Doves Under Gazebo by Kitchen Window

by Kirsten Harris
(Campbell, CA USA)

Hello Fellow Bird Lovers,

Starting April 14th a pair of Mourning Doves would fly under my Gazebo that's on my backyard deck less than 6ft from my kitchen window and sliding doors.

The pair were looking for a place to nest.

I have most of my deck/patio furniture pulled together in the middle of the deck to keep from getting weathered while we still have rain here in Campbell, CA.

I have a chair in the very middle on top of my patio table that's covered and has a dip in the center.

Yes, this is where the pair of Mourning Doves we've named Bonnie & Clyde started building their nest on 4/16 and continued for 3 days.

The male would bring small twigs, soft large leaves, and other debris from my yard.

The male dove "Clyde" would drop the chosen bedding and the female dove "Bonnie" would move it to where she preferred it.

Bonnie has been laying on the nest for 4 days and I haven't seen Clyde.

We are hoping Clyde shows up in the evening and relieves Bonnie to sit on eggs but we haven't noticed this yet.

I was worried Clyde was missing as we have a neighbor cat who is an avid hunter and Mourning Doves are ground feeders.

I've read the male will take the nest incubation cycle at night and the female will swap in the morning, we so are hoping this is the case.

I'll be heartbroken if she has to abandon the nest due to no relief.

I'm attaching a picture of Bonnie & Clyde as they were busy building their nest and I hope to update it as the weeks pass.

We will also assume there are two eggs in the nest, I don't want to bother the pair and attempt a peek.

Oh why Bonnie & Clyde you ask?..because they are hiding out ; )

Keep looking up....or in this case out the kitchen window,

Kirsten in Sunny ~ Campbell, CA

Doves On My Windowsill

by Miriam Rubinoff
(Brooklyn, NY)

We have a lot of ivy growing across our dining room windows.

Early this spring we had noticed a mourning dove, often sitting on the windowsill and cooing.

It sounded like it was in the house with us!

It must have felt safe there because it soon built a nest and was sitting there all the time.

I noticed that once it had built its nest, it stopped cooing.

It seemed curious, but not frightened at the nosy neighbors who kept looking out the window at it.

Last week a little dove appeared in the nest and the parent was feeding it.

A few days later I saw just the baby and an egg in the nest- apparently Junior had been left to babysit.

The daddy came back soon but left Junior in charge from time to time during the day.

I can actually see him breathing, the nest is so close!

Days later, the second egg still has not hatched, and the parents are away from the nest more and more.

Could the egg be a dud, and the parents are aware of that somehow?

I don't think they would leave the egg uncovered otherwise.

Soon Junior will learn to fly- I saw him stretching his wings today!

I hope the parents like it here enough to raise another family.

Doves Nesting on Porch Decorations

by j. debra halsmith
(cedarville, ohio usa)

I have a wall decoration beside my front door that I've wanted to replace.

But, before I could do so, twigs were being placed on top of it, and twigs scattered below on my protected porch.

Now I was curious as to what type of bird will be my next tenant/s, so I waited to find out.

The following day, I saw a mourning dove sitting on the nest.

I just had to find out how many eggs were in there and, while the parent was gone, I took a few pictures.

I've taken pictures every so often during the first week.

After 8 days and not seeing any changes in the two little white eggs, I began to fear that the eggs were not going to hatch.

Online, I found this website that gave just the information I was looking for...thank you!

I've posted a sign "Caution, bird's nest by the front door."

I've had a few surprised visitors, and I didn't want to spook the parent.

I decided to personally not use the front door, but the garage entry during this time.

Every time I walk by the porch, I would talk to the parent, reminding them that they could stay as long as they wanted and that I wasn't going to hurt them, but protect them as best I could.

Perhaps they are not afraid of me anymore because I've managed to get within 3 feet of the nest without them being startled or flying away.

And, yes, there are two different doves taking turns on the nest...one has a bigger head than the other and black markings on the wings are slightly different.

I'm also archiving this event for my 4.5-year-old granddaughter, Ava Blythe, who lives 6.5 hours west of me in St. Louis.

Am posting these pictures on Facebook so others can enjoy the adventure, too!

Clara's Doves Nesting on Balcony Rail - My Story

by Bonnie S.
(Cincinnati, Ohio)

A dove couple appeared on my balcony rail to coo and mate in early February.

My bird feeder had already attracted other birds, the doves fit right in. Their pairing was obvious.

This dove couple began "hanging out" on my brick windowsill, right outside my living room window.

I live on the second floor, the predator safety factor is "high" for them, and this "birds-eye view" with caution (read their mating habits) was gifted to me.

My first grandchild, Clara Augusta, was born on February 16.

One week after her birth; when I came home an egg in the nest greeted me on the windowsill!

I felt it was meant to be, eggs in wait, after helping birth my new grandbaby.

And by chance, the bird was absent from the early nest, and that was the only time, so I was able to snap a picture of the egg.

The second egg appeared 3 days later and I was able to photograph it too.

As February turned into March, the parent dove(s) continued to incubate the eggs, with no opportunity for empty nest/egg photos.

I assume the male and female switch turns on the nest.

The question of whether it is one bird sitting continuously on the nest, not taking food or water, led me to this site and answered my question.

I watch my son and daughter-in-law cooperate in caring for their new sweet baby girl.

I live close by and lend my whole support to their duo.

On my own windowsill, I have a microcosm of the human scenario demonstrated by these mated doves.

I watch (with caution), as they bring their own new young into the world.

Morning Doves Move Into New House With Us!

by Candi & Jackson Acuff
(Indian Land, SC )

We recently moved into our new home here in Indian Land, South Carolina on Feb. 25, 2009.

We noticed on our back screened-in porch on the second floor that we had a small nest in the corner right as you come out the door from our kitchen.

We could not believe that a dove would make a nest so close to where we could see it and so high above the ground!

The 2 eggs were laid on March 20 & 22nd.

The doves continually would trade places sitting on the nest every once in and while.

They would call to one another when it was time for the nest sitter to be relieved.

We felt so bad for the doves. Their nest was built right where the rain dripped down from our roof.

It has rained really hard several times and they got drenched!

We have continually gone out the door and talked to them every day.

They are very use to us. We are able to get so close that they let us take these wonderful photos along the way!

On April 7th we realized the babies had hatched!

We have been watching the adult birds call to one another to trade places feeding and taking care of the babies.

It is so amazing watching how they let the birds nest in front of them and then they will sit on them and you can hardly see them underneath!

We are very excited to see them fly in the next couple of weeks. We hope they will make it!

We love watching them every day and becoming their friends.

We hope they will return to let us watch them raise another family again.

Dove nest

by Judy Kawamoto
(San Jose, California)

We kept hearing cooing at our front door in May 2011 and then discovered a dove was nesting up in the eves of our roof (first photo).

It is actually an overhang/extension from our garage of a walkway to our front door.

I got a few good photos of one of the doves on the nest first and then on July 12 (second and third photo) I got up on a stool and tried to take photos from a distance and got an adult and two babies.

About four or so days after that one baby left the nest and then a day later the other baby left the nest.

After it seemed like it cuddled up in the corner right at our front door.

I opened the door which startled it and it flew away but flew too high and ran right into the main board of the overhang but flew off.

Now, this morning, 7/22 both adult birds are back, and mom is up on the nest with the male up on the roof close by.

Maybe we are in for batch number two of babies. We shall see.

We love the cooing and I love my birds.