What's With The Doves?

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What is with the doves this year?  The only time I normally ever see them is when the cascara berries are ripe and they can be seen bouncing from one branch to the next.  Each time they land on a branch the branch will sink down a couple feet and spring back when they move on to another branch.

However this year they have been a constant outdoor companion.  They coo all day and well into the evening.  I've only seen them in flight a couple of times, but I always know they are near.  It's nearly as annoying as hearing a dog barking all day, but not quite as annoying as our former rooster, Blue.

I recall my first experience with doves in Oregon when I first moved here.  I had a bird feeder just outside my bedroom window.  At that time I was new to feeding birds and I was trying to find the best seed or blend of seeds to attract the largest variety of birds.  This one time in particular I purchased a bag of millet and I filled the feeder that same evening.  The next morning I was awoken by some sort of squabble at the feeder.  My feeder was covered in doves and the electrical service line that ran outside my window was the host of probably 30 doves waiting to get their turn.

I realized the millet had to go.  I didn't want to have one of those houses that was home to a flock of doves.  I've seen houses where pigeons hung out on the roof and soiled the shingles like an statue in the park.

I replaced the millet with black oil sunflower seed and never had a dove on the feeder again.  I suspect one of the neighbors hasn't learned this lesson yet.