The dove hatchling I rescued a month ago...

[MontanaMama]

He spends his days outside in the trees. I came home early from work to mow the lawn and he popped down from above to say hello. I still put food out for him…apples and a homemade seed mixture…and of course, water. He flies further out each day but comes back several times a day when I call for him. He sleeps in the house at night…I’ll let him do that as long as he wants to.

[MFM008]

1. very cool

I saved a bird nestling that fell between the walls in my old apartment, fed it for weeks.
The ingrate flew off at the first opportunity......

[Bayard]

2. Good on you!

Small victories are sometimes the best.

[elleng]

3. SWEET!

[SheltieLover]

4. Ty for helping this beautiful creature!

[Diamond_Dog]

5. That is SO COOL!

I remember how scruffy he looked the last time you posted his pic!

Just goes to show how almost any creature can become attached to a human when shown some kindness.... even a wild bird. Nature is amazing. Thank you for updating us!

[Maraya1969]

6. He's got a goofy smile that makes him adorable! Thank you for saving him.

[MLAA]

7. Ahhhhh, what a nice pic of two cuties!

[zuul]

8. He's a handsome fellow!

[GemDigger]

9. Some day he/she will bring it's mate to meet you.

Oh my, I hope it doesn't think you will be its mate

Stay cool and wish for snow!

[MontanaMama]

10. Hey my friend.

I think this little ragamuffin thinks I’m his mama…I’ll be shocked if he brings a mate! These doves are so skittish. This one, however, doesn’t seem to know better.

Wishing for water of any kind out of the sky. This has been a summer like none I’ve ever lived through.

[yonder]

15. You did good there, MM. I hear you on the weather.

We're supposed to finally get some below average high temps this weekend and into next, with luck, some rain also. Hopefully, you'll see some of that up your way too. Hottest summer we remember in the 40+ years we've been here.

I have a name for your friend: Dove Above.

[MontanaMama]

27. I love that name yonder.

Dove Above. Much more dignified than The Ragamuffin.

[GemDigger]

25. I can't believe the heat you guys have been getting up there.

It is nasty hot down here but nothing compared to you guys.

I love mourning doves and the I find their sound soothing. You are lucky you didn't find a magpie

[MontanaMama]

28. That would have been quite ironic...

To find a magpie. I’m at war with them on a daily basis. They steal eggs out of my chicken coop. I have respect for corvids in general…but the sweat equity I have in my chickens outweighs all of that.

[GemDigger]

32. That equals what I feel about magpies.

They are a beautiful bird but they are obnoxious and nerve wracking. My neighbors have an unusual amount of trash so every week they can't close the lid and it is bulging out.... can you say magpies make a mess. At 5:00 ish the other morning a whole brood of them decided to play right outside my bedroom window. It was too hot to close the window because it was just starting to cool down in the house but those little shitheads pissed me off enough to get up and go out to shoo them away.

Pfft. they won... I lost and stayed up.

[MontanaMama]

33. So my baby dove spent his first night outside last night.

I was a wreck all night long worrying. I got up before dawn because I knew the magpies would be circling and sure enough a family of 5 of them came through squawking like crazy. They were trying to bully their way into the chicken coop to steal my eggs. They teach their babies to do the same and BAM we have generations of the damn things raiding the coop. I was able to shoo them away this time and my little dove came sailing down out of the tree where he spent the night. He doesn’t like magpies either.

[pazzyanne]

11. Your baby looks like an Eurasian collared dove. nt

[Ligyron]

22. Right?

I hate to even say this but I think they were originally imported because being non native there’d be no season or limit.

I have a flock of a dozen or so visit my yard everyday for seeds.

I’m sure your little guy is safe MM. in Montana hunters probably have bigger game in their sights.

[MontanaMama]

29. You're exactly right.

It is a Eurasian collared dove. Non native and considered invasive by some. I’m quite “birdy” in that I watch and feed birds…except when bears are moving through the area then I take my feeders down. Anyway, an elderly friend called me a month ago after a thunderstorm when she noticed a nest in her pine tree had blown down and two hatchlings were on her lawn…I told her to leave them in case the parents came back to care for them…in the morning, the parents hadn’t returned and one of the two hatchlings was dead. I took this little one and hand fed it until this week when he was weaned and able to fly. I wish this bird were something more glamorous than a Eurasian dove but it is what it is. I’ve learned a lot caring for this little one.

[pazzyanne]

30. I love the Eurasian collared dove's calls!

I immediately transport myself to English movies when I hear them.

You are a blessing to your feathered baby! I admire your success with your bird baby. I have fostered a lot of wild babies, but my success ratio with baby birds has been dismal. I have had success with baby rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons. My specialty is feral cats and kittens. I presently have three cats, all of them came to me as babies about a week old. Lots of heavy duty work with 3 hour feedings, stimulating excretion activity, cleaning them, etc., but it is a labor of love.

[bluboid]

12. i LOVE this story, especially the picture - please keep updating!

[calimary]

13. Looks like he's smiling!

He’s obviously pleased with that “perch”!

Thanks for the update, btw!

[jalan48]

14. He looks like a happy camper

[lucca18]

16. I love this! He is adorable!💕

[wendyb-NC]

17. That's so cool

Thank you, for being a such a kind, caring human to that little sweetie.

[malaise]

18. Real nice

[MOMFUDSKI]

19. Good for you taking care of the little guy.

We have many bird feeders in our yard here in Wisconsin and a month ago a green parakeet shows up. He is having a blast and flies higher each day. Sure enjoying his summer but we know winter will kill him. We may try to put out a cage with the feeder inside and try to rescue him before we leave in October. Hate to have to cage him and can't decide what to do. Any thoughts out there?

[TuxedoKat]

34. Maybe these will help

https://animals.mom.com/how-to-catch-a-parakeet-live-outside-12529783.html

[Solly Mack]

20. That is so sweet!

[Rhiannon12866]

21. Awww! What a wonderful photo, such a happy looking little guy. Kudos to you for saving him!

You have done an amazing job! He is now safe and happy...

And I wish I could send you a portion of the weather we've been having here. Yesterday was the first time in awhile that we had sun and no periods of rain. But when I got up today it was back, teeming rain - and we have had lightning and thunder, high winds and power interruptions when branches and trees come down, and resulting frequent flood warnings, not an ideal summer.

Plus it's now tourist season here, the streets are packed up north near the lake. Last year everything was closed, this year - despite the pandemic - everything is open with a vengeance and I've seen cars from Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and Utah!

[COL Mustard]

23. Cute! And So's The Dove!!!

😅

[Hotler]

24. Critter friendship is a bit of life that is priceless. Grab evry moment.

Good job mom.

[Marcus Pullarius]

26. The Ringneck Dove

also called the Laughing Dove for its three syllable coo. They're very tolerant of humans and are easily domesticated. They're just damn pleasant to be around. Where I spent my childhood, they were simply part of the larger menagerie in the park my grandfather had created. They're wonderful company. Lucky you.

[Fla Dem]

31. What a wonderful experience. I hope you have a long relationship with her.