No one's as foolish as a mourning dove
So now that spring is here, the birds are trying to nest. I emphasize trying because our species of little brain, the mourning doves, are clearly creatures of habit with no critical thinking skills. Despite our having taken down our wreath (twice) from our door we are still finding some couple lying in wait for us around there, apparently determined to wait us out until the wreath magically appears again -- however unsuitable a spot this was two years ago.
We are having our suspicions that the latest house-hunting couple is the same one who determinedly made a nest in the corner of our balcony last year despite being fought off by the other nesting couple at the time. And having their first batch of eggs destroyed. Because for some unfathomable reason, they seem determined to nest on the bare shelf we have out there even though there are a few plant pots that are just a few feet away.
As you can see, the doves' usual habits of lackadaisically throwing together a few twigs and calling it a day is a particularly bad strategy when the location you've chosen is full of gaps.
These twigs keep falling onto the balcony, at which point Mr. Dove kept picking them up and bringing them back to the spot where...they fell through again. This went on for five days.
On Thursday the doves tried to build the nest twice. She'd sit on the twigs, and then he'd try to bring more of them. Mike watched as picked up a forked twig, brought it over to her and then, since she was sitting on the others, he put it on top of her so that it was sticking up in the air.
This may be because he seems to have no trouble walking over things in his way.
Of course there are sometimes grooming sessions to make up for the face stepping.
Friday, this was the process that took place continuously for twenty minutes.
1) Gather twig from floor and fly up to shelf.
2) Try to figure out correct placement for twig.
3) Wander around the shelf in clockwise direction.
4) Try to place twig again.
5) Stand around in confusion.
6) Fly up to balcony railing
7) Fly back down to shelf.
8) Turn around in circle.
9) Repeat.
Finally, after witnessing the pathetic sight below (notice the pile o'twigs at the bottom right) for days, Mike decided to put a plant pot in the spot where they keep trying to build. Apparently this was so confusing they stayed away the rest of the day.
However they have since been back, apparently nesting.
We're dubbing them Bertha and Bert, although we've no clue if these birds happen to be the same as last year (or which of the various couples they might be).
Bert helpfully brought twigs which have now built up in the pot. They've, surprisingly, been around less, although we've seen them coming and going. No eggs so far.
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We are having our suspicions that the latest house-hunting couple is the same one who determinedly made a nest in the corner of our balcony last year despite being fought off by the other nesting couple at the time. And having their first batch of eggs destroyed. Because for some unfathomable reason, they seem determined to nest on the bare shelf we have out there even though there are a few plant pots that are just a few feet away.
As you can see, the doves' usual habits of lackadaisically throwing together a few twigs and calling it a day is a particularly bad strategy when the location you've chosen is full of gaps.
These twigs keep falling onto the balcony, at which point Mr. Dove kept picking them up and bringing them back to the spot where...they fell through again. This went on for five days.
On Thursday the doves tried to build the nest twice. She'd sit on the twigs, and then he'd try to bring more of them. Mike watched as picked up a forked twig, brought it over to her and then, since she was sitting on the others, he put it on top of her so that it was sticking up in the air.
This may be because he seems to have no trouble walking over things in his way.
Of course there are sometimes grooming sessions to make up for the face stepping.
Friday, this was the process that took place continuously for twenty minutes.
1) Gather twig from floor and fly up to shelf.
2) Try to figure out correct placement for twig.
3) Wander around the shelf in clockwise direction.
4) Try to place twig again.
5) Stand around in confusion.
6) Fly up to balcony railing
7) Fly back down to shelf.
8) Turn around in circle.
9) Repeat.
Finally, after witnessing the pathetic sight below (notice the pile o'twigs at the bottom right) for days, Mike decided to put a plant pot in the spot where they keep trying to build. Apparently this was so confusing they stayed away the rest of the day.
However they have since been back, apparently nesting.
We're dubbing them Bertha and Bert, although we've no clue if these birds happen to be the same as last year (or which of the various couples they might be).
Bert helpfully brought twigs which have now built up in the pot. They've, surprisingly, been around less, although we've seen them coming and going. No eggs so far.
Comments at Dreamwidth
.