arf@lopez.UUCP (Jack Schmidling) (04/07/90)
The following was posted on Mar 3 but never went anywhere so
I am reposting it with the sequel.
I WIN
Don't bother entering "FIRST EGG OF THE YEAR" contest.
A pair of doves has made a nest in our bathroom window again
this year and as of this morning, is incubating an egg.
Last year when they nested there, we thought it would give
us some material for the sequel to "BACKYARD SAFARI" and
went to a great deal of trouble to install a plexiglas
window with a removable screen to film through.
Little did we know just how dull the raising of mourning
dove chicks is. It goes like this:
After sunrise, male arrives to take over incubation.
Just before sunset, female arrives to take over incubation.
When the chicks hatch, the activity reaches fever pitch as
now the exchange takes place twice each day.
Upon the arrival of the parent, each chick jams its head
into the throat of the adult and imbibes on "pigeon milk"
for about one minute and promptly goes to sleep till the
next shift.
On fledging day, the chicks flap their wings for about ten
minutes and then fly away.
The End
...................
The Sequel
The first egg was followed by a second but as it was well
below freezing the night the first egg was laid (and
deserted) we had little hope for it hatching.
Well, they both hatched and we put in the plexiglas window
for viewing but didn't bother with the filming.
Yesterday was fledging day and was met with utter disaster.
I was in the basement when I heard the shrieking of a
Kestral much closer than usual and went out for a look. I
saw nothing and it never occurred to look in the bathroom
window.
When I heard it again, I happened to be upstairs and noticed
a chick missing and looked out the window to see the kestral
flying away and the half eaten chick on the ground.
The other chick hunkered down and allowed me to pick it up
and bring it into the room but I decided to let nature take
its course and just keep an eye on it.
The chick never moved for hours nor did the parents return
for several hours. But when they did they came together and
practically smothered it. I figured it was safe for another
day and relaxed the watch.
Well, guess what?
Isn't nature wonderful?
BTW, if you would like info on our video, "BACKYARD SAFARI",
email your postal address and I will send a flyer.
Jack Schmidling