Mr. Persistent and Mrs. Patience

About a month ago Deke and I started noticing a little dove couple that kept hanging around the front yard. We would come home and see them cuddling up together on the roof or especially on the top of one of our columns on the front porch. After a few days of watching them we noticed the "daddy bird" as I dubbed him initially was gathering sticks in his beak and carrying them to a pile on top of the column. We decided he was getting ready to make them a nest. The next morning we went outside and the pile of sticks that he had so lovingly gathered were in a pile all over the ground. We figured that maybe the wind had knocked them down and were happy to see him later that day busily gathering new sticks. By the end of the day he had again made a nice little pile. However the next morning to our dismay the sticks were once again all over the ground. Over the next week we watched this bird gather sticks and attempt to build a nest and then the next thing we knew the sticks were on the ground. One day we went out and he was perched up on the column looking down at the pile below turning his head side to side looking quite confused. It was then that we started really questioning his mental capabilities. "Deke, I think that that bird may be mentally retarded" I told him. "I think that maybe he doesn't know how to build a nest." The "mommy" bird was definitely looking plump now and wasn't flying around very much. She would sit in the tree and just watch his efforts. This bird was trying his heart out to make a nest but the ding dong didn't even think to fly below him and use the previously gathered sticks in the pile below. I wondered what she must be thinking. "Sure Bob could have picked a nice sheltered place under the rooftop or even in this nice sturdy tree, but no he had to have the place with a view." As days went on I could imagine her thinking in frusteration "About ready to pop here, any day now Bob any day." Deke and I started worrying that maybe this guy would never get their nest made. They seemed bent on this particular spot, at least he did. We decided to name them Mr. Persistent and Mrs. Patience. She was obviously ready to lay eggs but what if he didn't get the nest done? Would she go ahead and lay them without one? If so the eggs would surely roll off and crack on the ground. As we discussed this Deke reminded me that last year we found a tiny egg shell on the ground underneath that column that had broken. Could that have been an egg from this couple? Did she have no nest and have to lay her egg without one last time. This pulled on my heart strings. I am a mommy and so was she bird or not. Bless her for being able to love this dodo bird through his issues. Feeling even more resolved to help these two become parents successfully Deke and I began brainstorming. The whole family was involved now and even the kids were pleading with Deke to come up with a solution to help them. So came IDEA #1: We had a Thanksgiving cornucopia decoration that was made of twigs. Deke suggested that he secure it in the tree for them. The twigs would camoflague perfectly into the tree, it was be secure and safe from elements. Deke attached the cornucopia to the tree and stuffed the cone part with twigs and leaves. It looked nice and cozy, we waited for them to check it out. But of course they wanted nothing to do with it and continued to hang out on top of the column. Realizing that we were running out of time we went back to the drawing board. Deke suggested IDEA #2: He used a ladder to climb up and screw a small piece of wood into the stucco at the top of the column. Within an hour of him placing it there the two of them were sitting up there hanging out. We silently crossed our fingers in hope that this would help them out. Back to work he went starting to gather new sticks and twigs.

Within 24 hours we looked out and lo and behold he had built this:

Albeit it is not very cushioned or well kept. If Deke was a bird those sticks would all be the same length and trimmed so there were no sharp parts and perfectly entertwined together. Then it would be adorned with soft feathers and leaves for comfort. But when dealing with the likes of this dude we were grateful she had anything. It was so wonderful to see her just a few hours later sitting on it looking content and like she was finally able to rest. Now to see if she would actually lay eggs there. We watched off and on and for four days she never left the nest day or night. Hunter was playing outside and came running in, "she's not on the nest, she's not on the nest!" he yelled. All of us hurried outside camera in hand. Deke climbed up and sure enough saw this: two perfectly shaped little white eggs nestled all snug in their nest. He hurried a took a couple of pictures and within a minute or so Mrs. Patience was back and chirping at us to leave her babies alone. As soon as we backed away she sat back down on her nest and has, as of even five minutes ago been diligently sitting on it. HOORAY! I am so excited for them! I can't wait for the babies to hatch and for the kids to get to have been part of this experience. As soon as they saw the pictures Hunter wanted to know what stage of development the baby birds were in inside their eggs. "You know mom how Emma started out like a little dot and then every week got different until she was a baby" he said. He asked if we could find a picture of what they look like right now in their egg. Yeah I will have to check into that buddy, I told him. Ave just wanted to know what we are going to name them. Baby birds right outside our front door. I need to get online right now and do some quick little research to find out what dove egg incubation times are like so we have an idea when these little guys may start hatching. I feel a weird protective sense over these birds. I don't even really like birds all that much but I can't help but feel tender about a baby of any kind, and a family unit of any type. Okay off to Google we go, think they might have pics of baby birds while growing "in egg?" Guess we'll find out :)