Hanging out, raising babies in an old hanging basket

Doves moved in and had their babies in an old hanging basket before we took it down to put a new one up. Three different batches of babies were raised in that old basket.

Baby Mourning Doves

These two recently fledged Mourning Doves have been sitting in our garden for several days. They are not yet independent and spend their day sleeping in a cozy area in the shade of a large shrub.

Baby doves

pair of baby doves in their nest

Mourning Dove

Hanging Geranium a Dove

Hanging Geranium Dove

Hanging Geranium Dove

Mourning dove chicks snuggle under parent

Mourning dove family

First to hatch!

big baby mourning dove

big baby mourning dove in our yard

mourning dove

Mourning dove stiing a nest in a satsuma orange tree.

Mourning Dove Duo

Humble Abode in a Geranium Basket

Momma Mourning Dove nested on my hot front porch in my hanging geranium basket! Fledglings are named Geri and Num! These three have been a pleasure to watch each day!

Morning dove chicks

Not much nesting going on here but mom and dad kept them safe until they could fly on their own.

Mourning Dove nest and eggs

This was the first nest I observed for 2014 after a brutal NE Ohio winter. This picture was taken on 03/28/14, one of the earliest dove nests I have ever encountered.

Standing Guard

Mourning Dove

Last day in the nest… used a close up lense… They were like statues! But their eyes were watching me!

Caught in the Act

Lucky Shot – Walked by the nest, heard some noise, looked at the nest quickly and took the picture (with a cell phone). I’m not a professional, I don’t alter images – I just enjoy watching nature as is.

Twins Mourning Doves

New to NestWatch.org, I just happened to walk past the nest in our juniper tree and found these lovely newborns. As the mother of twins, the sight of “twin” birds resonated strongly with me.

Spreading my Wings

For a decade, mourning doves have used a juniper tree in my yard as a nesting location. For the most part, they are successful and I am very careful to follow NestWatch.org protocols. It just so happens I can lean out of my kitchen window and photograph the doves growth. This was a lucky shot – I am an amateur. I don’t own photoshop or anything like that program. I believe in observing nature as it is – not over thinking or over working it, just enjoying the magic and mystery of nature, much of which is right outside our front door (or in my case, my kitchen window).

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology