Doves nesting on patio - Worried about Crows
by Lisa
(Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
2 baby doves nesting on outdoor speaker
A few years ago, we had a family of doves and had so much fun watching the progression from building the nest to weening the babies.
Our kids were still pretty little and really invested in the whole nature thing in our backyard.
Our backyard is great for birds and we always have a nice variety, but the doves are the most fun to watch because they're large and pretty.
The doves built their nest in the eves of an attached patio right over our BBQ.
We had to abandon any outside cooking once the babies hatched.
But because they were in a good location, we could always keep an eye on them. We felt kind of special that they had picked our backyard for their home.
Unfortunately, one sunny spring morning as we were getting the kids ready for school and of course checking out the babies, we had the unfortunate experience of watching crows attack the baby birds on our patio and kill them both.
It was actually quite traumatic. We were really sad since we had been watching them closely for so long.
We never dreamed that a crow would come that close to the house. The parents seemed shocked.
I don't know if wild birds have feelings or emotions, but those parents looked sad.
It's been several years, but we now have a new family of doves nesting in another part of our backyard in a detached patio.
Again, we have been watching them closely for several weeks. The babies now look ready to leave the nest.
We have stopped letting our dogs go in the backyard, just in case. But there's nothing we can do about those mean crows.
We have a fake owl out, but I don't think that does anything.
The parents stay close, but they're no force against a crow. We would really rather not see Mother Nature and the circle of life at work again.
If we could, we would stand guard to make sure no crows attack, but that's not realistic.
All we can do is hope that these babies and mom and dad can beat the odds. We will do what we can as good hosts for our dove family.
From: Wild-Bird-Watching.comOne visitor who had crow problems offered his solution to us:
He said that he bought a taxidermy crow and hung it upside down where the crows could see it.
He said the crows are smart birds and knew to stay away.
We've never tried it, but do know how intelligent crows can be.
Here is an affiliate link to a
Decoy Crow that may be helpful.
Please share anything you may have tried that worked or even some thoughts you might have.