The Patience of a Dove

Hello!


For what amounted to almost two weeks up at The Nest this past trip, we did a bit of bird-watching, and it was all done right from our little screened porch.


Early on, we noticed that a mamma dove was sitting on a nest that she built on top of the outside of our neighbor's air conditioner. Smart little lady that she was, she had the carport roof over her head and was up high enough that no one could easily spot her. For the whole time that we were up there, she sat on those eggs morning, noon and night, getting a reprieve once in a while when papa came to relieve her. She would then fly off for a short while and he would sit on the eggs.

I think that these were mourning doves, which I have read are also referred to as turtle doves. I hear that they tend to mate for life and remain monogamous. Able to raise up to six broods a year, both parents work together to incubate their young.

After spending two weeks watching the patience shown by these beautiful creatures, I could not help but admire them and feel a little sad when we had to leave without seeing the babies hatch. I hope that they are still in the nest when we return.

Do you see the mama bird?

This was the best photo that I could take

without getting close enough to disturb her...

And speaking of mama birds,

today this old bird

effectively becomes the mother of a forty-year-old daughter.

Birds fly.

So does time.

Happy Birthday Kym!

Have a beautiful day!