# Collared dove



## aldra

We have returned from Scotand to find a dove nesting on the pergola outside the front door

A paultry nest but there is an egg in it, the wisteria has not yet grown enough to offer shelter

We have been out and about all day and decided she must have left the nest

But this evening I wanted the Remoska from the van, but she is sitting on her egg

so we will have to do without it

Now feel worried that our activity today may well have killed her egg

But we need to use the front door but will try to use it as little as possible

Maybe no baked potatoes tonight

She looks so comfortable sat there  

Aldra


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## mickandkim

Aldra,

Don't panic too much, if the ambient has been the same as this side of the pennines, things should be ok, the most important factor is that mum is back on the nest as the temperature drops overnight,

But i know where you are coming from, we are in the process of trying to create a bird and wildlife friendly garden from a barren strip of land at the back of the house,

The best thing is our little blackbird, that must have been born last spring , is back and used to follow me in autumn when i was digging is back in our lilac tree at the front garden.. 

Sorry, just a bird fan.. if ever we park somewhere for more than a night, i always hang something up for our feathered friends.. sad or mad.. ? 

Mick


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## aldra

We have blackbirds front and back, special

Other than that a large colony of sparrows in our ivy clad house

Belligerent little buggers, they keep all other small birds away except the robins who are just as bad

Nothing sad in encouraging our bird life 

Magical  

Aldra


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## mickandkim

We have had our first visit from a robin a couple of weeks ago, and he is now a frequent visitor, never see him during the later part of the the day, but he always drops by between 8 and 10 in the morning for a bath / drink in the top ponds waterfall.. 

Where we stay in the van near whitby, the local ( and very territorial robin ) is always first to the food.. unless the squirrels beat him to it.. 

Mick


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## bulawayolass

Wouldn't worry to much if you start getting the doves used to you as opposed to pop out the woodwork suddenly every so often she should be fine. l agree with MickandKim Mrs D sounds pretty settled. 
To give an idea goose and other eggs are being sent round the country in polystyrene boxes. Until the incubation is started they stay inert. The boss where l am is always sending packs off her goose eggs off she collects them pops them in 4s in a polystyrene box with pre made cup holes and off they go for incubation at their new homes. The polystyrene is protection not heat. 

A friend of mine has to give up her letterbox every year to the wren, postie is used to it as well but usually a couple of days crossover between grass being spotted and mail being redirected to temp. box Mrs Wren just works round it. 
And same friends garage is a bird flat complex with squabbles for the best places. They accept friend using the garage and going in and out nearly been hit a few times by low flying birds and they dont half cuss that you are in the way. Should it be wanted to disturb them many off the nests are hand height so they are happy enough that they wont be bothered.


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## teamsaga

Hi Aldra 
we regularly get sparrows and bluetits fighting for the bird boxes, so last year we were pleased to find a blackbird nesting in a shrub 4 feet from the conservatory window.
this year I thought I would encourage the blackbirds back so I bought another nesting box and made the entrance bigger for them. I put it in the shrub where I could see it from the window but the robins got in first and now think they own the garden.
They are a bit like like teenagers really, they take advantage of your hospitality and then leave without saying goodbye.


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## rowley

Our Collared Doves seem to spend their time mating, so I would not worry about them Sandra. There will be more coming along soon!


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## Spiritofherald

It takes a surprising amount of interference to drive a bird from its nest once it's layed an egg, the instinct to raise young will make the parents put up with almost anything.


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## alhod

We have a pair of collared doves nesting somewhere close but have not been able to pin down exactly where. I put seed out every day and the doves are always the first down for it, even before I've walked back across the garden. One day I almost had one taking the grain from my hand! 
We also have two pairs of swallows. One is in their usual place in the roof of the stables, they enter through a vent hole in the top of one wall - a circular opening about 40cm diameter and they fly in like jets. The other pair have taken over my workshop and we now have to leave the door open to allow them access. The nest they have built is incredible, I never cease to wonder at the ability of such small and delicate creatures - just amazing lives they have!

Best though, for us recent residents of these exotic climes (!!) is the hoopoe family in our neighbour's barn roof. Hearing that distinctive call every day is quite magical.

Alan


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## aldra

she's still sat there but I be just realised I haven't seen her mate

There were always two of them in the garden before we went away

We do occasionally get cats in the garden so hope where ever he is he,s ok

aldra


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## alhod

We also have a colony of sparrows nesting under the eaves of the house. Must be around ten or twelve pairs and they make a real mess dropping grass, leaves and the like onto our neatly manicured gravel path. Then there is the blackbird nest in a hole in an old stone wall, some 5m high.
And the blue tits and great tits visiting the fat balls we hang. I could go on ........ ! 

Ain't nature wonderful (except for the occasional visits by the sparrow hawk on a hunting trip  )

Alan


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## aldra

But the Sparrow hawk has also to feed

And what a treat to see them close up Alan such beautiful birds

don't your sparrows hassle the smaller birds, ours do so we don't get many in the garden at the feeding stations

Aldra


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## raynipper

As we (my wife) feeds the birds and puts up a dozen bird boxes, we have lots of activity. But not all the birds nest and rear their young in the protection of the boxes.
Every morning for the past week we have been woken at 5.45 by parent birds screeching away as two Magpies pluck the babies from their nests.

Ray.


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## greygit

I was feeding the birds in a campsite in Spain in January and a dove settled on my hand to get to the food first, so I wouldn't worry too much about disturbing them Aldra .....pic inclosed.


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## aldra

well she's not so skittish when we go out

But we have been back three days and have never sighted her mate

I fear he may be no more

Or do the males leave???

Always saw them together before we went away

Plenty of food provided so she doesn't need to search far

Getting broody on her behalf ,should I buy special food and if so what

Aldra


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## rowley

They normally stay together, our collared doves sometimes get hassled by the magpies.


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## alhod

aldra said:


> well she's not so skittish when we go out
> 
> But we have been back three days and have never sighted her mate
> 
> I fear he may be no more
> 
> Or do the males leave???
> 
> Always saw them together before we went away
> 
> Plenty of food provided so she doesn't need to search far
> 
> Getting broody on her behalf ,should I buy special food and if so what
> 
> Aldra


:-({|= :-({|=

We had the same happen a few years ago - think it was the male who was caught by some predatorial hawk and left the female alone with the brood.

Alan


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## alhod

Well I found the elusive nest set up by our pair.

If someone can tell me how to add a picture here I'll show you!

Alan[/img]


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## aldra

I'm feeling sad that she is there alone

Asking Albert if he could put up a shelter over her to keep her dry 8O 

He says the wisteria will open their leaves soon

Having read up on them they nest in thick conifers

We have a thick conifer hedge, closely clipped surrounding the garden, plus lightly clipped border trees yews,spruce, larch and golden thuya

So why has she left herself so exposed??

The nest is the poorest nest I've seem, but that is seemly what they build... A scanty nest 

Aldra


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## alhod

aldra said:


> I'm feeling sad that she is there alone
> 
> Asking Albert if he could put up a shelter over her to keep her dry 8O
> 
> He says the wisteria will open their leaves soon
> 
> Having read up on them they nest in thick conifers
> 
> We have a thick conifer hedge, closely clipped surrounding the garden, plus lightly clipped border trees yews,spruce, larch and golden thuya
> 
> So why has she left herself so exposed??
> 
> The nest is the poorest nest I've seem, but that is seemly what they build... A scanty nest
> 
> Aldra


Well Sandra, if I knew how to puit a photo on here I would show you the ultimate exposed nest.

Help, please, someone!!

Alan


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## Jodi1

There is a pair of collared doves visiting the feeders regularly. They sit together on the arms of the feeder when they are full up but don't want to go anywhere. There has been a very busy pair of robins feeding young in the nest, but the last two days the three fledglings have spent their time hovering round the feeder waiting to be fed by the parents. Surprisingly, we still have some Siskins hanging around. Normally they have moved off to their breeding areas, normally in Europe, but there are a few colonies forming in the pine forests of Wales and Scotland and more recently the Forest of Dean. Looks like we may be getting a Cotswold colony. The proof will be if any young ones turn up in a month or so. Unfortunately there are a pair of magpies feeding young and setting all the other birds into a frenzy. Lovely to see spring has really arrived, despite the current weather.


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## alhod

To continue!

Sandra said they choose exposed nest sites but this really takes the biscuit for bad places to hatch young collared doves!

Alan


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## aldra

A quick update

she is still on the nest and seems mostly unconcerned about the coming and going

But she doesn't seem to leave long enough to eat

I've put birdseed and bread close and there is a water feature where she can drink

sad yesterday another dove called, she answered and flew up to meet it in the tree but it was obviously not her mate

How long does it take for an egg to hatch???

Then I can start worrying about the chick

I've got the adoption papers ready :lol:  

Aldra


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## bulawayolass

If using bread always for all birds soak it or swells and can cause problems


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## aldra

Right I'll keep it wet

normally not a problem as it never stops raining

But we have had days of lovely weather

However it seems only the blackbirds appreciate my efforts 8O 

Aldra


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## alhod

Try sunflower seed - that is the first one ours take from the mix we put out.

We never feed bread because it is not a natural part of birds' diets, but I'm sure it will not be harmful if soaked. 

Alan


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## aldra

Update

There is now a chick  

The wisteria has grown too thick to see clearly now

I don't see the dove much as presumably she now sits along side her shoddy nest and is careful not to highlight its presence 

aldra


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## alhod

It is very sad with ours - the nest on top of the electric pole was blown/washed away in a big storm last week and now the pair are building again. Two broken eggs on the ground below 
 

There's a definite opportunity for someone to give lessons to collared doves in locating suitable sites for nesting! 

Alan


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## teamsaga

Hi
We came back from an mcc weekend and found 5 baby robins dead on the floor near the nesting box. 3 were complete 2 with heads missing, presumably not killed for food.
The baby sparrows flew off so mum laid some more eggs and started again.


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## aldra

Tat woud have upset me too teamsaga

I find the visiting Sparrowhawk, sad but beautiful

But he also needs to feed

Anxiously watching the chick  8O 

Aldra


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## alhod

We have had a sparrow hawk around here for the last couple of days. We managed to scare him off yesterday when he was eyeing the baby sparrows on the ground but when I opened the front door a few minutes ago I saw his persistence - one of our pair of collared doves lying dead literally on the doorstep. So sad after the first nest was destroyed a couple of weeks ago and they had been working to rebuild.

 

On a brighter note we were entranced yesterday afternoon when a hoopoe visited and spent about half an hour strutting around feeding, only a couple of yards from the window we were standing at watching him/her (hoopoe sexing is not my strong point!)
Even raised its crest a couple of times when a sparrow dared to get too close.

Alan


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## aldra

The chick has now left the nest so at least she managed to rear it successfully

Still see a couple of doves around but hard to get a good look if they are mother and young one

It is sad Alan although I wonder why the hawk left it, ours just usually eats it in situ and leaves a pile of feathers

Sandra


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## alhod

aldra said:


> The chick has now left the nest so at least she managed to rear it successfully
> 
> Still see a couple of doves around but hard to get a good look if they are mother and young one
> 
> It is sad Alan although I wonder why the hawk left it, ours just usually eats it in situ and leaves a pile of feathers
> 
> Sandra


It left because I opened the door! I saw it disappearing over the garden wall - b*****d !!

Alan


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