Who hates mourning doves? Fess up.

[RPD]

Thanks PC.

Really Long story.
Someone in our neighborhood had about 15 animals including peacocks. They got rid of the other animals but the peacocks are still around. Last week one of the peacocks was in front of our house. We were looking at it and one of our neighbors asked if we should call animal control. We talked about that later, that animal control would not come out on Saturday at 5:00 for a peacock. The next day told this story to my sister and she said that they saw a wounded hawk on the road and they called animal control and they told her they would not come out, but to call a place that specializes in hawks.

Fast forward to yesterday and there was a group of people standing in front of my house and they said there was a injured dove in my front yard. They had called "the department of rehabilitation" and left a message with my address. I knew there was no way anyone was going to come out to get a dove. They would probably say to leave the dove alone and let the hawk come back get it's lunch. Nature is nature. So I put a cage around the dove and went to Tractor Supply (I was going there anyway). Got some bird seed. On the way there I thought, wasn't there a thread about how much we hate doves and now I am trying to save one?

I sent pictures to my daughter and she said it was a perfect Father's day present for me. To try and save a wild animal. I I told her that I think I will call it Doug because Doug the Dove sounds great. It is probably a girl bird but Doug the dove just sounds too good.

Obligatory picture of the peacock as it walked through our backyard.
View attachment 81961

Chances are high Doug the Dove will eventually shit on your car.

 

[sdifox]

Thanks PC.

Really Long story.
Someone in our neighborhood had about 15 animals including peacocks. They got rid of the other animals but the peacocks are still around. Last week one of the peacocks was in front of our house. We were looking at it and one of our neighbors asked if we should call animal control. We talked about that later, that animal control would not come out on Saturday at 5:00 for a peacock. The next day told this story to my sister and she said that they saw a wounded hawk on the road and they called animal control and they told her they would not come out, but to call a place that specializes in hawks.

Fast forward to yesterday and there was a group of people standing in front of my house and they said there was a injured dove in my front yard. They had called "the department of rehabilitation" and left a message with my address. I knew there was no way anyone was going to come out to get a dove. They would probably say to leave the dove alone and let the hawk come back get it's lunch. Nature is nature. So I put a cage around the dove and went to Tractor Supply (I was going there anyway). Got some bird seed. On the way there I thought, wasn't there a thread about how much we hate doves and now I am trying to save one?

I sent pictures to my daughter and she said it was a perfect Father's day present for me. To try and save a wild animal. I I told her that I think I will call it Doug because Doug the Dove sounds great. It is probably a girl bird but Doug the dove just sounds too good.

Obligatory picture of the peacock as it walked through our backyard.
View attachment 81961

Err, that is not a dove, it's a peacock.

 

[eelw]

My pair have gone elsewhere. Haven’t heard them for over a week now

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I prefer Evening War Hawks, personally...

Their gentle calls of "We'll be greeted as liberators" lulls me into a calm sleep.

 

[Stopsignhank]

Chances are high Doug the Dove will eventually shit on your car.

I would be OK with that. That means that he is doing well and flying.

 

[Stopsignhank]

My pair have gone elsewhere. Haven’t heard them for over a week now

View attachment 82013

I think I have one of yours. You can stop by and pick it up if you want.

 

[Stopsignhank]

I looked up how fast birds grow their feathers back and most places say it can take up to a year. They said that birds molt their feathers once a year, and grow them back. They do so one at a time so it could take a year for the feathers to grow back. That is too long to have a cage in my yard. We have talked about getting chickens so I might just go ahead and buy/make a chicken coop and throw him in there while he heals.

Checked on him this morning. The grass is wet so little Mr. Prissy was standing on his food bowl. Gave me a great chance to look at this back and he is already growing feathers back!!!! It looks like he will be healed fairly quickly and then I can let him go. Doug will be pooping on my car sooner than I thought!!

 

[Red Squirrel]

I was just thinking how I have not heard these in a while, and I heard one today.

Whaawhoooooo whooo whooo whooo

 

[Stopsignhank]

I was not going to bore everyone with the daily progress, but something happened. Doug is doing very well. His feathers are growing back incredibly fast. I also found out that I had to put something in the pen for him to stand on. I guess he does not like the grass and would stand on the bowls and poop in his food and water.



The thing that happened was yesterday I thought I saw another dove flying around the area where his pen is. I even sat down about 20 feet away from the pen and while I enjoyed 15 minutes reading my kindle, nothing happened. Today though my wife called me over to the pen and it turns out that Doug has a friend. The picture may not be the best because I did not want to get too close, but you get the idea.



Edit, friend is still there 30 minutes later and was able to take a closer picture.

 

[zinfamous]

I was not going to bore everyone with the daily progress, but something happened. Doug is doing very well. His feathers are growing back incredibly fast. I also found out that I had to put something in the pen for him to stand on. I guess he does not like the grass and would stand on the bowls and poop in his food and water.

View attachment 82353

The thing that happened was yesterday I thought I saw another dove flying around the area where his pen is. I even sat down about 20 feet away from the pen and while I enjoyed 15 minutes reading my kindle, nothing happened. Today though my wife called me over to the pen and it turns out that Doug has a friend. The picture may not be the best because I did not want to get too close, but you get the idea.

View attachment 82359

Edit, friend is still there 30 minutes later and was able to take a closer picture.

Doug: no, it's called a prison purse, you idiot! that's why the file fell out of your beak on the way over here!

 

[skyking]

We've got pheasants, and at 5 am, they're not too pleasant.

 

[Stopsignhank]

SK, Pheasants would be cool. We don't have those, but we have lots of quail around. Then there is the aforementioned peacocks, they are loud. You know how they say that ducks quack does not echo? I can verify that a peacock call does echo.

So Doug has been making moves that he wants to leave. His feathers have been growing back really well and he looks pretty healthy. The thing is my wife was taking a walk on Friday and saw the remains of a dove that was caught by a hawk. So she said that we have to make sure that Doug is in good shape before we let him go.



This is him this morning and look at how well his feathers have grown back. We gave him a little test to see how he is doing. In other words we put a stick in the cage to see if he could fly. He did pretty well so we decided to let him go. Took the top off the cage and shushed him out. He flew up to nearby tree and sat there and looked at us.



He flew up there OK, but not great. My wife asked me how I was doing and I said I was OK, happy that the was better but I wish he could have flown better. A couple minutes we were sitting on the patio and saw Doug fly by and into the neighbor's yard. It was easy to tell it was him because he still only has one long tail feather and he was flying with kind of a lean, but it was definitely him and he was definitely flying!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!!! Have a good life Doug!

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Leave the cage open with food to see if he drops in for the night.

 

[Stopsignhank]

I had left the top off the pen and filled his food bowl up when I let him out, just in case he wanted to come back. The little birds found the bowl of food and emptied it out, just like leaving a bowl on candy on your porch on Halloween with a sign saying "Take one."

Today there have been all kinds of doves flying around, and hawks. Around noon I looked out and one dove looked different. Got out the binoculars and sure enough it was Doug.



It makes sense since this was roughly the same area where he was found 2 weeks ago so he must live around here. Still pretty cool though and good to know he made it at least one day.

Unfortunately I am not too sure about good old Doug. I saw 2 hawks flying around and screeching. My wife said she saw 6 hawks flying around our house. So not only has Doug barely escaped one attack but he has not learned his lesson. He is the bump on the left of the gazebo. And he hung out there for at least 15 minutes. Notice all of the trees that he could have used for shelter, but nope. Doug has to be literally out there in the open preening his feathers just waiting to be eaten. Maybe I should have given him some predator avoidance training while I had the chance.

 

[Captante]

Doug = dinner ?!? (too soon?)

Seriously you did the best you could.

 

[lxskllr]

I did say they were dumb as bricks. That's right on brand. Nice you can still count on some things in this world :^D

 

[Stopsignhank]

In my mind, I thought I would release him and he would live a long and healthy life. However I knew that he would probably be eaten the day after I let him go. Even so, I am amazed at how dumb this bird is.

Might as well hold up a sign for the hawks that says "Come eat me"

 

[eelw]

Oh didn’t leave

 

[jpiniero]

 

[BoomerD]

I hear the doves in the morning...owls at night. Neither one bothers me..,but the crows? I fckn HATE the crows. There will be times when 200 or more will fly by, coming or going to their night time nesting trees. (The city cut down more than 300 60+ foot tall red alders and fir trees last year to "improve the flightpath" for the local airport. At least the crow convention is no longer right behind my house.)
We have bald eagles, <skreeee> and Great Blue Herons <skraaaaak>as well as turkey vultures in the wetlands behind the house. The herons, as FUGLY as they are, are impressive birds...and are possibly my favorites.

 

[skyking]

The neighbor released chinese ringnecks and melanated mutant pheasants, the purplish greenish iridescent one.
These boys are trying to impress the hen, who is more interested in the cracked corn we put out for them.
My yard has dogs, so a ringneck hen went next door to have some chicks. The neighbor reports there were about a dozen to start with and now they are down to 6.

 

[Pohemi]

Doves and Pigeons.

Both are flying rats.

 

[Zeze]

Damn except in the foreground, that's nice landscaping

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Why stop at the doves?

 

[Stopsignhank]

Somebody found Doug!! They got the name wrong though.




NO this is not Doug, but can you imagine that someone found a dove and took it to Animal Control? I saw 4 doves this morning outside my house. I am surprised that Animal Control just not just release the stupid thing out into the wild.