When Doves Fly

My place feels strangely empty now that some guests I never invited have left.  About a month ago, a pair of mourning doves showed up and made themselves at home in a planter that sits on the balcony right in front of the glass door from my bedroom. This is the fourth or fifth time they’ve come to visit there. The first time they built an elaborate nest. The next time it was a little more sparse, then just a few twigs, and this time: no nest at all. It’s like “eh, he’s cool. We don’t need to impress him.” After a couple weeks of nesting, I finally spotted a couple babies under the momma. (Could be the dad actually. I can’t tell the difference and they trade off for shifts.) A few days ago the parents started leaving the kids alone in the nest most of the day, coming back for feedings and seemingly to check on them. Last Thursday, both parents came back together - and they seemed to be unusually active - as if trying to demonstrate how to jump out of the pot or onto the railings, and maybe even nudging the kids, who seemed happy just staying put. On Friday, I looked out and the pot was empty. Had I missed their departure? Nope - turns out the kids had made their first move to another pot in the corner of the balcony. They seemed perfectly content just sitting there all day. Then Saturday morning, they too were gone. I never got to see them leave and they never even said goodbye. The parents came back a couple times, but didn’t show any signs of distress - just like they were checking in on their old getaway spot. But the strangest part was when I came home yesterday and unconsciously said “hey birdies” when I walked in the door - only to realize they weren’t there anymore. The birds hardly ever made a sound, but it sure feels quiet without ‘em.