End Of The Saga & Beginning A New Life...

Finally the day comes when an empty nest is all that remains. The parents are gone and the chick isn't found until after some careful searching.

And then the little flyer is located.

The little addition to the neighborhood seems fine.

And apparently flight ability is part of the package Even seems that a bit of being an exhibitionist is ingrained too.And from here on, 'the sky's the limit'.

Sorry about that last little bit, just couldn't help myself. And so, until next we meet, be well & take care.

More 'Dove Story'....

Today's post is a video grouping that shows the Dove's progress from near the beginning to the early days of the chicks. While one parent is very accepting of the human intruders....... .......the other is far less trusting!! Finally we get a chance to get a better look at the youngsters. Sadly, Mother Nature has a rather decisive way of ensuring the 'survival of the fittest.' In the case of many bird species the first hatched chick gets all the food. The larger chick had a good two day head start on the smaller one, an almost insurmountable difference in size and strength when competing for food. As Linda puts it, perhaps the second chick is a 'spare' in the event the first one dies. Either way, since Doves of this type mate for life as a rule, if each pair produced two surviving offspring every year, the population would soon exceed the area's ability to feed them all. Nature uses the 'survival of the fittest' method to control the population. Crude, but extremely effective. Before too long, the smaller chick succumbs to hunger and general weakness as the larger steadily gains strength. In a day or two, after sorting through the remaining images and videos, I'll post the final chapter of this saga of the diminutive but hardy feathered family. Until then, be well and take care.