MrBillM - 8-4-2006 at 01:20 PM
Animal kind, that is.
Awhile back, I decided to hang my step ladders in the carport adjacent to the garage rather than put them inside whenever I left. So, we come back
and find a bird's nest (this late in Summer ?) on top of my 7-foot ladder. Hoping that it was empty so I could get rid of it, I climbed up and found
two eggs. Later in the day I find a Morning Dove sitting on the nest. It's not so bad that I can't use the ladder since I have others, BUT I also
can't park in there or use the side door to go into the garage where my Big Servel is in use. It unnerves the bird.
Over the years, it has seemed that these birds (Morning Doves and Cactus Wrens) have an uncanny ability to build their nests in the most inconvenient
locations. Hoping to discourage this, I have built wooden bird houses in various locations which they have used, but they still manage to do things
like this.
Ah, the problems of living in the Outback. I think it's time for a beer.
[Edited on 8-4-2006 by MrBillM]
Cypress - 8-4-2006 at 01:31 PM
Life is wild! Keep on living!
Oso - 8-4-2006 at 01:39 PM
Ya big softie! I always knew you were mush under it all.
BTW, it's mourning not morning. Comes from the sound they make.
No Argument from me, BUT !
MrBillM - 8-4-2006 at 01:49 PM
We have a lot of Dem Birds in the High Desert and I had always assumed that it WAS "Mourning Dove", having been told the same thing i.e. the sound
they make. However, just before posting this, I did an "Altavista" search to be sure of the spelling and I came up with both. Since a number of
"College" sites listed it as "morning" I went with that. It's OK either way with me. Your definition makes a lot more sense.
jimgrms - 8-4-2006 at 01:52 PM
Bill if you want to discourare birds fron nesting in certain areas put a rubber snake in that area , they will stay away
That's a LOT of Snakes !
MrBillM - 8-4-2006 at 01:59 PM
The number of unlikely and inconvenient places where I've found nests over the years would make for a Baja Volume all by itself, not to mention the
fact that , if I put rubber snakes in all of those places, my neighbors would think I'm stranger than they do now.
I do have a few Rubber Snakes laying around, though, and there are some anecdotes I could relate there, too.
Oso- "Mourning" without a doubt. I went back and looked at a couple of those hits and, although the hit comes up "morning", they (notably NC State)
show it as "mourning" on the site. I should have given it more than a cursory glance.
Debra - 8-4-2006 at 02:28 PM
Funny about birds.....
About 6 yrs. ago there was an accident on our hi-way 16 between Tacoma and Bremerton (Western Washington) the truck was transporting Parrots to a pet
shop here in Port Orchard, truck turned over, birds escaped.......Parrots being as smart and resorseful as they are took up residence on a local cell
tower, build a nest and went on with life.
Fast forward.......to last year, big dang "hoop-laaaaaa" Cell company want's to replace cell tower, elderly living across from the tower and enjoying
watching these birds for the years file an injuction (sp?) Loco, (wooops, I meant local, I really meant that, just cracked me up when I saw what I
typed so I decided to leave it in) "Eco" folks (I would have expected them to be on the side of the Parrots.....I was, and count myself as one of
those dreaded "tree huggers") anyway, they go to court to have the Parrots caught and killed, seems that they did a study (tax dollars) and decided
that the Parrots would destroy the whole Great Pacific Northwest, causing all sorts of havoc to life as we know it.....(WHAT EVER!).....SO, after
years of (I'm at a loss for words to share the court battle.....'crap' comes to mind) the cell company got permission to take down the tower and put
up their new and improved version...don't know where the Parrots went durning the destruction/construction, but, I'm happy to report they are back (on
their new tower) living happily ever after, the old folks living across the street are happy, One thing I have to wonder about the Parrot family
though is that they chose that spot in the first place? I mean, it's right next to the largest High-School in the State! They like Rap (music?) are
they deaf? (anybody know how I can get a cell tower build in my backyard?) 
bancoduo - 8-4-2006 at 02:56 PM
What are the eco-people worried about. in a few years WA. will be in the tropics.
comitan - 8-4-2006 at 03:15 PM
Bill
Don't worry about startling the birds, I have the same problen I scare them off all the time they just come back eventually have their chicks and then
their gone. They get used to it.
Bird Psychosis
MrBillM - 8-5-2006 at 05:51 PM
You're probably right, but sometimes they get so worked up I worry that something bad will happen and I'll be responsible.
A few years back, up in El Norte, we came home from Baja to find that a Cactus Wren had built a nest on top of our Front Porch light and there were
already eggs in it. We cautiously went in and out closing the door carefully. Initially, the mother Wren would fly away when we would come and go,
but after awhile she'd just sit there watching. After the chicks had flown, I got rid of the nest. The following year, they built on it again.
After the chicks had again left, I cleaned it out and placed a rock on top of the light. Still, they tried to build on that, unsuccessfully. I guess
once they find a place they like, they keep coming back. I've noticed at times the same thing down here.
TMW - 8-6-2006 at 10:53 AM
Debra, maybe it the RF radiation from the cell transmitters they like.
Skeet/Loreto - 8-6-2006 at 11:30 AM
Debra:
I checked with my first Cousin--Jim Haggerton of Tutwilla- he says that the Folks at Stellicom fed them for awhile and then sent them back when the
new Tpwer was finished.
Skeet/Loreto