It's been a somber morning here in the Wilson household. It's been a lesson of nature, an example of the food chain (...and no, it has nothing to do with the chickens, they are all safe.) Here's how it all went down:
My daughter and I were in my bathroom doing her hair for the day. She played with her Polly Pockets as I was parting, combing, and pulling on her hair. On this summer morning, it was already warm. In an effort to get as much cool air into the house I had a box fan in our sliding glass door. All of a sudden I heard a scream from another part of the house, but due to the humming of the fan I couldn't make it out. I figured our son was playing Wii baseball again and had either just struck out (a scream of frustration) or had just pitched an awesome inning (a scream of excitement.) Unfortunately, it was neither.
I could hear the slapping of his bare feet on the hardwood floor running to our room and I knew something was urgent. He was crying and screaming, "Nooooooo. Nooooo." I immediately threw my arms around him and asked him what was going on. Through his choppy breathing and upset tears, he managed to tell me that a hawk had gotten the dove that's been sitting on a small nest with 2 eggs up on the pillar, under the roof. We've been following that dove as she's been working hard, attending to her unborn babies. One of our curious cats has also been keeping a close eye on the dove so we've been pretty protective.
Seeing my son so distraught brought me to tears. Once I had him settled down, I asked for the exact story and we took a look at the crime scene. He said he heard some chirping outside and thought it was the baby birds, only to find a hawk out on the grass and feathers everywhere. With an empty nest on the pillar, he had put two and two together. As a parent, I wanted to do anything I could to take his hurt away, but I couldn't. I could only hold him and cry with him. My job as a parent was to help him work through his grief and teach him how we sometimes have to accept unfortunate things in life, especially the ones we have no control over.
Of course, now he is madly searching the internet, reading up on doves. He has taken down the wooden birdhouse he made at Home Depot years ago. He's begging me to go to my previous school site to get an incubator. This kid will try anything to save those eggs. But for now, I'm hoping that since doves are often in pairs that the other will come to the rescue. It's a long shot, but it's something.
My daughter and I were in my bathroom doing her hair for the day. She played with her Polly Pockets as I was parting, combing, and pulling on her hair. On this summer morning, it was already warm. In an effort to get as much cool air into the house I had a box fan in our sliding glass door. All of a sudden I heard a scream from another part of the house, but due to the humming of the fan I couldn't make it out. I figured our son was playing Wii baseball again and had either just struck out (a scream of frustration) or had just pitched an awesome inning (a scream of excitement.) Unfortunately, it was neither.
I could hear the slapping of his bare feet on the hardwood floor running to our room and I knew something was urgent. He was crying and screaming, "Nooooooo. Nooooo." I immediately threw my arms around him and asked him what was going on. Through his choppy breathing and upset tears, he managed to tell me that a hawk had gotten the dove that's been sitting on a small nest with 2 eggs up on the pillar, under the roof. We've been following that dove as she's been working hard, attending to her unborn babies. One of our curious cats has also been keeping a close eye on the dove so we've been pretty protective.
Seeing my son so distraught brought me to tears. Once I had him settled down, I asked for the exact story and we took a look at the crime scene. He said he heard some chirping outside and thought it was the baby birds, only to find a hawk out on the grass and feathers everywhere. With an empty nest on the pillar, he had put two and two together. As a parent, I wanted to do anything I could to take his hurt away, but I couldn't. I could only hold him and cry with him. My job as a parent was to help him work through his grief and teach him how we sometimes have to accept unfortunate things in life, especially the ones we have no control over.
Of course, now he is madly searching the internet, reading up on doves. He has taken down the wooden birdhouse he made at Home Depot years ago. He's begging me to go to my previous school site to get an incubator. This kid will try anything to save those eggs. But for now, I'm hoping that since doves are often in pairs that the other will come to the rescue. It's a long shot, but it's something.
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| Daddy Dove |
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| The summary of the event |
I read this older post since I'm new to your blog and I've got to say I cried for your son and the dove and you too. Did baby doves eventually hatch?
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