Empty Nester

During a warm spell last month, I decided to get my front porch ready for outdoor living. We always load our outside furniture onto our oak porch swing up for winter storage and hoist it all up to the porch roof. When I stepped outside one spring day, a mourning dove made a dramatic exit from that stored furniture. Closer inspection revealed not only a hastily thrown-together stick nest but two eggs. 

Well, crap. I couldn't very well disturb them. Even simply coming and going through our front door sent Mama screeching off the nest. 

We started using the side door. Not really a hardship. It's closer to the garage anyway. And the spring weather gave way to a resurgence of winter and rain, so it wasn't like we were missing out on lovely evenings on the porch swing. 

I kept an eye on the nesting mama bird, and she kept an eye on me. 

The eggs hatched without my knowing, since I was trying to avoid scaring the skittish dove. Next thing I knew, there was a baby bird!

But was there only one?

Nope. Both eggs had hatched and both baby doves looked quite healthy. 

Yesterday, Mama Dove decided the babies were old enough and left the nest. The little ones gradually made their way out of the sticks and all the way to the back of the porch swing.

By evening, they moved to the porch railing where they were still perched before dawn this morning. 

When the sun came up, they were gone. 

Have a great life, baby doves! 

Meanwhile, now that I'm an empty nester, I'm reclaiming my porch swing...after I power wash it.