Thursday, March 6, 2008

Doves Mourning

I wish our adventure with the Mourning Dove and her two newborn doves had a happy ending, but I must report otherwise. When I got home from work this is what I found -- the mother sitting on the fence post, standing sentinel to a empty nest. The father sitting behind her could just watch and feel her pain. Evey once in a while she would fly down to the ground below the nest and sit on a board and look around slowly -- searching, hoping that somehow they had just fallen.

What had happened? There are few clues. Had the mother left the nest to find food? Not likely -- that is the father's job. Some animal of prey must have scared the mother from her maternal nest. Maybe it was a pair like the two blue birds that had come looking the day before -- though I don't suspect them. One of a pair might have distracted her while the other did the deed It's hard to imagine she would have given up without a fight.

Nature is beautiful, but often cruel.

Here she sits and mourns. In the morning she had flown away. There is a Mourning Dove on the power line by the street. Perhaps she has just expanded her search.

The one thing that is sure-- she won't return to this nest. She now knows it is not safe. She'll find another spot for her next brood.

--steve buser

12 comments:

Annie said...

Nature is beautiful and often cruel - to all it's creation.

This is a lovely and sad posting, Steve.

Southern Heart said...

Beautiful photo, Steve. I'm sad with you about the babies.

Chris said...

Oh, no. I stopped reading after the second sentence. :-(

Anonymous said...

They are very numerous here where I live. Next to sparrows they are the most abundant bird. However, they also make the worst nests in the world and most times the eggs just roll out or off the platform. It is hard to imagine how they are so plentiful but they are here.

Halcyon said...

Sad. I hope she'll have a more successful nest somewhere else.

Marie said...

A great post but it's so sad.........

GMG said...

Lovely post, but rather sad story!
Love the Foggy ferry picture. Incredible!
Have a great weekend!
Gil

Wanda said...

How beautifully penned, but how painfully sad. I realize it's nature ~~ but I feel a tear in the corner of my eye.

She will have more ~~ for that I'm glad.

Carraol said...

Great picture of a sad event.

Jilly said...

Oh dear, how very sad, Steve. Your photograph of the baby was so beautiful - and now it is no more. Damn nature at times! Or whatever happened. beautiful photos, beautiful writing. Such a shame...

virtual nexus said...

Shame. Lovely looking things as well - not common to out neck of the woods, though!

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

ohhhhh :(