It’s all the chooks’ fault. I’d never seen a dove around here until we got them and now one is nesting in our tree. I saw it starting to build the nest last week and hoped that the attention from the dogs and the general household noise would put it off, but no luck. Today it was all ensconced in its rickety little home.
I have a bad feeling about it. I’m pretty sure either this or another bird tried the same thing last year. I remember finding Indiana carrying a dead baby bird around and had no idea where it would have come from. I suspected the cats at the time but when an old nest appeared on the ground under the tree after a recent storm I started to wonder.
The dogs know the bird’s there this time. They’ve been watching it and wuffing at it daily. Cosmo knows about it too. He was in the tree today trying to work out how to get to it. It’s only a matter of time before either he or Zelda find their way up to that part of the tree on onto the pergola roof and help themselves to some dove.
Mark suggested that I knock the nest down now while there’s nothing in it, but I’m not sure that would work. My parents have had doves nesting at their place over the years and they didn’t seem to take the hint. Doves are not the brightest of birds but they are persistant.
I can see that it will all end in tears – probably mine – as I scrape a dead bird up with the shovel.
