Sad story - a re-posting
Last Friday, a mourning dove bashed into my dining room window so hard it killed it, pine needle for the nest it was building still in its mouth as it lay dying on the ground beneath the window. It was very, very sad.
It made me think of a post I wrote about this time last year for my other blog, a personal blog I now rarely (if ever) post to. Rather than rehashing that post, I'll just go ahead and copy and paste it for ya here. Beware, it's kind of sad ... hence the title.
Sad Story
For several weeks, I've watched from my window as two mourning doves (my favorite birds) created a home in the juniper bush outside my study. I've seen the evolution of their nest, from a few pine needles to a full-blown home. The nest quickly became the full-time residence of what I first thought was a dedicated mama bird, never leaving the spot in the name of her soon-to-come (or maybe they were already there) eggs. Dad would stop by occasionally to see how things were going ... and feed her, I hoped.
Then one day I witnessed a shift change. It was TWO dedicated parents, not one! It was a true co-parenting deal, with each bird taking a turn keeping up the home front while the other grabbed a snack. No slacker dad here ... he shared the duties willingly and just as efficiently as his partner.
Day in and day out, one of them was there. I appreciated their presence while I typed away at the computer, finding solace in the fact that although I faced rough times and what seemed to be an imminent death in the family, hope springs eternal as new life begins (or would soon, just outside my window).
The mourning doves' dedication to their nest was fierce. Snowstorms, high winds, dark nights didn't phase them. Someone walking by to take out the trash, come and go from the car or take pictures (yeah, I did that right next to them!) didn't scare them off. But then the neighbor's lawnmower did - and when the parents left, I saw the precious babies they'd been diligently protecting. I snapped as many pictures as possible before Mom (or was it Dad) returned.
Then I waited ... and waited ... and waited. For days on end, I'd give updates to the family and call them over now and then to see how Mom/Dad stayed no matter the weather - even when the snow had weighed down the branch above the nest so that it nearly touched the head of the parent on duty. I even e-mailed updates to my mom, who happened to be here the day the nest building began and was just as impressed with my front-row seat.
I was anxiously awaiting the day the shells cracked, little chirps would be heard, and Mama bird would drop goodies into the wide-open beaks of her hungry babies. I'd catch it all on my camera, documenting the growth of the chicks through my study window.
Then yesterday, a day not any colder than many we've had during the nesting phase, Mom and Dad were nowhere to be found. All day I wondered if I'd just been missing them, if birds take off when it's time for the babies to emerge so as not to squish them yet keep watch from afar.
But time stretched on and it became clear Mom and Dad would not be returning - and no babies would be emerging from the shells. For whatever reason - and I have to assume it's natural, not that Mom and Dad just decided they weren't cut out for parenting and headed off to sunnier days and carefree lives - the eggs would not be hatching.
And I would not be witnessing a precious rite of spring from my window. Nope, now I just stare sadly at the two lone - and likely hard and cold - baby eggs outside my window, wondering what to do with them ... or if I should do anything with them at all.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Reader Comments (9)
Oh, this breaks my heart on a lot of levels... the mother in me, especially. Your photos with the post are lovely too.
This is a lovely but sad story, Lisa ! Nature seems so harsh at times, doesn't it? It may be the mother dove knew the eggs were not alive any longer and abandoned the nest to start a new one somewhere else.
As far as the dove that crashed into you window today, did you know there are some reflective stickers you can buy to help the birds see the glass of a large window to help prevent that from happening again? I'm sure you'll find an online company that sells them if you do a search.
I have a large bird feeder in my yard and I love to watch the birds feed from it. I also see lots of mourning doves and they looks so gentle. They do seems to come back every year like old friends.
Have a good day!
Pat
Yes, that is a sad story and I'll be thinking about it the rest of the day for so many different reasons.
I have one feeder at the moment with plans to get a couple more!
I'm so sorry you've had such sadness both last spring and this one, with your doves.
I have just one house for birds, a permanent one on a tall pine, but will be putting out feeders and a hummingbird feeder later, when it quits snowing up here.
I'm feeling a little guilty about making everyone sad today.
Pat: I've considered those stickers. I wonder if they can be inconspicuous as it's a prominent window and I don't want it to be stickered up. I'll check into them.
Heartbreaking story! I don't have any birdfeeders because I have a "hunter" cat who would stalk and capture the feasting innocent.
That is sad! I have 4 feeders...three seed and one suet.
Three feeders, one bath, 3 birdhouses. Last summer I watched 3 babies mature in the birdhouse outside my kitchen window. I watched the parents work to get the babies to leave the house. Two leapt, flew and off they went. The other wouldn't leave. The parents stood outside that house for 12 hours. Late in the day the baby disappeared back into the house. The next day I watched the parents standing on the tree limbs around the house calling and calling. I found the baby dead on the ground 3 days later.
What a tender story. Thanks for reprinting it. I had something similar happen a few years ago but with a happy ending. A mother bird built a nest in a wreath I had on my front door. I found out when I went to change the Valentine wreath for a Spring wreath. Needless to say, the Valentine wreath stayed and I watched as the eggs hatched, the babies grew and finally flew away. It was pretty amazing.