Another dove has taken up residence in the old nest... She's a very young one and very skidish.
One chick hatched this afternoon and a nestmate will show by tomorrow.
She is well concealed and protected... I got 3 seed pods and about 20 spines in arms doing this.... lol
These spines are sharper than a hypodermic and the slightest touch you're nailed!
They have a micro barb on the end of spine to make sure they stay and don't back out.
I had to get out my Leatherman from my right pocket with left hand to use the pliers to grab them. I had one on right hand. If you try to pull them off with hand it will nail your hand and leave 3 or 4 spines in what ever it was stuck to and now stuck to your fingers. On your hand you can sling them off but will leave spines in your hand to be picked off... and they're not as bad as 'Cactus From Hell'... The 'Jumping Cholla'.. Spines so sharp I've seen them penetrate horses hide and tack. You get near it and look at it crossways, it will nail you!.... lol.. So bad people claim they jump... lol
One chick hatched this afternoon and a nestmate will show by tomorrow.
She is well concealed and protected... I got 3 seed pods and about 20 spines in arms doing this.... lol
These spines are sharper than a hypodermic and the slightest touch you're nailed!
They have a micro barb on the end of spine to make sure they stay and don't back out.
I had to get out my Leatherman from my right pocket with left hand to use the pliers to grab them. I had one on right hand. If you try to pull them off with hand it will nail your hand and leave 3 or 4 spines in what ever it was stuck to and now stuck to your fingers. On your hand you can sling them off but will leave spines in your hand to be picked off... and they're not as bad as 'Cactus From Hell'... The 'Jumping Cholla'.. Spines so sharp I've seen them penetrate horses hide and tack. You get near it and look at it crossways, it will nail you!.... lol.. So bad people claim they jump... lol
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
What some people will do for a picture... I wound up with 3 of them and about 20 spines.... lol
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
Hope to get some better head on shots this afternoon.
I tried to get chick to turn around, but he/she just wanted to sleep and couldn't get in from other side of cactus, but didn't want to touch it for fear mama might abandoned... unlikely, but happens and I'm in no place to raise day old dove chicks.... lol
The chick couldn't have been more that a couple hours old. Chick wasn't there , only eggs @ noon, but by 3pm one had hatched.
Send a couple more photos tonite. Lighting is better from the west, shines right in there.
The Camo Condo needs refurbishing... It's? 2 years old now and bleached out pretty good... Just some gauze and acrylic paint hung in the cactus to cover the nest. Those 110 hot days sun was just pounding down on nest, eggs and chicks and mama and afraid it would cook eggs or sunburn chicks. She had to sit them all day to keep them down to her body temp, cooler than air temp and now feed at dawn/dusk. So we built her a camo roof.... lol
There's been 5 chick hatches, 9 chicks in that same nest the past 2 years.
I tried to get chick to turn around, but he/she just wanted to sleep and couldn't get in from other side of cactus, but didn't want to touch it for fear mama might abandoned... unlikely, but happens and I'm in no place to raise day old dove chicks.... lol
The chick couldn't have been more that a couple hours old. Chick wasn't there , only eggs @ noon, but by 3pm one had hatched.
Send a couple more photos tonite. Lighting is better from the west, shines right in there.
The Camo Condo needs refurbishing... It's? 2 years old now and bleached out pretty good... Just some gauze and acrylic paint hung in the cactus to cover the nest. Those 110 hot days sun was just pounding down on nest, eggs and chicks and mama and afraid it would cook eggs or sunburn chicks. She had to sit them all day to keep them down to her body temp, cooler than air temp and now feed at dawn/dusk. So we built her a camo roof.... lol
There's been 5 chick hatches, 9 chicks in that same nest the past 2 years.
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
They are tiny and 3 days old.
That's a quarter
That's a quarter
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf
Dove chicks:
Pictures by Wuf