The Life Cycle of a Wood Pigeon?!

 At the bottom of the garden, there is a wisteria-laden archway (marked) leading to the kitchen garden ...

Photo 1: Wisteria Arch marking the entrance to the Kitchen Garden

For a few weeks I have heard a gentle cooing coming from the wisteria with the occasional rapid exit of a wood pigeon when passing through the archway leading to the Kitchen Garden. A pair of wood pigeons had tried, unsuccessfully, to nest in our winter-flowering cherry last year. This year they paid regular visits to the flowering cherry tree but only (with hindsight) to collect twigs to build their very rudimentary nest in the wisteria.

On exiting the kitchen garden today (22nd July), I noticed a motionless wood pigeon sitting on a nest no more than a foot above my head.

Photo 2: Wood Pigeon Nesting in the Wisteria

Photo 3: Wood Pigeon on its Nest

The pigeon remained motionless hoping I wouldn't spot it. I assume the fact that it did not immediately fly off meant that there were eggs in the nest.

While new life is in the offing at home, the short video below reports the untimely death of another wood pigeon at the claws of a sparrowhawk. This was recorded in Hereford by my son, and only about a mile or so from us.

Video 1: Death by Sparrowhawk

Pigeons are slow and, outwardly, rather stupid so are easy meat for predators like the sparrowhawk and peregrine falcon. As one pigeon leaves this world, possibly several new ones enter!