Since I posted the photo of the the Mourning Doves in the basket on the Palm tree, our own cowboy hat nest has hatched a family. The following photo was taken on March 3, 2010.
An interesting thing happened a day or so later. A big wind/rain storm was about to come through. The parents of the two babies in the cowboy hat, spent considerable time flying from the hat to the ground and back up again. Carl thought that they must be trying to get the babies out of the nest. Although, the chicks just seemed too young since the parents were still feeding them. (I am not showing those pics… doves regurgitate food into their chicks beaks!)
Apparently, it worked. The nest was empty the morning of the storm. We worried about our little birds, but on March 9th, we found the chicks under the RV.
We’ve been watching them everyday. The parents also seem to be keeping an eye on them. We worried at first if they would eat on their own since the parents stopped feeding them. Within days, they figured it out. Hansel first, and then Gretel a day later. For now they are sticking around our site — they stay under our shed and come out in the afternoon and sun themselves. They are very unafraid of us.
Yesterday afternoon, I was surprised to find this little guy (the top photo) “Hansel” sitting up on the bike handle. It means he’s figured out what those wings are for! Oh wait! Just now, as I am working on this post, Carl has called me outside. Tonight, BOTH birds are sitting on the bike handle! Gretel always seems to be a day behind. (Rather than disturb them, Carl walked over to the dumpster instead of riding his bike.)
We are not supposed to feed the wild life, but yesterday afternoon we bought some bird seed that is especially made for Mourning Doves & Quails. Oh, and a Humming Bird feeder.
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