It happens every spring. Just outside our front door we have a talavera sconce that becomes a nesting shelf for a pair of love doves. They take turns sitting atop two white eggs, which rest on a thin collection of twigs and branches. The doves have grown so accustomed to our comings and goings, they stay put when we breeze past.
Male and female mourning doves look the same. Generally, the male takes the day shift and the female is on the nest at night. It’s a continuous incubation period that lasts 14-15 days. Both Mom and Dad are often in sight. When one is on the nest, the other is nearby, keeping watch from our courtyard wall.
They are monogamous birds, and in warm climates (like Tucson) are active breeders. They may raise up to six broods per season and will return to the same nest again and again.
Whether or not we’ve had repeat tenants on our doorstep is unknown. They all look alike to me. What I do know is that they’re definitely squatters and they don’t pay a dime in rent.
I’ll update when the hatchlings come to life and will have, according to my research on mourning doves, 11-15 days to snap a photo.
1 comment:
I love doves. I love the cooing sounds they make and the way their heads bob back and forth.
ann
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