I was mowing on Friday, when I noticed something moving slowly–kind of flopping actually–in front of the tractor. I slowed and stopped. It was a baby bird. [No doubt from the dove’s nest in a crab apple tree that’s very close by.] It didn’t take the baby long to move out of my way. I drove on past the struggling youngster. (Fortunately the cut grass exits the deck on the opposite side from baby bird.)
The next pass repeated the above scene. Baby bird is tiring. It’s a struggle for the little one. No feathers and hence no flight. This may be the first adventure out of the nest. As I drove past the crab apple tree, mama dove dropped out of the nest doing the cripple bird act, but not very convincingly.
I changed my mowing pattern. I’d come back 45 minutes later to see if I can complete mowing in that portion of our huge lawn.
When I returned the youngster was not to be seen. I completed the job and then went inside to retrieve my camera.
Mama dove sat on the nest.
Mama dove is looking at you with her left eye.
The light spot on the side of her head looks like a beak, but it’s not. You can see it better in this picture.
The crab apple leaves provide excellent cover for mama.
After capturing these images, I left the birds in peace. They are doves after all. I had a different agenda and that was to make a glass of cool water disappear. Mission accomplished. 😀
I forgot to say I liked your Dove pics. And I like that you left the bird to go back to its mama. 🙂
I get to talking and lose track of my original thought… happens all of the time. :ha:
I was weedeating yesterday and saw a little lizard jump by. Correction, that was the first thing I thought of…lol, because in Florida that’s what it would have been. Realizing I was cuckoo :beam: I kept going and something jumped again. I turned of the weedeater and looked, and there were frogs in my garden. 🙂
I did the other side of the yard instead (my weedeater has two batteries, both of which die before I get the yard done), and said I’d return to do around the garden today. Alas, it was not meant to be because it’s raining. I bet the frogs are doubly happy today. 🙂
Nicely done. My first thought was that it was her right eye– because I thought I was looking at beak. Glad you cleared that up!
And I cleared that up, because I perceived it at first the same as you. :whaa:
Chuck,,
I love reading your blog. You take everyday happenings and make them so exciting and happy. Thank you for the dove story. We have had doves build near our house and I enjoyed watching them get ready to leave the nest…..next thing you know…..their gone. Kids are like that I guess.
Thanks Bonnie. In my experience, kids are exactly like that. 8)