doves hatch
There is nothing in the flower box - no sign of the eggs just the nest - how could they have disappeared any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
From www.wild-bird-watching.com Eggs are incubated for 2 weeks and the young will leave the nest withing 2 weeks of hatching.
Often the adults brood the young the entire time they are in the nest. You may never see them.
You would need to watch all the time. They do not incubate for 5 weeks. They will remove bad eggs and sometimes lay another batch.
I suspect your work kept you away too much to see everything going on.
May 04, 2016
morning dove nest by: Anonymous
I have a nest on my house with two eggs. the parents sit on the eggs and have been sitting on them for almost 4 weeks.
I can see the eggs and nest from a window. sometimes both parents are on the nest.
Since it is well over 2 weeks can I assume the eggs will not hatch? Why has it taken so long? Can the parents sense the eggs are dead?
thank you
R
Apr 25, 2016
First year to watch Doves by: Lana
I have a planter and Mr. & Mrs. Dove made their nest in them, Palm Sunday eggs were laid and soon hatched. They did not mind me watering plants or taking pictures while they were nesting Palm & Sunday as they matured.
As a matter of fact he/she would step off the nest allow photo and then go back to nesting when I stepped away.
While I was gone for the weekend Psalm & Sunday flew and the nest was gone for three days. Now a new nest and new nesting is occurring.
Do Dove's normally take their nest away so the young will not return? If so, do they rebuild a new nest or reassembly the old?
Aug 22, 2015
Help raising a baby! by: Anonymous
My husband picked a baby up off our dirt driveway in the scattered remains of a nest as our German Shepherds had just located this debris and were sniffing curiously.
We've kept it alive for a day and a half, trying different things. He finally ground up chicken pellets and mixed it with warm water, and this snuggly little guy went crazy for it.
It's passing solid and liquid waste, eats and sleeps and gives more whistles before feeds and less to none afterward.
It can walk and perch but not fly. It has real feathers fully on its wings, but fluff on its head and back and underbelly.
My husband, the farmer, says it has no chance but we are trying. Any advice?
Apr 20, 2015
how to discourage nesting after first babies hatch by: Anonymous
I have a mourning dove nesting on my front porch light fixture so I can't turn on the light for fear of overheating the nest.
I will allow this nesting to come to a happy ending but please let me know how to keep it from recurring as I need to light my doorway at night.
Apr 16, 2015
A third child has come to my yard by: Alan
Each year morning doves build a nest on an arm of my Saguaro in my front yard. Two babies have hatched, so far, this year.
They have stayed together, on the ground, after leaving the nest, near where the nest is.
After about 10 days a third dove has appeared with them, but not as cosy as the first two.
All about the same size. Was this a survivor of another pair looking for friendship?
Mar 19, 2015
doves by: Anonymous
ahhh we too had mom and dad doves sitting on 2 eggs, on a hanging planter, we were so excited to see the hatch-lings and one evening while we were in bed there was a horrible commotion outside and we heard the basket swing back and forth hitting the house. The next day, eggs were gone.
Mama and daddy bird were perched on the roof of a neighbors home behind our house.
I think maybe an owl attacked the nest! SAD! They did not use the basket again. The circle of life I guess. :(
May 19, 2014
Doves by: Anonymous
We have a 2 door garage with brick between the doors. As a libra he has collected the old style scales and hung one on the brick.
We usually have doves around each year, this time on one side of the scale. Glad to know they alternate brooding because we were worried.
My husband can open the garage doors, start the riding mower, his motorcycle, and she doesn't get frightened.
We are guessing they have nested in the area before and are used to people and noisy work.
