You guys! Storytime!
Sometime in July, a pair of mourning doves decided to build a nest on top of our garage door opener…in our garage…right over the dad-guy’s old Corvette. As a side note…this is one reason not to leave your garage door open for an extended period of time…but I digress.
Anyways, they built their nest and before the mom or dad discovered it and could do anything about it…like remove it… the momma dove laid a couple of eggs. So the nest got to stay where it was because the mom didn’t want to disturb the eggs.
The dad was a little concerned that the birds might poop on his car or that the babies…once hatched…might fall out of the nest so he put a tarp over the car. So far, they’ve only made a mess with like leaves and sticks.
Sorry about these photos…they’re not the best but it’s kinda dark in the garage and it wasn’t easy getting good shots. That yellow arrow is pointing at the nest.
After a few weeks, the 2 eggs finally hatched. We got to watch the momma feed the babies…and soon the babies got to be almost as big as their momma. We wondered when they would leave the nest.
Y’know…mourning doves are pretty docile…that’s my big word for the day. These birds rarely moved and hardly made a peep. Even when the dad-guy started up that Corvette of his.
And then yesterday it happened. The babies flew the coop…so to speak. They perched themselves on the other garage door opener and sat there looking a little confused. Momma was still around keeping an eye on them.
Look how big these babies are already!
Now the mom and dad-guy have to figure out how to get them all out of the garage if they don’t leave on their own soon. The mom says they can’t make the garage their home. I dunno…I think that might be a nice idea…especially if I can sneak out there to have some fun with them.
I’ll keep you all posted on what happens.
30 Responses to “Storytime is for the Birds”
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Yes, a good idea to put a barrier between that nest and the car, Ernie!
Mourning doves are some of my favorite birds…just don’t tell Trout Towne Tabbies!
Wow!! Could they ever close the garage door? What were those birds thinking when they have an entire island to build a nest!!
We have mourning doves that wait on our patio every day for bird food from mom. They aren’t afraid of us in the window at all!!
Yeah, the doors could be closed. Those birds weren’t bothered much at all.
OH, Ernie, we LOVE those doves and they come here every morning to peck at the crackers that mama puts out for their breakfast. Maybe you could give them a little map to our house and tell them that the vittles are pretty good here, should they…er…wish to fly the coop even further. One day they will leave the leaves, haha and that nest will probably drop on your dad-guy’s head as he gets in his ‘Vette. Get your camera ready…
Do they bill and coo?
Or maybe you could bill THEM for cooing in your garage!!!
We had mourning doves that nested on our back deck. They came back for about 3 years and then stopped.
I wish I had some here to see. Mom does too. She likes them a lot.
**apawss apawss** What lovelee Mournin Dovess babiess!
Wee hope they fly THE coop aka garage soon…..they are so docile it is hard to know what to die with them…..
Pawss crossed fore a nice outcome fore efurryone Ernie!!! 😉
***nose rubs*** BellaDharma an (((hugss))) BellaSita Sistur
Oh my. What an interesting adventure for you and the birds.
Have a fabulous day. Scritches to the kitties. ♥
That’s a cool story! We had two of those kind of nests in different trees, but the winds we had took out both of them. Not sure if there were eggs or young ones in them…but saw no evidence to suggest lives were lost. Those birds seem to build very loose nests in unlikely and unstable places!
Hope yours leave their shelter soon! Otherwise they may be trying to get as driver license, LOL!
They do build their nests in weird places. One year, they built a nest in a gutter on our house and even laid a couple of eggs! Unfortunately, that nest did not survive. The mom says she doesn’t think doves are very smart.
Wow how cool. Growing up their were some sparrows that built a nest every year on our exterior garage lights. There was quite a bit of poop on our driveway.
Wow, what a sweet little feathered family! Your peeps are very kind Ernie.
How adorable! Hopefully the doves will transition easily to outdoor living! You are looking cute and adorable yourself today, Ernie!
That is really cool. How were you able to close the garage door so the doves were able to come and go?
The doors were open all during the day when the mom was home. When she went out somewhere and at night, they were shut. And yes, that meant the doves were locked in the garage when the doors were closed.
That was kind of your folks to let the doves raise their family there. XO
They’re so sweet!
I hope y’all can get them to move on with much of a problem Ernie, they’re pretty cute!
They’re so cute Ernie. I hope you get your garage back soon.
We had a mourning dove build a nest atop the curtain rod on our porch. She was there forever. We checked the nest, and it had one egg. Supposedly the eggs only take about 14 days to hatch, and the babies are supposed to leave the nest after about another two weeks. Those doves were in that nest for at least two months. We never thought they’d leave. Good luck getting the birdies out of the garage. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, angel Mauricio, Misty May, angel Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Sawyer, Kizmet, Audrey & Raleigh
They look cute, Ernie. Birds build their nests in the oddest places. One year we came back from holiday and blackbirds had got in the tractor shed and built a nest on the seat of the little tractor. Ivor could only use the big tractor until they fledged.
I betcha they take off very soon – they’re big enough to go out and about and once they see it’s a BIG WORLD beyond the garage they’ll be enjoying it. At least I hope so!
Hugs, Teddy
Oh Ernie I think I’ll send a link to your post to our next door neighbors. They leave their garage door up every second of they day when they are home. I purrsonally would worry about copperheads making a home in the garage but they are clueless. Any way that model of Dad’s Corvette is my favorite and I’m expecting if the bird mom and dad can’t get the babes out YOUR MOM AND DAD can
Hugs Cecilia
Just a bit of excitement at your place.
Are those birds paying rent?
Purrs, Julie
Wow, how fun to watch them! They’re cute!
What a great story! So cool you got to see the babies grow!
That’s a great story. Congrats to Mr & Ms. Dove for successfully raising their chicks!
We leave our garage door open in the summer and cracked open (it’s not an automatic door) in the winter in case any critters need shelter.
Purrs,
The Chans
What a fun addition to the house. Lady is now wondering what would move into our garage if we kept it open all the time. Our guess is a family of skunks! Looking forward to what is next for the birds.
If they stay in there, Ernie,maybe you could charge them rent!