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#28380 - 04/02/22 10:10 AM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
musher Online   content
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Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2376
Loc: Qc.
A table spoon of feed for the doves or for all the birds?

I have been putting out about about 2 pounds of sun flower seeds a day! Lots of bird activity. Buddy has photos of bald and golden eagles that are migrating back.

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#28381 - 04/02/22 01:31 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Well, a heaping Tablespoon full. I did feed them 3 times yesterday, and twice today.

Really, we busted a 5# bag of bird seed here at work, instead of fooling around trying to tape it shut and spill half of it, I took it home. Nobody will buy a package that it ripped or torn.

Not sure when I first started feeding the birds?, I'll bet it's been 6 months ago, and I still have a little bit left from my second bag. I do put it out pretty skimpy, just in a line on my porch rail. Almost like you'd be planting a garden.

I'm sure if I'd put up a regular bird feeder, they'd probably go through a pound or 2 per day. With a lot of it on the ground, attracting squirells and mice and all.

I've got a friend that works in the meat department at one of the big stores here in town, I asked him to get me a glob of beef fat, about so big. I have intentions of putting it in an onion bag, hanging it up for the woodpeckers. Planning on putting up a camera, just to check on things.

Well, Ole Broken Feather, (the mommy dove), she was back in the nest yesterday for a while, then she was gone. The nest was empty at dark and empty at daylight today.

A little bit after daylight, the mommy dove was back in her nest, doing some remodeling. She was using her feet and beak to get it squared up again. I'd say she's going to lay eggs again. But she was sitting in the nest at 8am today.

Talking about eagles, one of my facebook friends posted videos of an eagle nest on his property. He lives on the east side of the county, but he had video of an eaglet, bald eagle. But we have eagles here all year. You'll see them here in town now and then.

It's been a few years ago, my buddy Earl was trapping a farm below town, there were a dozen or 18 adult bald eagles sitting in the trees near the river. I was with him a day or 2, he told me that they were there everyday.

It's been within the last week or 2, I've been seeing the glossy looking black birds, and I did see a flock of red-winged blackbirds the other day, maybe 50 in the bunch? Yes, early in the mornings you'll hear lots of birds chirping here in the valley.

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#28382 - 04/03/22 12:26 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Well, the hen dove was in the nest yesterday at 8am, she was gone at noon, and the nest was empty last night. Before good daylight today, the hen and at least one chick were sitting on my porch.

The hen dove is back in her nest right now, 8am. She's in there scratching and pulling, making the nest just so. Seems like she'll work a little bit and then rest a little bit, and then hit it again.

I just fed then for the second time today, that's enough. But I did get another 5# bag of bird food.

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#28383 - 04/04/22 05:46 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
Hal Online   content
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Registered: 07/17/00
Posts: 10227
Loc: Blue Creek, Ohio, USA
Your observations are very interesting.
_________________________
Endeavor to persevere.

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#28384 - 04/05/22 02:44 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Good. It's been fun and interesting watching.

Yesterday, the female dove was in her nest again, scratching and pulling.

4/5/22, the nest was empty at daylight, no eggs. I've been checking the nest with my flashlight.

A little bit after daylight, there was a dove in the nest scratching and kicking, and there is more nesting material in the nest. Looks like honeysuckle vines to me. Not sure?

But this morning, I did see another dove, not sure if it's one of the chicks or not? But it flew in with another little batch of some kind of fine material.

The female dove with the feather "out of Place", it's growing, it sticks up about 3/4's of an inch now. I'm sure she'll be glad when that thing falls off.

I looked at the nest the other night, some of the nest almost looks like strands of the old sasil bailing twine. It's wrapped around the inside of the nest, almost like it came from a spool. It's pretty neat.

Here at work the other evening a friend stopped by with his little girl. She told me that she was in 1st grade. The dove chicks were about the size of a hummingbird at the time. I described the little birds to the little girl, she was wide-eyed. It was after dark or I'd have sent them up check out the birds.

I think we'll have another hatch before long. Maybe I'll have a chance to take them up the next time.

Honestly, I don't know as much about birds as I should. My sister Jenny was a bird nut. But trying to identify birds, you look at position of their wing tips, the shape of it's tail, rounded, pointy or square. The way they walk, their head bobbing and all.

But we see birds everyday. Buy a kid a $20 bird book, otherwise it doesn't cost a thing. But it's pretty neat when you hear a bird, and think: Hmmm, that's a so and so. With the internet today, you can do a search and find the sound of any bird out there.

But the information is out there, free for the taking.

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#28385 - 04/06/22 01:03 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Well, last night after work, the female dove was in her nest. She was still in the nest at daylight today. 4/6/22.

And we've got a new egg. The egg wasn't there yesterday. So, first egg: 4/6/22.

Above I mentioned that the chicks are just a shade darker, than the female. Hard to describe and you almost need to be looking down across their back. Just above their tail, they have like a dull charcoal-black colored spots. Like a faded black color. Otherwise the only way that I can tell the difference is the length and thickness of their tails. I'd guess in another day or 2, I won't be able to see any difference at all. And that's looking at them from 12 inches.

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#28386 - 04/06/22 11:47 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
musher Online   content
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Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2376
Loc: Qc.
If you can see the tail feathers, look to se if the very ends have a "V" notch. It's where the down tip broke off and indicates a hatch year bird.

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#28387 - 04/07/22 01:56 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
Well, I've been reading this morning. How feathers grow is just one of those things that I've never thought about much. And I'll tell you the more I read, the more complex things become.

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but let me ask: Now the "V" notch in a birds tail feather, is that V notch there for the duration of that feather? Or, does it eventually fill in and round off? Or fill out?

It's dark, foggy and raining here this morning, I did see one of the dove chicks (I think), I couldn't see it's tail feathers good enough to tell if the V notch was there or not. You'd almost need to have the feather in your hands to see it that good.

The adult female dove is back on her nest now, but earlier, she was on my porch rail and there is just one egg in the nest.

I've been in barns, where the loft would be covered with pigeon feathers, and crap. But I have no idea how long a feather on a dove would last, how long it would stay attached and all?

But how a feather is formed is more involved that you'd first think.

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#28388 - 04/07/22 05:19 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
musher Online   content
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Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2376
Loc: Qc.
I don't know how the "V" disappears. Filled in or feather replaced? No idea. But it does last a long time. It can be tough to see.

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#28389 - 04/08/22 12:53 PM Re: Mourning dove chicks. 2021 [Re: redsnow]
redsnow Online   content
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Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3002
Loc: WV
The more I think about it, I'd guess that the feather kind of fills in that V notch. I'm not sure.

Not sure how I wrote it above?, but the chick's tail feathers are growing longer and filling out or getting wider.

Just say you'd pull out a tail feather from something like a grouse, the base of the feather will be soft, compared to the feather an inch out. I'd guess that it's still "alive", in a way.

Then think about a tail feather from something like a turkey, that feather will be 15 inches long, give or take. Or the feathers of a peacock's tail, those things might be 3 feet long, they didn't grow overnight.

Thinking about the tail feathers of a male grouse, they are all so uniform, nice, neat and pretty. Or the feathers of a wild turkey in the sunlight. Amazing.

The female dove is on her nest, nothing new to report. I thought that maybe we'd have another egg, but with her in the nest, you just can't see.

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