Mom and Dad mourning dove with baby dove peeking out from in-between them. Photo by Abby Fateman, Lafayette, CA

Gary:
I saw a letter about doves on someone’s porch.  It reminded me of our May doves.  Here are 2 photos of the chick. One at about a week old (in the middle between mom and dad dove), and a few days later — right before the family left the nest.  They actually laid one more egg (a week later), but a scrub jay got to it.

Anyway — you probably get millions of photos — but we really enjoyed watching the doves on our front porch in May.
Abby Fateman, Lafayette, California

Abby:
I do get lots of photos, but these beautiful pictures deserve to be in a category all their own. I particularly like the photo of the two parent mourning doves with the tiny baby dove peeking out from between them. It really illustrates the essence of mourning doves. Truly special and affectionate birds. Thanks for sharing. /Gary

Parent dove (rear) with baby dove (front) just before leaving nest. Photo by Abby Fateman, Lafayette, CA

“Good fences make good neighbors.” Dove and kestrel check each other out. Photo by Linda Mosley, Antioch

Gary:
Peace in our neighborhood!

Just thought I would share with you our view yesterday (June 30) afternoon on our backyard fence. A young, we believe, kestrel on the left and an adult mourning dove on the right. They would look at each other and then look away.  They stayed that way for almost 10 minutes!
Linda Mosley, Antioch, California

Linda:
Just one of those neat little encounters that probably happens in backyards everywhere every day. The kestrel, a little falcon, is a bird of prey, a predator. The mourning dove, probably the most peaceful bird in town, gets along with everybody.

Both birds are approximately the same size, hence the “let’s keep this relationship at arm’s (wing’s?) length. Nobody gets hurt. Everyone goes away happy.  Would that everything in life be this simple. /Gary

Mama mourning dove and two babies. Photo by Marcie Diffenderfer, Walnut Creek, CA

Gary:
Thought you might enjoy a picture of the dove that has nested in our atrium and her two babies who hatched yesterday.  It’s been amazing watching them through feedings and activity.  The mom and dad dove switch off taking care of them.  What a miracle to see so close up.
Marcie Diffenderfer, Walnut Creek, California

Marcie:
Mourning doves are truly special birds. Lousy nest builders, yes, but also very special birds. That’s why everyone works overtime to try and protect them when they find doves nesting in their yards. This is a beautiful picture. /Gary

Mourning dove babies just about big enough to leave the nest. Photo by Marbi Wise, Concord, CA

Gary:
I thought I heard you were asking for pictures of nesting birds. This mourning dove nest is in our backyard in Concord and these little guys learned to fly just a few days after this picture. The nest wasn’t empty long and now another Mom and Dad are getting it ready for their new baby doves. Very cute to watch.
Marbi Wise, Concord, California

Marbi:
Spring has arrived when the mourning doves start to nest. Things happen pretty fast. Mom usually lays two eggs … it takes 14-15 days for them to hatch … and another 12-14 days until the babies are big enough to leave the nest. A typical mourning dove will raise 2-3 families every spring. That’s probably the same pair of doves that are getting ready to nest again.  They are such terrible nest builders, I suspect that’s Mother Nature’s way of making sure at least a few babies survive. /Gary

Dove nest by Brenda Patrick, Pleasanton, CA

Gary:
This is the third family this summer for my little doves. My poor Fuchsia plant isn’t faring too well but  my husband and I are enjoying our grand birdies instead.
Brenda Patrick, Pleasanton, California

Brenda:
Lucky for your poor Fuchsia that mourning doves usually only nest 2-3 times a year. This should be the last nest full of chicks until next year. At least that’s what it says here in the book. Tell your Fuchsia to dwell on that thought! /Gary

Baby doves in nest. Photo by Mary Jo, Martinez, CA

Gary:
Here is a pic of nesting baby mourning doves in a basket on the fence by my front door.  They hatched over the weekend and even though their eyes aren’t open yet, they are becoming really active.  I was concerned people coming over would scare the parents (I don’t have a back door to use), but as long as I open the door slowly they just stare and don’t move.  Mom/Dad leave the nest for a few minutes late afternoons, so took some pics and wanted to share.  Cute aren’t they.
Mary Jo, Martinez, California

Mary Jo:
Dove parents usually stay pretty calm if you move slowly when you pass by close to their nest. They construct their nests near us humans because our proximity helps to keep scrub jays and other predators away from their nest (and babies!). They may not be the best nest builders in the world, but they appear to be pretty smart, otherwise!

The worst mourning dove nest I EVER saw was one piece of straw on the flat top of a fence post. When mama dove laid her egg there, it rolled off. /Gary

Busy dove nest. Photo by Gene Crawford, Antioch, CA

Gary:
The column you wrote on March 18 (“It must be spring, the doves are in bloom”) caught my eye. I have a small spider plant hanging right outside my living room window. Monday I noticed there were two doves in the plant. Now there is what I suppose is a hen. It looks like she is sitting on her nest. I haven’t seen any eggs because I don’t want to disturb her.
Gene Crawford, Antioch

Gene:
I can see by the above photo the dove is definitely sitting on its nest (male and female take turns). Takes 14-15 days for eggs to hatch and another 12-14 days until the chicks leave the nest. Doves nest as close as possible to humans and human activities because this keeps jays and other predatory birds away.

As anyone can see by your photo, that’s a very busy area. Smart birds! /Gary

Cooper’s hawk and dove feathers. Photo by Robin van der Bijl, Clayton, CA

Hi Gary:
I opened the bedroom shade one morning and saw feathers swirling all over the place. As they began to settle, I saw the cause.
Robin van der Bijl, Clayton, California

Hi Robin:
Ah, yes, a Cooper’s hawk “inviting” a mourning dove out to breakfast. That’s a pretty wild backyard you have. /Gary

Mourning dove nest on car. Photo by John Schembra, Concord, CA

I’ve seen a lot of strange nests constructed by mourning doves over the years … but a dove building its “nest” on a car to create a MOURNING DOVE MOTOR HOME really takes the cake! This is a bird that obviously likes to travel.

In the words of Patty Grant who sent me this photo … “Spring has sprung!”

That’s for sure! /Gary

Mourning dove into window by Tony Martarella, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Dear Gary:
About a week ago I was standing in my bedroom when I heard a thump on the window. The shade was partially down so I didn’t see what caused the noise. When I looked out I saw a bird lying on the sidewalk below.
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