Over the first weekend in May, I startled, and was startled by, two mourning doves in the front bay of my carport. Several years ago, I placed some oak trimmings with unusual growths on them there, thinking I would use them in some art project or the other that never materialized. I guess the doves decided the jumble of twigs and branches was prime real estate, because they built a nest there. In fact, that's what they were doing that weekend, finishing the construction. That's Mama Dove on the nest, above, around twilight on Monday, 2 May. (The males sit the nest during the daylight hours; the females sit at night.)
Junior #1, about a day old; early Tuesday morning. Papa flew the coop, so to speak, when I walked out to the Jimmy, which shares the bay with the Doves. Papa Dove is the 'flightier' of the two parents, always quick to flee.
This is Papa Dove, early Wednesday morning, as I left for work. This time, he stayed put.
On Thursday, 5 May, when Papa left the nest, I saw that Junior #2 had been deposited.
Today, Junior #1 hatched, likely while Mama Dove was sitting the nest, during the night. Junior #1 is using Junior #2, still in egg, as a headrest. It has been 16 days since I first noticed the doves building the nest. I think Mama Dove must have laid her first egg late on May Day. A promising start to the month, I'd say.(C) 2011 Photographs by Martha McLemore
