I’ve been studying more about morning doves, and I’m so thrilled that at least a few couples call my house their home, especially since I wasn’t sure if they would return after the renovation. All this time, I thought there were clandestine owls around, but now I know it is the sound of the morning doves, although I’ve never seen them make the sound. The ones that nest on the front porch have always remained silent when I walk by. My theory is that one of the parents always remains with the chicks to keep the chicks from making any noise, which makes them ideal neighbors and probably protects them from danger evolutionarily. They are gorgeous birds with soft features. I learned that they require very low-maintenance nests, so the hanging planters are probably luxury condos by comparison.

This video is the first time I have seen a morning dove sit on the new pergola and the relatively new metal arbor tunnel. They never seem to have an interest in the water fountains, which is a virtual Grand Central Station for the small birds and sometimes hummingbirds, which have returned to the house after a noticeable deficit I had, no matter how many times I changed the recipe on the hummingbird feeders.