On 5/1/15 9:50 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

A few weeks ago a couple of Mourning Doves started making regular visits
to a second story deck railing on our house. Then I noticed that they
were busy building a nest in an evergreen that is right beside the deck.
If I were to kneel down on the deck, I could reach the nest with my
arm/hand.

It was interesting to watch the nest building. The female would sit
on the branch while the male flew back and forth delivering twigs. He'd
stand on top of her, drop the twig and fly off for another.
The female would do the twig arrangement on the nest.

Then, about 2 weeks ago I saw an egg in the nest. It was only viewable
briefly because the two Doves take turns sitting on it. The male has
the duty during the day. The female takes over late afternoon and
throughout the night.

I did some reading on Mourning Doves. The incubation period averages 2
weeks, so the egg in the nest is very close to hatching.

I've been taking pictures of them throughout the nest building and
incubation period. Hoping to get a few shots of Junior when he/she
hatches. Unlike eagles (like the SWF website that Wayne got me hooked
on), a Mourning Dove kid leaves the nest after only 11 to 14 days. An
eagle takes about 100 days to fledge.


We've got a Mama Raccoon and six or seven kits running around the edge
of the backyard. Cuties.