Need help re: Mourning Doves (1 Viewer)

jmw5316 · Apr 24, 2006

Hi! I have joined this forum, because I need some help with some morning doves. These doves have decided that one of my daughter's outside toys w/a sink would be the perfect place to lay a couple of eggs. The issue is that the toy, nest, eggs, and doves are smack-dab in the middle of my back yard where my two daughters play. I have had to keep the girls inside for two straight days, because of the egg. My 6-year-old knows enough to keep away but my 15-month-old doesn't. In any case, I have tried to move the toy, nest, and eggs w/out touching the nest at all to the outside of the yard, but the doves can't find it once it's moved and fly around frantically, so I put it back inside the yard, since that is the only place the dove will incubate her eggs. I really NEED these birds and their nest to be outside of my yard, so my kids can play and the birds and eggs can be together and safe. Here is a picture of the toy and bird. The toy is portable and I don't have to bother the nest to move it.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/JudyWerner/April222006046.jpg

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do?

scary-canary · Apr 24, 2006

jmw5316 said:
Hi! I have joined this forum, because I need some help with some morning doves. These doves have decided that one of my daughter's outside toys w/a sink would be the perfect place to lay a couple of eggs. The issue is that the toy, nest, eggs, and doves are smack-dab in the middle of my back yard where my two daughters play. I have had to keep the girls inside for two straight days, because of the egg. My 6-year-old knows enough to keep away but my 15-month-old doesn't. In any case, I have tried to move the toy, nest, and eggs w/out touching the nest at all to the outside of the yard, but the doves can't find it once it's moved and fly around frantically, so I put it back inside the yard, since that is the only place the dove will incubate her eggs. I really NEED these birds and their nest to be outside of my yard, so my kids can play and the birds and eggs can be together and safe. Here is a picture of the toy and bird. The toy is portable and I don't have to bother the nest to move it.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/JudyWerner/April222006046.jpg

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do?

I think you have to accept that you are very privileged to have these birds nesting where you can watch them. The toy looks like it's against a fence, so can you put a barrier around it to keep the kids away? Let the kids enjoy watching the doves come and go and see them raise young.
The alternative is to move it to the end of your garden and feed the doves hoping they will come back and brood the egg. But they might not. You have to decide if you're prepared to let them desert the nest.
i don't know what the position is legally where you are, but it's certainly frowned upon in England to disturb nesting birds.
Sorry i haven't got a more useful answer

jmw5316 · Apr 25, 2006

scary-canary said:
I think you have to accept that you are very privileged to have these birds nesting where you can watch them. The toy looks like it's against a fence, so can you put a barrier around it to keep the kids away? Let the kids enjoy watching the doves come and go and see them raise young.
The alternative is to move it to the end of your garden and feed the doves hoping they will come back and brood the egg. But they might not. You have to decide if you're prepared to let them desert the nest.
i don't know what the position is legally where you are, but it's certainly frowned upon in England to disturb nesting birds.
Sorry i haven't got a more useful answer

My husband and I have decided to try to fence off the area somehow, as you suggested. We have both watched the birds become frantic if their nest is moved even a few feet. Since I have put it back near the fence, they have been flying in twigs all day long, padding the nest further. I have to say, it is strange for someone who's never been interested in birds have such a fascination with these two mourning doves. They've made themselves at home and they aren't afraid of us any more. One or the other just sits there all calm while we walk around and try to pretend it isn't there. Hopefully, our little bird family will choose a more appropriate place, such as a tree to lay their next set of eggs. I'll keep them around until their babies fly off, then we will have to put the toy away to prevent them from coming back to nest there. Perhaps I will instead put up a nesting shelf, so they can still reside in our yard if they decide to lay their next set of eggs here. Thank you!

buckskin hawk · Apr 25, 2006

Here is something I found on the Cornell University web site about doves. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/MOUDOV/

On page 6 of this coloring book that you can down load is a picture of a Mourning dove for your daughters to color. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/T_Resouces/color_book.html

These might help them get excited about the birds too!

Need help re: Mourning Doves (1 Viewer)

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jmw5316

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scary-canary

Canaries forever... and i'm not always scary, some

jmw5316

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buckskin hawk

Oklahoma Birder

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