The Mourning of the Dove

In addition to all the other birds in our back yard, we have had a pair of doves. One day, my girls were upset telling me that a hawk was eating a dove. They want to shoot that hawk and I would like to help them. You might too after you read this. 

A couple days later I was watching our bird feeder and sitting in the same feeder dish was a male quail and a dove. That was strange because usually, the male quail will make all the other birds get out of the dish so he can eat. But this was not the case. The dove was just sitting there and it looked like they were really having a conversation. To my surprise I saw the quail pick up some scraps of bread that my daughter had put in there earlier that morning and toss it toward the dove. It kept doing this several times but the dove wasn't interested in the food. I realized then that that dove was really mourning the loss of its mate. I wanted to cry. I did cry. It was the saddest sight and reminded me of this 18th century Old English Ballad, Fare Thee Well (also used in the movie, "Fly Away Home".)

Fare thee well my own true love

And farewell for a while.

I’m going away, but I’ll be back

If I go ten thousand miles.

Ten thousand miles, my own true love,

Ten thousand miles or more,

And the rocks may melt and the seas may burn,

If I should not return.

Oh don’t you see that lonesome dove,

Sitting on an ivy tree,

She’s weeping for her own true love

Just as I shall weep for mine.

Oh come back my own true love

And stay a while with me

For if I had a friend all on this earth,

You’ve been a friend to me.

 Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)