Hello and welcome!

You may remember this mourning dove who had a well-hidden nest in the maple tree just off our deck.

For weeks I’ve been watching this bird sit on the nest. It has probably been both parents that I have seen up there since they share in the job. (I have just not witnessed them changing places.) I was beginning to wonder if there were really eggs and if they would ever hatch. I never heard babies (cheep, cheep, cheep) in the nest nor did I see parents bring food to their young.

When I did my homework, I learned that mourning doves feed their babies crop milk, a liquid high in antioxidants, fat and protein which is produced in their throat. Both parents produce crop milk and share the feeding responsibilities. This explains why there was no scurry of activity with the parents’ bringing food to their young.

Two days ago I looked up toward the nest and instead of seeing an adult bird I could barely make out the small head of a baby. Once I saw it move, I was sure that’s what I was seeing.

Yesterday, I couldn’t see baby and there were no parents around, so I was relieved this morning when my husband came in and told me that the baby mourning dove was on our deck. By the time I grabbed my camera and got out there it was gone. 😦

Later this afternoon I was thrilled to see it perched on a chair in our courtyard. Normally mourning doves lay two eggs so I am not certain if one of the eggs did not hatch, or if for some reason there was only one egg.

Mourning doves can raise as many as six broods per year and in Michigan their breeding season goes into September. Since this nest still seems to be in good shape (at least what I can see of it) they may continue to use this nest to raise another brood or two.

Thanks for visiting.