A Young Dove's Fancy

At first, I was sure that these two mourning doves were fighting... they were pecking each other about the face, and puffing up their feathers. However, it soon became apparent that I was thinking about 180 degrees in the wrong direction! Afterwards, the male sat around puffing out his feathers for a minute or two, and then began to groom the female around her neck.

Spring must be closer than I had thought. :) I took a few pictures of the grooming, and wished them good luck before I closed the curtain. (Mourning doves are terrible nest-builders...)

In the Spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin’s breast;
In the Spring the wanton lapwing gets himself another crest;

In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove;
In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

- from "Locksley Hall," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson