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| Rusty blackbird: a loud egg thief |
In the early evening, the doves checked the nest again and again and seemed to be either house hunting or establishing a decoy nest somewhere in the neighborhood.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Nest Robbery
We've been enjoying the two mourning doves swooping into their nest in the bushes below us. They are an affectionate pair, cooing at each other and entertaining us with their energetic nest preparation.
On Tuesday afternoon when I was swimming in the pool, I saw one of the aggressive blackbirds, later identified by Marilyn as a rusty blackbird, carrying a large white egg in its mouth. Bob later told me that the bird had systemically transported three of the doves' eggs, one by one, and deposited them in different palm trees.
In the early evening, the doves checked the nest again and again and seemed to be either house hunting or establishing a decoy nest somewhere in the neighborhood.
In the early evening, the doves checked the nest again and again and seemed to be either house hunting or establishing a decoy nest somewhere in the neighborhood.
