Fledgeling

Yesterday I stumbled across this smallish dude plotzed out on the backyard patio.

It didn’t seem particularly in any sort of distress or injured, nor did it seem too concerned about my presence.

Obviously a mourning dove fledgeling, which isn’t surprising since we have probably a dozen nests within a couple hundred yards of our back yard. Feeding time in the morning looks like a Hitchcock film between the house finches, scrub jays, juncos, mourning doves, towhees, and all of the other miscellanous freeloaders who have figured out that we’re a soft touch.

Even when I got right down on my knees (more fun than usual!) and just a foot or so away, it never tried to flutter or walk or run or fly, and it barely moved its head. It wasn’t near any of the windows or sliding glass doors, so I didn’t figure that it had run into one of them.

I finally ended up with my iPhone maybe an inch away, and all I got for my efforts was a scowl. They definitely had an attitude!

I had no idea what to do that might help, so I did the absolute minimum and otherwise left it alone. I went to get some bird seed and a cup of water, but by the time I got back the fledgeling had vanished. I left the food and water out there anyway – if he doesn’t need it, one of the other birds will finish it off, it won’t go to waste.

We don’t see any feral cats in our yard, so the hawks during the day and the owls at night are probably the biggest threat. “Circle of life” and all of that – I checked a couple times today and I don’t see any signs of an attack, so no news is good news.

Good luck, my attitudinal fledgling friend! Your species is hardly endangered around here (or anywhere else) but I hope you make it!