Young dove

  

Two young Mourning Doves have been hanging out near the tomato plants in our backyard.  Here's a close-up of one from 31 July 2021.

Got milk?

An unusual movement caught my eye in the backyard tonight (27 July 2021).  Here's what I saw when I looked with binoculars:

 

 

An adult Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) was feeding a juvenile.  Doves feed their young by regurgitation.  The young bird inserts its bill into the parent's mouth and the adult regurgitates crop milk.  Not sure I'll have another chance to photograph the juvenile, so here's one more quick shot:

 

 

 

Resting on the fence

 

A juvenile Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) spent some time resting and preening on our fence yesterday.  

Note the pale edges to feathers, giving it a scaly appearance. (It's also less colorful around the face than an adult would be.)

 

Morning and afternoon views

 

This morning a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) rested at our water bath for a few minutes.  It was a good opportunity for a close view of the beautiful pale blue color around its eye.

This afternoon Eric looked out to the east and asked, "Why is it so dark outside?"

 

Then we heard the thunder, saw several lightning flashes, and watched as a long rainbow formed and paused over the inland mountains:

 

 

Here's to being hopeful during stressful times.