Mourning doves who nested in a hanging pot by my front door are the subject of most of these pictures. The baby doves grew very fast and left the nest just eight days after I first saw and photographed them.

According to Gary Bogue of the Contra Costa Times, it takes fourteen-to-fifteen days for mourning dove eggs to hatch, and another twelve-to-fourteen days until the youngsters are old enough to leave the nest and strike out on their own. Doves will often return to the same nest site every year and will raise two, three, or more families each spring. Mourning doves are very dedicated parents. The male sits on the eggs during the day, and the female incubates them at night. While one bird keeps the youngsters warm, the other collects food and feeds them. Since the male and female are identical in appearance, it may look like the same bird is doing all the work unless you see the shift take place in the morning and evening. But nothing could be further from the truth.

All photos are copyright © Roberta Stacy and may not be used or displayed without permission.