Doves v Lawn

Aug 2008

The Doves This Summer

My husband thinks that the doves wreck the lawn. I don't agree. I think it was the dry weather we had in June that dried out patches of the lawn. He suggested that I feed the doves on the island, and I mulled over this idea in my head. There are pros and cons, but the biggest pro is that if I want to try again with my own new flock next year, which I do, then I need to get the feral flock feeding away from the dovecote. So the pros and cons are

Pros

Husband can't complain doves wreck the lawn if they are not on it!

It doesn't matter how much they 'wreck' the island as it is rough grass.

The feral flock will be feeding well away from the dovecote which will have to be covered with a homing net when we get our own new flock.

As they will be feeding on the island, out of my sight, I won't feel like running out to feed them so often, so they will finish all the bits of feed they don't particularly like (saving money).

They may be more protected from the hawk on the island as it is quite small and a fair amount of it is covered by the tree, thus blocking hawk's vision and downward swoop.

When the lawn treatment people come I won't have to be so worried that the doves are eating the stuff they put down to feed the lawn.

Cons

I won't see the ferals feeding and bathing on the lawn in front of me. Big con.

I will have to traipse over the rickety bridge to the island at least twice a day, rain or shine, to feed them.... ok in the summer, dodgy in the winter.

If anyone else feeds the doves for me, like my neighbour, he will have to go over the rickety bridge.

Getting the doves to feed on the island might be tricky.

***

Anyway, I decided that , in the long term, it would benefit me if I could move the ferals feeding place to the island so I told husband that I agreed to his suggestion, but he must give me time to get the doves used to it.

I started by moving the doves feeding pans every day a little further down the lawn. This was fine while we were in the open expanse of the lawn in front of the house. Every morning the hungry doves fly down to me and of course they could see where I had moved the pans to. Then

we got to the narrow bit under the arch which goes into a smaller patch of lawn in front of the conservatory. They didnt like going through the arch for some reason, but of course, hunger driven, they did. The next bit was even trickier - the narrow grass path between the flower bed and the conservatory, opening onto another small patch of lawn with the washing line in it. Again they accepted it, although it was a nuisance for the day or so while they were on the narrow grass path.

They liked the washing line and happily sat on it, like little white socks blowing in the breeze, waiting for me to fill the pans. Of course, rather inconvenient for me as I couldnt risk using the line and having nasty additions to my clean washing!

Then I had the major problem of getting them fron the garden to the island. They did not like this one bit. The gate to the bridge to the island is mostly shut (and padlocked) to prevent anyone coming over to the garden from the other side of the river. Now I wanted to keep it open to show the doves where I was putting the pans, but it was a hazard to my little dog who is intrigued by the island and quite capable of trip-trapping over the bridge, and maybe falling in! The bridge is only wooden planks with gaps between. I sorted this problem by putting a piece of wood across the gateway,

The doves were still resistant despite being hungry. I put pans on the bridge, loose grain on the bridge, pans on the island, loose grain on the island wall... but no they wouldnt cross over. Pathetically they watched me from their vantage points on the top of the house, the washing line and their slip-slidy positions on the conservatory roof. I was firm and kept calling them, and throwing more (imaginery) grain down to tempt them and eventually one or two bold ones came fluttering round me, and the others followed.

The whole process took about a week, and now the doves are very comfortable with the new arrangement, and although I miss feeding them on the lawn I am looking forward to getting a new flock of my own next Spring. We will get six this time. Last time I started with four,one pair had babies very quickly so we had six, but it will be better to have three pairs to start with. I have already started thinking about names, and when it comes to the time I will choose one name from Purplecooers suggestions.

Over the summer the flock has increased and today 16th Aug '08 I counted about 65 feral doves. It's getting too many by far, but I try to only put out the same amount of food. Some of the doves are a bit scruffy - maybe they are coming in from a distance for the food. Sometime during the summer the feral pigeons were culled in my local town-that-likes-to-call-itself-a-village. I knew immediately that it had been done because, to me, the town seemed quieter and less cheerful. When I was up in my Pilates class in second-floor studio I looked out and saw two dead pigeons on a flat roof, confirming my suspicions - they hadnt been gathered up after the cull. It makes me sad though I can understand why it is done. Pigeons do make a terrible mess, especially when breeding under the eaves etc and old buildings have many hidey holes. I think some of the feral pigeons who escaped the cull have joined up with the feral white doves. I'm seeing many more grey and coloured ones now.

Doves on the island as seen through the garden fence!

The end

Pinkie's Flock and Chess's flock..... and Angel

This blog is just a general update, more for me than for anyone reading!

There seems to be two small feral flocks. Pinkie's flock is named after Pinkie who I have mentioned before. Pinkie is the tamest dove out of all who visit my garden. She is definitely female as I have seen her being 'courted' (but not mated). She wears a thick bright pink ring, so is easily recognisable and obviously someone else at some time ringed her.

I go out to feed the doves at 7.30 am in the morning. Pinkie and her flock are usually waiting for me, on the roof or the lawn. They walk and fly towards me, which is gratifying, and I always wear my bright turquoise dressing gown as I read in my dove book that pigeon fanciers keep a special coat that they put on when they go into their lofts so the pigeons recognise them. One day when it was pouring recently I put my white coat over my dressing gown and the doves didn't come down to feed until I had gone away. I scoop up their food from a metal bin near the house into an old blue plastic round washing up bowl that used to belong to my mother and then I collect their feeding trays from the shed kitchen where I leave them overnight. I take any food left over in at dusk, and clear the table of stray grain to discourage rats, as we have had problems with them in the past.

I set the trays on the big garden table that I use as a feeding station and start filling them. Pinkie is always the first to fly down, while I am still filling the trays. She is a big, confident dove and will start eating and the others quickly follow, fluttering down around me - but not too close! Two or three will often stay on the roof until I move away. I read an interesting article about how one bird will watch over the flock, taking the role of sentry while the others eat, and this does seem to happen here. Often one dove will stay on top of the roof, scanning the sky. I also stay close for the morning feed to discourage the hawk. And keep away the magpies, the squirrel, the pheasant and the jackdaws who like to take over the table.

I also scatter food for the little garden birds on the edge of the table and nearby ground.

Then I move a short distance away and watch them; always checking their feet for rings, in the hope that I might see John, or Columba - who came back at Easter - or even Pax. And now also for Angel.

***

Angel's Story

I came out of the kitchen door just as the hawk was tussling with the dove almost in front of me - it was all so quick that it was impossible to really see. The hawk flew off and the dove sort of hopped to shelter - the coal bunker again - and got stuck. I picked her up very gently, holding her wings close against her body and she had blood on her. My husband came and terribly gently stretched out her wings to see if they were ok. We felt she was frightened and scratched more than badly hurt and put her, with food and water, in the dog travelling box 'hospital' for the night to recuperate. If I have a poorly dove I always put the box up high in the shed, and make sure the door is firmly shut.

The next morning, early, I brought the box out of the shed and Angel appeared keen to get out as she several times tried to batter down the grille door. I carefully removed her and ringed her - not an easy feat without assistance. I would have waited for my husband to come home and help, but felt it wasn't fair to Angel. I had to use a pink ring but it doesnt show up well against a dove's pink feet. I don't know why they make them pink and white! My last selection were pink, white, green, orange, yellow and purple. Red and blue would be more sensible than pink and white.

I put Angel onto the feeding table and she walked about and fluffed up her wings a little, and then tried to fly ..... and couldn't! She fluttered to the ground and spent the next couple of hours, hiding near the hedge or sitting on a very low perch we have at the bottom of the dovecote.

Angel

Eventually she seemed to have got her head together and flew away, buI haven't seen her since then. I don't blame her for not wanting to visit the garden where the claws of death might be waiting.

***

Pinkie is probably the leader of her morning flock, and often the only one that I can recognise amongst them all - the rest being totally white.

Chess's flock come in the afternoon and are less tame. Chess, so named by my daughter, as he has beautifully marked black feathers in his tail, is definitely male as I have seen him displaying courting behaviour. I don't think he is the leader of the flock, but he is one I can recognise easily. Sometime Liquorice, a dark feathered dove, is there too, and another one similar to Chess with dark tail feathers.

Chess

There are about a dozen doves in each little flock, and sometimes in the afternoons they are all there together, sunning themselves on the roof. I often have individual doves just turn up for a quick feed when the main groups are elsewhere, or sometimes a pair will stay for the afternoon or a small group of three or four.

I had really been thinking about homing another flock of my own - say 6 doves - next Spring, but now after the attack on Angel I am wavering again.

A dove came to the table a week or so ago, and appeared to have what looked like an egg between its legs. I managed to get a photo - see what you think. (If you click on it, it should enlarge) I started worrying that it was some sort of horrible tumour, but my husband said it was obviously just an egg, that had got stuck (with *hit as glue - nice!) and would no doubt soon get crushed. How weird though!

There's always something interesting to see!

Trapped in the coal bunker! - and update on nest in the barn

28.3.08



Yesterday morning when I went out early to feed the doves I was greeted by scattered white feathers on the door step. My heart sank as we have had several successful hawk strikes recently, but as there was no corpse and no bloody feathers I hoped that the dove had got away. I cleared up the doorstep feathers but left the ones trailing off towards the coal bunker. And although it crossed my mind to see if the dove had been chased into, or sought refuge in the bunker, I didn't actually check.


Later when I came home after lunch out, and was generally pottering in the garden with the dog, something caught my eye and I realised there was a dove squeezed in between the coal bunker and our shed kitchen. I couldn't tell if it was alive or dead because there was several pieces of wood propped up there, and I could only see white feathers.



(You can just see it behind the strip of pale wood)



I carefully moved the wood, piece by piece, and could then see that the dove was alive. I didn't know if it was injured, and crouched down to try and pick it up. It immediately moved away and having now been freed from the wood that was trapping it flew to the top of the bunker, and then onto the next highest level, the low roof, where it sat, appearing to get its bearings.










(A bit dazed but pleased to be free)



It appeared to be completely uninjured and could probably have wiggled its way out of the wood. I'm glad I found it though in case it was actually trapped. A white dove on the ground in our garden at night wouldn't have lasted very long. We have the rats back for one thing!




The dove flew to the main roof, and was immediately subjected to courting behaviour by a male dove, so I knew my trapped dove was female. He bowed and circled in front on her. She immediately flew away from him - hardly surprising. No lady is likely to be 'in the mood' after such a horrible experience.



She had obviously been chased by the hawk, but thankfully this time survived the ordeal.



There was a dove on the feeding table this morning with 'clutch' marks - it was probably the same dove. The injury is only like a graze would be to us, and she was feeding well.

****



Update on the nest in the barn (see blog dated 9th March '08)



The babies are now mini-adults! I haven't been back since the first time but when I visited the barn yesterday I could see them clearly. The flash on my camera is not powerful enough so I couldn't get a decent photo. They looked very healthy and contented, tucked up safe far above me on a wooden beam. There were some adults in the barn too, 3 or 4 of them - 2 no doubt the parents.























(The nest is there, on the vertical thicker beam just above the diagonal. You may be able to see it if you are able to enlarge the photo. The second photo shows one baby in the nest and the bigger one out of the nest to the right)







I may pop back to the barn today or tomorrow and put an empty cardboard box or two on the ground underneath the nest. The babies will be fluttering down soon, and then they will live on the ground, being fed by the parents there until they learn to fly. I hope they learn quickly! The boxes will give them something to hide in, and give them some protection. I don't expect I will go back to the barn after that though to check on the babies again. I daren't - because if I did and found evidence of their death it would make me sad.


(Doves in the barn - possibly parents, but probably not as they were at the opposite end of the barn)

Columba - back from the dead?

17.3.08

My beautiful dove, Columba, went missing on 2nd December '06. It was the same day that his sister, Lily came back home injured, possibly shot. I assumed that the doves had been shot at, as there was a shoot that day on the farm, and that Columba had died. We looked after Lily, and she recovered (see previous blogs) but I was still very sad that we'd lost Columba. He was a stunning pure white dove and fairly tame.

Today, when I went into the garden to feed the doves, they were all congregating on the feeding table, picking over the leftovers, and waiting impatiently for their breakfast. They flew to the roof while I filled the pans and flew back again before I'd even finished. I stayed close and watched them for a while; looking at all their feet and hoping to see John's purple ring.

Suddenly I realised that one dove was wearing a ring - a white ring. Not that easy to see on a white dove, although their feet are pink. At first I thought 'Oh that's nice, a ringed dove, one I can recognise, what shall I call him?' and then it struck me - Columba ! We didn't know for sure that he had died and he had been ringed with a white ring!

I thought about it and have decided that it most probably is my dove, Columba and I am very very happy to see him again after more than 15 months! In all the time I have been keeping doves (approx. 21 months) apart from my own I have only ever seen two other doves/pigeons with rings. One is the white dove I call Pinkie who wears a thick pink ring, and the other was a racing pigeon who stayed near us for a few days. He seemed poorly and we called him Eric - he wore two rings I think. So it would seem likely that a pure white dove, wearing a white ring of the type I use, is in fact Columba, rather than some random dove who happens to be ringed with white.

I wonder where he has been all this time, and what he has been doing? He certainly looked very well, and didnt have the slightly bedraggled look that some of the feral flock get.

Maybe the doves were shot at that December and he got frightened away. Or maybe he just left to find a mate.

When I left the house today he was on the lower part of the roof and I could see his ring clearly. He (and I think he is a he, although I don't know for sure) was with another dove, which appeared to be female (slender neck) so maybe he does have a mate.

I got into the car but a bird circling high up in the sky caused me to worry, and I got out and stood looking up for a while until it had gone away. I'm not sure it was the sparrowhawk, but I think it might have been.

When I got home later one of my neighbours had found a dead dove in her garden - the poor thing had been half eaten. But was not John. I am getting hardened to it now although it is distressing. But even this gruesome death has not destroyed my pleasure in having my prodigal son return just before Easter!

****

Photo shows two of the feral flock on the table and a pheasant who seems to like my garden at the moment!

Note: Columba and Lily were the first pair of squabs raised in my dovecote. Parents: Pax and Persephone.

Doves in the barn

Sunday 9th March '08

We live on a farm and today it occured to me to go down to the big barn to see if there was any evidence on doves roosting there at the moment. Doves have been there in the past.

The barn is big and airy, with open entrances - no doors. I walked in, watching my feet, as they are currently digging up the floor, prior to renovating the whole building. There were various feathers on the ground and some of them looked liked dove feathers. I walked to the far end, and there amongst the dirty bits of straw and general debris I found a discarded white eggshell!

I looked up to the rafters and could see a white dove on a precariously balanced scrappy nest. He or she was busy and didn't spot me at first. It was more likely that it was the male on the nest at that time, as it was about 1pm, and the male does the day shift, from about 10 am to 4pm. Then the female takes over for the longer night shift, from 4pm to the following morning.

I picked up the egg and watched the parent dove for a short time. He finished fussing with the squab/s (babies) and appeared to notice me. I walked slowly and quietly away so as not to disturb. As I left I scanned the beams for other doves, and noticed a smallish fluffy one sitting up high, but near the entrance to the barn. It was probably the female. She would no doubt stay close, unless she was off looking for food.

I felt cheered to know that at least one pair of doves are nesting close by. It is possible that it is John and a mate because anything is possible, but I don't really think so.

Before dusk a lone dove sat on the roof here for a long while and then came down for a feed before flying swifly away. Perhaps the mother dove before she had to sit for the night?

(Photo shows a dove on a nest, but not the one in the barn of course)

Love to Loss

5.3.08

The following was posted in Purplecoo's Common Room on Valentine's Day:

Just now as it got dusk and I went to walk down to put our bin out, I noticed John was not in his nest box. Then two doves appeared in the sky and fluttered down to the roof.I could see they were male and female but didnt know 'who'. Sometimes doves come for a late feed, and I never put the food away til dark or John is in bed.I watched them on the roof for some time, and then one fluttered to the dovecote and went in..... so it was John, and he'd brought a female home!I held my breath watching to see if she'd join him. She fluttered to the hedge, twice, and to the top of the dovecote once, but she seems shy and has now settled on the side of the roof. I hope it's not too cold tonight, and she will be ok. I so hope they will become a bonded pair and have babies! Can you believe it - Valentine's Day of all days! Maybe it is true and it IS the birds' wedding day!

****

To continue the story.... the female dove stayed the night on the roof, and in the morning, fluffed up her wings, waited for lazy John to come out of the nest box, which he didn't until much later .... and then flew away! She didn't come back the next night,but on Sunday 17th, John again returned at dusk with a female - the first, or another one, who knows? This female ate with John, had a look round, but flew off before it got completely dark. Maybe the arrangements weren't up to her standards!

After that, John seemed quite happy to be a bachelor boy - getting up late, eating when he wanted to, and flying off with the feral birds whenever it took his fancy..... but always coming home at dusk.

We have had three hawk strikes in the garden that I know of recently.

The first one happened like this : I just opened the kitchen door as a hawk swooped down and took one of the two doves that were feeding on the table. It was so quick - there was a flash of brown, a flurry of white and I threw what I was holding in my hand at it, but too late.....soft, tender, white feathers everywhere. I had to wait til dusk to see if the unfortunate victim was my poor John. Luckily it was not.

The second one was even more of a shock. I opened the door and there within an arms length of me were a few fluttering doves and the hovering hawk! The doves never usually come this close to the door, in flight, and were no doubt chased from the feeding table. I saw the hawk clearly this time and recognised it as a female sparrowhawk. I screeched and the doves flew strongly away, as of course did Mrs. Hawk!

The next morning as a few doves preened on the roof, I noticed that one had a bloodied area under its wing.

The third attack happened on the morning I flew to Westerlix. My husband didn't tell me about it til I got home on Sunday not wishing to spoil my lovely weekend. (NB for any non-Purplecooers reading this who might wish to take a self-catering cottage holiday in a lovely part of Scotland, please have a look at the following link www.westerlix.net/ ). The hawk got the dove in this attack, but left what remained of the body in the garden, surrounded by copious feathers. My husband was relieved that it was not John, and even more relieved when he came home that night.

But the bad and sad news is that that was the last time John did come home. He hasn't been seen from then til now. I don't know what has become of him, and am very upset not to have my beautiful boy, named after my late father, peeking out of the dovecote at night. Every evening at dusk I used to look out for him, and was pleased to see him land on the low roof nearby.

He would sit for a while, looking round, and then walk slowly down the tiles, sit agan and then fly to the feeding table for a little supper. Then he would fly down to the lawn and walk in that funny way pigeons have, step by step, to the water bowl. In the end he was the only dove still to do so. There are small water bowls at each end of the table, for the doves' convenience, although there is plenty of water nearby because of the river but John used the lawn water bowl because he was one of my first 'homed' birds, and that was what he was used to doing when he first came here nearly two years ago.

Now ALL my original doves are dead or missing. I have to presume John is dead or he would come back, I know he would. The males choose the nesting site, so if he had a mate he would bring her back here. There is still a little hope, but not much. It is five days now .....

So what will I do next?

I have decided that I can't stop feeding the feral white pigeons that come here daily, especially as it is still very cold and they rely on the food. I don't want to stop feeding them either. I enjoy having them here, and though they aren't mine as such, I recognise some of them and delight in their beauty and their company. They bring the garden to life just as much as the little bluetits and robins.

I accept the fact that I can do little about the sparrowhawk. The following comes from the RSPB site (I am a RSPB member):

***********

A sparrowhawk in the garden can be an exciting occurrence. To see one of these beautiful birds so close and witness its hunting prowess is a treat, but to see one taking one of the small birds you have attracted into your garden can understandably invoke mixed emotions.

Many people enjoy being able to add the sparrowhawk to their list of garden visitors, but others are not so sure. Try to take the view that having a sparrowhawk visiting your garden is a good thing - the presence of such a top predator indicates that the bird population in your area is doing well.

Even though sparrowhawks feed almost exclusively on small birds, they do not affect their overall numbers. Songbirds produce far more young every year than would be needed to maintain the population.

All these extra birds will die of starvation, disease or predation before the following breeding season and there would not be enough territories or food for so many. Sparrowhawks simply prey on those birds that would have died anyway.

Deterrents

If you feel you must deter the sparrowhawk, there are a few deterrents available, although their effectiveness is dependent on the availability of alternative feeding sites for the hawk. Rather than deter them, try to learn to admire the skill and beauty of this very specialised hunter.

Bamboo canes on lawn to turn fast approach route into an obstacle course

Half-full plastic bottles or CDs hung up in trees to scare the predators away.

If feeders are under an overhang (eg under tree branches) hang strings like bead curtain strands a few inches apart around the perimeter of the overhang to slow down the hawk

The GuardnEyes scarecrow balloon works by introducing, what the hawk believes to be, a higher level of predation, so that it in turn feels stalked. If alternative feeding areas exist, the hawk may be encouraged to move elsewhere.

*********

Not this Summer, but possibly next, I may feel that I would like to home a few more doves. It is a bit of a palaver with keeping the doves under the homing net for six weeks and I'm not sure what the feral lot would think of them, or how they would treat them when the six weeks was over and they were allowed out.

At present, I will just enjoy the beautiful visitors. There are still plenty, despite the hawk. I counted fifteen on the roof the other day.

Note: Before Christmas I made a photobook for family members. If you wish have a look at it here: http://www.lulu.com/ (put 'doves' into the search. It's the top one, called 'Our Doves'.

The Spring has sprung....

The Spring has sprung,

The grass is rizz, I wonder where the birdies is?......

I've absolutely no idea where that line of 'poetry' came from but it seemed appropriate for today, Feb. 8th 2008, as it has been so lovely and sunny.

And where my birdies are ..... is on the roof!

Several of you have been kind enough to ask me to update my dove blog. There is not much to say really, but I am pleased to report that John is doing well, out and about on the roof with the others, although no sign of a mate yet. He now wakes up in the dovecote, and when a few others arrive on the tiled roof opposite, he joins them, feeds with them and then flies off with them to wherever they go to.....coming back later in the day.

Francis was on the roof too today,in the afternoon, and I was delighted to see him as it has been a while. He was displaying typical male courting behaviour - bowing and turning round in circles! What a handsome dove he is! Valentine's Day is the traditional day for the birds to pair up - I do so hope that my Francis finds a mate and sets up home in the dovecote, but I fear John won't let them, even though Francis is his son! I don't want John to be excluded of course - I hope he finds a new mate of his own!

Before we went on holiday I saw Francis' brother, Iona, with his mate - they were walking in the gravelled area between our neighbours' cottages, and ambling along, not worried they might be run over at all. They almost seemed to be hand in hand. I pondered on a good name for the female and googled 'Iona'. The first thing that came up was Iona Abbey so I decided to call her Abbey. And Iona Abbey is a beautiful spiritual place that I have been to. so very appropriate.

Pinkie, a visitor with a thick pink ring, is also often here and so is a dove I call Flick as he/she has a funny little upflick of feather at the back of the head. My beautiful visitor Joseph is also here most days. I especially love the doves I can recognise by their physical differences. Today the highest number of doves I saw together on the roof was 38.

We have a constant battle with the jackdaws. They turn up en masse, sometimes 3 or 4, sometimes up to 15, and take over the feeding table. Every time I see them I open the back door and they fly away. The jay also likes to feed off the doves' food, as do the wood pigeons. And there is a cheeky squirrel helping himself whenever he feels like it.

While typing this I looked out of the window at the feeding table as I constantly do, and there was a bird of prey on the hedge! By the time I'd got to my camera, it had gone. I feed the little birds, bluetits etc on the table and off feeders nearby. They wouldn't have a chance if he decided to make them into a meal, poor little things. I looked in my bird book, but couldn't decide what it was.

That's all for now......

(The photo is of Pinkie of course)