My wife and I always have a pair of doves that claim our yard as their territory. They are, perhaps, the most gentle birds I know. Doves form bonds that can last through several mating seasons. They have been known to have as many as four or five broods in a season, which is why they number in the hundreds of millions across the continent. Tens of millions are taken through hunting each year. The addition of some corn in the feeder attracts them. Most other birds will not eat it, but drop it under the feeder where the doves can get to it.
In the winter of 1986-87, when we lived in another county, I was probably putting out a little too much corn. After a while, it became a contest to see how many could be attracted. The dove numbers kept building each day until in January, I counted 53 in the mulberry tree where the feeder hung. Ha!
I like the limited color palette of this photo, also taken when the pine tree fell on the deck. Without that information, you might think the photo was taken in a remote wood. That is the value of staging. I took the photo through the kitchen window, staying warm on a very cold day.
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