I caught sight of her in the Blue Spruce. There has been a lot of coo, coo, coo-ing in the back yard, I knew my Doves were there. We have a pair of Mourning Doves nesting in our tree every year. This year is unusual. This year Global Warming has tricked Mother Nature. While most Years in March, the tree is still icy and covered with snow here in Ontario, this year the weather is like summer. The Doves have been fooled and it is not right.
They have their nest built and she is already sitting on her first of many broods for the summer. The photos are not top-notch because I did not want to disturb her.
She sat so still as if trying to blend in with the tree.
According to http://www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com/mourning-dove.html Doves mate for life. The male gathers the material to build the nest while the female waits. He then stands on her back and hands her the twigs and she weaves them into a nest. Dove nests are not as elaborate and perfectly shaped like Robins or many other birds, but they do the trick and she will have five or six broods each year. Doves never leave the nest unattended. Both the male and female take turns sitting on the nest. It is nice to see that in nature, families share the work.
I hope my cat does not find her sitting here.
In the wild they will eat pine nuts, which are plentiful in the Blue Spruce, wheat and corn. They also enjoy a variety of other seeds. At feeders, they prefer sunflower, safflower and millet seeds. They do not migrate because seeds are available in all seasons.
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