Derby and Lilly are our baby Doves...notice I said our baby Doves. They were born in the flower basket on our deck and we have watched every step from nest building.....to egg laying...to hatching...feedings....we have become emotionally invested in these Doves. I would even go so far as to say we love them. And knowing that it was a big deal when Moma dove came cooing one morning and let them know it was time to leave the nest...fly...be free....leave the Hardy house. We were excited for the babies but also a little sad to say goodbye.
Moma pushed them out and they spent the day on the deck...checking out the world and walking around. We watched in awe at how beautiful they were.....and we were so proud of them!
Then that Moma dove...again...locked eyes with me...just like she did when she wanted the basket to nest in....and with a nod flew away and left me with her babies....who we named in honor of the season...Derby and Lilly. She was gone...and here I was with 4 kids...a puppy and now 2 baby doves.
She came back with daddy dove every day for a few days to check in...lock eyes with me and then she would be off again.
At first I thought I was crazy...these really are not our doves...they are wild birds...and when moma dove would lock eyes with me that was just by chance...she wasn't really leaving me with her babies. They are birds...that live in nature...they would get a little bigger and then be off to experience the freedom of the skies...right? So every day we would go out and look for them...expecting them to be gone every day...and every day...for weeks they are still here. At first I thought the love was one sided.
Until they moved in...and have taken a permanent residence in the playhouse on our deck.
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