Glimmer of hope for John

Nov. 27th '07

Sunday started badly - when I opened the door to let the dog out and feed the doves first thing in the morning, I found a dead dove with its head bitten off in the yard just outside our gate - white feathers everywhere. Very unpleasant, but thankfully not John, and I must be getting hardened to these losses. We don't know if it was fox, cat, mink or hawk.

Yesterday (Monday) when I came home it was already dark and John wasn't in the usual nest box. But there was a dove in a different one. This is unusual, and of course not being able to see his ring, I don't know if it was John or not.

Today, John was in his usual box and flew out early to join the others on the roof - later he went back in the box, and another dove flew up, peeked into a nestbox, and entered. And stayed a while!

I'm hoping that another dove, or pair, will 'home' here and we will have new families. Of course I also hope that John finds a new mate.

The only downside would be if the new dove/s drive John away.