Art has been trying to keep this dove off our electrical box for the longest time because it keeps pooping and leaving a big mess on our electrical box. He’s even put stones on top to make it more uncomfortable for birds to perch there.
The other day Art brought the ladder to clean up her mess. And guess what he found!
A newborn baby chick and a big egg. (March 17th) How does that egg fit in that little mother dove?
After a few more days (March 25th) he decided to check on the nest to see what was going on. It appears the older chick had flown away and the egg had hatched to show this little squeaker. Would you believe a baby dove is also called a squeaker, a chick or a squab?
When Art got too close, the squeaker lifted his wing to try to fend Art off.
OK... so now we're waiting for this one to leave so we can clean up the rocks and put up a better deterrent for nest building.
April 1st! Yay! The baby bird has flown off. He was there in the morning, but by the afternoon he was gone.
At last, Art was able to clean off the area as much as he was able to. He said there were lots of ants under the nest when he lifted it off our electrical box. He then put up some deterrents so birds could be more inclined to using the trees around us to build her nests instead.
Fingers crossed.
Birds choose the strangest places to nest sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWell done the pair of you! Good luck next time.
ReplyDeleteSo kind of you to let the squeaker be born in peace and fly off.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I'm glad I don't have a dove problem like that.
ReplyDeleteWe had to seal our eaves. The neighbours haven’t done that and the birds are very busy in there.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Art was able to bird-proof that spot, but I'm pretty sure they will be looking for another one :-)
ReplyDeleteKay, I know critters can be a problem... but life finds a way... and so glad you and Art let the baby bird stay until time to fly off!
ReplyDeleteI like birds but they can certainly be a nuisance. The electrical box is so nice and flat--perfect for nest building. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou do have your bird issues. Glad the babies could fly off. Will they be back to find some other crevice on your abode?
ReplyDeleteBirds are so resilient.
ReplyDeleteWe had a nest in a wreath on our front window one year. Like you, it had eggs in it already. It was kind of cute to watch the eggs from the dining room side; we did miss the hatch. If we didn't stand close we could watch mama feed them. Finally they left and we had the biggest mess on the window, the frame, the casings, everything. There were stains and it took all summer to clean up. No more window wreaths at my house!
ReplyDeleteYou have had lots of challenges with the birds. I hope this is the end of it.
ReplyDeleteDoves are really dumb but they also have a homing instinct and always return to where they were born and roost. We used to have a pair who would constantly build nests above a window and our handyman put up those pokey bird deterrent sections on the ledges. The leading edge of our ledges had a curve and the spikes ended just before it. Would you believe they still managed to make a nest on the curved right angle section? The handyman got plastic spikes and secured it to the curved edge. That did the trick - but for months after, those birds would come back to check it out. Persistent and pooping.
ReplyDeleteNice of you to let nature finish the bird raising. I wonder if the mommy dove liked some possible warmth at that location. Last week I opened my front door and saw a dove 10 feet away. It stayed for a long time and I wonder if it was looking for it's mate. They're a little bit smart. During the storms, one regional zoo had lots of hail, breaking car windows and killing an emu. Responders on the blog wondered why they didn't bring the emus inside. They provided shelter, but couldn't make them use it. Someone said emus were not so smart. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteDoves are one of the more stubborn and messy birds.
ReplyDeleteHow cute, we had baby birds in a storage building once. I loved hearing their chirps
ReplyDeleteIt is very kind of you both not to disturb the nest once mother dove had built it.
ReplyDeleteReading the comment above saying how nice and flat the box is, I wonder if Art could make a steeply slanted roof for it? The dove would get the point!
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