I already know - I shouldn't interfere with nature. And I'm not going to listen to the circle of nature opinion. In this instance I am being ruled with my heart. I came home this afternoon from the cabin to find a Blue Jay pecking my newly hatched baby mourning dove to death. It was too late to save that baby so we started looking for the other one. Meanwhile poor mama Mourning Dove is trying to protect her dead baby carcass from the Blue Jay so of course this has me in tears. My hubby removes the carcass and the Blue Jay is still looking for it and the Mama Dove is still protecting the now empty space.
We thankfully found the other baby - too young to be off his nest. Either the Blue Jays or the wind knocked him down. Greg got a ladder and we put the baby back in his nest. Now I am praying that Mama Dove comes back and finds her baby there and is able to protect him. (I have the baby pictured above.) Please wish me luck and send good thoughts my way. ( My friend Bird Girl - recently shared her story about losing her bluebird babies. - I shed tears that day reading her story. Now today I know how all too well how she felt. )
P.S. These are "Bob the Mourning Dove's" babies that I've been waiting for to hatch.
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1 week ago
47 comments:
Shelley, I wish you luck in saving this baby Mourning Doce! I'm glad you posted the picture. I have never seen one of these babies before! I knew I didn't like Blue Jays as well as I like other birds.
I wouldn't look at it as interfering with nature as we humans have interfered so much with all their habitat that this kind of stuff happens more often. I'm glad you were able to get the other one. I had a different problem with baby robins and I was told to wait no more than a short time because they weren't feathered as your birds were and I ended up taking the nest. Heating some rocks in a sock in the microwave to put around the nest and taking them to be rehabbed and released..But they made it....I won't read the blue bird story as I have read too many with bad endings....Michelle
Oh..I was reading down to catch up. These are Bob's babies..Oh no..and you watched the whole process..That's how I feel about the ducklings I watch...You get to enjoy the amazing life of birds, but there is the down side too...sorry about that...
You go girl.
I am hoping the baby makes it with all my heart.
Am so sorry,bird's have a hard life out there and we don't like to see it.
Patsy
You did the right thing.I sure hope this baby makes it into adulthood.
Blessings :)
I wonder why a Bluejay would do that? I had no idea.
I'll be hoping to hear good news about the second baby. It looks like it should be ready to fly in just a few days. Poor mama, she must have been devastated : (
Oh Shelley, I almost cried. I know how hard this must have been to watch. Those darns JAYS can be so mean. I haven't seen many around here recently--but I can hear them sometimes.
You did the right thing. Now--do whatever you need to help protect the other one. I'll keep you and the Doves in my prayers.
Hugs,
Betsy
Oh, I hope this one survives. Keep us posted on what happens. And good luck.
Geez Shelley what a heartbreaker. But that baby has a good chance with you as a guardian angel! Hope Bob and his Girlie Girl are able to get this baby in the air. Wishing you tons of luck and good thoughts coming straight to you!
I would have done the same thing Shelley. Cute pic too :-)
That's a sad tale Shelley.
Let's hope it has a happy outcome after your efforts.
Oh so sad!
I put birds back in a nest once a long time ago, my son told me birds don't smell, so the mother would come and take care of them again --and the human scent on them would be okay. He use to watch a lot of animal planet. :)
I hope everythings works out okay.
...Oh no, Shelley! I'm so sorry the one baby died, and thank goodness you were there to put the other one back. I think Mother Nature likes a hand every now and then (we've done enough to hurt her that's for sure). I hope Bob's other baby makes it.
I sure hope one of the parents will return. Let's all think positive thoughts and hope this little survivor makes it.
How very sad. I think you were right to help. This kind of incident may be part of nature, but it's not something most of us would be able to watch without stepping in and doing what we could. I hope there is a happy ending to this story for mama and baby.
I know how this hurts and I don't like these "facts of nature". This will most likely be on your mind and heart for a long time. I'm sorry you had to see that, but so glad you were able to help the other little bird. Let us know how it goes....
Oh Shelley... how hard to see. I hope mom came back to her remaining baby.
We're part of nature too Shelley! Do what you can and I'm sending well wishes your way. Good luck, we're all thinking of you.
I would have done the same thing. In fact I probably would have had my husband administer some sort of medicine or xrays of the poor dear! ;)
I hope his mom comes back to him and he pulls through. I had no idea Blue Jays were like that! Interesting.
Oh Shelley, Good luck with it all. I'm hoping and praying that the baby will do fine. I know I would have done the same thing. Now I'm worried about the robin eggs I'm watching. I'll have to watch them very closely when they hatch, just to make sure nothing happens to them.
Ah, poor babies and poor Shelley! I can't stand to see this sort of thing and I would have interfered, too. Will pray this baby makes it and mama dove can protect it.
I would have done exactly the same thing. Good luck to the remaining little one.
Gee. That is so sad. I never knew that BlueJays did that. Maybe that is why I never see many young birds around here. I have way too many BlueJays. I sure hope your other baby makes it. I had a sad day yesterday. I watched as my favorite old male squirrel was slowly dying. He went into the bushes after sitting so long out in the open with his head down. I was so afraid the hawk would get him in front of me. I don't want to see that. I always cry when I see one of my critters die. I'm hoping you will have good news in the near future Shelly. Hugs.
I am just SICK to hear this. I am so sorry...I was getting emotionally attached to the babies just by you telling me about them, so I can just imagine how sad you are!
And I am so torn too..because I really like the BlueJays that come to our feeders too. But I have heard they can be mean.
But the Doves??? They are so peaceful and wonderful...that poor Mama.
I so hope the baby gets reunited with the Mama and that you will have a happy story to finally tell us!
Sometimes nature isn't very kind and I really commend you for helping out.
Watching nature take it's course is usually so happy and enchanting but along with that comes the sad happenings. We humans get so involved and then we get hurt when something like this happens. My dad always says "It's nature" but it doesn't take away the real human emotions we feel when one of our own gets hurt!! I hope the other makes it and I'm so glad you were there to intervene. I just learned recently that bluejays can do that!
Oh yes, all the best with the rescue. It's always tough to see this kind of thing in nature, but when it's someone you know (The Bob family) that makes it even tougher. Do keep us posted!
He's so adorable - I think the baby doves look like little ducklings. Oh, I hope he makes it!
darn...this is sad...I tried to save a bird the other day that my cat brought into the deck, and I realized I probably shouldn't have tried...it experienced a longer painful death than if I had let the cat deal with it...made me so sad.
Oh, Shelley. This made me so sad! Why must the blue jays be so mean? Our resident bullies found the other robin pair's nest and destroyed it and the eggs. Both pairs have begun gathering new nest material and chosen different sites. But I almost think the blue jays are watching and will attack those nests too once the eggs are laid. I wish you the best of luck with the baby dove.
Hoping & praying that your efforts have a happy ending.
I sure hope everything turns around for the little fella. He has had a rough start. Glad you could help him out. Waiting to hear if Mama comes back to care for him. Keep up the good work.
Best of luck sent your way Shelley!
I don't think you are interfering. I have nursed many birds back to health over the years after finding them attacked by birds, cats, etc. or hitting a window.
You will be rewarded one day for your thoughtfulness!
Gosh, we all get so attached to our 'babies' it is hard for us to understand nature. Hopefully the one is doing well now. I do not look at putting him back as interferring with nature. We have done the same thing in the past. Hope we don't have to this year.
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Oh Shelley,
It's hard not to get involved when we observe our bird friends through the process...I know I would have done the same thing!
Please keep us posted!
Kit
Thank you everyone for your comments and support! It means so much! An update - the mama dove returned to the nest and found her baby I returned! The Blue Jay tried to attack the mama once again and knock her off the nest but I shooed him away. Never knew Blue Jays could be that aggressive!
I hope your intervention saves the life of this Dove. Good luck to both them and you.
Reading this horrified me! Nature can sometimes be so cruel. Actually, knowing now that Bluejays can be so vicious, you did a service to us all, and the dove babys life was not lost in vain. We all are now educated, and can do our own kind of protection against them if indeed they are present in our own back yards.
I can't say that I blame you for taking the action you did, Shelly. I think I understand how you felt, and I think it's human nature to want to help an animal in distress, whether it seems like interference or not. I just saw your other comment and was happy to see that the mother returned and is now caring for the young chick. I think you did the right thing, and you should feel good about it.
Oh Shelley - this is the hardest part of having nesting birds ... I hope that sweet little baby dove is ok. Our Doves didn't nest in their usual spot this year but our neighbours had Robins nesting under their eaves and like last year Mr Crow found them :-(
Aw..Shelley, I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope the mama will be able to continue to protect the one you saved.
Hi Shelley,
Well sometime we have to repair our negative effect in some way, and although it might be interfering with Nature, some help cannot be nasty!!! I just hope you were careful enough so that baby will not get your smell, and keep us up-date. I send you all my good wishes of the day for this cute baby.
Shelly: Nature can seem cruel but in the end it is the cycle of life. The Bluejay wants the food for its babies.
Oh my..I am coming to your blog to read some posts..what a sad story..I read the bluebird story also..gee
nature can be so cruel..
But i would have done the same thing.
How did it all end up?
that is so sad but i almost feel the same way.
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