Sad Day on the Bayou

For the past ten days or so, I have been careful not to make too much ruckus in the rose garden.  Everyday business of gardening, playing with the puppy or merely walking through the arbor to head down the board path continued but no trimming the sprawling rose canes or using the weed trimmer within the garden fences.  The reason for all of this careful avoidance of disturbance..a Mourning Dove decided that the rose arbor was the place to build her nest.  For the past ten days she was sitting there cautiously eyeing all that passed beneath her.  I did not wish to disturb her brooding time so the roses grew scraggly, the grass went to seed on long stalks and I waited.  I was sure that soon I would hear baby birds.

The battered nest after it was raided by a hawk.

I was wrong.  Instead of the peeping of little birds, I heard the squawking of Blue Jays and the barking of squirrels.  Something was amiss outside!  Ms. Ez and I rushed out to see what was causing all of the commotion just in time to see the Sparrow Hawk rise up from the arbor.  My sweet dove was in his clutches!  There was nothing that I could do other than yell at the bird.  I know this meant nothing to the hawk but somehow it made me feel a bit better.  I worried about the eggs left in the nest.  Pondering just what should be done, I peeked in the nest.  There were two small babes..dead.  Obviously, the violent attack had left the babies quite bloodied and there was no hope.  As I stood on my ladder peering into the nest shambles, the father bird made his appearance.  He looked so forlorn.  Not but a few feet from me, he softly cooed at the nest.  His head bobbled and he tried to rouse the babies.  He called and called for the mother but she was gone..his family was gone.  I wanted to cry.  I felt as if I should console this parent somehow. What a terrible blow.

The neighboring dove that witnessed the terrifying scene.

Now I am concerned for another Mourning Dove that is nesting not ten feet from where this one was on the arbor.  A small oak tree holds the nest of another pair of doves and I wonder if tomorrow, I will awake to a similar grisly scene.  This is all part of nature and I know that I should not interfere but I do worry about the doves.