Worried about a collared dove

[Crazy Jo]

Hello everyone , I am new here.

A little while ago I noticed twigs on my pathway, it turns out that a collared dove has made a nest just behind my sky dish.

It is very small, it seems very sparse and not safe. There are 2 eggs in there.

This could be perfectly normal, I have never seen a nest this close up before.

Mum is happy with me coming and going now but because its quite low she flies off at sudden movements etc, tho this isnt as often as it was.

I am worried about her and the eggs and wondered what I can do, if anything or even if I should, to help to keep them safe. I cant see the nest being strong enough to cope with wriggling chicks and mum coming back and forth to feed them.

ANy advice would be most welcome :-)

[paulinemiller10]

Welcome to Wab Crazy Jo, Doves do make very poor nests, If you leave all alone, the chicks or the eggs may fall out, I have seen this happen many times, If you add something to keep it safe, Mrs Dove might be afraid to come back, I find blackbirds,robins and doves will make their nests near to people hoping it will be a safer place from magpies and crows that often attack the nest. Pauline.

[Crazy Jo]

Hi Pauline, thanks for the welcome :-)

Hmm, so my choices are somewhat limited, it's going to be hard for me to let well alone, I cant stop watching her as it is lol Pretty little thing.

I wondered why she made her nest there as there a loads of trees around here but I understand why now.

I am useless with birds despite having loads here and I watch their antics for hours but I dont know one from the other. In fact I thought the one I have in my sky dish was a wood pigeon until I started looking for ways to help her lol

I do hope everything will be ok, it would be very sad if they fell out, she is so diligent, it's been very windy here too bless her :-(

[kyomi]

Hi hun how are the collared doves getting on are the babies safe? me and my partner have a small dove and pigeon rescue we run from home,we raise them and lookn after poorly birds let me know if you need help xx kym

[Crazy Jo]

HIya,

They are fine. I couldn't stand not doing anything so we built a 'hammock' under the sky dish just in case the eggs or chicks fell out so I could pop it back in. Mum didnt bat an eyelid when we were doing it lol

They didnt fall out and I am pleased to say they have hatched very nicely, they are all feathered up, looking around and they totally fill the nest so it can be long before they are due to fly off :-) At least I hope so, I cant stand the stress of worrying about them lol