PHTO OF A BABY MORNING DOVE, TAKEN (5/00/05)STILL DOESN'T HAVE ALL HIS FEATHERS COMPLETELY GROWN... HIS MOMA UP ON THE LEDGE, A BIT APPREHENSIVE OF ME, WATCHING PATIENTLY, HE ON THE GROUND BARELY ABLE TO FLY, WAITING FOR DADDY TO BRING HIM SUPPER... SLIGHTLY EDGEY,VULNERABLE AND HUDDLED UP AGAINST THE BRICK CORNER ON HIS LITTLE MATT OF TWIGS ETC...HIS LANDING SPOT, SAFETY NET. THAT I AM SURE WAS MADE FOR HIM IN CASE HE FELL OUT OF HIS NEST, BEHIND A REDBERRIED BUSH, OUT OF DIRECT ELEMENTS. IT IS AMAZING TO ME TO WATCH THE LOVE AND CARE THAT BIRDS GIVE TO THEIR YOUNG. EVEN THOUGH SOME MIGHT THINK OF THIS AS ONLY A MORNING DOVE, A COMMON BIRD, NOT PARTICULARLY BEAUTIFUL, I FIND THEM FASCINATING. I LOVE THEIR SOFT EYES SOOTHING STRANGE CALL. I WAS LUCKY TO BE ONLY PERHAPS 24 INCHES AWAY. I WANTED A PICTURE SO BADLY BUT I DID NOT WANT TO SCARE THEM. I SLOWLY SHUFFLED MYSELF INCH BY INCH AS CLOSE AS I COULD GET WITHOUT SCARING HIM AWAY...THEY LET ME TAKE PICTURES BECAUSE THEY KNEW ME, I GUESS. I TRIED TO LEAVE SOME FOOD OUT FOR THEM SOMETIMES AND MAKE SURE THEY WERE ALL RIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN LARGER BIRDS DESTROY THE EGGS AND EAT THE BABIES RIGHT OUT OF THE SHELL. IT MADE ME SO SAD. I TRIED TO NOT INTERVENE BUT COULD NOT HELP BUT WONDER IF THIS FAMILY WAS ALL RIGHT. I HAVE WATCHED THIS MOTHER BUILD NESTS FOR OVER THREE YEARS NOW. IT WAS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL FOR ME THAT I WAS ALLOWED THIS CLOSE. I HOPE YOU LIKE MY BABY LOVE. SINCERELY CB... IN HONOR OF THE LATE STEVE IRWIN...SADLY MISSED..A MAN THAT LOVED ALL CREATURES WITH ARDENT HONEST PASSION. I ADMIRED HIM GREATLY. HE UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE AND PRECIOUS WORTH OF THE ANIMALS AND TRIED TO PROTECT AND PERSERVE EACH LIFE FOR ITS' SPECIAL MEANING AND NITCH. I WISH THERE COULD BE MORE MEN LIKE STEVE!!