nesting

A little over a year ago we had some trees planted in the backyard.  I was so excited, because before there was just grass and all of my neighbors' houses.  I wanted some nature.  Unfortunately, and this is something I didn't think about, trees attract birds.  Go figure.  I love the sound of birds singing and I enjoy sitting on the patio watching them.  But last year you may remember that some very impolite birds made their home under our deck.  Every time we walked out onto the deck or patio they would start swarming around you.  Brian could hardly mow the grass for being beat up by the birds.  We were so glad when their offspring were old enough to fly and they moved on to better places!

So a couple of days ago Brian opened the garage door to find 2 doves flying haphazardly in the garage.  They couldn't figure out how to get out of the garage and just kept perching on top of the open garage door.  He made a run for it to get in the car without being attacked, leaving me to fend for myself - nice, huh? 

So I thought I would just keep opening and closing the garage door (you have to picture me standing in the laundry room with the door cracked just enough to allow one arm to reach out into the garage and around to the wall where the opener was and quickly closing the door after pushing the button just in case they decided to find more luxurious accomodations inside the house - pretty talented, huh?).  I'm pretty sure that idea only accomplished making the neighbors think I was crazy.  So I got some suggestions from Facebook (where else?) about what to do and went back thinking I would throw crumbs on the driveway and they would be good little birds and go eat so I could close the door and be safe from the ferocious birds.  But when I went back they were gone!  Yes!  So I just shut the door and vowed not to ever keep it open again.

So a few hours later I see the pair in one of my flower pots on the deck.  It actually has a small tree in it to create some privacy.  I had a little talk with them through the window and I was pretty sure we had an understaning about not trying to take over the garage again and under NO circumstances were they to even THINK about making a nest anywhere around here!!!

They obviously didn't understand.

 The boys and their friends found this in that same flower pot where the doves were supposedly listening to the policies that apply to birds around here.

And here is the mama keeping the eggs warm.  I guess it's the mama anyway.  Maybe that daddy is the incubator in dove world.  Anyway, one of them is taking care of the kiddos.  Makes me wonder where the other one went.  But it looks like we have visitors for a while.  It's been fun for the boys to watch, and at least they are not the crazy attack birds from last year!  I do wish they were better listeners though.