doves on the deck... (zenaida macroura)

Nice shot, welcome to Birdforum.Net, look forward to seeing more from you.

Thanks Mali, the picture isn't great but it was meant more for discriptive purposes than photo ..if you can help me with my question that would be terriffic! Take care,Steve B.

Hi Steve. I read your question in the forums as well. These guys visit my yard in droves on a daily basis. You are correct to assume Mourning Doves wouldn't nest this early, or at ground level. As it is, ground huddling seems to be an extremely normal activity for the Mourners around here, especially in partially tucked away areas near my rock walls. They seem to feed mostly in the morning and evening, like most song birds, but often I'll l catch sight of them "resting", not ironically in pairs like this. I would say that I most commonly find this to happen during the midday when they are not feeding, where one will close their eyes while the other appears to be on guard.

Are the same two doves visiting this spot repeatedly, or was this a one time occurrence? Even if there is repeat, they could have simply found a spot that they feel is in some way safe (despite your cat). I'm not much of an expert, but I have seen this behavior enough to feel it is probably normal for the species.

Jason, thanks for your information. These two birds seem to be semi-regular visitors to my yard..they are for sure the local pair if you know what I mean, but today they seemed much more comfy and relaxed in my yard. Good photo op ,my yard is small,typical of most Queens County frame single family homes. I've just this past month or so taken up bird watching as an offshoot of being a photography hobbyist for 50 years..as in many other disciplines, only when you start to learn do you realize how much you've been missing. Thanks again,take care, Steve B.

No problem, Steve. Funny, for me Photography came first as well. Then bird watching a few years later. The real damage to my checkbook happened when I married the two hobbies. :-O

Very true, in cameras your always wanting the latest and greatest,body or lens or tripod..birding,I'm not sure yet how much energy I can devote to it..as a backyard hobby so far it's a few bucks worth of seeds and some patience..a fair trade off for the joy of watching and occasionally getting a good photo. Take care,Steve B.