Birds

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The nest on top of deck TV

A few years back, while we took our very crazy vacation for the first time, when we came back home a nice surprise was waiting for us. A pair of morning doves has made their nest on top of the TV that's just under the roof on the deck, in the backyard (I am married to a 100% male specimen: TVs are the next most important things in our house after beer and red meat - when one does the BBQ, one needs to be able to watch CNN, otherwise the world might take the wrong turn!).

We watched mesmerized the appearance of the little baby - just one. And not a whole week after - we saw them fly away, but they stayed in the cedars that create our live fence in the backyard. Not a whole month after - the doves (parents) were back! I didn't know they grow more than one generation a year! In fact, that year, because it was very warm all the way to October - we had 3 baby doves.

The nest in the evergreen in front of my window

The next year - I wasn't sure what to expect, I had no clue if they'll come back or not - and they did! Year after year. A few years later were accompanied by a pair of Robins, who decided to nest in the evergreen bush in front of the window at our dinner table (aka 'my office') so I could watch the babies coming out and grow minute by minute. Our son was simply mesmerized (as I was too) by the sheer speed these little beings grow: now they are still inside the egg, now they are out, all wet and quite ugly, 3 minutes later they are the most fluffy and cute little things (with a huge voice), and in just a few days they were ready to fly away. Sigh!

The nest in the evergreen in front of my window

Year after year we were home to our doves - every spring they will come, sing to each other, then diligently bring straw by straw and create their little home. Until 2010, when a robin came first and took 'posession' of their nest... they made theirs inside... and when the dove came there was a short fight, but the doves didn't win. I wasn't sure what to do - I remember being torn at the idea of letting the nature take its course vs helping my little pearly friends, the doves. I decided to let nature be... but it broke my heart, for a few days the doves came and sang and stood on the fence watching the robins build the nest that was the dove's first...

The nest in the evergreen in front of my window

To make it even harder - shortly after the robin laid her eggs - a craw flew in, apparently the robin's nest was smaller than the dove's and the craw had enough space to just dive in, steal the eggs and fly out in a blink. The robins left (probably heart-broken too!) and I had a 'in hind-sight' moment - would I have known how would all end up, I would have just helped the doves.

The next year - no sign of the doves (we're still waiting for them, or other pair, to come back), and no robins either. Now my sadness knew no limits - and I still had sorrows for not helping the doves (yeah, I am crazy enough I can loose sleep over such a thing!)

The nest in the evergreen in front of my window

But this year - no, the doves aren't back - the robins decided to try another place, right under the roof... and right next to the security camera! We have our own Animal Planet live in our living room :) And we learn something new about the robin's life every day!

It is such a pleasure to have at least one of them back (of course I have no clue if it's the same robin or not, of the doves - I was sure it's the exact same one) and I can only hope a pair of dove will find their way to our house too!

The nest in the evergreen in front of my window