The Best Nest

One of our favorite P.D. Eastman books is called "The Best Nest", where two birds go looking for a good place to build a new nest, and end up discovering that their old nest was really the best of all.

We have a "best nest" on our front porch.  It was built last year by a pair of morning doves, who sat on it for quite a while, though we never saw any babies.

May 2011

Then a few weeks later, a mommy robin sat on it and hatched a nestful of babies.  They stayed for a few days and then flew off.  I meant to take down the nest all year, but never could bring myself to do it.

April 2012

We were thrilled when mommy morning dove showed up this spring, took down the cobwebs and fixed up the nest once more.  She didn't decide to use it however, and mommy robin is now back.  We found a blue egg on the porch (sadly cracked), and when we held the camera up to take a peek for us, there is another blue egg in the nest!  We wonder if perhaps now there are more than one, but we don't want to disturb her.  Judging by the squawks outside while Matt was watering the front garden, she is not too far away!  We hope we get some more babies in this nest...which certainly is welcome to stay on our front porch for a long time!