Round Two

Well, a couple of weeks after we lost our little mourning dove family...a new little family decided to take up residency in the nest that was left. I thought to myself "oh great, we have to go through this again!". So far this experience has been quite different than the last one. We did have a very close predatory encounter, but I think everyone is okay. (I hope!)
There were two little baby doves that were hatched - Matt saved one of the shells to show the little kiddos, but it was starting to gross me out having a it on my counter so I threw it away. :( For quite a while I could see two little birdie heads popping out of the nest. It was so cute! There was always a mommy or a daddy taking care of the little ones. I kept expecting to walk out and find one of the babies on the ground like last time....but it never happened until this past Wed. I had the door open to the backyard and Molly and T were enjoying the cool morning air. Well, all of a sudden there was a big swoosh headed straight for the ground. We went outside to see T laying under a bush right below the nest and both adult doves flopping around acting like they were hurt. I thought it was just because T was so close to the nest. Well, halfway through his pounce to go after the "hurt" doves, I grabbed him only for Matt to realize he had a feather sticking out of his mouth (classic!) I almost vomitted thinking that one of the baby birdies was in his stomach! Once I got him inside we looked back by the bush he was laying under and saw one of the babies. He was pretty big and his wings looked all spread out and awkward. I thought "wonderful ~ he's going to lay there and die and I can't do anything about it!" I could watch him from the family room window. I knew I wasn't supposed to try and help him ~ I knew his parents would do what they could. I kept checking on him until all of a sudden he was gone. He kept moving closer and closer into the shade as the sun continued to rise in the sky. His little wings were folded perfectly to his side and he was looking around at everything. The last time I saw him he was semi under a vine between it and the house and his mama was perched on the fence right above him. The next morning he was nowhere to be seen. I'm choosing to believe that he found his strength and has flown away. That's what I'm choosing to believe and hopefully it's the truth!
Now for this other little birdie.....I don't think he wants to leave home. Both parents are hardly in the nest at all these days. Last night for the first time he was perched a little outside the nest and I expected to see him on the ground this morning, but nope....he's snuggly secured within his nest again! :) Maybe he's really a chicken and not a mourning dove. :) Can you blame him after what he witnessed with his brother!? :)
Needless to say both Molly and T are on house arrest and Molly is only allowed in the backyard under strict supervision ~although she'd probably just want to be friends with the birdies anyway!