It’s Been A Difficult Relationship!

But the doves finally won 🙂 We have an abundance of doves when we are here for the winter and this time of year they are mating so they can be paticularly annoying. They love to sit in my two tall planters and I’m constantly chasing them out … and they have no fear!

They like the two tall planters on the right of the patio.

To get rid of them I have to walk right up to the planter and slap it to scare them into flying away. Finally I had hubby put long nails around the edges and that seem to work.

The plants have died because they kept sitting on them.

Well it worked on one planter, the other one they pushed the nails back and made themselves at home and despite me constantly scaring them off one enterprising couple was able to make a nest and yesterday we found an egg. I finally accepted that Penelope and Mr. Penelope had won and I let them stay.

But now the problem I have is that the nesting period for a dove egg is fourteen days and in six days I have to empty the planters and put them away for the summer. Many people have suggested that I just leave the planter out and let the flowers die but it is an expensive planters and I don’t want the summer heat to deform, discolour, or destroy it. So I am going to prepare a box with dirt and leftover plants from my other planters and using a shovel gently lift the nesting material and the egg (when mommy and daddy are away) and place it in the box. I will then move the big planter and put the box back in it’s place. Hopefully mommy and daddy will come back and continue to sit on the egg.

I really hope it works and I also wish we were going to be around to see the egg hatch. Maybe next year they will lay an egg earlier and I will get to see it hatch.

Mommy and Daddy (they take turns) have no fear when you get close but I like to give them as much space as possible.

Until next time …

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