| | the rhythm of the day...
Morning coolness gives way to noontime heat, followed by
afternoon thunderstorms and relief from the heat. There are tImes to hide
under Dad, times to come out and look around, times to eat!
Here's Daddy Dove at high noon, shielding the squabs from the heat:
Not
too long after that, it started clouding up. I happened to be
there when it started to sprinkle, and the babies, who were out in the
open just before, scooted under Dad in a flash. Here's a photo of
their little tail feathers ...the only parts of their bodies that
didn't stay dry...
This is later in the afternoon, after repeated rains..we have drenched birds, and a sleeping babe..
then it's time to eat...again!
Just some history, from Bird Nests and Eggs:
White-winged doves arrive in
Arizona en masse in April and May to begin their breeding season, which
is tied to the reproductive cycle of the saguaros. The doves are
important pollenators of the saguaro flowers, which they visit for
nectar and pollen; they also depend on the saguaro fruit as a food
source...
...WHite winged doves often return to nest sites they used the year
before, where both male and female collect twigs; usually the female
constructs the nest. Once the two eggs are laid (usually a day
apart) the parents incubate from 13 to 19 days....
.....Desert whitewings usually only produce one brood and migrate
shortly thereafter...by early September, almost all of the whitewings
have left for Mexico.
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| | Posted 7/22/2004 1:09 PM - 1 view - 5 comments
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