Two Houses!

Ok, so a dove finally smartened up and built a decent nest!  Almost every Mourning Dove that has ever nested around the Little Bayou House has built the most slipshod nest that I have ever seen.  A few twigs haphazardly tossed on a limb or arbor had to suffice.  These nests were expected to weather the sometimes violent storms that swing across the Bay. More oft than not after such storms, I would find either the white eggs or baby birds tossed to the ground by the winds.  The parent birds would be in a quandary as they tried to figure out why in the world their home fell to the elements.  Those few twigs could never be expected to withstand raging winds and pelting rains.  I was always reminded of the old tale of the "Three Little Pigs".  That pig who built his house of straw was not the brightest crayon in the box and neither is the Mourning Dove when it comes to home building.

Ramshackle nest built by the male Mourning Dove...

Compact fortress built by the female dove!

Now, I find a Mourning Dove that has got her act together!  About a week ago, I noticed two nests being built on the East Arbor in the Rose Garden.  First off, I commended the soon-to-be parents.  They chose a perfect area to build.  The Cherokee Rose that is on this arbor has grown with wild abandon.  The canes are thick and well-spiked with thorns!  This should keep many predators at bay!  I watched as the parent birds built the two nests. Usually, just the female constructs the nest while the male brings her the building material.  Why the male decided to build a nest is beyond me.  Was he a bit jealous of his wife's ability? Maybe she spent too much time weaving the twigs and he got bored!  Out of the two nests, his was the ramshackle nest that I had seen other doves construct.  Hers was more meticulous.  Each twig was placed in an exact spot..each vine woven with care.  The nest was a beautiful example of what should be considered a bird abode.  I am happy to say that she chose the well-constructed nest over the one that her husband presented.  Good job, Mrs. Dove!

For the past four days, Mrs. Dove has been sitting on her cozy nest.  For the past three days we have had violent storms cross the Bay and pummel the hillside.  The nest held snugly and Mama Bird survived as did her eggs.  Within a few weeks, little doves will be residing in this nest and I feel a lot more confident that they will be safe.  Of course, predators still may find their way up to the nest but at least Mama Dove used a bit of sense with her choice of location and with the care of home building.  Lets just hope Daddy Dove is a better father than he is nest builder!