Spotted: Mother mourning dove on her nest

We spotted this mother dove at a home on Encina Ave. in Menlo Park this morning. The photo captures the sweet mourning dove but doesn’t do justice to the care she and her mate took in selecting where to build their nest. It’s tucked high and tight in a trellis that runs up the side of the house, hopefully out of reach to cats and local critters. Of note: according to bird experts, mourning doves mate for life, even if that life, alas, is not very long.

Photo by Linda Hubbard (c) 2007