Doves Return to Hanging Planter

by Dr Bob & Denise, Tully River Quail Co
(Reading, PA)

Greetings from a pair of semi-old PA bird-brains!

We have a little story for you about some feathered friends who’ve made our home their own. It goes like this:

Here in Pennsyltucky, we've had some hanging fern planters hanging from our eaves for several years now, two in front of the kitchen windows and a few more off the carport fascia.

We love ferns, but it turns out nature had other plans for those planters.



About four years ago, we planted some yard ferns in those baskets, hoping they’d grow into Boston ferns. (Guess we’re a bit too far south for that, haha.)

But over time, the planters ended up with a different kind of "decorating" happening, one that was entirely out of our hands.

The hanging baskets became perfect nesting spots for a pair of mourning doves.

The first year they nested in the basket closest to our front door, and we did everything we could to help them feel comfortable.

But we also run a small pet-sitting business, and our dog-guests—some rambunctious, some quiet, kept disrupting the doves during incubation.

Our daily comings and goings made them nervous, forcing them to leave their nest temporarily every time we went in or out.

Fortunately, that first year, the doves were successful in raising their babies.

But over time, they moved just a bit further down to the next hanging planter, about 8 feet away from the front door instead of the original 3.

And each spring since, they’ve returned to the same "Mourning Dove Motel" -Room #2.

Now, you may be wondering, why do we think this is the same pair of doves every year? Well, we've watched them closely—and it’s their behavior that tells us it's the same couple.

Each year, they grow increasingly comfortable with us. The more they return, the less apprehensive they are of us observing them.


This year, I swear I could almost hand-feed momma dove as she sits on her eggs.

I won't do that, though, as I have plenty of other birds to feed on the farm. But it’s clear: the doves know us, and they trust us.

We've made sure their home is as comfortable as possible—offering a few juicy worms for the mother, and even setting up a quail feeder near their nesting spot.

They've even started acting like they're just as interested in us as we are in them.

In fact, we sometimes joke that the hen rotates her basket so she can keep an eye on me making my morning coffee!

Now, we aren't just "bird people" because we've made room for doves. For the past three years, we've been running Tully River Quail Co., raising Coturnix and Bobwhite quail on our property.

Raising quail has been a wonderful way to keep our retirement active, contribute to sustainable food systems, and provide others with a way to grow their own healthy protein.

But back to the doves: Watching them return year after year, showing up to their old nesting spot like they’re saying, "We’re back!"-it's a beautiful reminder of how nature finds its way.

We've posted videos and photos of the doves on our Tully River Quail Facebook page, and we’re hoping to capture footage of mom feeding her chick soon.

So far, it looks like there's only one hatchling in this clutch, but we’re holding out hope for a second.

It's not just about raising quail or taking care of our other birds. It's about sharing in the wonder of life.


Every year, we are amazed by the returning doves, and the feeling that they are part of our extended family is priceless.

The Mourning Dove Motel will always be open for business. Just fly on by... it's "cheep, cheap, cheep!"

~ Doc & Denise, Tully River Quail Co
Reading, PA