Mama dove still on the nest

The winds that felled power lines, trees and many other structures over the weekend couldn’t dislodge Mama Collared Dove from her nest in my backyard.

And after briefly pondering whether or not to root for this Eurasian Collared Dove—an invasive species spreading rapidly through Illinois—I am now an unabashed fan.

No wonder these birds are doing well. They built a solid nest—at least by dove standards—in the safest part of our maple tree. And that Mama Dove did not leave the nest once while the wind whistled.

I’m finding it impossible to root against that kind of devotion and smarts.

So the next post I hope to post soon will be of young collared doves. I’m betting that should happen soon. And I’m betting the little birds stand a good chance of surviving. To make it through last weekend’s winds they are already survivors.