i have a dove sat in my conifers on a nest, i thought it was a bit early but have recently found out they start nesting in march, the problem is i dont think she is eating, everytime i look out of the window she is still there, some starlings and chafinches are going over to have a look but shes not reacting...dont know if this is normal, maybe the male takes her food i have no idea....all advice given would be great!
Thankyou.
Hi Dani - i don't think you have anything to worry about at all. Firstly, unlike most other birds, doves and pigeons can theoretically nest at any time of the year as long as the conditions are right ie there's enough food, and they have a suitably sheltered nest site. This is because they don't rely on the invertebrates that most other garden birds need to feed to their young.
Secondly, the bird on the nest isn't feeding while she's sat on the nest. Another nesting difference is that doves and pigeons share incubating duties, so the female will sit on the eggs during the day and the male will sit overnight. If you're watching at the right time (dawn or about half an hour/an hour before sunset) you'll see the two birds change over on the nest - her partner will fly in nearby, they'll exchange a few coos, then one will hop off the nest to go off to feed, while the other takes over duties on the nest.
The male will be off all day feeding and defending the territory, and before dusk the female will go off to feed before roosting somewhere nearby overnight - sometimes even squeezing on the nest with the male! It's easy to confuse what you see as one bird sitting on a nest 24hours a day because doves are "monomorphic" meaning they are virtually identical and hard to tell apart.
I hope that alleviates your worries - keep a look out for the changeover!
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I had a collared dove hatch in my garden on 1st April last year, so I don't think it's too early.
The parents do look pretty glued to the nest while the egg is incubating - I could get relatively close to mine, and she wasn't spooked at all.
It's quite fun to keep watching the nest later in the year when the baby has hatched. As it grows, the parent(s) seem to remove the nest bit by bit, I guess by way of encouraging the young bird to take flight. Just before mine flew last year, it was basically living very precariously on about three sticks!
I was lucky enough to see its maiden flight too. A bit wobbly, but it managed ok; and, soppy thing that I am, it actually brought tears to my eyes. I hope your dove experience will be as exciting.
BB
Oh this is a lovely happy thread.
We have had baby collared doves in early January. I think the year before last ? There is a nest in an oak tree, so its on full view ATM. very close to my house of C Doves, every time I look its occupied.
I see from this thread something I didn't know is that the female is off the nest for the night...Typicle male, hogging the bed.