Siblings
Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 9:03 am
Sometime on Friday night last week, a young baby dove managed to find himself in our pool. By Saturday morning when I discovered him there, he had pretty much exhausted himself trying to find a way out. Water is about 78, so at least he wasn't in winter temps.
I gently picked up the little guy (or girl) from the water's edge and placed him first in the morning sunshine to dry off and warm up. Wings looked intact, but he shivered his way dry for a couple of hours.
As mama and brother (or sister) bird looked on from a distance, I remembered that I was always told once the human hand touched an injured animal, the family would just not have anything to do with him again.
I tested that recollection by then moving the little one to the proximity of family. Father flew in, did his walk around for an assessment of the damage and took off (Kathy suggested he had a hot date with another dovelet somewhere). But then something occurred that I had not witnessed before.
Mother dove and the sibling came over to their exhausted family member and together they moved to the shade of a nearby bush. Mother and brother then took up positions on either side where she then extended her wing over the two of them where they stayed for several hours.
Overnight the two brothers (or sisters) stayed together always touching. Mother must have returned to the nest (or perhaps was out seeing where dad was spending the night!).
For the next 48 hours the two siblings were inseparable. On occasion, brother would also extend his wing as mother had done. Mother returned at times to feed both...but it was obvious one was not going to make it. He was feeble and hobbling.
Until the very hour of its death, the sibling stayed close. Only then did he leave to pursue his own life.
Mother sat on a rooftop last night as I was outside painting. The cooing sounds seemed lonelier than usual.
I saw mom and son this morning...this time flying short distances. They were moving on.
We can learn a lot from our feathered friends. They seem to have their priorities in order.
I gently picked up the little guy (or girl) from the water's edge and placed him first in the morning sunshine to dry off and warm up. Wings looked intact, but he shivered his way dry for a couple of hours.
As mama and brother (or sister) bird looked on from a distance, I remembered that I was always told once the human hand touched an injured animal, the family would just not have anything to do with him again.
I tested that recollection by then moving the little one to the proximity of family. Father flew in, did his walk around for an assessment of the damage and took off (Kathy suggested he had a hot date with another dovelet somewhere). But then something occurred that I had not witnessed before.
Mother dove and the sibling came over to their exhausted family member and together they moved to the shade of a nearby bush. Mother and brother then took up positions on either side where she then extended her wing over the two of them where they stayed for several hours.
Overnight the two brothers (or sisters) stayed together always touching. Mother must have returned to the nest (or perhaps was out seeing where dad was spending the night!).
For the next 48 hours the two siblings were inseparable. On occasion, brother would also extend his wing as mother had done. Mother returned at times to feed both...but it was obvious one was not going to make it. He was feeble and hobbling.
Until the very hour of its death, the sibling stayed close. Only then did he leave to pursue his own life.
Mother sat on a rooftop last night as I was outside painting. The cooing sounds seemed lonelier than usual.
I saw mom and son this morning...this time flying short distances. They were moving on.
We can learn a lot from our feathered friends. They seem to have their priorities in order.
