As My World Turns
Thursday,
May 31, 2012
An
overnight shower freshened the green;
the lacy feathery leaves of the honey locust tree
almost sparkle 'gainst the blueness of sky;
and the birds sing happiness, flitting through branches.
On a telephone pole
sits a big black crow;
he
caws and caws, then swoops to the ground
to
arrogantly strut to a nearby bush...
as a squirrel
scampers by with a nut in his mouth.
My
Albert, he's crouched so snugly on the nest;
his grayish-tan body camouflaged with the twigs;
the breeze blows his feathers and my baskets of flowers.
In
late afternoon, we'll feel the warm sun.
Two
ladies pass by on the pathway below;
they stop...to chat with a patio friend;
she offers them coffee...then dons her sneakers
to join them for their exercise walk
The forecast last night was for plenty of rain;
awakening this morning, I hear “splashes” from cars;
the low gray clouds
emit numerous drops
that hang like jewels from my balcony rail.
A
very special friend, I've invited for lunch
bringing
flowers of daisies, carnations, stephanotis.
She yearns to see my Victoria and Albert;
in
awe...she is...how beauteous “my Queen”
who serenely and regally sits upon nest.
Roasted chicken breast...and “romaine” with fruits,
raspberry vinaigrette drizzled...so delicious;
enjoyed chilled Pelee Pink in twisted-stem glasses
while my Mourning Dove observed, without blink of eye.
Friday, June 1
The constant rain splatters on the busy street
and droplets, like a necklace, lace the balcony rail.
Poor Albert, huddled on
white-shell-eggs
has sparkles of water upon his tawny feathers.
Monday, June 4
The sun is pushed behind darkened clouds.
Thunder rumbles...and continues to rumble.
Then a lightning streak forced me inside...
grabbing seat cushions, my stitchery and
tea.
My doves diligently, loyally remain
to protect their precious white eggs.
Come thunder, come lightning, come wind
and rain,
they'll not desert their unborn babes.
Friday, June 9
This may be the day when one squab's born.
I
long to observe this “dovey event”!
Will it be like Rosie and Papa (2010)
when she opened an egg with her very skilled beak?
Saturday, June 9
(I'm interested in the Queen's Celebration)
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth
is celebrated in England
with Brits who adore her.
An editor...from the Hamilton Spec
penned
his comments about her reign.
He praised her character as key to success
which accredited to me of her personality.
Over the past few days, I wrote a blog
entry;
on Open Office,I typed my thoughts
then sent it to Documents to later post.
It failed to appear in this Document
list ~
called my son to “rescue it for me”!
The air is chill...and clouds undecided.
Just before noon, I hear
Victoria and Albert.
They hesitate together...and I am wondering,
“Are they messaging me about news of a birth?”
Rescuing
my coffee of French Vanilla;
grabbing a sweater and “Spring Time” to stitch,
I retreat to the balcony...for my front row seat.
Only Victoria...no sign of Albert!
She sits very high (I know there's a babe).
Anxious and trembling, she pulsates her throat.
(must be preparing to feed one squab.
She bends her neck to reach the wee one.
“Alice” wriggles, so restless, so tiny.
“Pigeon Milk” Mama thrusts into babe's open mouth.
At 6 pm, “Twitter, Twitters”...must be a “shift change”.
Albert
is standing at nest...a view I do have
of one full egg and of newborn's half-shell
and there is Alice
beside “her shell”...nestled!
Sunday, June 10...9 am
A
Garden of Eden, this morning feels
(as I would imagine the Biblical scene).
No
Euphrates or tempting apple tree;
instead ~ a heavenly green, leafy environment.
The clarity of sky and light wispy clouds ~
not a whispering breeze ~ just serenity of the 'hood.
Birds trill their lilts and passive joggers go by.
Best
of all ~ my Mourning Dove family
who trusts me implicitly ~ just eight feet away.
Albert is a-nest with Alice beneath him;
when the second egg hatches, I've a
name to call him.
With white-tipped tail beautifully spread,
Victoria “twitters in” and gracefully lands
on the
railing behind and stands just a moment.
Albert, so still ~ 'til she stands beside him
as though conversing their plans for the day.
Wee Alice wriggles forth ~ Victoria feeds her.
With light pecks on his back, this message Albert gets!
He steps from the nest ~ legs, feet pinkish
red;
glances me...then flies into yonder blue sky.
(Victoria's position...blocked view of the nest).
Mama
stretches her neck to reach below breast
inviting Alice
to come forward to feed.
Voraciously feeds her (who seems to have grown)
Victoria's restless ...half-standing on nest
to protect her babes...or is it babe plus egg?
In early afternoon, came Hamilton friends
to visit the doves who call my place “home”.
They are truly amazed...the doves don't object
with
humans so close who are no threat!
A dozen salmon roses, they brought to me
which I placed in a tall crystal vase.
We
balcony-entertained with hot herbal tea
of blueberry/pomegranate ~ butterfly china;
the coffee-cream-cake...was so delicious
as we watched dear Victoria's
motherly care.
We chatted about friends, jobs and birds ~
unknown yet whether the second one's hatched.
Monday, June 11
(My doves have their secret...untold to me).
With telephone calls, also e-mails,.
one hour I have to spend with Albert,
adding more stitches to “Spring Tree Fairy”.
Albert...suddenly sits high on the nest
and a wee one appears, whom he does not feed.
Time to leave...lunch with my son at the RBG.
Returning at three, I admire Victoria
for her sleekness and colours of tawny-gray,
her fine tapered tail and
black-speckled wings,
her long slim neck and pearly gray head.
What a gorgeous bird ~ the epitome of dove-hood.
She'
in full sun...her throat is pulsing...
yesterday it occurred...”panting” in the heat!
Noises in the neighbourhood, ignored by my doves:
ear-splitting buzz saws trimming trees and shrubs;
a man from below scrapes the rough black pavement
with his
shovel, distributing it to reseed the grass;
a school bus stops with parents full of chatter
as joyous children exit and anxious to be home;
a Harley Davidson bike rumbles down the street;
whirling blades of a helicopter soar through the sky;
my telephone on the table rings with a
message.
“Victoria, I assume, you are immune to noise
and urban activities mean you no harm.
You've a very
private balcony, unattached to others;
a chorus of birds singing...morning and afternoon;
you've leafy trees and high
utility wires;
a black-wrought-iron chair ~ your.”nesting throne".
When the noises had ceased, Albert arrived
to observe his Victoria from a telephone wire.
He waited, waited and waited many minutes...
(perhaps he's wary, I'm sitting at the table;
to
end his trepidation, I move further back).
Five minutes later, he swoops down with twitters
to the corner railing behind the family nest.
There he waits...a sleek and slender body...
like a handsome prince, he awaits his queen.
She's aware
he is there and makes preparation.
She steps outside the nest and waits about a minute.
Then turning to face the balcony rail,
she broadens her tail with white-tipped feathers
and leaps into flight and into the trees.
Albert, still quite tentative...waits.
I look! There are TWO SQUABS!
I'm most reluctant to photo them.
In a minute, he leaps down to
the nest
...tenderly steps into it, ever so cautious.
A wee babe comes forward, whom he feeds.
Into
a feathery puff ball, he hunches over them.
He must be partly standing...and this pic I photo.
Eddie has arrived ~ today or yesterday!
Alice and Edward were two of Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert's
nine children. It's almost unimaginable that
in about two weeks,
these fledglings
rapidly grow, developing wings to flutter ~
then fly away with
parents...to begin their adult dove-hood!
Next in this 4-part
series...Progression to Flight.
Merle Baird-Kerr .
. . written June 12, 2012
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