Dove Hatchlings On My Front Door.
 

I have doves nesting in the wreath on my front door and the baby's have hatched and are adorable. We've roped off the front path to give them privacy and to prevent harm coming to the hatchlings.

I was able to take these photos when the parents switched duties this morning and the mother and hatchlings just froze as I got close with my camera. After I got my pics the famished hatchlings were fed by Mommy; both of them with their beaks in Mommy's at the same time.

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06836.jpg
http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06831.jpg
http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06829.jpg

Thanks for the pictures Richie, they are great!

Those Doves are pretty smart, why build a nest when you have a wreath at home.

:mademyday:

Doves are amazing birds. Thank you for the beautiful pictures and for protecting the little ones. :ho:

I understand the doves will keep coming back to a successful nesting site, so I guess I'll have to remove the usual wreath from my door after the family has gone. I don't think I want to lose the use of my front door regularly (also, what the birds drop on my door mat is not pretty)

Doves do return
 

Richie,

Doves do in fact return every year. I had a dove build a nest in my wreath one year and after the birds were hatched and left the nest, my front door was a complete mess. I had to repaint it because of the staining.

I removed the wreath and the year after the dove returned only to build her nest in my hanging plant. By the time I noticed, there were already little eggs in the nest and I didn't have the heart to take it down. My plant unfortunately wasn't so lucky, it didn't survive.

This year, I don't have a wreath and have not put any plants in the hanger, not yet anyway.

I see you have a window in your door - you may not get the staining.

They certainly are cute to watch grow. Good luck. :ho:

Really nice pictures. Almost looks like they are decorative and part of the basket. Not sure about next year, maybe a hawk statue by the front door?

Doves....a wonderful sign of peace.

So far the door looks fine. The best part of the window is I get to watch the daily goings on. It's textured glass, but I get a decent view. Not so good for pictures, though.

Just place a stand with an open nesting area or hang the wreath somewhere near the door and they will build there next year. If you move it 8 to 10 feet away and provide some protection from the rain, you will have them return every year. Great pictures.

Great pictures, Richie.

Wow, I've been looking for doves in all the wrong places!

Of all the threads you have started, RichieLion, this is my favorite. Thanks for taking such beautiful photos and sharing with us!

GeorgeT, that was too funny.

Richie, those photos could win a contest. Beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen baby doves. Aww, you and Mrs. RichieLion are too nice. I don't know many people who would go to the extremes you did to protect those babies. Perfect photos for Passover and Easter. Peace.

Happy Easter my friend.

Thanks Halle, Duffysmom, AJ, Dale, 12ride, Bugs, K9 and BK. I'm really getting a kick out of watching the progression of these little guys lives.

If the parents give me another good chance I will take and post more photos as the hatchlings get bigger.

:BigApplause:

I second that. Thanks for sharing Richie.

Great photo's

Great pictures. I love bird photography and you hit the nail. Also, makes me ashamed of the two duck eggs I removed from the vicinity of my water feature a few days ago. They flew in from the large pond, lake or whatever, on the golf course. It is chlorinated and not for in habitation, and I didn't want to have the above described "mess". My daughter was ready to come down from Ohio and hit me about the head and shoulders when I told her, and now these pictures.

Beautiful pictures Richie Audubon! It shows your patience and kind heart!:ho:

Beautiful pictures RichieLion, thanks for this thread!

We owned a courtyard villa with an evergreen tree located about five feet from the front door. For three years the doves faithfully raised families in that tree. It was amazIng to watch the babies grow, and the parents got to trust us.

We sold the villa and I told the new owners about the dove families. But when I drove by, I was sad to see that the new owners had cut down the dove tree. Oh well, perhaps my doves relocated to Richie's wreath!

Thanks Jack, Gerald, KB, Gracie and Barefoot. I've been researching these birds a little bit and it seems they brood a few times a year here in Florida and I'll have to make adjustments if I want my front door back.

It seems that it's pretty simple to build a nesting box for doves, so I'm looking into that solution and could conceal one behind the palm tree out front, so that my doves have a chance to at least nest near their familiar spot.

Two new pics of the hatchlings. They're already showing some feathers through their down. They're a bit bit bigger already also. They mostly have their heads peeking out when one of their parents are nesting on them.


http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06841.jpg http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06839.jpg

Good job Richie. How a person treats our animal friends says a lot about their character.

Gorgeous pictures. Thank you.

Those are the cutest pictures! The hatchlings look exactly like wreath ornaments. Beautiful.

If you like Rich's dove photo, as I did, you might enjoy this as well.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_...F&fullscreen=1

Hope it work.....

That's a really cool stop action video. My nesters have been disturbed and abandoned the wreath. The hatchlings are in my front garden and are continuing being fed as I watch from my front window. I'm very upset that they lost their home before they were ready. I'm hoping they make it. In the end, I'll probably never know.

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06858.jpg

LOVE IT. :clap2:

:mademyday::clap2:

Thank you so much. I love the video. Very well done!

New photo I took on this beautiful Mother's Day of the 2 hatchlings still in my front garden and patiently waiting for Mama to come back and feed them. Mama never gets a day off, not even on Mother's Day.

They've really thrived, these two sweet little doves.

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC06878.jpg

Thanks for all the pictures of the baby doves Richie. They are just adorable and I'm happy they are doing so well.

Richie, not only are the pictures you've posted wonderful, but you've shown a tender side of your personality. :thumbup:

They have grown so much. I hope they make it too. Thanks for the update Richie.

Gorgeous, Richielion,

Thanks so much for sharing, and for taking such sweet care of the dove family.

thanks everyone. I really appreciate it. it's been wonderful to be able to keep tabs on these two little guys. I was so upset when they were scared out of their nest before I thought they were ready, but they adapted to hiding under the bushes and small palms in my front garden and have thrived.

They are used to me and my camera, I think, and do not get nervous when I approach to take a snapshot.

Someday real soon I know I'll go out to get my paper and find they are gone. I'm expecting to be both sad and happy.