It all really started about two years ago when two Collared Doves came and colonised our Chinaberry tree in our garden.
Because we live most of our summer lives on the terrace and the garden is a floor beneath us we do have a true bird’s eye view of the goings- on in the tree. We quickly named the lovers (because they made it very obvious that that is what they were) Columbine and Pierrot after the Commedia Della Arte loving couple.
We had two years when, on most nights, the loving couple used to perform their (ahem) love rituals on the Chinaberry tree right in front of the dinner table on the terrace, usually between the starter and the main course.
I do confess that I have shirked the longer explanation on a couple of occasions and told small children that they were playing.
This year all changed and, having had an early July honeymoon, our Doves decided to settle down. In a part of the tree exactly on the same level as the terrace they built a nest- or at least to my eyes they hurled twigs on a hook on the branches until sufficient of them made a rough platform.
Then Columbine proceeded to sit on this nest for about the next twenty days. Fairly early on she laid two eggs, and then, showing far more maternal maturity than we would have anticipated from her arboreal shenanigans, she hardly budged from her roost for the next two weeks.
Her one daily excursion was around dusk when Pierrot would come and perch on a branch above and bellow a bit when she, without a glance in his direction, would fly off, presumably in search of food, he would then keep the eggs warm until her return.
Towards the end of her time we did began to feel that she was neglecting her appearance somewhat as her feathers began to look very uncombed and she certainly lost weight.
Our first realisation of the happy event was when she seemed to spend more of her time with her head buried in the nest and her tail in the air- then we began to hear some faint chirping and then, after a few days she started to fly off regularly and then return when you began to see two small heads would hungrily disappear into her crop feeding with appetite.
Gradually the two began to leave the nest and stroll about the tree. One appeared much bigger and confident than the other so I called her Pierette and the more hesitant twin I assumed was a male and (sticking to the Commedia Della Arte theme) I christened him Scaramouch.
Several times every day Columbine would come back and feed them from her crop and they thrived and grew in front of our eyes.
Pierette was the first to fly but only from branch to branch, consequentially she was always the first to be fed, flying to Mama as soon as she perched while Scaramouch had to scramble on foot through the branches.
Then, just a few days ago, tragedy struck the family.
Going on to the terrace early one morning Sile found Pierrot dead on the table.
We guessed that he had been clearing up the crumbs around the terrace (as he frequently did) and had knocked himself on one of the supports of the canopy on the way out.
Well we buried him, still feeling quite shocked, and watched to see how the other three members of the family were going to manage without him.
It soon appeared that the babies were fine so long as Mammy came home with the grub- but they were all flying now and one felt this was a supplement rather than basic survival fare.
Columbine though was not fine and obviously missed her Pierrot badly.
Two days ago I came down to the terrace to find her back ensconced in her nest with Scaramouch looking down at her doubtfully from a branch above.
This was the moment when the whole thing became a bit Greek.
Columbine then cocked her tail in the air and started to make very suggestive cooing noises to Scaramouch who turned away in confusion.
She then got very forward and flew onto his branch and began to approach him backwards. This became too much for Scaramouch who flew away in mortification.
And that so far is that. All three remaining members of the family have now deserted the Chinaberry tree, but somehow I think that before too long we will see some more of them.