swimmermom3 Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 (edited) Yesterday, I walked back and forth several times out of our front door to water plants before I noticed a Mourning dove nestled in the barkdust by the front porch. This one and its mate have been in our front yard and on the ground for the past 24 hours. They have moved around a little bit, moving into the sun in the late afternoon. This morning I walked within 2 foot of them accidentally and they didn't move. This isn't good, is it? I thought yesterday that they were seeking shelter from the heavy winds but it is fairly quiet today. What do I do if anything? Edited August 27, 2010 by swimmermom3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Are you worried that they are nesting there or that one might be injured? If it's an injury you suspect, do you have a local wildlife refuge center you can call to inquire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Are you worried that they are nesting there or that one might be injured? If it's an injury you suspect, do you have a local wildlife refuge center you can call to inquire? We did call the Audubon Society and unfortunately, it did not have a good outcome. We gently tried to get them to fly and they wouldn't. The Society told us to bring both of them in. We weren't sure if one was injured and the other was staying with it or if they were very young. As we were within range, they did flutter very awkwardly into one tree in our front yard. The other one wobbled and bobbled and landed on the basketball hoop where a huge hawk came out of nowhere and carried it off. The kids and I are devastated. We try very hard not to interfere with nature except in the case of suffering. We've spent years teaching our kids the ethics of dealing with nature and I blew it big time. Those poor birds must have been hunkering down on the ground by the house to stay out of his way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 We did call the Audubon Society and unfortunately, it did not have a good outcome. We gently tried to get them to fly and they wouldn't. The Society told us to bring both of them in. We weren't sure if one was injured and the other was staying with it or if they were very young. As we were within range, they did flutter very awkwardly into one tree in our front yard. The other one wobbled and bobbled and landed on the basketball hoop where a huge hawk came out of nowhere and carried it off. The kids and I are devastated. We try very hard not to interfere with nature except in the case of suffering. We've spent years teaching our kids the ethics of dealing with nature and I blew it big time. Those poor birds must have been hunkering down on the ground by the house to stay out of his way. I hate to say it, but I'll bet the one who was wobbly didn't have long to live, anyway, and it's probably a mercy he/she was given a quicker death. I have a friend who watches birds for a hobby, and she was just telling me that she had to wipe a hawk AND a sparrow off the big, sliding glass window the other day--apparently the hawk was pursuing the sparrow, caught it and didn't have time to stop before running into the window. (She does have anti-glare or whatever, so birds don't generally run into it.) Nature is hard sometimes. Sorry you had to witness the rougher parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 OH, my, if I didn't know you lived in another part of the country, I would have sworn you lived on my walking route. We witnessed something very similar on our morning walk this morning. I saw this dove hobbling along and I could not watch the hawk come get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 I hate to say it, but I'll bet the one who was wobbly didn't have long to live, anyway, and it's probably a mercy he/she was given a quicker death. I have a friend who watches birds for a hobby, and she was just telling me that she had to wipe a hawk AND a sparrow off the big, sliding glass window the other day--apparently the hawk was pursuing the sparrow, caught it and didn't have time to stop before running into the window. (She does have anti-glare or whatever, so birds don't generally run into it.) Nature is hard sometimes. Sorry you had to witness the rougher parts. You're probably right, but I am still thinking Ol' Mother Nature didn't need my help in this case. Shoot. You know, give me a kid with a scalp wound, or a crumpled finger and I'm good to go. I'll do what's needed and be sick in the bushes when it's all over if need be. Give me a bad animal situation, even the death of a goldfish, and I am an utter wimp. I even grew up with horses on acreage and I still get the sniffles. Chris, I would not want to have been your friend for anything. Ugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 My rule is to never shoo birds unless they are in the way of a car or where I need to get to. If they are injured they will either recover or not. There are plenty of doves, so it is not like they need to be conserved. So we would never take something like a dove into wild life place. I include baby birds in this. Just leave them alone even if they survive good, if not that is nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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