The bird poop and feathers on my windshield are a clear indication that the doves have taken up their summer residence again, building their nest in the rafters of the carport.
Right above my car.
Very convenient for them. Not so much for me.
I already needed a car wash (one more thing that has been sorely neglected while I spin around the hamster wheel that is my current work life; I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve now got one of those cars that begs passersby to write “wash me!” with their finger in the dust). Now I really need a car wash.
And I also need to remember for the next few weeks to pull my car right up to the wall by the passenger side of the carport. If I squeeze in tight enough, the poop mostly falls just to the left of the driver side door.
It’s honestly pretty darn annoying.
Just being doves
Back before he was my ex-boyfriend, when the doves last took up residence, my ex-boyfriend offered to get rid of the nest for me. I’ll admit I was tempted, but I couldn’t quite authorize the pulling of that trigger.
The fact is, I’m grateful that I live in a part of the world where there are doves. And squirrels, and songbirds, and other wild things.
And the doves are just being doves. Endangering little baby doves (or incipient ones) for the sake of having a clean car just didn’t feel right.
My species came along generations ago and cut down whatever forests were growing here to build orchards, and later roads and townhouses, homes and schools and apartment buildings. The doves have done a pretty good job of adapting to the situation: no cat is going to be able to get at the nest up in the rafters.
One of these years maybe I’ll get around to putting up some kind of nest-building deterrent before the summer residence starts. But for now, I’ll just let sleeping doves lie.
Besides, my car will be well out of pooping range all of next week while I’m making music in the woods at CCMC. Maybe the chicks will be out of the nest by the time I get back.
And if not, maybe it’s the Universe’s roundabout way of telling me I need to get my car washed more frequently.