Monday, January 11, 2010
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
I was talking to a neighbor the other day and we saw a hawk rising from his yard.
A common occurence. The hawk uses his side yard as a dining room.
We used to have the same situation out by the pool equipment. I walked up on one having lunch one day. He flew off with is food. Quite indignant. Never came back as far as I know.
He or they do visit our yard though. We have a rotation of doves who serve as hawk food. The doves take up residence on all four sides of the house. Two on each side. A pair. Sometimes babies but not for long. They fly away to their own roosts somewhere.
Then they disappear slowly over the summer. The hawk is taking his harvest.
One by one.
Other doves take over. Other pairs. There is an excess of them. The roost on the power and telephone lines.
All of the doves have been gone for awhile now. They migrate to Mexico for two winter months.
I looked out today and there was a pair in the olive tree. They are back. So we have two on the south side. There are more on the wires out front.
These are mourning doves.
Elaborate pigeons.
They have a lot to mourn for given the hawk and all.
They are not a nuisance. Their cooing is pleasant. It is only when we flush them coming around a corner and they do that whirring thing with their wings that everyone gets excited and spooked.
