Our doves decided to raise a second family on our balcony, and two little doves were born even before we returned from Iran. They have been getting big.
Today was the big day. This morning, we heard flapping on the balony, and saw one little dove had left the nest and was sitting on the railing. The mother (father?) is on the left. The perspective makes the baby look as big as the mother.
Next time we looked, the mother and baby were gone. The other baby was still in the nest, looking forelorn and puzzled, even startled, to be alone. We continued our morning work. When Rick approached the kitchen sometime later, a panicked flapping was heard. There was a little dove in our kitchen.
This was the second baby! He/she had left the nest but flown the wrong way, into our condo. We had left the glass doors open. We thought it important that the baby leave soon. Though we gave it time to rest (its little heart must have been beating rapidly), we encouraged it to go out. But, of course, it flew the wrong way, to a picture frame, and back to sit on our dirty kitchen counter.
When it landed on our unmade bed, Rick threw a hat over it, put a plate under it, and evicted it. Then it flapped and fell behind some plants. We were worried. Was it OK?
Sure, it seems fine. It walked around the balcony, and the others came back. Even our squirrel came to visit, but the mother didn't chase him away like she did at one point last time, and he was allowed to eat some nuts. Here is a conference between the mother and two babies at about 6:00 pm. They are gone at this moment (8:00 pm).
