Months ago we had a robin's nest in our peach tree. On schedule the baby birds hatched, momma showed them how to fly and one day they were gone. Weeks went by and the vines below wrapped around the trunk rapidly taking over the tree. As I worked on pulling the pesky vines away from the branches a mourning dove sat on the fence beside me. Her voice whiring with that sad, mournful song they sing. Little did I know mourning doves sometimes reuse other species’ nests and she had laid two tiny white eggs in the robin's old nest. Since I found they like heavily shaded areas of evergreens and vines I feared she would now abandon the nest and the precious contents within. She sat for weeks on those eggs and as far as I could tell nothing happened. I couldn't help feeling I was to blame. I had nearly lost all hope when two of the fattest baby birds I have ever seen joined their momma on this branch. I was lucky enough to grab a photo before they flew and even luckier to be reminded how wonderful life can be.
