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Collared dove garden guardian
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Collared dove garden guardian
NeilW
03/06/2017 19:27
Hi everyone, I wanted to ask about a seemingly protective collared dove! The dove hangs around our garden a lot. I've had nesting blue tits throughout May, and they fledged over the last three or so days. During the nesting period, the collared dove would seemingly chase off any bird getting too close or interested in the area near to the blue tit box. I've seen her go after magpies and jackdaws with passion, seeing them right off the premises before returning to her usual perch. She clearly isn't having any of it! Today after two more blue tits fledged (the last ones to go i think), jackdaws were visiting and showing an unusual interest in the tree where the chicks had emerged. I was distracting them away, but was soon joined by the collared dove, swooping in from nowhere and ejecting the jackdaws completely from the garden. She then came back and literally took a perch above the blue tit nest box (not her usual perch), and waited there for ages whilst the blue tits took food for the newly emerged young. Any returning jackdaws were evicted without question. Despite my wishful optimism, i realise she probably doesn't care much for the blue tits per se, and this was just a general territorial thing against larger birds, but it was pretty amazing to see. Has anyone noticed any other seemingly protective inter-species behaviour? Thanks