Glory Builds a Nest (June 5, 2003)

For those who followed the raising of Glory, the mourning dove, last summer:

Increased time in the yard since the end of school has allowed me to track her and to locate her nest at about 60 feet above ground in my neighbor's palm tree south of my adjacent rental property. I am currently having a fence constructed along the south property line, and this morning when I stepped across the property line to check on progress I found Glory on the ground about four feet away totally undisturbed by my presence. I knelt and watched as she picked up grits and small seeds walking within three feet of me. She then picked up a small twig and flew to the palm tree. I waited for a while, and she returned landing about four feet away. This was repeated three times. I then went to the house, and got my digital camera.

The workers disrupted the scene from time to time, but she would return, and I got a picture (handheld with using a telephoto mode"). I thought you might enjoy seeing how she has matured. Doves share the responsibility of sitting on the nest. I did not see her mate, so my assumption is that he was sitting the nest while she was gathering food and adding to the construction of the nest. I have seen her mate earlier, and he is a big fellow! Gosh, I feel like a grandparent.

This is the palm tree in which Glory and her mate have built their nest. To the right are pictures of Glory gathering grit, seeds and small twigs. She repeatedly flew to the nest and soon returned to where I was knelling in order gather more materials.