I just checked the dove’s nest in the palm tree and found it bereft of dove and eggs. I don’t know where the bird went, but the eggs are lying at the base of the tree, victims of poor architectural planning and some stiff West Texas wind.
We can but hope that the local dove gene pool is thereby strengthened, but I somehow doubt it.
Not saying it wasn’t the wind, but Roadrunners are opportunistic foragers/hunters. I remember watching a roadrunner standing on our adobe wall under a palm tree, with it’s head cocked, eyeballing a mocking bird nest. The parents were understandably excited
No, you’re exactly right. Grackles are the same way, as are some (all?) jays. I once watched a jay lift a baby bird out of its nest (can’t remember if it was a dove or a mockingbird), carry it across the lawn, and brutalize it to death. Reminds me of Tony Joe White’s description: “mean, nasty, straight-razor totin’ bird.”
I’ve seen a couple of roadrunners around the neighborhood, but very infrequently. I still think the wind is the culprit in this case, based on the way the nest was tilted down. The palm branches are just way too flexible.