A caring relationship.

The one is a young dove, and the other is a disabled young squirrel.

Watching and waiting for the little squirrel to appear, and when the dove sits there, it is a sign for us that the squirrel will come. So, I take my camera and my wife takes her peanut bag to also go and wait outside in our front garden. The dove somehow knows when the squirrel will come, as the squirrel does not come in every day anymore. After the squirrel's accident, it appears on only two or three days of the week.

We have some trouble with the bigger Ringneck Doves, as they dominate the area and bully the squirrels and smaller doves. I keep them away as they are very scared of the yard broom, and I just need to lift the broom for the bigger doves to fly away. But that in itself is also not so easy because I have to take care that I don't scare the small dove and squirrel away with the broom. So, I wave it around out of their sight.

The little squirrel arrived and my wife sprayed her peanuts around like confetti at a wedding. Lol.

Some of the photos in here are a bit darker, due to the clouds disturbing the sunlight. But here, below, the little dove also came down. You can see that they are friends.

The little white spots that you see are the chopped-up peanuts, as the bigger peanuts are too big for the little dove to eat. Obviously, the squirrel eats the whole peanuts.

The photos below look like the same photo, but it is not if you keep your eyes on the little dove, as then you will see how she eats the smaller peanuts.

Peace in the valley, as it is so nice to see how the two little ones operate together.

When the other squirrels are here, you will not see the two little ones around, as they come after the squirrels have eaten, and they somehow know what time to come in, so as not to be chased or disturbed. But in saying this, sometimes another squirrel will arrive to chase them, but my wife has also figured that out, as she puts peanuts for each one in separate parts of the garden.

Of course, when the big mommy squirrel arrives no-one is safe, as she chases everything in sight, even the big Ring-neck Doves are scared of her. We see that she is pregnant again, and we give her an extra helping of peanuts. The thing about the big mommy is that when she doesn't eat the peanuts, she will sit next to them and look at us and that means that she rather wants avocado. Amazing how my wife has figured this lot out, and I am only the cameraman.
Such is life.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.

Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.

Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.

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