Sunday 7 September 2008

Update on Spirit

Sunday 7.9.08



Close up of Spirit





Spirit in the garden. In the second photo, see her perched on the rung of the garden chair watching a courting couple!




We have had Spirit living in the garden for about ten days now. Unfortunately, her wing is not better and she cannot fly. Hopefully, it is healing internally. Other than that, she seems very happy and healthy. She appeared to have some evidence of mites when she arrived, but now is clean. Her feathers are pure white, she eats well and seems content to spend the day on the path, or hiding in the flower-bed. When I pick her up to put her in the dovecote at night, she squeaks but doesnt really struggle any more. I hope she realises I am helping her. When it's bedtime - around 6pm at the moment - she walks out from the flower-bed and then I pick her up.






She is definitely a female, as I suspected, as I have seen another male courting her. See the dove/pigeon in the photo! Poor Spirit, she couldnt fly away from his unwanted attentions and I had to shoo him off. Saviour, being a gentleman and knowing she is poorly. has not tried to force his attentions on her!






Spirit with unwanted male

I'm so glad Saviour hasn't abandoned her (yet). He comes down each day and spends some time with her, on the path or in the flower bed. One day they walked together to the back of the house, and sat together there. It's very touching, and one of the reasons I love the doves. for the 'human' characteristics they display.




Spirit and Saviour on the path, as seen through the kitchen door, and sitting together at the back of the house.

My Yorkshire terrier doesnt upset Spirit.

The end.

5 comments:

Frances said...

Faith, I can see how these doves can fascinate. Your pictures are so good at showing the dramas going on in your garden.

Best wishes to you and to Spirit on continued healing.

xo

Grouse said...

Hope she recovers.....

Maggie Christie said...

I didn't know doves were so loving to each other. It's a very sweet story and what a lucky dove to have found you to look after her. I'm glad to hear she's doing so well.

Edward said...

My parents used to keep white fan-tailed pigeons - one of my strongest memories is of about eighty or ninety of them taking off, en masse, into a cloudless blue sky. But the stray racing pigeons made keeping the progeny pure white very difficult!

CAMILLA said...

Gorgeous photo's of Doves Faith,I do hope littel Dove's wing heals, but good to know she seems contented, they are very lucky to have you care for them Faith, you are soo kind.

xx