Bye Bye Birdies

The 1st batch of dove babies has hatched and flown the nest.  I was unaware of how quickly these babies develop and grow.  Here’s the chicks hanging out on the garden wall enjoying the sun and cool breeze.

The nest in the hanging basket on the front step has not hatched yet.  The nest over the garage holds the smartest idiot doves I’ve observed.  Smart because they have a warm, sheltered nest.  Idiots because they don’t build a strong enough nest to hold the eggs they lay.  Out they roll -  right out the nest and kersplat on the concrete below.  With all the doves around, I can certainly understand why there are 2 hunting seasons.

There are other birds in the garden – hummingbirds, scrub jays, owls, mockingbirds, sparrows, and these guys.

Starlings are most annoying.  Their song is a screeching, slurping noise that is similar to nails on a wet chalkboard.  More over, they bathe in the cat food dishes if I forget to pick them up.  Cat kibble gets scattered all over the patio.  They may look a bit stunning; but they are not my favorites.

I would love to bring chickens into my garden and make them my favorite garden bird; but I don’t have the stomach/heart to slaughter them and eggs are only good for baked goods (in my opinion).

Another reason for not keeping birds in my garden…