erase the sign

I'm putting the sign away.

First report. The dove has not been on her nest for at least a week. One did this last year, in the same place. She made the nest. Then left her eggs, never to return.

Second report. This one has been plaguing me with guilt since I posted about it last friday. The hummingbird has not been back. I took the pictures on thursday after discovering her nest. I was very careful to not touch any part of the nest or the plant. But later that night she seemed to panic and act very confused. We heard a new commotion out on the front patio. When we looked out we found the hummingbird (assuming it was the momma) flipping out around the porch light. It was acting like a moth does around a light at night. She was banging into the ceiling and the brick wall, over and over again. We turned out the light, but she continued to do that odd behavior over and over again. It went on for hours. The next morning I heard her out there flitting around a few times and then nothing. And I have not seen her since. I've been so wracked with guilt that I might have scared her or confused her by taking pictures. Her tiny eggs are just sitting in her nest, alone.

Third report. The mama quail is still there. She rarely leaves the nest. She has her body puffed up really large, covering her eggs all the time. The information says that the incubation period is 21-24 days. I read about a different type of bird that says you count incubation days starting after the last egg has been laid. It has been 23 days since I discovered the twelfth egg.

I think that all three of these birds made their nests in a pretty visible and a pretty high traffic area. We use the doors off the courtyard on a daily bases. I'm out there watering very often, so peeking in the nests is not out of the ordinary. Well, dragging a chair over to get a look in the doves nest is not so ordinary. But, we are around that area quite a bit throughout the day. I feel so sad that I might have caused the two momma's to leave their baby eggs... by calling attention to them with my camera and the chalkboard sign.

If so, I'm sorry momma birds.